lear
1070
URAPEON
ISIM
SHIT-MISSLE GT
BAD Bly
CLUB
TRASH
Aggro-Euro
Tour. BBC Tour
transport on
maneuvers
(above) in the
French Alps.
Stalking the
wild kingdom,
birdwatcher
and coping
monster Wade
Speyer, caught
a rare sticker
pigeon at the
NSA SF event.
104
BUSINESS AS USUAL
Hi boys and girls. And aren't things
getting ugly in the skateboarding world.
New companies are multiplying like the
splinters off an old oak skate. Pros are
becoming little businessmen as fast as
amateurs are becoming little pros. The
NSA draft is not over yet as we hear of
new signings and
signature model
contracts being
inked and torn in
half by the
hour. Team
managers
come and go
just as fast.
ZONE
Company
"scouts" are dipping into the youngest of
amateur ranks and the state by state
skate associations, farm teams and
breeding pens of amateur skate talent
are rumored a reality. Tomorrow's
movers and shakers could well be
today's rippers and shredders.
Yesterday's laundry needs a washing or
it gets pitched. They say the kids today
aren't into history except their own.
Well, those kids are the ones making
history right now. As Torger Johnson
did the pirouette 360°, Tony Alva the
double-axle grind, Bobby Valdez the
invert, Caballero the Caballerial,
Rodney the ollie impossible, McGill the
McTwist, Hawk the 720°, Natas the
360° ollie, Templeton the one-foot-to-
rail and so on, so too will generations of
rolling wonders perform rule breaking
maneuvers that are the envy of lighter-
weight sportsmen, if they can even
comprehend them. The constant in all
this is that skaters, not the companies,
are still setting the standards, pushing
the limits and searching and building the
terrain. Many have tried to buy into the
scene, but the drop-out rate is around
ten-to-one. Look around, there are
carcasses everywhere, buildings bought
and lost, skateparks closed and
boarded, amusement park ramps hastily
scrapped for the next stage show.
Energy is a natural resource. You can
buy it and hoard it, but once it's gone,
see ya. Like any fossil fuel, skate-
boardings energy is replenished
through the breakdown of previously
living matter. It is processed through the
live tissue of every skater who skates
for fun and pushes yesterday's limits a
few barrels further. Its skate energy is
plentiful and neither Bush. Hussein.
Gorby, Maggie or anyone else can own
it. The trashmen say let there be skate
and let there be business. Now let's get
down to the business of skating.
REPERCUSSIONS
Temblors are still coming in from the
early August European campaign
through Münster, Germany, and Le
Grand Bornand, France. Many pro
teams used the opportunity to launch
major European tours using bought or
rented vehicles. One such posse was
the bad boys from BBC. Expedition.
leader Jamie Mosberg tells tales of
demoing for the Communist Party Fair
in Italy, Jeff Phillips falling two stories
onto a sandwich board sign during the
ASP Pro Surf Tour in Hossegor, France,
and Jamies' perfect driving record being
cashed in when he ran in to the same
girl's car, twice. What a way to kick off
BBC's (who's initials now stand for
Better Board Company) new life away
from Life's A Beach. Jamie and partner,
Randy Stits, are talking total redesign
Sagittarius
Okay Archer, this is your month to shine.
Satum is catching an edger on the handle of
the Big Dipper, so now's a good time to
leam those handrail 50-50s. Do yourself a
favor though and don't attempt any feebles-
to-fakie on mini-ramps with plastic coping.
at least until well after the new moon rises
on the 16th. Instead, take the first
opportunity to clean your grip tape and soak
your bearings in gasoline, this will guarantee
continued prosperity as long as you avoid
the urge to grab your frontsides stink bug.
Don't ride any parking garages guarded by
pistol-toting Virgos, as your personalties are
sure to clash right around the third floor.
Beware of tall women wearing red Vans and
postpone all road trips until the new year.
Ollie grabs are out this month, unless
balanced with a steady stream of early
releases. December will prove a month of
radical rides for you Sag. Just keep your
head down and your trucks tight.
and a new team based on skates and
related items.
Mark "Gator" Anthony continues to
recover from deep gash wounds.
received in a falling out he had with a
cyclone fence in Münster, Germany.
Reportedly, the doctor who sewed him
up had to be woken in the middle of the
night and former Vision Team head,
John Hogan graciously volunteered to
take over the needle..
CLOSER TO HOME
We can't wait to tell you about the
NSA "Back to the City" event held in our
fair city, so we won't. Don Bostick.
Danielle, Steve-O, KT, the SF Fair
team headed by Charles Byrd and a
supporting cast who deserve mention
for the next two issues, outdid all
previous efforts. Even Frank and Nancy
Hawk, tireless administrators of the
computing and scoring divisions, had "a
great time." Many who have been there
said it ranks right up there with the "best
ever competitions, a very short list
indeed. Slack security at the Civic
Center fountains was met with coop
erative but boisterous overflow crowds,
who climbed the surrounding trees to
gain better sight lines into the bleacher-
less venue. Highlights include the
infamous Jak's team skate hockey
demo led by Dick Wagon and the crack
construction crew of Fish, Blackhart,
Pat Black, Andy Berendson, Jake
Phelps, Pierre and foreman Steve-O
Brockway, who tested each wall as it
went up. Nightly practice for the city
boys was a come-as-you-are affair. The
early morning broom crew that included
Phelper, Piston Pete, Sean Sheffey
and Mike McGill, caught the best
conditions and cooler temps. BK's.
Studio 43 kept everyone warmed up,
and when the sessioning got going,
semi-locals J.J. Rogers and Wade
Speyer got tough. Mike Carrol, Josh
Swindel, Noah Peacock, Henry
Sanchez, Kris Markovich; Steve Ruge
and Jeff Klindt also dommed. Rector's
mansion was the scene of nightly pow-
wows and even a punch-out regarding
parking rights. When it was all over,
Tony Hawk walked and Alan Peterson
impressed with second place in his first
pro event. Christian was on cruise
control and tumbled into third. Omar
Hassan is on the road to winning a
major. Z-boy George Watanabe earned
his keep. The monster wall to judging
and staging area was also a place for a
smoke break and several minor gang
skirmishes broke out on schedule, as if
they were in the program. It was truly a
"Youth Fair" as advertised. In a much
ballyhooed side event, Bucky Lasek
won 500 clams without touching his
board, in the Electronic Arts "Skate or
Die II" face off held in the EA tent in
front of a bank of video monitors. But,
you know too much already. Stay tuned
next month.
SHORT HAIRS
Josh Marlowe is on the marriage
blocks. So is Paul Schmitt. Joe Lopes
will also be going down the aisle soon.
Billy Beauregard has a clean slate
and has re-surfaced in Winter Haven,
Florida, as the top body and fender man
in the lower thirteen states. He is also
looking to take up top fuel dragsters.
Steve Schneer, Peanut Brown and
Aaron Deeter are booked and ready to
launch over to South Africa for a demo
tour and an Airbourne/Zorlac-sponsored
"Shut up and Skate" contest.
Buena Vista Pool...yes, it IS rumored
to be skateable once again.
A secret halfpipe in San Francisco...
we'll believe it when we see it.
Tommy Guerrero has gotten a
learner's permit to drive a full-size auto.
He has reportedly purchased a 1963
convertible Dodge Dart
and found a new
sponsor over at Real.
John Hogan vacated
his rampside digs at
Vision to head south as
the Team Guy at G&S.
Dorfman's right hand
man, Jim Gray says a
replacement is being
sought.
Have you heard the one about
Ternasky leaving the H-Street fold to
back a Hensley/Vallely venture?
Danny Way starting a new company?
If you call Santa Cruz these days,
you'll likely be assaulted with GBH and
other crankin' tunes while you're on
hold. If you get through,
maybe someone
will let on that
Santa Monica
Airlines has
pumped
up
their
volume with the
addition of Dave
LeRoux and
Justin Lynch to their
stables. This despite
rumors of a Natas power
play with Rocco and Co.
Gavin O'Brien, Ross Goodman,
Jeff Grosso, Jeff Kendall and Corey
O have been in Chicago recording a
demo of their "pornfunk" band Tree. In
October they headlined San Jose's
Suckfest 90, where their live show
was described as a multi-media event.
BOOK OF MONTH-Loose Change.a
poetry compilation by Jim Thiebaud.
RUMOR OF MONTH-The Internal
Revenue Service has been camped out
in the office of a certain influential manu.
SCANDAL OF MONTH-The activ-
ities/existence of Real manager Jeff
Klindt. Apparently the Ninja team
organizer of the 90s, Klindt operates in
such a mercurial manner that even his
company partners don't know what he's
doing.
HAIRCUT OF MONTH-Grosso's
bald headed Bozo-winged double
pointer (a haircut so extreme that even
confidants such as Kendall and
O'Brien must wonder).
Are Steve Caballero, Doug Smith
and Chip Morton forming a motorcycle
racing syndicate?
Birthday boys.
Tony Alva, far
left, middle) at
33, talking
story to Black-
Mike McGill
Balma enjoy
the moment
during Mike
and TA's
double b-day
bash at Limbo's
in SF. Justin
Lynch (below
sponsor, new
rooster-hawk
Bucky Lasek
(below), the
undisputed
king of Skate or
Die II, the
video game.