Alvar
Send all Inde, Compliments and Crit
for Mail Drep THRASHER Magazine.
PO Box 24592, San Francisco, CA 94124.
RAMP POLITICS
I'm writing to tell you about the
skate scene in Chandler, Arizona
There are about 12 skaters I know
(Chandler population is about
42,000): most of the skaters are
hardcore, skate-core punks, except
for a prep or two. I have a board and
sometimes use it at a halfpipe
nearby. The pipe is Chris and Scott's,
who are dam good skaters. You
should come out sometime and see
for yourself, it's worth it! They might
tear down the ramp, but if they do,
my friend will, or is going to, build
one out of his dad's election signs
(his dad is running for mayor). I think
you should print this because it
shows that the hardcore skaters
arent all in N.Y. or LA, they're all
over! Keep the sport and music rip-
pin'!
Causen Trouble
The Skate Punks
of Chandler
Letter by Ty Maat
YOUR MOVE, BOYZ
Some of the skaters around here
seem to be more interested in their
#$%! skateboards than they are in
us females. And they're so crabby!
Are they all pansies, or what? I'm
sick of playing second fiddle to a
dumb piece of wood and fiberglass
with wheels. I could easily take an
axe and chop your boards to bits but
that would be too vicious Re-
member: there's more to life than
ramps and pools! So wise up, fellas,
or regret it for the rest of your life.
Furious Female,
Someplace in
Marin County, CA
THIS IS THE ONLY LETTER
ABOUT MUSIC WARS THAT
WE'RE PRINTING THIS
MONTH
Hey all you punk and metal wogs,
why don't you stop sticking your
noses in each other's asses and take
a good look around. Classical rules!!
And always will, that is why it's been
around so long! That punk and metal
crap will die out in a couple of years!
Have you tried blasting an air to the
gnarly beat of Beethoven? If not, you
better hurry up and try it before you
blow your minds on that garbage you
listen to. Metal and punk sucks
Skate til death,
Todd Jozsa
Short Hills, NJ
IT'S NOT THAT BAD
What's up? It's me, that 15-year-
old Va. Beach skater who wrote you
about the city making us tear down
our ramps. This is the rest of the
story and it's not that bad. First, they
made us either take 'em down or
pay up to 1,000 bucks a day. That
sucked! Finally the city and the skat-
ers went to court and they are walt-
ing for an appeal (and still are). The
newspaper said that the city is
gonna build two ramps at a fow
parks (like Mount Trashmore and so
on) that will be so killer! They're
spending 8,000 dollars on the
ramps. I just thought you would like
to know
Troy Boyd
Va. Beach, VA
PARKS WERE THEN, RAMPS
ARE NOW
It has been a few years since Col-
orado's skateparks were shut down
and destroyed. After the parks were
gone, so were a lot of the skaters.
Fortunately the scene has made a
strong comeback. Thanks to the
hardcore skaters who stuck with it
through the years. Also important for
its revival was the so-called punk-
new wave music movement. Now
there are four ramps all within a 30-
mile radius of my home. There are
here too. Plus we have a real cool
a lot of real good skaters around
skate shop at Sports International.
QUESTION AUTHORITY
Here is an encouraging letter for
those with legal battles as in July
mail drop.
I was ticketed for skateboarding
on the streets of an air force base
and I'm an air force skate punk, so
I decided to fight it along with my
roommate who is also a skate punk.
Our first sergeant said he could
not help us since the first sergeant
of military police made it his choice
that it was illegal. We went above
his head to the Snsgt. (senior master
sergeant) of police and he had his
mind made up before we even got
through the door. So we went above
his head to the base commander
Two weeks later he decided in our
favor; skateboarding is legal on
base.
My advice to skaters with legal
problems is don't be afraid to fight
or go over someone's head like city
council, senator, congressman,
even the police have a boss, the
mayor Just keep your request
reasonable. We asked for at least
bicyclers' rights which was fair and
we got them.
BE SERIOUS
Dave and Ric
Davis Monthan
Air Force Base
Tucson, AZ
I'm writing this letter to to tell
you the true skate scene In
Westwood. Jon Murray doesn't
solid, I'll skate it. But the main
reason I wrote is to tell all the skaterz
out there that have problems to just
skate and ignore them all. If you
want to hear about problems: I live in
a one-horse town called Bowie,
where the skate scene doesn't just
suck, there are no other skaterz but
me. If there are, they're hiding!
There were others, but it was just
another "trend" to them. So I just
skate streets by myself and I'm get-
ting better every day. But then I can't
even skate down the street without
hearing the crap from non-skaterz,
like the other day, I'm shreddin'
along and this greasy redneck with
half of his teeth gone says, "Hey,
man, I love your little skateboard,
mant" and laughed. I felt like spitting
in his face! Instead, I just laughed at
his ignorance and kept going. Every
one around here thinks of the old
plastic 3-inch wide jobs when you
mention a skateboard. Just the other
day I went to a surf-skate shop (not
around here) to get bearings, !
talked to the dude working there and
he said that he and his buddies
shred Crofton Skate Park on Sun-
days, which is closed and fenced,
but only a few miles away from me.
Two of the four original bowls are dirt
filled but two are still shreddable.
Those also will soon be destroyed
so I just shred them until then. So if
it's there, skate it now, because you
will be sorry you didn't when it's
The Curl and Hi Roller are definitely have any right to tell it. The cops gone. Grind, don't whine!
missed greatly, but they are the past.
There will always be skaters in the
backyards and streets, special
thanks to the people who make the
scene happen here. To name just a
few: Brent, Billy, Perry, Mike, Buff,
Rich and Jim. Oh, and by the way
who cares what music people listen
to, just skate!
Mark Eckhoff
Aurora, CO
VA MEANS VIRGINIA BEACH
Every time one of your "Tour" is-
sues comes out I look for the East
Coast and especially Virginia Beach.
You almost got us with your D.C.
skate scene article, but I think, and
with good reason, that Va. Beach
has one of the hottest and fastest
growing skate scenes. With the clos-
ing of all the major skateparks in the
area, halfpipes popped up over
night. With the end of the great Paul
Wisnuski's halfpipe, the infamous
John Fidula, local ripper, has built
what is now the best ramp in V.B.
and the home of such great locals
as Henry, Eddie and Glenn Gutier-
rez, Bobby Davis, Kevin Glenn, and
the outrageous Stacy Spinks.
There is a contest this weekend
and the "Toke Team," including Pat
Clarke and John Ayres, are sup-
posed to attend. I'm sure you'll see
more about the contest from other
people in the future.
Later,
Andy Howell
Virginia Beach, VA
PS. The dimensions of John Fidula's
are about 2 ft. vert and 9 ft. tall, low
side, and a deck (16 ft. x 8 ft.). High
sides; about 12 ft. to 14 ft. high with
about 4 ft. vert. 12 ft. flat bottom and
16 ft. wide, an overall hot ramp.
are lame, the half pipes are tight,
and Murray's quarter is off limits
to us skate punx, who make up
99% of the Westwood scene. The
reason, according to him we only
skate for the music and not for the
skating, lets be serious, we live to
skate. So here's to the real skaters
of Westwood; Marg, Webb's, Ziz I
and II, Lee, Crabs and Pete. Skate
or die,
Mike Smittes
Westwood, Ma.
KIDS SKATE TOO!
I
I'm a 12 yr. old skater from
Wisconsin and a dedicated reader
of your magazine, but I have only
one complaint. Out of all of your
Issues (which is pretty many) I've
noticed that you haven't put too
many pictures or articles of
youngsters on board which really
disappoints me. A lot of my friends
read the skateboard magazines
bring to school, but they don't try
it because they think you have to
be either older or nuts to skate ver-
tical. I try to set them straight by
proving you don't have to be older
to skate vertical on a really cool
ramp, owned by the Beaudoin's,
but they still think I'm crazy. I think
that if you put more articles and
pictures of young kids skating,
that would be a great influence on
kids my age.
George Hammel
Cudany, Wisconsin
YOU'LL BE SORRY
First off, in the Sept. '82 issue, I
wrote to Blackhart about having no
place to skate and he told me to quit
cryin' and just skate! Great advice,
Doc! Thanx! Now, if it's there and it's
TRUE SKATE
Matt Kimball
Bowie, MD
Seeing as the rain ruined all
hopes for today's skate session, I
decided it was time to write a let-
ter to your fine magazine. Basical-
ly I would like to say the contrary
to many peoples' belief skating is
alive and well in Pittsburgh. I feel
my opinion means something
since I talk from experience. I have
been skating the streets of Pitt
sburgh and surrounding areas for
the last ten years. My skating (like
many others) was born on the
street; moreover, instead of selling
out I have remained on the streets,
partly out of necessity but mostly
voluntarily.
I was an original member of
the now destroyed New Wave
skatepark and continued to skate
there until it's bulldozed death.
Like any hardcore skater, I have
ridden pools, ramps, parks, down-
hill, freestyle, etc. To be a true
skater, just go out and skate, it
doesn't matter what.
The thing that makes skating
unique and skaters special, is they
can ride anytime, anyplace and
anywhere. Basically, quit com-
plaining and start blazing. Our fine
city has so many skateable lines,
nobody could ever hope to thrash
them all. Most important, though,
is that we unite. If all Pittsburgh
skaters (this also applies to
skaters in general) unite and sup-
port our infamous life saver, Shady
Skates, we can make Pittsburgh
one radical city to live in.
Skate On,
Dan Buzdor
War
Alvar
P.O. BOX 5704
SANTA MONICA, CA 90405
(213) 452-2919
THER
POSO
Alva Wheels 63.5mm diameter 59mm w