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Rick Blackhart
UNFULFILLED?
BUILDI
RAMPS
42
TOE-TALLY AWESOME
When I skate I always wear a hole in the
sole of my shoes. After about a month
there's a hole right where my big toe is. It's
really making me mad because now every
pair of socks I have has a hole in them. After
skating in holey shoes and socks my toes
get pretty biffed up and that sucks. I've tried
duct tape but it comes off after a day or two.
What do I do?
Barefooted
Jackson, MS
I had the same problem. I tried it all.
Shoe Goo, duct tape, leather strips-
nothing worked. Finally I said to hell with
it and cut my toe off, just the big one
where it wore through every time. Since
then, no problem. I've had the same pair
of shoes for five years now. It was hard
at first, I used a Sawzall with a tough bi-
metal blade. Couple pulls of a J.D. jug,
bullet to bite on and, zip zip, no more toe,
no more holes.
CHRISTAL VISION
This is in response to Christal Biltaft's let-
ter in the October issue. I am a seventeen-
year-old female skater. Like Christal, I
started when I was twelve and I don't plan
to quit. I just want to tell all female skaters
that I went through the same, everyone
does. You have to ignore the guys with their
wisecracks and BS. It's just a phase they
go through to test you to see if you're true.
They're scared that you're going to rip them
up, and you are. Keep practicing every day.
Mike Kelsey creaks edge at the Tea Bowl. Photo: Scott Starr
mom and pop to buzz off. Let them live
out their childhood fantasies with your
sister and leave you to skate your life
away. I guess becoming a pro skater and
making upwards of a six-digit salary is
pretty lame.
Skate by yourself and make up tricks-be
creative. Some girls start skating, but aren't
made for it and can't take the rap, so they
quit. No matter where you are, some wise-
ass is going to say something stupid to
you-like girls shouldn't skate. That's a joke
on them. Those guys will soon find out that
you skate for fun, not competition. Don't
ever quit for any reason..
Marcy Reposal
Martinez, CA
Get down Marcy. Tell it like it is. The
message here is that skating is cool and
fun, regardless of who or what you are.
Keep it up.
BUMMER OLYMPICS
My sister is ranked nationally in a certain
sport and my parents think I should be in
a sport that could be in the Olympics. My
dad is really rough on me and my mom
hopes skating is just a phase in my life. What
should I do?
Some Kid in Michigan
What's the matter, skating's not good
enough for mom and dad, eh? Fine. Tell
them you want to ski. Buy a cabin in the
mountains, thousands of dollars worth
of equipment and ski lift tickets for five
years. Then you'll become a pro skier. Or
better yet, tell them you want to get into
auto racing-that ought to blow their
minds. Twenty, thirty thou a year, no
problem. Dude, keep skating and tell
UNSTOPPABLE
I'm writing to tell you about something
that happened to me a few weeks ago. I was
in gym playing soccer and I got hit in the
head. A couple of days later I had really bad
pains in my eye. Well, I was admitted to the
hospital and had eye surgery done. The
doctor told me it would be about a year
before I can see again out of my left eye.
In a month I'll be able to start gym and pro-
bably start skating. I just felt like saying that
whatever you go through, if you like skating
enough, you will keep skating.
Brian Trudeau
North Bangor, NY
Right on, bro. That's what it's all about.
Keep on keepin' on. What a bum deal.
Just goes to show you how lame soccer
is, huh? Reminds me of a game called
slaughterball I used to play in gym.
Everyone lines up on either side of the
gym, then you try to nail whoever you can
with a soccer ball. Some idiot coach or
jock made this up during rainy season,
and they say skating is dangerous. Ac-
tually, that was the best part of school,
besides being chased by teachers
through the hall on my skate. Later.
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Thrasher Ramp Plans Revamped for the 80's
Over vertical wood warpaga Eddie Elguera hangs grind
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