MARK GONZALES
TODAY
By clear evidence displayed
in these photographic
images, the sacerdotal
sanctuary of the wall has been
assaulted, challenged,
abused, violated and con-
quered by a select and
creative personnel. They are
bent on mastering their
environment, skating every-
thing in sight. Ripping it up.
Some might recall the days
when a backyard pool used to
be the big thing. A left hand or
right hand kidney was the
equivalent of heaven. A skate
soldier of the day would push
off from the shallow end,
gyrate the bowl, through the
probably kinked transition,
work the hip, assail the
deathbox, the steps, and after
all that, re-enter the shallow
end with enough speed to
maybe try something on the
little vertical two-foot high,
maybe ten inch (or less)
transitioned wall. A whipper-
snapper frontside or backside
grind, pulled off then aban-
doned in thought. A cres-
cendo.
"Whoa," someone might've
said.
The shallow end wasn't
where the mind was. The
concious was in the deep
end. On the blue tile. Coping.
Grinds. The rock 'n roll. The
air. The multiple trick run.
For some reason, the
minimal transitioned fluke
assaults were purveyed with
less than a grain of salt. Not
given much thought. A
fleeting gas never pursued for
more than the fragment of the
moment. An unknown, new
beginning takes silent root.
BUT IMAGINE
Another place, another
circumstance, another
topography, another attitude.
An inspired individual, for a
lack of anything better to do,
has leaned a small piece of
plywood up against a building.
Insta-ramp, minor transition.
Before long, navigating
vertical in increments of feet
is accomplished with an
impressive percentage of
completion.
"Am I the only one doing
this?"
UP AGAINST
THE WALL
Two guys, who are really
good at this wall riding stuff,
were plopped down and asked
a few good questions about
something that no one knows
much about. These two guys
are Natas Kaupas and Eric
Dressen.
Who do you think was the
first to do it?
NATAS: Not sure. Probably
some old guy during stage
two of the so-called skate
uprisings. The first person I
ever saw was Dan McClure.
These were different types of
wall rides. I've heard many
stories since people saw me
skate the walls.
ERIC: I used to try with
friends when I was younger. It
was just fooling around, so I
never pulled it. I did no-
handed wall rides before I saw
anyone else. This was fairly
recent, when I started skating
again after my retirement.
How long did it take to
evolve?
NATAS: It's still evolving.
Higher, faster, more twisty
and slidey.
ERIC: Still evolving.
There's new tricks coming out
everyday. Skaters are very
imaginative. Higher. Faster.
Different approaches. Natas
and Jesse have a lot of wall
tricks, and are developing
more and more.
How many possible varia-
tions?
NATAS: Four or five. Hand
on the ground. Ride and put
hand on the wall. Run and
jump on the wall. Ride up the
wall without using hands and
off a jump ramp or bank.
ERIC DRESSEN