LLSVOS
34 THE MAGADNE
THOMAS
SLAYS PSL
by Jake Phelps
After three cups of joe, I was ready to face the day that lay
before me. A pro contest, in Los Angeles? It sounded like a horror-
show. On March 28, 1992. we got onto the vast tangle of freeways
and were dumped off somewhere in East LA at Transitions
Skatepark The PSL street (indoor jump ramp-style) practice was
underway. The park was small but functional, and upon arrival
saw that the foam of skaters on the course had done their home-
work and were gatting down to business. The first thing I noticed
was Chet Thomas. He had the lines and the juice and I pegged him
as the man to beat. I watched for awhile, borrowed a board and a
wrist band, and ended up skating the course for all it was worth
Holes and soft spots quickly found their way under my wheels i
scrubbed three times. The course was fast, but slippery. After work-
ing
up a hella sweat in the mid-moming heat, I sat down just in time
to judge the main even
Qualifying was divided into three heats and each one had about
ten skaters. Even though it was in a skatepark, no pads were
required, which seemed to suit the skaters just fine. The only one
to wear pads was the eventual victor. When the Masonite dust had
settled, there were thirteen (why thirteen 11 never know) left to do
battle for the thousand dollar bank. They were, in no particular
order, Swindell, Cardiel, Thomas, Campbell Mountain, Kendal
Cacalero, Woodstock, Schroeder, Pronier, Cerda, Vallely and
Speyer Believe me, it was a balls-out, no bullshit contest of sheer
gus and determination.
Thirteenth went to a local who has seen it all Lance Mountain.
Even though he went home to pack boxes, Sonja called him and
Lance came back to skate. The Fim director definitely had some
tricks up his sleeve. He had his lines down from lipsides on the tun
box, to kickflips to fake on the big bank
Twelfth went to the ever-insane John Cardiel. I gave him high
scores for his audacity and determination, but the other judges
must not have seen it that way. He started with a huge melon dis-
aster on the big quarter pipe that had everyone tuming away, think-
ing he was dead. When he made that, he went on to do huge back-
side 180 allies, noseblunt tailgrab tailelaps, switchstance
roseslides down the banister and psycho 360 backside ollies on
the quarter-pipe. He even went for a 540 off the side of the big
quarter. Bortom line: this wild man rips so hard that if he doesn't
die, he'll be the greatest stuntman the world has ever seen.
Eleventh was taken by longtime vet Jeff Kendall, who was a
speedy blur all over the course. Mixing style and contemporary
moves like olle late backfoot kicktips and pressure fips, Kendall
showed that he is tar from stale.
Between working at the park and going to school, Ben Schroed
er took time out and made tenth. He has the park down with lines
that nobody would think of, much less do. If he had made all the
shit he tried, he would have been top three. Going for broke on
such insanity as trying to clear the distance between the mini-ramp
and the quarter-pipe, Ben piled hard every time. An olle off the roll
in to 50-50 fake on the mini, which he made, and his whole
approach was a pleasure to watch, especially in these days of
pressure flip circles and flatland freaks
The pride of San Jose, Steve Caballero, strolled into ninth Cab
stayed on and supplied a variety of old and new that took him all
the way to the finals. Long nosesides, big spins, noseblunt slides
and backside ipslides made him a crowd favorite and put him in
the running for the cash.
Huntington Beach burier and handrail crusher Skippy Pronier
grapefruited the long rail on his way to eighth. Between kickfips,
Smith grinds, olie mutegrabs and feebles to fakle, Skippy found
himself among the best and skated like a man
Wade Speyer supercharged to seventh. He was in his element,
with both Schroeder and Cardiel in the finals to push him over the
edge. His bum wrist didn't stop him from slaying talgrabs to tail
backside blunt heel flips and a run-ending air over a four-foot fence
into a ten-foot drop onto the flatbottom of the spine ramp that had
everyone screaming for more. When Wade is in the hunt for the
cash, there are no rules. (Continued on page 3)
Alive and kickin',
Josh Swindell (oppo-
site page) in mid
alley-oop frontside
late big-spin mode.
Chet Thomas took it
down with alley-oop
lien melons and other
balls-out trickery.
Chet (Inset) tastes it
before cashing it.