Ask
the
Doctor
Rick Blackhart
New Riky Barnes
Model
31 1/4 X 10 1/4
Double Wheel Base
Only Where Prohibited by Law
ABSOLUT RIKY.
DISTRIBUTED BY VISION SPORTS INC.,
GRAMMAR YAMMER
I am writing concerning grammar. Do you
believe a more powerful vocabulary will
enrich my life of being harassed and help
me deal with my problems of constantly
being chased out of every skate spot that
I know of?
Aaron Woztas
Osceola, IN
Probably not. But if you do get kicked
out of every skate spot you go to, it would
most likely be wiser to shut up and skate.
PEER PRESSURE POINT
I'm a thirteen-year-old girl living in San
Diego. I love skating and skaters. My prob-
lem is that I hang around semi-hardcore
surfers. They can't figure out why I always
say, "Skaters rule!" Anyway, my boyfriend
skates, my brother sort of skates and I have
other skater friends, but everyone laughs
when I watch them skate and try to do what
they do. No one will help me. Any advice
on how to get a board out of my mom and
learn to shred?
Beach Bunnie Skater
San Diego, CA
Hey babe, all it takes is you. Don't let
other people run your life. You want to
skate, you want to hang with skaters-
then do it. If your surfin' buddies don't
like it, so what? Most Fluid Floyds can't
relate to asphalt anyway. If they don't like
skating, have them try it once. That
should mellow them out. As far as get-
ting a board, if mom will spring for one,
great. If not, you'll have to do what any
other skater has to do: Make money and
buy one or borrow money and buy one.
Any way you do it, get a skate and use
it. Only you can make a difference.
DEAD-END FRIENDS
Doc, I just finished building a killer mini-
half. I was real proud of myself for building
it. I thought all my friends would be stoked
and we would all skate together and be hap-
py. Well, the sessions started to get big and
wild, my parents started to bitch, they got
pissed and kicked them off the ramp. Then,
the other day, my mom and I were coming
home and to our surprise we caught them
thrashing the ramp. My mom freaked out.
She gave them a lecture on the ramp rules
and private property and lawsuits. Of course
they all hate me now. They will probably
burn my ramp down. Now they are building
a big-ass vert ramp and guess who isn't
allowed to skate it? Please help me Rick.
A Bummed Out Skater
Poughkeepsie, NY
Some people just don't know a good
thing when they see it or have it. It's a
drag your friends decided to be chumps.
Why any real skater would destroy a skate
spot for any reason other than to build
bigger and better is beyond me. Unfor-
tunately, the world is full of assholes. I'll
tell ya though, right now you'd better
learn to deal with it. What can you do?
One good way to lock your ramp is to
place a steel bar across the bottom with
a lock on both ends. But, if someone
wants to trash it, they will. The first step
I would take is confront these guys and
Blackhart carves up this month's column.
say, "Hey, what's the gig? We're all in the
same boat here. Why make waves?" This
probably won't do much, but at least you
tried. Most likely your friends won't
change, so you'll have to change friends.
Find some other buds to skate with and
forget about it. If someone does trash the
ramp, like burn it down, then that's big
time felony. If that happens and you have
a good idea who did it, like an eyewit-
ness, call the cops and have the scum-
bag thrown in jail, then sue. All I can say
is, let the punishment fit the crime. The
bottom line here is to look forward, shine
those jerks and keep skating. Good luck.
YEARN TO LEARN
I'm a seventeen-year-old girl and I'm in-
terested in skateboarding. Are there any
books or videos I can use to help me learn
to skate and to make a ramp?
Michelle Witte
Auburn, WA
Literature about skate basics is rather
slim and ancient-check used book
stores. There are a few current how-to's,
you'll have to look around. As far as skate
vids go, they're a dime a dozen. Many
skate manufacturers have jumped on the
bandwagon and released videos. When
you talk about building a ramp, then
you're talkin' the new and improved
Thrasher Ramp Plans. Armed with info,
tools, materials and a big desire to learn,
you're halfway there. Oh yeah, you'll also
want an Ask The Doctor T-shirt. (Only
$13.45 to: Thrasher, Ask the Doc T, P.O.
Box 884570, S.F., CA 94188-4570.