snappers cruising the city every weekend. The locals still enforce a
high level of style, cajones and the skillz ta pay the bills. There are
really no ramps to speak of although rumor has it that the "Skatepark
of Chicago" exists as a mass of ramps sequestered inside a cav-
ernous old theatre on the North Side. Stevie Dread, Alex Field,
Hensley, Wing Ko, Art Harris and Eric Mathies have been swiftly slic
ing down the tarmac on slalom sticks. Hensley commutes via a vin-
tage cruiser obtained from the Schwinn museum and his flaming
orange Vespa scoot. Flatland and natural terrain are the "new" rule.
Current and not-so-current hot spots are: the famous Fire Hole (a)
park on the North Side with pumpable brick hips and humps), Aetna
(curbs and hips), 43rd St. Bank (bring your own bullets), Recycle
Bank (super steep and gnarly, north of Buck Town). Pizza Hut curbs
(Wicker Park), Oak St. Beach (on the Lake with fresh new curbs and
blocks, plenty of oiled gooeys, bladers, strollers and cops on ATVS),
U of I campus, State St. (downtown) and Wicker Park Fountain.
A
s with any major skatropolis, there are too many kids that rip
to count on both hands but the standouts down at Oak St.
Beach and Club State St. include: John Fonseca, Junior
Gonzales, Chill, Twins (Anthony and Anton), Chris Quinn, Chris
Fuerstein and Serge. There is also the 21st St. posse: The Bros
Rodriguez (Jessie and Tony), Andy Torres and Georgie Sanchez.
One weekender from the suburbs to watch for is Dave Goelz.
Meanwhile, over at Shelter (former home of Chicago's only public
mini-ramp), skate-related parties have been hosted over the summer
by Raw 5. The last one featured an indoor skinny mini on risers
across from the main bar. Video loops of movie car chases and skate
vid balls were projected on the wall behind the ramp. Local kids skat-
ed while the high-fashion clientele took occasional notice.
H-Gun is a top secret subterranean video production house partly
staffed by skaters Eric Mathies and Wing Ko. Recent credits include
Megadeth, Suicidal Tendencies, 24-7 Spyz. Meat Beat Manifesto,
Screaming Trees as well as Eric and Ko's own radical 16mm skate
footage. (If you've seen Eric Murphy's endless rail slide segment on
video, you've seen their work)
The last of the original Chicago punk bars is no more. The world-
famous Exit Lounge went out in blazing glory with a three-day blitz of
performance, phat beats, booze and destruction. 77 Luscious Babes
One twin, not the other (left), blasts off a ledge on the shores of
Lake Michigan. Mad Eric Murphy (right) slides his way out of town
on a ridiculously long roller coaster. Steve Snyder and family
(bottom) frolic on his backyard ramp at Playtime Skates HQ.
started things off early Friday followed by a raucous 1 am set by
Rights of the Accused. Die-hards and fools camped out in lawn chairs
until Saturday night when the line went around the block and the term
packed was re-defined. Riflesport rocked out at midnight followed by
a king hell percussion jam with former members of UNGHI and the
H-Gun boys. Sweat dripped from the ceiling and the house went wild.
On Sunday, Joe opened the bar for an auction of memorabilia fol-
lowed by an open assault on the interior with crowbars, torches, ham-
mers and chain saws. By 10 pm, everything that was once, wasn't
anymore. As the last plundering pirate dragged off her booty, the staff
could be seen cooking eggs with an arc welder on the main bar.
Skateboarding was recently declared "illegal" in downtown
Chicago, which is loosely defined as anywhere inside the Loop or
elevated train line that circles downtown. Apparently some alderman
has a real bug up his ass about human-powered transportation.
Intelligent minds in both the skate and cycle communities are dis-
cussing the best course of action for preserving citizens rights to pol
lution-free inner-city transit.
Skaters like Big Frank have been arrested, hauled into the station, cited and
released. Boards have been confiscated. At least one downtown oinker has said
arresting a skater is a waste of time and therefore they will not enforce the new ordi-
nance. But from experience push your luck, or be in the wrong situation with the
wrong cop, and you will go to jail. The police here will gladly come up with a reason
to arrest you if you can't come up with one yourself.
But although skating might be illegal in downtown Chicago, as it is in most city
centers, new spots will always appear. Windy City locals must now stay on the
move, hitting the Hips, IBM curbs, Prudential Plaza, and the streets and sidewalks
less traveled by the man in blue. As more strip malls sprout up in previously un-
developed and industrial areas, old cracked and pot-holed parking lots are being
replaced with smooth cement ped-ways and banked drive-ins. Garages are still
abundant, as are benches, blocks and walls. Even while small wheels and the
quest for modern tricks seem to leave most of the masses stuck, frustrated and now
busted at one spot, the adventurous will always have a place to skate on the many
surfaces of the big city. As long as there is a supply of products, skaters in Chicago
will thrash forever.
-Compiled by Eric Mathies, Wing Ko and Stevie Dread
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