Trash
BOMB DROP
Did the FBI's Unabomber anti-terrorist task force
descend en masse upon Eric Swenson, skate industrial
magnate? Apparently, the suave manufacturer of Thunder
Trucks resembled the Unabomber
composite sketch so closely that
the feds came to the Thunder
foundry to spend a day checking
out The Swede.
Perhaps overly stimulated by Dave Swift's
imminent fatherhood, Tod Swank has moved
away from Del Mar and the beach in favor of
San Diego's urban district. Is Swank's semi-
secret romance with a prominent Hillcrest strip-
per so serious that his associates have started
a "guess the wedding day" pool?
The much ballyhooed Newport Hard Rock
Cafe $185,000 budget skate contest is report-
edly slotted. Fran Richards and organized
skate czar James Fitzpatrick are talking
about a $10,000 first place payment. As for the
vulnerable skate organization, their executive
directors meeting has been transferred from
Camp Woodward to Jim Gray's new office in
the old Vision headquarters building.
MONEY INC
Talk of the industry, the rumored 3.5 million
dollar fee for Japanese licensing rights for the
Church of Skatan.
The mayor of São Paulo, Brazil, declared a
holiday in honor of the return of Digo as the
new world champion. The city of 20 million plus
honored Rodrigo Menezes with a massive
Hall of
Meat
Tas Pappas proudly
displays his latest
body modification
courtesy of wheelbite
on a moto-board at
thirty miles an hour.
parade as well as a televised awards ceremony
after his vert victory in Germany
Don King and Mike Tyson are allegedly both
awaiting the results of the Real Canvas America
tour. Apparently the fists have been flying in the
van and on the street. First Coco and Matt Rod-
riguez, and then Kelly Bird and Matt Field have
shared words and threats. All in all, Mick Reyes
is laughing all the way to the bank.
One-time New Deal pro Danny Sargent is
back on track and working a regular job ship
ping shoes, while Ron Knigge is said to be con-
tant working for his dad in New Jersey
EURO ME
Which well-coiffed skater was yanked off a
train to Prague for the crime of having three
leaves of green herb?
Which team guy made his riders sleep on the
floor even after they qualified for the finals the
following day?
Can you name the SoCal vert dog that earned
the rep as the Euro-mack who had a hole in
every port and kept the whole hotel awake
while he laid pipe?
Is Chet Thomas the new sports
therapist of the nineteen-nineties
and beyond? Do not other pros
routinely ask for advice from the
Thom man?
Which skate company is being
funded entirely by its owner's
credit card?
Did Brad Dorfman, who claims
to have retired from the Alpine
scene, sell well more than 22,000
snowboards this season?
Which rival manu has been seen
hanging out with New Deal's ace
wood guy Mike Pust recently?
SERGIE'S ANIMAL FARM
After visiting Michael Jackson in Never Neverland,
Sergie Ventura decided to start his own abusement
park using cartoon architecture and WWF antics.
HARD TIME
Eddie Vedder, snowboarder, rock n' roll pur-
veyor, and singer for Pearl Jam is getting a lot of
mileage out of a Independent Trucks T-shirt that
was a gift from fan Joey Tershay.
Former Z-boy, Matt Warshaw, was seen
surfing at Ocean Beach with Chris Isaak and
New Yorker profile man Doctor Mark Renneker.
With the physical disengagement of TWS
Snow, TWS Skate and TWS Warp staffs, who
could be surprised that Kevin Wilkins will join
the other 65 employees at the one-time Larry
Balma plantation?
Mike D the white blues boy Russell Simmons
and Michael Stipe were all soon at the Glen E
Friedman NYC Rigozoli book-signing party.
Surfer Magazine held their 30 Year Anniver-
sary party in Huntington Beach overlooking the
pier. Early in the event Steve Hawk gave Herbie
Fletcher his own star on the Main Street of
Surf City Sidewalk. The longtime surf skater was
obviously touched, and he left the event to go
to Montana to dwell in a teepee and "reestab
lish contact with his Blackfoot Indian roots." In
the vicinity of the celebration ware Kelly Slater,
FRANK HAWK, RIP
In memoriam-Frank Hawk, former combat fighter
pilot, champion ballroom dancer, father of the man
Tony and clan, died recently of cancer. Mister Hawk
single-handedly kept pro skating contests on on
even keel for years and provided a forum for the
sport's best. He will be missed.
Kalani Robb, Michael Thompson, Tom Curren,
Peter Townsend and Alan Seymoure. King
James Cassimus, Art Brewer and Jeff D of the
old Skateboarder Mag clique closed down the
bar. The evening's highlight was multiple world
champ and former South African Shaun Thomp-
son treating the crew to a flurry of shooters as
he proclaimed his new American citizenship.
OLD SALT
Duane Peters ran his motorcycle into the
back of a semi and careened off the side of the
freeway. DP reportedly walked away but told his
teammates that he was a little stiff. The reason
for the accident was Duane lost control of the
bike as he lit a cigarette while going 85 mph.
In an unrelated incident, Greg Carroll is
reportedly being sought by Visalia police for the
draining of a wet bar in a hotel. Supposedly, the
team training exercise at the hotel was being
underwritten by a femme fatale who allegedly
worked at the hotel. DP is said to be the legal
advisor that Carroll will employ to negotiate his
way out of all this.
MOLD TIMES
The Simi Valley Skateboard Museum is now
open seven days a week by appointment only.
Five hundred complete boards and five hundred
additional decks are on display, including per-
sonal ones owned by Alva, Jay Boy, Mister
Skip, Lonnie Toft and David Hackett. Contact
805/581-2092 for access.
HOT SHOT
Kato Kaelin, the LA "surfer type," was recent
ly seen shooting promo shots for his new radio
talk show. Local skateriders report that Kato
seemed a little bit
nervous as he posed
with those Californi-
cated surf and skate
board props. Surfer
Kaelin (who no one
can ever remember.
going in the water)
Riding his own hi-octane
bottlerocket, Thrasher
sponsored rider Al
Salaverria burns it in
the Super Bike division.
99
PUCK
thas still wi
BAD ASS
When the Real team passed through Las
Vega$ to skate the Pair-A-Dice Pool, the
cops showed up and asked Coco Santiago
If he thought he was bad ass. Coco pro-
ceeded to hap the fence and show them
what he is all about. The officers were
apparently impressed by Santiago's bowl
barrage and let the whole team ride.
gained international celebrity by
being OJ Simpson's houseboy.
Meanwhile, OJ witness, Nobel Prize
winner Doctor Kerry Millus, who actually surfs
and skateboards, was repeatedly savaged by
the prosecution. The DA claimed that Kato's
surfing and sidewalk traversement proved that
he was an unreliable witness.
LAST LINES
"I don't do anything for free anymore."
"You're suppos
ed to have
-Rick Blackhart
fun and you're supposed to be professional, so
I guess you need to have professional fun."
THRASHER
-Wade Speyer
"I think they paid
the bands more
money than
me at
Lollapa-
looza."
-Steve
Sherman
What the Puck? Semi-
retired Real Worldian
Puck was seen trying
to sell photos of himself
so his girlfriend could
get a much-needed
brain transplant.