1981-1984
The summers in Boise are unbearable,
with the temperature ranging from 95-110°
until 10 o'clock at night. The sun doesn't set
until 10:30, so most sessions would start at
8 p.m. and go on into the wee hours,
sometimes ending with the after midnight
swim at Paul's. Occasional gigs brought in
added excitement, with bands like 7 Seconds
rocking out in 107° heat at 11 p.m. You can
see photos of that sweaty fest in the lyric
sheet to the "Committed to Life" Ep. Those
were the days. Spots frequented then were
the Bon Marche parking lot, the Boise
Cascade banks, Familian banks, Park Center
banks, Mountain ramp, Ken's ramp, Mike's
ramp, Jon's ramp, and just about anywhere
that had a light on it. It was during these years
that the strength of the underground built the
scene and kept it thriving. Many of those who
were active then are still at it now.
LUCKY PEAK PIPES
One time we read in the paper that a new
series of ducts would be added to the dam.
This meant giant pipes to us. For years we
drove up to Lucky Peak eagerly awaiting the
Left: Jon Taylor, old style layback at Todd's ramp,
1981. Below: "L.PO." mid-flight at the Lucky
Peak parking lot. Bottom: Nick Lunquist spiraling
a 360° transition to transition air at Streets for
People, 1988.
skate spot of our dreams. Finally they came.
They were huge pipes, some of them up to
26' in diameter, made out of a thin, strong
metal and painted white inside. Your mouth
watered at the sight of them. Anyone for-
tunate enough to skate them during their six
month stay before being placed in the dam
works knows of the skater's dream.
CHUD
Chud is a vacant asphalt lot in the center
of town that the kids cleaned up and took
over with no hassles from the city or the
owners. Small jump ramps and various
obstacles were brought in and set up all over
In total control, Todd
Campoplano enjoys the
luxury of his own backyard
ramp, 1981.
this acre lot. It has now
become home base for
the new breed of Boise
skater. The only prob-
lems come from other
skaters who sometimes
steal the ramps. But
new
ones always.
replace them.
TROUBLE
By 1986, skateboard-
ing had become a fad
again, and everyone
had a deck. The PR
man had taken the re-
mains of Ken's ramp
and built himself a big
ol' half-pipe in the back of his newly bought
home. He was a kind fellow. He talked with
the neighbors, told them what he was doing.
and got that kind of "You kids have fun,"
Boise hospitality. The sessions raged at the
PR man's ramp. Even the legend himself,
"R.R.," filmed a video there which became
a classic at the first screening. Then one day
the hammer came down. A neighbor was
complaining. The PR man talked with all the
neighbors again and everyone seemed to be
on his side except one, who had just moved
in. Well, it went all the way to a city council
meeting, where the PR man watched his so-
called supportive neighbors stab him in the
back. They found a clause in his home
owner's agreement and had his ark shut
down. Parts of that ramp still sit in the PR
man's backyard today as a monument of
disgust to his neighbors.
If that wasn't enough, the downtown
businesses started to complain about the ris-
ing "epidemic" of skateboarding. They
wanted it banned in all of Boise. A scare went
through the skate community. City council
meetings were attended to defend the sport.
The outcome: skateboarding is banned only
in a certain vicinity of downtown Boise. The
fine? Five dollars. So how many skaters do
you think stopped skating downtown?
SPIKE'S
One day three crazos were let out of the
mental institution and decided to open a
shop that stocked music and skateboards.
Since its creation, Spike's has shown a lot
of love for the skate community. It's the only
surviving "real" shop since the demise of
Mountain Maui. Spikes devotion to skating
extends beyond the confines of the shop in-
to the owners' back yard, where they've built
a righteous ramp. They've also helped pro-
mote skating by providing demo ramps dur-
ing the annual "Streets for People" fair held
right out in front of the shop and by speak-
ing at all the city council meetings. Boise
skaters are lucky to have a sincere ally like
Spike's.
MEMORY DEMONS
Anyone who has been part of the Boise
scene, or just dropped by, knows that the
pickin's are slim and a lot of work has been
put into finding spots. Ever since the downhill
days of pre-home Shenandoah Road and
Cartwright Road, or cruising Briar Hill and
the Highlands (regardless of weather condi-
tions), Boise skaters have been rewarded for
their time spent seeking. They've pumped
banked curvatures of concrete roughness
from Ant Hill and Protest Hill to Four Square
Banks and the Warm Springs Mesa Reser-
voir. Pools are rare and often square, but tiled
vert has been assaulted on occasion. There
was the private Psi-Fi pool with its
psychopathic owner whose two ski champion
children both committed suicide, Red Tile
pool, the Tidy Bowl, and a host of hotel or
apartment complex pools which would last
Spike's ramp provides the local talent with a proving
ground. Anonymous, frontside oille.
only three days but were always worth it. We
can't forget all those other weird spots that
have been shredded over the years-the
Fountain, the Ripple, Greenbelt, Ten-Foot
pipes, Macintye's ramp, Huri-Guri banks, and
the elusive missle silos. Have you skated
there yet, can you find them? Boise definitely
has its share of mysterious spots in out-of-
the-way places. Thanks a whole lot to all
those involved in the Boise scene over the
years. The unified attitude in the
underground has created an admirable.
energy. Boise isn't a town known for all-stars
or glamour hounds, it's just real people on
real wood with no illusions. You only suck if
you say you do. We still have our share of
tales to tell. These are stories we'll never
forget. After all, we were there.