Ask
Docto
With
Rick Blackhart
Red Dog barges on the Doc's photo slot.
WATER FRIGHT
My brother (Dylan), my friend Josh and
I found a pool. The only problem is that
there's still about three feet of water in the
deep end. How do we get the water out?
Ryan Canatt
Sonora, CA
Instead of racking your brain to figure
out how to drain a pool, send me a photo
and directions to the pool. I will person-
ally come there with my extensive array
of high tech equipment and do the
tedious job of pool preparation. This
equipment is so high tech it can only be
found at the hardware store. It's called
a hose and a bucket. Seriously, get all the
friends you can (two guys will do), several
buckets and a long hose. Fill the hose.
with water from a faucet, plug both ends,
stick one end in the pool and the other
end outside the pool below water level,
then unplug the hose. This is called
siphoning. If you can't manage that, get
those buckets and have at it.
BETTER SAFE THAN SORE KNEE
I've been reading your column for over
four years. I've read letters from kids who
have taken crap because their folks don't
like them to skate and the kids usually all
say the same thing, "Screw 'em, I'm gonna
skate forever!" That's a great attitude but
it requires responsibility which most tend
to ignore. What I'm trying to say is take care
of your body! I'm not saying go out and buy
every piece of safety gear in existence, but
be aware of which parts of your body you
pound on-most importantly, your knees.
I've been skating for twelve years and hard
core for four (I'm seventeen now). Nobody
ever told me to take care of myself, or maybe
I was too stupid to listen. Hey, I just wanted
to have fun. Now I'm paying for it. My knees
are hammered and I can only skate twice
a week, sometimes not even that. The prob
lem that me and several of my friends face
is much like arthritis; when the weather
changes my knees get stiff. It feels like there
is a marble under the skin of my left knee,
just above my kneecap. I'm sure you can
relate to this problem, Rick, being the
veteran that you are. I'm not looking for sym-
pathy here, just trying to help.
Marty
Lancaster, CA
Thanks for the input. It's good advice.
Whether you like it or not, you have to
take care of your body, whether it be
safety gear or the right diet (corn dogs,
beer, etc.). You can't skate without it. If
more skaters had your point of view there
would be fewer wimps to whine to me.
Skate down and hang tough.
CORE FREE
I am a 12-year-old hardcore thrasher. My
only problem is that I live in Boston and
there are no skateboard ramps or skate-
parks whatsoever. I have no hopes for
moving to another state. What should I do?
Trapped and Confused
Boston, MA
Hey man, obviously you use the term
"hardcore" loosely. It seems you have
no concept of what it really means. I think
you've got some dues to pay. If you want
to be hardcore, skate hardcore. That in-
volves searching for spots on a daily
basis. Once you train yourself to look for
skate spots it will become second nature.
Wherever you go, keep an eye out for
slabs of cement insinuating possible.
banks or drainage ditches. Skate any-
thing you can possibly find. That's hard-
core. Until you've spent day after day
milking that parking lot, or squeezing the
life out of that quarterpipe, along with
years of relendless scouring, scavenging
and prodding of potential holders of
skateformation to find that one prime
spot, don't even talk about hardcore.
Junior core, maybe.
YUGO FIND OUT
I'm from Yugoslavia and I was wonder-
ing if any pro skaters go to Yugoslavia. I
know lots of skaters go to Italy and England.
I go to Yugoslavia every summer, so I know
the country very well, but I never see
skaters. All I ever see is punks. So let me
know if anything is going on in Yugoslavia
and if any pros plan to go there.
Katarina Balenovich
Modesto, CA
Tell you what. Next time you go there
find some good skate spots, take photos
and send them in to the mag. You know,
like pools, pipes, drainage ditches.
Anything that would be worth sending
some pros to skate or maybe for an arti-
cle on Yugoslavian skate babes in action.
Since you're from there and go there,
check it out and let us know. Go!
MATT
HENSLEY
H-STREET
P.O. Box 9990 SAN DIEGO CA 92109