Story: Bonnie and Clyde
Scenario: On a Monday in late March,
tunately for unprepared city officials,
of '88, the mayor almost ran a group.of...unknowing residents, local rednecks and
skaters down. Skateboarding was
something he had never before seen on
the quiet, picturesque streets of historical
Savannah, and it must have really put the
Zap on his head. On Tuesday, legislation
was drawn up. On Wednesday, the bill was
introduced. On Thursday, the mayor
signed it into law. And on Friday, skating
was illegal in downtown Savannah. Unfor-
other normal folks, by the weekend of April
2nd and 3rd, there were now close to 6,000
highly motivated skate types occupying
their beloved town. They were circling in
packs like sharks on payday, and cruising
the hotels to seek out the role models to
which their lives were now and forever
devoted. They hurled themselves at these
icons like beflowered virgins throwing their
SLAMMA IT
purity into the red, hot magma of a
volcano. And it didn't stop there. It just got
uglier and uglier until we all woke up with
it and prayed we could sneak out before
it did Know what I mean? Lemme
explain further.
The building crew arrived at the
Ramada Inn, conveniently situated in the
parking lot of the Savannah Civic
Auditorium, Tuesday evening. At the front
desk we had your standard BAD SCENE.
4
Photos: Michael Blanchard
Ignorance breeds contempt, they say, and
it was very clear that we were not
understood. Little did they know, we were
all highly trained technicians, artists and
photographers. "You name it, we can be
it was the motto. We all wondered how
these poor, simple folks were going to
react to the inevitable carnage that was
bound to ensue. That night, an uneasy
sleep came to us all, with visions of ropes,
Chevy trucks and grown men in flannel
TANGE
Illustrious all-star panel of judges. L to R: Tony Alva, Bob Denike. Jim Muir, Paul Schmitt and Dan Wilkes gave the Slamme il an extra boost of integrity.