AQUAJAME
40 THRASHER MAGAZINE
Airing it out, Erik Froland (above) soars over Lake Calhoun
while local Buffys and Jodys gather in awe. Triple timing the
spine launch, Ranier Momeau (spread) and his buds enjoyed
all-day sessioning out of doors during the Aqua Jam, Brad Smith
(opposite pagel, going off a table top via frontside roll-in
depicts the kind of core skating that goes on in the Heartland
More than a contest, more than a demo
or an exhibition, Aqua Jam, on the shores
of Minneapolis' Lake Calhoun, is one of
those few events that is actually fun for
skaters. Every year for the past ten, the
boys from Alternative Sports and the
woodchucks from the Twin Cities Skate
Oasis drag a plethora of ramps and
street obstacles to the grassy shores of
this urban lakeside setting.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN
It all happens during the week-long Aquatennial cele
bration. The whole community turns out on bikes,
rollerblades, unicycles, scooters and skateboards to
enjoy the fine midsummer heat and celebrate this land
of 10,000 lakes. Spandex is the rule for the roller-
bootied femmes that scoot along the bike path sur-
rounding Lake Calhoun. All the while they are chased
by local Gold's Gym rejects in an endless one-way
procession around the water's edge. There are kite
flyers and sand castle builders, dirt fishermen and
canoe paddlers, sun bathers, hacky sackers, and Fris-
bee heads. The action all over the lake is laid back
and sweaty in the humid 90' heat.
One by one, everybody eventually gathers around
the ramp compound where lies a four-foot mini
spine, a seven-foot trick ramp and a solid ten-foot
vertical trough where the big boys work out on a
heavy metal surface. The young rats take over the
spine and everybody rides the mini in the middle.
Erik Froland has dominated Midwestern air space
for many years and he hovered in the six- to eight-
foot range amidst gasps and swoons from a stoked
crowd that swelled into the hundreds by the after-
noon. Meanwhile, park-bred newcomers like
Peder Mewis, Mike Haugen, Jeff Wren, Seth
McCallum, Lee Schwartz and Jeremy Karjaca
drew lines over the spine and doubled-up for sun-
set sessions. Street scuds had their day in the sun
on Saturday while the ramp rockets contested on
Sunday. Results are not important.
The Aqua Jam is what skating is all about:
good people, good skating, laughs, beefs, food
and drink. None of it would have been possible
without Big Jay Erickson and Jon Baugh of
Alternative Bike and Board. Head woodsman
Gary Barbo almost single-handedly relocated
the Oasis ramps from the park to the outdoor
locale. Unofficial judges and entertainment
directors Chris Gaspard and Street Scott were
also the entertainment for the masses. The
only thing that dampened the hot sessioning
was the absence of local pros Justin Lynch
and Dave LeRoux (tweaked back and gnarled
shoulder, respectively), and the NSA central
regionals down river at Rads in Springfield,
Missouri, leached a lot of talent. No matter,
we'll be back next year to rage, romp and
ramp it up at Aqua Jam '92. I
STORY AND PHOTOS BY KEVIN J. THATCHER,
41