STEVE SAIZ MODEL
LENGTH - 31"
WIDTH 10%"
-
NOSE-412"
TAIL-612"
Small ramps started popping up all over
No two ramps were alike, but all were con-
structed mainly with "creatively acquired"
lumber, a sheet or two here and there.
These ramps pulled together skaters
from all over town. From 1976 until 1980
the ramps in Minneapolis held little resem-
blance to the monoliths that were destined
to come. Fishhook ramps, wedges and
smaller half-pipes were scattered
all around the city and surround-
ing suburbs. It was the loyalists,
not the faddists, who kept things
happening.
Smash, krash-straight into
the 80s. Ten-inch wide decks,
trucks to match, and sealed
bearings for everyone. There is a
God, a Skate God that is, and
and graffiti, anyone would feel at home
there. On your way out, you could some-
times hit the metal fullpipes by the sewage
plant, then head over to the Cannon River
for a little cliff diving to chill out before
going home.
With night coming on, where does the
Minneapolis skater turn for that midnight
session? One can terrorize the street of
Left to Right: Nate Shegeaby launches in a downtown
plaza. Eric Froland looks to smack his lip while Jeremy
(Wang) Abbott grinds his time at the River ramp.
Demos from touring teams always draw
a crowd, and it is never a problem for the
infamous ramp builders in town to supply
whatever these events demand. These
builders are the same crew who bring the
Aquajam to life every summer in Minnea-
polis. Jay Erickson, owner of Alternative,
grabs ace carpenter and skater extraor-
dinaire Garry Barbeau to put on what is
We held strong in the garage
location for a year until the landlord
realized just what the hell we were
doing there and shut us down.
chances are you'll find him down at the course, but outdoor ramps with lights
Alternative Bike and Skate Shop.
Alternative opened in 1974 selling bikes
and skate gear and doing repairs. It was
not hard to find out where the session was
going down from the demented but de-
pendable staff-they always skated hard.
Backyard ramps were plentiful during
the early 80s. These were generally large
wooden structures with either steel or pool
coping. Names like Blaine, Osseo, New
Brighton, Eden Prairie and Edina (nearby
suburbs of Minneapolis) were on every
body's lips. Out in Osseo in '83 they played
host to the MAARS (Midwest Area Ama-
teur Ramp Series). This event was well
stocked with heavy midwest talent.
The summer of '83 brings back some
fine memories. Ditch riding is as old as the
sport itself, and ditches were plentiful. The
mile-long ditch in Cannon Falls was very
shreddable and just a short drive south of
town. With launch ramps, parking blocks
54
always seem to bring complaints from
neighbors. Out of sheer necessity, P.I.S.S.
(Private Indoor Skate Spot) was born.
P.I.S.S. opened up in the garage spaces
behind Alternative in the fall of '83 with a
couple of donated quarterpipes and a
halfpipe imported from an old school
house in Duluth. We held strong in this
location for a year until the landlord realiz-
ed just what in the hell we were doing and
shut us down. This prompted the move to
more impressive digs in the downtown
warehouse district. For the past few years
we have had uninterrupted sessions in an
ever-changing indoor environment.
Other indoor spots have come and
gone. Ramp City, an impressive undertak-
ing in the suburbs, managed to hold on
for about a year. Then there was the Barn
ramp just east of town (skate with a cow!),
and the Y.M.C.A. in sister city St. Paul now
boasts a beautiful new halfpipe.
often considered the best event
of the year. The Aquajam offers
contests for all ages and abilities.
nial, a week-long celebration of
It happens during the Aquaten-
the lakes which are everywhere
in this city. On the shores of lovely
Lake Calhoun, Garry and Jay let
the crew get to it.
The summer of '88 proved to
be the sweetest yet. Footies for the pee-
wees and lip tricksters; launches, humps
and wedges for the street contest; and
most impressive of them all...the Metal
Monster. The Metal Monster is twelve feet
high, twenty feet wide with ten-foot transi-
tions and two feet of vertical, all on a sheet
metal surface with steel coping. It is
beautiful to behold.
Over the years a flurry of local skate
zines have sprung up to document all this
activity. Your Flesh, Bone Meal, Flow, Rip
The Lip, Beef and Salmon Loaf all told how
they saw it. Harsh!
The sponsored amateur ranks are grow-
ing, with powerful Minneapolis skaters like
Froland, Inch and Le Roux. These boys
will be on the road during the summer of
'89, spreading the word of Skatetown Min-
neapolis. Look for them in your area. If
you're ever up Minnesota way and cray-
ing skate action, stop by our city. You won't
be disappointed.
WALTR
POWELL PERALTA