MIKE KEPPER
MAIL TROP
THRASHER
AMAZINE
PO BOX 884570
SAN FRANCISCO CA
94188-4570
NEW
FORMULA
SuperCush
Suspension,
P.O. BOX 884234 S.F. CA 94188
so built on stereotypes. They judge
me by what I do, how I talk, and who
I hang out with. I've had to put up
with it for 14 years now and it just
gets worse! One time while I spent
the week with my cousins I heard
them talking about me. They said he
does have a little "white" in him,
and that got me pissed off.
No offense, but I don't want to be
white. I'm proud of what I am, I'm
proud of my race. I mean, did Ron
Allen and Ray Barbee go through
this too? Nowadays to be "black"
you have to be down with this, down
with that, I mean, damn! I'd like to
be judged for my skating and what
a nice guy I am, not the way I "act."
Some of my black friends don't
care or understand that I've grown
up around white people. Oh well,
don't get me wrong, T-ed, I'm not
going to quit skating just because of
what someone says or thinks.
Barry Richardson
Oklahoma City, OK
Close-mindedness crosses all racial
and social barriers, Barry, but it
sounds like you've got the upper
hand on the bad attitudes. T-ed
TEACHER CREATURE
I hate Ms. Harrity. She looks like:
a troll. She gives too much
homework.
Dino Curtis
Wichita, KS
P.S. She doesn't skate.
DOGGIE FRESH
For all those who have not yet
heard "The Vanishing Point" by
Underdog, I feel sorry for you.
Dyce
Disorder Crew
ст
DRUG PRO-TEST
The letter entitled "Just Say Pro"
in your October issue raised a few
questions and I don't know if there
are any answers. I agree 100% with
the writer. I too would have been
disappointed in seeing one of my
idols using drugs. But let's put a few
things in perspective. Pros are not
gods. They are human beings and
like everyone else they sometimes
make mistakes or bad decisions. In
every profession there is a certain
number of people who use drugs,
but for every one of them there are
others who don't use drugs. We
should think more about those who
don't. In closing, I have just one
message to give to these pros: It's
your life and I can't tell you how to
live it, but I suggest that you get
some help and straighten out your
life. There are many young skaters
out there who look up to you. I'd hate
to see drugs steal one of the lives
of skateboarding's top pros, but I
suppose it's only a matter of time.
As for me, in the words of Johnny
Rotten, "I don't have any heroes."
I skate for myself and myself only.
One of many drug-free skaters
Illinois
NEW DOGS, OLD TRICKS
I
have encountered a 1978 issue
of Skateboarding Magazine. This is
before Vision Street Wear, before
Schmitt Stix, and even before
Powell-Peralta. This is when good
old Blackhart was doing ads for In-
dependent trucks. Maybe this
seems normal to you, but for a
skater of only four years, this is a
wild concept.
Anyway, I noticed that the basic
scene then was much the same as
it is today. The tricks and clothing
are different now but the attitude is
the same. There are guys now say-
ing nothing is good but the old way.
In 1978 they said the same thing.
Now there are guys innovating and
creating and basically ignoring or in-
sulting the old school. In 1978 they
did the same thing. There has
always been and always will be the
power you have any time you skate
hard and just enjoy the feeling. Sure,
the material things have changed.
that's inevitable, but the attitude still
exists. And it's cool.
Rug North
Adelphi, MD
And it's all skateboarding! T-ed
BAGFACE
I have been harassed many times
for skating banks and ditches with
"No Skateboarding" signs. I recent
ly twisted my ankle, which slowed.
me down and kept me off my skate.
Now I just get harassed for my looks.
Dan Caspers
Fullerton, CA
Shut up, ugly. T-ed
DECKS AND DESPERADOS
Dear Skaters of the United States:
If you skate you should stand up
for your rights. If you feel the same
as I do, you should be able to skate
where you want to, right? We can all
fight the prejudice skating by not giv
ing up freedom. If you feel the same
as I do, skate at a place where it is
outlawed on Saturday, February 3rd
at 4:00 Eastern, 3:00 Central, 2:00
Mountain and 1:00 Pacific time. Do
this and we will unite all skaters in
the fight for no more harassment.
A Skater Who Cares
Yeah, we can all unite at City Hall
while paying off our trespassing
tickets. T-ed
SPEED FREAKS
SPEEDE-C
Sa
BULLET
OUT
NEIL BLENDER