#skaterS
Mike Frazier waits on the platform, eyeing
his prey like a panther. Before anyone
knows what's coming he drops in and
attacks. Like the jungle cat, the only law
he lives by is the law of the jungle where
only the strong survive. Watch him skate
a vert ramp and ask, "Why can't I skate
like that?"
When did you start? I started skating in
Christmas of '86, when I was fourteen. I had
just got a Nash tuff top and we moved to a
new house. Ryan Powers had a Ripstick and
Paul Lowes had a Tony Hawk. I remember I
borrowed Ryan's board and this kid down
the street wanted to play chicken. I fucked
Ryan's board and was afraid to tell him.
What did you do before skating?
lived in Indiana and used to show horses in
4-H. I wanted to be a cowboy in a rodeo.
Why do you skate? If I don't, I feel lame!
If I'm hurt, or for some reason can't skate,
mope around and get bummed
Do you street skate? Sometimes. When
I first started skating with Ryan and Paul.
that's all we skated for hours every day.
Why is vert out? It's easier to skate a
curb or go down the street for free. Who
wants to pay to skate a park?
What tricks are you working on?
Lately, I've been trying a lot of revert stuff.
But I feel like a dork talking about tricks,
bragging is gay
What do you think of the industry?
The industry is crazy. I used to think skating
was just about riding a board. I guess reality
set in when I was riding for Zorlac. To get to
the amateur finals I had to pay for my bus
ride from Toronto. Canada, to Reno,
Nevada, after they said. "Sure, we'll pay."
Jefferson (Jason Corbet) and I got off the
bus five days later in Reno at 3:00 in the
morning to find that Zorlac didn't get us a
hotel. So we slept in some bushes at a
church six blocks from the bus station. It was
about 50 that night because it's by the
mountains. We finally fell asleep one hour
later, then the sprinklers came on and woke
us up. Both of us had no money, thank God
for Gullwing. After the contest, Zorlac said,
"We're so stoked you did good, we want to
give you a board, but you have to ride our
trucks and wheels too, or we won't pay for
your traveling. And the chances are it will be
hard for you to get an ad unless you ride
them." I think the politics in skating suck.
Where do you skate and with who?
Paul Zittzer's warehouse in Tampa, with
Darrin, Paul Larsen, Schaufer, Sean Kane,
Koss, Leonard Trubia, Fetzel and Milford.
Flatland: Flatland is where skating is at
right now. Street, mini-ramp and vert are all
becoming flatland. Skating is definitely get-
ting gnarly. It all goes back to freestyle.
which a lot of people used to hate.
Influences: I try to make up my mind for
myself, but everyone is influenced by people
around them. My mom, girlfriend and friends
are my influences.
Slamming: I broke my back about a year
ago and went to a friend of a friend's father
who was a chiropractor and he X-rayed my
back and said, "Come to me for about seven
weeks and it will be fine." About four weeks.
$400.00 dollars and a lot of pain later, Powell
sent me to an orthopedic doctor who said,
"Your back is broken and chiropractor knew
t. He was just scamming you. Even an idiot
can see the fracture in the X-ray."
World view: The world is going crazy. In
about thirty or forty years it will be one hun-
dred times crazier than it is now. That's
going to be anarchy
Contests: At Sacramento I was so nervous
and sketchy feeling the day of the contest I
had to piss probably thirty times. I fell all over
the place and sucked, but had fun hanging
out with everyone.
Future plans: To skate until I'm in a wheel
chair. After that I've always wanted to be a
fireman, but I don't know if I can do that in a
wheelchair.
Favorite terrain: Anything fast. New
Masonite or smooth cement is rad, like
Daytona Skatepark.
Music: Kinghorse, old Metallica, Danzig,
Rollins, Black Flag, Operation Ivy and a lot
of other music
All time fave skaters? My favorites to
skate with are Jeff Kendal, Tom Boyle and
Sean Sheffey. Monty Nolder has been the
most underrated skater for so long. He's rad.
So's Donny Myhre and Ralf Holges.
Did you ever think you would be
pro? I was always the sketchy kid that
everyone laughed at and covered their eyes.
I still am I was covered with
duct tape from head to toe..
Sometimes, I see someone
haven't seen in a long time and
they're like, "Man, you're pro?
You were the sketchiest,
rottenest thing in the world."
Thank yous: If I thank any-
one it would be my mom and
Debbie Martin, Mike's mom.
Hate: When friends who used
to skate quit. You know who
you are!
Love: I love my family, friends
and girlfriend Erin. Erin is my
best friend.
Pets: I have three dogs:
Snapper, Penny and Sussie,
and a snake named Champ.
Family: My mom, my brother
Tony and my step-dad Mike.
Who is at the forefront of
modern skating? Hawk,
Mayer, Bucky and Rick
Howard.
Ever been arrested? I've
been arrested once. At the
finals by some fat cop in the
parking lot. Pat Hogan tried to
stop him and he got arrested.
Somehow Frank Hawk saved
us from going to jail. He was a
hero.
M
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36 THEASHE
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PHOTOS BY CHRIS ORTIZ
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Mike Frazier (left) grabs a tweaked supremely stale
tailbone to fakie and a locked allie nosegrind revert
(this page) in Tampo.