FIRM
Mike
Kepper
takes the
pause
refreshes.
ASK
THE DOCTOR
WITH ZED HANGERS BAWL
RICK What are skate companies coming to?
BLACKHART Today when I found out that I cracked my
Indies, I went home to order some new
hangers. My baseplates were fine: I just
ground my hangers to death. I called
three different shops and all of them said
they didn't carry hangers. I had to buy the
whole damn thing? No way! Finally I got
lucky and found a shop that had hangers.
Since you probably have more influ-
ence in the skate industry than I do,
could you tell the truck companies to start
selling just the hangers, as well as the
whole truck. Seems like these compa-
nies don't want anybody to save money.
C'mon, not all of us have our parents to
pay for this stuff.
Erin Starr
Hayfork, CA
It's not worth it for the truck compa-
nies to sell just hangers because
there's no way to determine exactly
30 THRASHER MAGAZINE
how many to have on hand. Besides,
extra baseplates can come in handy.
So do yourself a favor and stock up
on spare parts, or maybe sell them to
a friend.
SOLITARY REFINEMENT
I hear a lot about skaters who com-
plain that they have to skate alone. I've
been skating off and on for about four
years. I'm not very good and I don't have
much to offer other skaters (trick tips,
spot info), so I like skating alone. I get
embarrassed around other people if I
mess up or if they're better than me. But
since I skate alone, I don't improve much.
What can I do to remedy my problem?
Skating Shyly
P.Q., CA
Skating alone is good to a certain
point, either as a workout or to master
a trick that involves repeated bails
and time-consuming runs. On the
other hand, skating alone can be bor-
ing and tiresome, and invite injury
due to lack of concentration. I don't
have as much fun skating with a big
group of guys unless the level of abil-
ity is the same. Four or five friends
skating together is great because
there's plenty of room and plenty of
time for everyone to get all the runs
they want. It's always better to skate
with someone who rips so you can
see it being done and learn specific
moves. Education by imitation. As far
as falling or screwing up, don't sweat
it. Everybody screws up occasionally.
You can't learn without falling. As
soon as you get tired of bailing time
after time, you will pull it off.
LEARN BABY LEARN
During the last three years, skating
has become really popular in my town.
Until recently I thought skaters were just
a bunch of dudes with nice asses trying
to show off. Now I am beginning to real-
ize these dudes are into something rad.
My bro is trying to teach me to skate, but
I am a major klutz and I suck. There
aren't many chicks around who skate,
only chicks who act tough in their Vision
T-shirts poseurs! I am automatically con-
sidered one of them, but I am serious
and I want to skate. What the hell should
I do?
Confused
Longmon, CO
Don't waste time wondering, get out
there and skate. If they see you skat-
ing and trying to learn, they can't
accuse you of being a poseur, espe-
cially when you whip their butts skat-
ing. So pay the naysayers no heed;
it's a fact, we must skate to be freed.
QUIT SNIT
Everybody I hang out with quit skating.
so I stopped. I want your opinion if I
should start skating again or not.
Darren Nicholl
Wrightstown, NJ
If you have to ask me whether you
should skate or not, you probably
shouldn't. Usually the first reaction to
skating is that it's fun. Then you real-
ize that the better you get the more
fun it is. The difference between
skaters and "people who have
skated" is that the skaters take that
extra step by going back to the board
again and again. Those who check it
out, stand on it, push around a little,
then go, "Hey, that's hard," or "Gee,
I'm afraid I'm going to hurt myself,"
or, in your case, "I wonder if I should
try it again," aren't really...well, you
know. Skaters always try again. It's up
to you. But be careful, I wouldn't want
you to have too much fun.
PADDED
COLLAR
BURLY
NYLON
LACES
JIMMY ARRIGHI
VELCRO
STRAP
TOP
GRAIN
LEATHER
UPPER
DOUBLE
STITCHED
OLLIE
PAD
STREE
WEA
GROOVED
FOR FLEX
LACE
SAVER
VISION
IN HIGH-STRESS
AREAS
PADDED
TONGUE
SPEED LACE
EXTRA-STRENGTH
OLLIE SIDEWALL
THINNER INSOLE
FOR MORE
FOREFOOT FEEL
EXTRA-THICK
PROTECTIVE
LEATHER
TOE CAPS
VISION
DESIGNED BY SWATERS FOR SVATEBOARDING
SO GO OUT AND SKATE!!!
RUBBER
TOE CAP
SOLID
SUEDE
UPPER
GRIPPY
GUM SOLE
SOFT
PADDED
FASTBACK
COLLAR
SUPER GRIP RUBBER
COMPOUND
SKIP PRONIER
MARK OF QUALITY
LACE LOOP
CONTROL
1QUITY
VISION
CONFIDENCE
PROGRESSIV