Summe
SLASHBACKS
Stepping lightly during a heavy maneuver is Jeff Phillips in mid-frontside
boneless for a large crowd at a "lifestlye" fair in the Dallas Convention
Center. Photo: Newton
PHILLIPS
INTERSTATE TOUR
NITE JAM AT CECIL'S
ANT RAMP JAM
It could've been almost any free-
way, those generous slabs of as-
phalt and cement that connect us to
one another. It could've been but it
was not. This specific thoroughfare
was an interstate, running north and
south somewhere in the sun and
bible belt of central Texas. On the
particular week in question it linked
more than just cities and towns, it
served as the main artery between
two ramp contests and the numer
ous skate spots in between.
The week began at Cecil's ramp,
located in Cecil's backyard in the
gulfside town of Corpus Christi. This
ramp has evolved through the years
into a "state of the art structure" that
any skater would envy. Cecil's con-
test, out of necessity, was a night
jam. In this part of the country skat-
ing during the day, In the summer, is
about the craziest thing you can do.
Cecil's jam was wild to say the least,
with "standing room only in the
spectator area.
On the following morn we began
trucking north, up the freeway. As
we neared the first scheduled spot
stop, the water pump committed
suicide, stranding us in a bad way.
Some guy (I'll call him Joe) pulled up
and drove me around for 3 hours
looking for, and finally finding, a re-
placement part. With the automobile
repair prowess that rivals Paul
Scmitt's mechanics, we were on the
road once again. Fifteen minutes
later, we hit Selma. Selma had the
best ditch in the world 'til the city
poured tar all thru the bottom. That
left only one more ditch to skate
there. The only problem; it's almost
too close to the freeway.
Again, we pressed on, northward
for another 20 minutes to a college
town and the Butthole Bowl that's lo-
cated, you guessed it, on the free-
way. This pool looks like people
spend more time spray painting the
walls than riding them-but then
again, I'm probably wrong
The journey continued to that
landmark ditch, Pflugerville, and as
with other spots in this story, it too is
on the freeway."
The next ditch of note was the site
of a recent contest held by the local
kids that skate here. With 30 or so
cars parked on the side of the free-
way you would think the cops
would've been out trying to break up
the fun. Not that day. The skaters
prevailed and things ran without a
hitch
The last stop on this Interstate
Tour was the Ant Ramp Jam, so
named because of the friendly col-
ony of ants living under the ramp.
This contest was definitely the most
fun for the skaters. Our hosts sprang
for cooler upon cooler of ice cold
sodi pop, hired a paramedic (who
did come in handy), rented port-o-
cans, fed anyone and everyone who
showed up, and to top that-put up
most the Pro purse. A special thanks
goes to the Crossen family for doing
so much.
To bring this to a close, just re-
member that the nearest or next
place to skate is just down the road
somewhere. Get up and get on it.
Newtron
Extra radical channel vault at Cecil's
In this unique perspective by Newtron, Neil Blender is caught midway across the mouth of a Texas ditch.