EN 100_6039
ASK
TT
WHERE TO GO
THE DOCTOR
Three months ago we were skating my
friend's jump ramp on the street. A cop stop-
ped and said we couldn't skate there. I
asked him where we could skate and he
said go to the school down the street. We've
gone down there about eight or nine times
now. The last time we went some smart-ass
teacher came over to us and said we
couldn't skate there and to leave before
she called the police. We refused. We
took the ramp and waited outside the school
for the police and they said we couldn't
skate there any more. I'm real confused,
Rick. What do I do?
Eddie Milian
Downey, CA
Sounds like you should invest in some
casters for your ramp. You know, wheels.
That way you don't have to carry it all the
time, considering it sounds like you do
that a lot. All you can do is keep moving
it until you find a final resting place for
your restless ramp. A friend's house, a
park, another school, anywhere.
GOING OFF
I'm an okay skater, not a poseur. My
problem is that when I jump off something
my feet leave the stick. My friends say it's
wrong. I know that. What should I do?
Mark
Winston-Salem, NC
In a situation like this you have to
anticipate the board falling away and let
your body fall with it or bend your knees
just before drop off and straighten them
as you land. What you're probably doing
is continuing in a forward motion as your
board is going down. Lift up the front end
as you launch, stay centered over your
deck, flow with it and drop as the board
does.
NERVE DAMAGE
About a month ago I was skating my
launch ramp, and when I went off it this nail
was sticking out of the plywood. I hit it and
my board went flying out from under my feet.
I came down pretty hard, hard enough to
rip apart my knee, break my left arm in two
places and break my board in half. When
I told my mom I was going to get a new
board she had the nerve to tell me, "No!
With Rick Blackhart
Look what happened last time." Doc, I'm in
a frenzy. What will I do?
PO.'ed Skater
Los Angeles, CA
Do you have the nerve to think that if
you get another board and find yourself
in the same situation, you will be able to
pull it off consistently or will you eat it
again? If you have any doubt that you can
pull it off, consider working up to it slowly
or take up something like golf or lawn
bowling.
DAD GETS MAD
I'm tired of all you guys bitchin' about
your mommy thrashin' your skate. Well,
check out what my dad did to mine:
1. He ripped the trucks off the deck
barehanded.
2. He chopped the deck up into little pieces
with an axe.
3. He put the wheels in the microwave and
melted them into neat little globs.
4. He tweaked the bearings in a vise, so now
they're egg-shaped.
5. He bit the bushings in half.
6. He welded the hanger and base plate
together.
7. He put everything into a pile and lit it on
8. When it stopped burning he buried the
fire.
ashes in a 19' 6" hole.
9. He told me if he ever catches me riding
a Nash again, he'll get really mean!
Bob Della Rocco
Goshen, NY
Your dad sounds like a really nice guy.
I'm sure he saved your life. Now you can
get a real board. If all the whiners read
your letter, maybe we can put an end to
this nonsense.
R FOR WHEELIES
I was wondering if you could simply
explain how to practice and learn double
foot nose wheelies. I know experience, time
and practice are the main keys, but a skater
of your experience would know how to do
these tricks and I would be very grateful for
guidance. Thank you, Rick, and keep up the
good work.
Benjamin Janis
Franksville, WI
Double-footed nose wheelies are
actually pretty tricky. This stylish move
is great for balance practice. I like to kind
of put one foot a little bit ahead of the
other for stability and maneuverability.
The main key is to bend your knees and
center your weight over the front truck.
Try this one or two hours a day and call
me in the morning.
STRONG AND LONG
I'm an average skater and I've come a
long way. I can pull handplants, pop ollies,
do bonelesses and launch, etc. I learned
how to launch off a 3%' ramp today. As we
were launching, the ramp broke (this has
happened to me many times before). How
can I build a stronger ramp that will last
awhile? (I know ramps won't last forever.)
It makes me mad to have to spend time
Please help!
making a ramp and then have it break.
Matt Skinner
Canyon Country, CA
I could go into heavy detail on how to
build a better ramp, but your best bet is
to pick up THRASHER's ramp plans for
four and a quarter. Follow the directions
and your new ramp should bear the scars
of war a great deal longer.
Blackhaft
Look what you're wearing! Where the
heck's your Dr. Rick T-shirt? How can you
appear in public like that? You'd better
order your's right away. All the hippest
cats in the highest of high fashion circles
know that without a Doc Blackhart T
you're just another dweeb. So come on,
erase all traces of cluelessness by send-
ing $10.75 (postage and handling
included) to: Ask the Doctor T-shirt, c/o
THRASHER Magazine, P.O. Box 884570,
San Francisco, CA 94188-4570.
1986 Timex Corp
RESISTANT-
Ironman is a trademark of the Hawaian Triathlon Corporation
Go with the best!
Meet the rugged Timex
Ironman," the official
timepiece of the Ironman
Triathlon. This outstanding
entry delivers precision
accuracy to 1/100 of a
second for peak
performance.
100 METERS
TIMEX
QUARTZ
IRONMAN
TRIATHLON
GE 10 14
10.14
10:09.36
START
STOP
8 LAP
LAP
MEMORY
STOPWATCH
IRONMANO
A 16 hour chrono-
graph with 8 lap
Memory Recall to
record individual
lap performance.
A 3 mode, 10
hour countdown
timer for cross
training and
pacing runs.
★ Water
resistant to
100 meters.
Tough, yet
lightweight at
SET
1.1 ounces.
Large easy-access,
top-mounted controls.
Lighted display for
night workouts.
Alarm. Calendar.
Mandatory equipment for
today's athlete.
Only $39.95*
Suggested retail price
TIMEX
TOUGH TO BEAT
FOR DEALER NEAREST YOU CALL 1-800-FOR-TIMEX.