SKATER'S EDGE
with Bob Denike
commiting
fashion
suicide
in one
quick
stroke
kate attire take on a few
style cholo-Chinos are nice, but the ulti-
mainly the addi-mata in leg wrappings is the godly Levi but-
little raunch. A major part of any
is spent rearing skate related
mainly the Beely-T-Lavis tennis
thing but skaters today have
to a certain style that distinctly sets
them apart, tagging them unmistakably as
The shoes for example, besides being a
few specific brands, take on a different look
from their original form. The most baffling
Characteristic of the skate shoe, for parents
and other pedestrians, are the holes on top
of the shoes. Others include stickers and
duct tape holding together what is left of the
carcass, spaghetti-knotted laces and a dis-
tinct, often offensive odor. Most fall into an
all encompassing group: good soles with a
good price.
General clothing colors, including shoes,
seem to be chosen more for the effect of
bumming other people's lives than to satisfy
the buyer's needs. Colors takes on zero
value as to what is purchased and usually
fall off the common man's color spectrum.
Overall, from head to toe, a skater can be
an eye straining mix of shades and hues,
commiting fashion suicide in one quick
stroke.
Pants, shorts or trousers range from the
questionably functional and unattractive
skate-shorts to the standard navy blue gas
station slacks found at the thrift. Canvas
20
ton-fly 501. They are salety equipment in
themselves and give the maximum wear
for the buck, being simple, strong and
straightforward. The most creative pants
Ive ever seen used for skaling were a pair
of Boy Scout trousers worn by Blackhart
back in the pool search days of '76. True
classic skate slacks.
In order to quickly get it out of the way,
the only choice to be made for underwear is
whether you wear it or not. Comfort and cir-
culation is the key.
The upper half of the body is usually at-
tired in layers, not along the G.Q. side, but
more toward the "function before fashion"
rule. The t-shirt, usually of the skate brand
type, ranges anywhere from its original
form to a sliced and butchered piece of
body art. Whatever its final structure, it is
the biggest statement on the bod that
screams, "1 skate and you don't," so most
skaters are selective in their choices.
Another popular layer is the full cotton
plaid long-sleeve farmer/cholo type work
shirt. It is worn on the body, around the
waist, on the ground, you name it.
The outer layers also are varied, but
share the same rule of comfort and func-
tion. The pull-over, "raisin-head" hooded
sweatshirt is the popular choice, complete
with front pockets and a draw string neck.
Now if you can keep this puppy from shrink-
THEO'S ATTIRE
Don't-leave-
home-without-
it hat
Bandana
Gloves
Leather thongs
Martial arts
instrument
Watch band
Charm
Skin tee
Levi's
Safety pin
Skate
ing in the wash, you have a sweater, shirt,
Towel, blanket and pillow all wrapped into
one simple unit Upon purchase, im-
tie large knots in the thing. I don't own a
single pullover with a usable hood string.
To top it all off, so to speak, skaters have
an endless sea of headwear at their dis-
posal. I thought I had seen it all, until the
other day I saw an exchange student with a
towel wrapped head skating down the
street. Talk about functional headgear! Re-
ligious/cultural convictions aside, think of
the possiblities! Anyway, headwear ranges
from painter's caps, baseball hats, beanies,
bandanas, shirt sleeves and anything
under the sun that will fit and stay on the old
bean.
Accessories in skate-wear, like belts,
ties, vests, scarves, etc. don't seem to be
very popular, for obvious reasons. One ac-
cessory worth noting are shades for your
eyeballs.
So there we have it, a skater's guide to
skater's clothing. Could all of this mess be
mass marketed and support the industry,
like surfing perhaps? Now there's an idea.
Sell it only at thrift shops and skate shops.
T-shirts, Levis, mismatched colors, worn
tennis shoes, pullovers, farmer shirts, flip-
ped up painter's caps. Bring it out just in
time for the Spring fashion boom and make
a million. Now how come no one has
thought of that? Take care and skate safe.
Who Rides NMB Precision Speed Bearings?
ALLEN LOSI
PHOTO J. GRANT BRITTAIN
"I've ridden NMB's for six
years because they're the
fastest, smoothest and most
durable bearings I've found...
and I only ride the best!"
FOR MORE INFORMATION: (818) 341-7305
Precision Bearings