EAST COAST BEATDOWN 2
I get paid to watch, to stand around,
analyze and even criticize who is the shit.
Well, the NSA had two events in one week
during April, and I was there. First stop was
Wallingford, Connecticut, which is the home
of the Playground Skatepark. The turnout for
both competitors and spectators was light
it was on a Wednesday, but those
down know that skat-
ing is alive
We dubbed our
Up The Neighbors Tour, an
is just what we did. Every place
we went, we made as much
noise as humanly possible,
yelling, screaming, honking.
whatever it took. Wallingford
is a little town about 100
miles northeast of New York
City, but it might as well have
been on an another planet.
Townies with attitude was my call
for this depressing bedroom com-
munity. We invaded on Tuesday
night, and right off the bat we met some
white trash members of the James Gang
who were willing to sell us assault rifles for
the coming race war. When we laughed at
them they got pissed off and went out to the
van to get something that would "even the
score. Needless to say, we didn't stick
around long enough to see what they were
talking about and left with the quickness
Wednesday was contest day and we were
there bright and early to witness the state
of skateboarding in 1993. The "street" con-
test was quite boring and the only things
that caught my eye were Eric Koston land-
ing a switchstance 360 kickflip, Chris Senn
tearing as fast as humanly possible and
pulling a backside disaster on the very vert
flatwall, local Tim Upson making blindside
kickflips to fakie over the channel, but not
entering the contest, Wade Speyer stalling
a frontside pivot on the flatwall and Tom
Knox tailsliding the bar. The punkest thing I
saw was John Cardiel's padless attack of any
thing in his way, vert or street, though he too
did not enter
In-between the two contests, there were
loads of skaters hanging around in the
parking lot just kickin' or skating the rough
Security?
ANS
AIRWALK
Rations
AIRWALK
Playground locals
O
by Ray Vaughn
Board stealers
All alone in the danger sone, Mike Crum (obave rotates s
big 360 Indy at The Playground, while Brian Howard
(above right) pokes a nosebone at a crowded platform
40 T
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Talkin' shit