VA WASHOUT
(From page 70) An impromptu timing
session with a digital stop watch was
revealing times in the high 37's, low
38's. Some of the verticalists down
at the ramp could not contain their
curiosity and borrowed boards to try
out their skills on the course. Grosso,
Lucero, Lopes et al were flailing down
the course in direct contrast to the
polished technique and serious atti-
tudes of the slalom club.
By Friday night the humidity was
way up and the smell of rain was in
the air. A good majority of skaters and
hangers-on decided that a night on
the town was in order. This stretched
into early morning and produced a
good many lay-abouts and later
sleepers. Indeed, by early Saturday
morn the gods were pissing all over
the event and the forecast was
holding at 100% chance. To clarify
the situation, let's excerpt the official
NSA Press Release to Editors, Team
Managers, Competitors, etc.:
Saturday Sept. 30-Slalom prac-
tice started about 8:00a.m. By 8:30
it had started to rain. The first ramp
qualifying heat was scheduled to go
off at 9:00a.m. Most of the com-
petitors for that heat did not check
in and only a few of the companies
had representatives at the ramp. The
rain prevented use of the ramp. Don
Bostick reworked the ramp contest
format from 9 to 5 hours. As the rain
continued to get worse, Don and I
discussed the situation with Henry
Hester. Steve Sherman and Danielle
Bostick were also present. It was
agreed that the best course of action
was to announce a rain delay until
12:00 noon.
Saturday at noon, Don Bostick
returned to Trashmore accompanied
by Steve Brockway, Joe Bowers and
Barry Zaritsky. As the rain was still
falling steadily the contest was of
ficially postponed until Sunday at
9:00 am. Most of the team managers
and all but a handful of the competi-
tors failed to show up for this an-
nouncement. No slalom competitors
showed to hear the announcement
or offer alternatives. Joe Bowers was
the last NSA staff member to leave
the site at 2:30. At that time a steady
drizzle was still falling.
The press release didn't mention
that less than an hour later it stopped
raining. Most of the vert competitors
had arrived at the ramp site by 3:30.
Seeing no NSA officials, our boys
engaged in a full-on tackle football
game, highlights of which included.
Micke Alba's end run for an eighty-
yard touchdown and all-star quarter-
back Jim Murphy being tackled face
first into a mud puddle.
114
Over on the slalom hill, the afore-
mentioned racers, including Hester DRIFTERS
and Sherman, were running cones.
The timing tapes were in position and
the surface was dry and fast. The
only thing out of place was the
absence of NSA officials, but
everyone figured they'd show up at
the appointed grounds after realiz-
ing (like everyone else) that the rain
had stopped.
After the footbal game (actually the
skater version looked more like rugby
or Aussie rules) everybody lined the
slalom run to root for their favorite.
The heavyweights were shaving
tenths off of their times with each run.
Unfortunately, early favorites Rob
Roskopp and Henry Hester couldn't
keep from hitting cones, which
added to their time. Cone owner
Keith Hollien looked like the man to
beat as he clocked in under 36
seconds. However the fastest kid on
the block turned out to be Simon
Levine whose double-pump style and
lack of downed cones gave him the
winning time of 35.54. In second
place was long-time road racer Paul
Dunn of central California at 35.72.
It wasn't until days later that a con-
troversy developed over the validity
of the slalom event and the payment
of the purse. The racers contended
that the NSA should consider the
race to be a valid NSA competition
and distribute the prize money and
trophies. The NSA took the opposite
tack as outlined in the press release:
I appreciate the initiative of the
slalom racers to to go ahead with the
event. It is this initiative that has been
the backbone of the grassroots skate
scene. However, the actions of these
individuals in this instance has put
the NSA and the City of Virginia
Beach at risk. If an injury or any other
problem had occurred during the
race, future use of this or any other
soap box derby course and/or public
ramps in VA Beach by the NSA would
have been in jeopardy. Therefore, the
only prudent option open to the NSA
is to deny any relationship with the
race. The $500 first prize donated by
Kryptonics will be returned to them.
All entry and insurance fees will
either be refunded or applied to the
next NSA contest.
The official line from Kryptonics is
that the $500 will be divided among
the top five racers in the event that
never really happened.
SLALOM RESULTS
1. Simon Levine 35.54
2. Paul Dunn 35.72
3. Keith Hollien 35.93
4. Steve Sherman 36.01
5. Mark McCree 36.39
6. Henry Hester
7. Rob Roskopp
8. Bob Denike
(From page 55) run into one of the first
ever skate shops, Tom Thumb's
Hobbies. Here we hooked up with
some other skaters, but the sky once
more peed on our session-to-be.
Paul Fowler on his home Turf.
Another day, another park. We left
Gabe with his grandparents and
headed on to Rotation Station.
When you first walk into this place,
you might think. "What is this roller
disco crap?" The Station designates
a time to fill up its roller rink with
quarter-pipes, launch ramps and a
box with a makeshift banister slide.
If the be-bop scene inside is too
much for you, just fork over some
more cash ($15.00) and go outside.
Waiting for you will be a twelve-foot
metal halfpipe and a four-foot mini.
Both ramps are barely sessioned
by anyone. It makes you wonder how
two perfectly good ramps like that
can be ignored by all but a few. Those
who do skate the ramps are a cool
bunch that make it into a cool ses-
sion. So, when you want some good
ramps almost to yourself, go to
Rotation Station, 7915 North Alpine
Road, Lovespark, Illinois 61111.
Due to a lack of nearby campsites,
we spent the night in the parking lot
of a 24-hour grocery store in....
WISCONSIN
Next stop: The ever famous, ever
mind-boggling, ever skateable Turf.
Everybody and their grandma has
been probably seen picture footage
of the skatepark, but just in case
you've lived a deprived life, I'll
describe it. The terrain of this indoor
cement wonderland includes a triple-
bowled clover pool, a keyhole, a cap
sule, a shallow bowl, a shallow j-type
bowl, and a few street obstacles
added outside.
Originally opened in 1979, The Turf
was closed in 1982 and turned into
a strip joint. Due to some rare
miracle, it rose again in 1988 and has
been flourishing ever since.
As always, the locals here were a
friendly bunch and treated usi
travelin' dudes like bros. In addition
to the park's indigenous life forms,
there were flocks of skaters who had
migrated from miles around just to
experience the pool-rich atmos-
phere. The friendly mix of locals and
non-locals alike makes a pretty good
vibe at The Turf. If you want to visit
the park that rose from the dead, go
to 4267 Loomis Road, Greenfield,
Wisconsin 53221.
Wisconsin ended our journey
northward and we looped down
southway to...
INDIANA
Eastbound again.
More than a few people have
called our zig-zagging route insane
or at least blatantly stupid. A few
more have questioned our intoxi-
cation level at the time of its planning.
I'm not making any excuses. We set
out to skate and that's exactly what
Cedar Crest Skatepark isn't much,
but the locals make do. The four-foot
mini and the twelve-foot halfpipe,
although skateable, are screaming
for some serious maintenance. The
various street obstacles were the only
things without flaking layers and
loose coping. If you want to help out
some cool skaters and a needy park,
send all donations to 2025 Cedar
Crest Drive, Kakoma, Indiana 46902.
By now our wallets had more
membership cards than money. This
along with some time constraints
(some of us were going on to col-
lege), allowed us only one more stop
before journey's end...
MARYLAND
Ocean City is a happening little
beach town that we hadn't seen the
likes of since leaving L.A.. Located
in a small corner of this town is
Ocean Bowl Skatepark.
In the late-70s skating was out-
lawed in Ocean City, but the skaters
got together and did something.
about it, convincing the city to open
the Ocean Bowl Skatepark.
The locals at the Bowl make out-
siders feel welcome and rip without
letting their egos get in the way. The
Bowl is a horseshoe-shaped snake
run. Next to it is a ten-foot metal half-
pipe. Despite a few kinks in the ramp.
The Bowl is a place worth your time.
It's at Third Street and St. Louis
Blvd., Ocean City, Maryland 21842.
Ocean Bowl was a good way to
end a long trip. One last night of
carousing with Maryland locals and
a few more hours on the road found
our odyssey over and us in...
NEW YORK
In a final farewell, we skated the
Brooklyn Banks.
To be continued...someday.
LIVING LARGE
SER
DAVID BAMDAS
WALKER
SLIM
sticks SUM
THICK, WIDE BEVELED EDGE
THIN, WIDE BEVELED EDGE
2.
ILS
TARROW NO REV
NEW!
SIX NEW KICK NOSE DECKS-NOW!
WALKER SKATEBOARDS A SKATER OWNED CO/1345-A SOUTH PATRICK DR. SATELLITE BEACH, FL 32937 USA (407)777-544
SKATERS SEND ST. FOR INFO AND (2) STICKERS
A.
2905 Xd M
1.
OS