Every so often a large sort of singular
spark would float above the grass. Diving,
Hicks ran over, said, "Thar's one! Got it!"
He brought it over for our examination.
"Y'all ever seen one of these?"
"Nope," we said.
"Jes' check this sucker out," he held out
his hand for inspection. Inside, it glowed a
pulsating fluorescent, lime- green. I looked
closer for some positive eye contact. Just
a bug with a glowing butt. Glowing guts?
Radioactive doo-doo? Hicks squished it
and smeared it on my shirt. "Look, it'll glow
for about a minute or two," he said as if he
were a biology professor.
"Gee thanks," I looked at my ex-clean
T-shirt that I had just put on, the previous
one being soaked with sweat. "Maybe I can
do something for you sometime."
I copped a ride with Roskopp in his dad's
cherry-red, vintage Mustang. Rob had
flown up to Ohio and driven it down here.
"So, where are we staying?" I asked, slip-
ping into the back seat with Gator at shot-
gun.
"In a hotel."
"Cool. I've got the floor."
"Well, we're sort of in the same room with
Goodrich," Rob finished.
"Oh, do you think he'll mind?" I asked.
"Uhh, we won't tell him."
"Fine with me, I can blend."
Then things began to happen:
Goodrich, McGill and I cruised to a bar/
restaurant for some delectables. Got
strange stares for California-type hoots and
hollers at insanely eye-gagging angel bet-
IB
CROCKET
TAVERN
liere stood the Crockett Tavern
established and operated by Joh
and Rebecca Crockett. It was th
boyhood home of David Crockett
(1786-1836), pleneer and political
leader in Tennessee, and a vic
tim of the Alario Massacre a
San Antonio. Texas.
ties. The humidity has brought out the
heathen irf us.
Met a crazy skater-type in the motel hall-
way who is in dire need of a post-skate-ses-
sion-shower. He rants, points, gestures and
raves about going out and scamming in-
credible betties. Rob Roskopp: "Hey, Jim,
can I use the rental car to go to the store
and buy some beers and bubble gum?"
Jim: "Oh, sure, no problem." We now had
wheels.
We got to a dance club and gas on all
the femme fatality-inflictors. We tell our
shower-needing happy guide that we didn't
think he'could get a girl to dance with him
by asking. He loses, a girl asks him after
his numerous strike-outs, so that don't
count. He later got kicked out. We told girls
that they were lucky to meet us because
we're from California. Most didn't hear us
over the music, which was way too lame
to dig anyway.
Morning brought contest day. There were
three divisions of skaters for the ramp and
a freestyle event planned.
The events leading up to the sponsored
event were not quite the dynamic level
achieved by the pro style or higher level
amateur status ramp competitions. But still,
there was more of a determined attitude
superseding the levels of ability. There were
a few stand-outs though, revealed in the
end when the winners of the "jams" were
announced. Skaters with names like Mike
Harrington, Robert Taylor, Tom La Plante,
Brady Byrd, Chris Carter and Chris Lenart
placing high in either the 1A or 2A divisions.
Localite Robert Taylor shredded his way
to a first in the 2A division, while Tom La
Plante captured first on the 1A.
Mr. Outlaw was at rampside, with a video
camera glued to his eye for the entire dura-
tion. The man was dedicated. I asked him
about his last name, and he told me that it
was dubbed on his family by the King of
England himself. It seems his ancestors
were bad boys. Sort of a vigorous heredit-
ary primal urge.
The main aspect of the competition, the
sponsored division, was intensified and
blown-out. Doug Walker, who lives out
Knoxville way, was one of the forces to con-
tend with. He, along with Tom Groholski,
Kevin Dickman, Britt Parrott, Chuck Treece,
Brian (Bat Mite) Beauchene, Joe Bowers,
the Duong Bros., Mike Hill and Brett Martin
pretty much comprised the competitive
force. Gator was not visible during most of
the day. Reports are it was food poisoning.
but I suspect clove cigarettes. I heard it
freezes up your lungs. But what do I know,
the world is scheduled to end in a couple
of weeks anyways, so Gator has a right to
be sick. Just as long as I can retain adjutant
rights.
Halfway through the jam for the Spon-
sored Ams, it was clear that the battle was
to be between Walker, Groholski and Ken-
dall, although some smashing, gashing,
hashing (insert 20 other adjectives) went
on by the likes of Chuck Treece, Dickman,
Dettman, Britt Parrott and Bat Mite. The
latter's unique "paw-air" astounded McGill
Tenn. historic place of interest,
Davy Crockett's birthplace, fell victim to
some quick dorking by Joe Bowers.
Southern cloud study
and Roskopp. Instead of grabbing the rail
or other available edge, he merely holds
the board with an open palm. And any way
he chooses to do a frontside air he does it
high. Good control, this guy.
Mr. Outlaw was checking the ramp from
a different vantage point. As he aproached
my position, I questioned him as to the
meaning of the words "Volunteer State"
across Tennessee's automobile license
plates. He said that it was from when Davy
Crockett and a whole gangload of Tennes-
seeans volunteered to go help to save the
Alamo during Texas' fight for its indepen-
dence from Mexico.
Doug Walker was throwing out some
mean runs, being really tricky with some
contorted plants, fancy airs and...just
name it.
A kid named Jeff Kendall, from New Jer-
sey or somewhere, was skating with a des-1
tiny. What I mean is, the kid probably has
a future in this sport. From a distance, the
kid might well be mistaken for a slightly
beefier Tony Hawk. Even some of those
outrageous moves are within or not far from
being within his grasp.
Mike Harrington was blazing some
strong grinds off the channel hip snap-in
popsters. He possesses a no-nonsense ap-
proach to his runs with a good quiver of lip
maneuvers, a style which is overlooked in
the pro contest scene these days.
Getting down to it, Groholski out-blazed
on the air, grinds, plants, you name it. He
blazed. He out-blazed everyone. But I'll
keep it down so he won't get too big of a
head. There were others who blazed more
than their final placing realistically showed.
For instance, Chuck Treece, of McRad
fame, tore it up, his layback rollouts de-
G&S
Tom Groholski
HOURS
Mr Outlaw and backyard.
23