THRASHER
APRIL FOOLS?
More words for the unwise?
Question One: Can it possibly be true
that, following "dramatic incidents" at NSA
sanctioned amateur events in Redding, CA,
San Diego, CA and Phoenix, AZ, that a re-
shuffling of certain organizational types is in
order? The Phoenix finale food fight and free
for-all (including the cracked window,
reportedly fractured by a flying projectile
hurled by an unnamed miscreant) is widely
rumored to be the final straw for the powers
that may be. File this item under when-push-
comes-to-shove diplomacy.
Question Two: Just who gave Lori Balma
the amazing $5,000-plus ring and what does
it mean? Is it a friendship ring from a very
prominent skater? Will other San Diego-area
rollers soon follow suit and issue their women
equally fabulous rings? Will Steve Sherman
soon cast
gold worm
rings? Will
Limple Mor-
ton gift the
Perimiter woman in a similar friendship
move? Did Thrasher penman Miles Orkin set
the trend when he presented his to-be Carol
Stimpson with a super-stylish stone?
Question Three: Which new generation
design forward company's logo is apparently
a slight re-do of that old Nazi logo the XXVI
SS Waffen Gren Division Hungarian No. III?
Question Four: Was the fabulous Skip-
perboy somehow involved with the design
and fabrication of at least one of the two
skateboard floats which appeared in the
Rose Parade? Reliable informants place
Engblom in close social proximity to certain
civic bigwig politicos from the city of South
Pasadena, sponsor of one of the aforemen-
tioned floats. Equally suspicious was the all-
night skate session recently executed at
Pasadena's Wrigley Mansion in which the
majority of invading rollers rode hand-built
cues from Mr. Skip.
DISCO A GO-GO
More suspicious rumblings from the union
hall of snake ranch. Is it actually true that cer-
tain denizens of the Skateboard
Photographers Union (Del Mar
Local 19) have hosted yet
another Disco Inferno? Having
heard the rumors and countless
Left: Flares, flowers and
polkadots are back in a
big way-Bryan Ridge-
way, Chip Morton and
friend. Top: Randy
Katen with fistful of
dollars at the N-Men
annual in Secto
Bottom: Block,
Cook, Fisher and
Oster discuss recent
slashbacks in the rag
trade at Macy's, SF
N-MEN
TOUR
allegations to the preceeding, now feast your
eyes on the accompanying photo. Yo-be
that da' Ridge bustin' down and out in 'dose
old perma-press polyester Love Connection
threads? Could da Sherm and Sarge Carter
also be close by, clad in imitation leather and
imitation plaid shame? Did O actually take
a bath in this Travoltaesque environment?
Was Morto the Magnificent seen decrepitly
persuading more than one lass to prove she
had no hidden tattoos? Sad, clad, bad, mad,
dad...Burn baby burn. Superfly rock from
Sly dead.
RUMORS
Brad "Louis B." Dorfman is rumored to
be crafting a multi-colored line of laminated
wood Vision yo-yos. El Dorf is also scootin'
on yet another Harley.
Also rumored to be bustin' a Harley road
bike is Swank.
A guy who claimed not to be Suicidal
Tendencies player Mike Clark is rumored to
be heavily sessioning a notorious V-land
ramp. Further rumors state he wears a tat-
tered Horizons West team jacket with guess
what name embroidered on it? Answer:
"Mike Clark."
Rumored to be in high times, high spirits
and mired in high tide at the Monterey Bay
Aquarium is Team Santa Cruz. Tours, buffet
and cocktails were the order of the day in this
plush aquacade organized adroitly by one
Tami Puimarta. The standard SC entourage
was amazed as Richard "Ishmael" Novak
demonstrated his extraordinary fish know-
ledge. Stalwarts such as Metiver, Roskopp.
Kendall, Denike, KT, BK, Fish, McGuire,
Meek and Boyle were all rumored to be
keeping quiet in the wake of the mass drain-
ing of fluids from the no-host bar. The Chris
Miller and Jeff Hedges families were also
in attend. The illustrious Fat Mac was
rumored to be so far gone that he glimpsed
John Hutson and Spidey crashing the party
in a stolen rowboat. Blackhart crashed the
bash in a De Lorean, reportedly just procured
from the man himself. Quite possibly
rumored to be the event of the year.
George Powell and Stacy Peralta are
rumored to have previewed their ever-
esoteric hard goods clothing line in the
bathroom of an abandoned gas station in
San Diego, CA. Rumored to be amused and
perhaps involved were Lance Mountain, Jim
Fitzpatrick, Steve Caballero, Steve Saiz,
Clockwise from Above:
Dan Sargent-Was
up wid dis?" Sign-
age of the Month:
Thrasher's T-park.
Skates on parade
at the Big One,
Pasadena. Paul
Dunn in winning
form at Morro Bay
Cover dude Cab
would rather
race than read
THRASHER'S
TRAILER PARK
Ray Barbee and Frankie Hill. Mr. Cab is
rumored to be the prime suspect in the disap-
pearance of ten cases of collectible red-top
6½ ounce Coca-Cola in vintage 1923 bottles
from the derelict filling station facility's an-
cient Coke machine.
Jon Boyer, Dave Seone and J.D. Platt are
rumored to be the front men in Ugg's
American sponsorship program.
"Skateboard Mania," an exhibit of history
and evolution of what else but, is on display
at the Anaheim Museum. The exhibit is
MORRO BAY SLALOM CONTEST November 18th, 1989
by Gary Fluitt
On November 18th, slalom racers from all over the west
convened in Morro Bay, California, to see if their old bones could
still crank through gates. The demographics are striking: produc-
tive members of society, thirthysomething, their offspring toddling
through timing systems. Racers by and large represent a rare
generation of skaters exposed to much evolution. There's bound
to be genetic damage.
Thanks to Kryptonics, Jack
Smith, the race organizer, bought
five hours worth of insurance for
$1.600 (no one fell). Two days
before the race the city of Morro
Bay said the street couldn't be used
because it was a major emergency path. Smith, a man of unending con-
nections, called in appropriate favors and the street was ours.
The race was a head-to-head 54-gate course with a 90° turn in its top
third. This caused the outside lane to be substantially slower and the
gates were set up to make you think. Just wide enough to demand subtle
line choice and beg you to double pump, but just short enough to spank
you if you tried. The bottom 120' closed to a customary stinger. No one
line was obvious. After the NSA paperwork was done and we coughed
up the $50 entry fee, twelve racers doubled up.
Paul Dunn put in the fastest time in semi-final qualifying and stayed
ahead of the pack to retain his title "America's most winning racer," with
first place and the three hundred dollar purse.
The contest was such a success that Smith is planning a six stop pro
series for next season. Without the help of Barry Lowe at Kryptonics this
contest would never have happened. Also a big thanks to Tom Cozens
and the NSA staff for making their insurance available to us, and to Joe
Bowers who was the NSA on-site rep.
RESULTS 1. Paul Dunn 2. Steve Evans 3. Steve Sherman
4. Gary Cross 5. Jim Korten
6. Charlie Ransom 7. Dave Criddle
8. Beau Brown 9. Jack Smith
10. Gary Fluitt
124
125