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something, it sucks. I just didn't like
the pressure back when Plan B was
going on. Supposedly back then, if
you were on Plan B. it was supposed
to be the raddest team or whatever.
I've never really been into being in
the spotlight. So then when we start
ed Girl, I was stoked on skateboard
ing again. It was our own little thing.
we're doing what we're doing just
because we want to do it. It was just
us doing what we wanted to do, not
to have some rad team or nothing.
A
You've got a lot of guys on your
team and they're all rad....
But it isn't meant to be about that,
it was just to hook up and do our
own thing. So, being Skater of the
Year is rad when you think about it,
but then all of a sudden, you have
people thinking like, "Why was he
Skater of the Year? What did he do?"
flips better than regular kickflips?
Are there times you can do switch-
It all depends on the day.
What's the trick you're going to
make ninety-nine percent of the
time, a nollie flip?
It used to be. I lost it a little when I
hurt myself. I guess switchflips, kick-
flips, 180's, ollies.
KFBSTS (sequence) at Pier Seven in the City
by the Bay. Into the fountain via a feeble
grind, young MC (right) takes the "B Blake
having a good Sommer" all the way to the
Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park.
Mike has been pro for deep, hence the
immense board collection on the left-
H-Street, Plan B or Girl, it's all in there.
Clean kickflip over the barricade or is it
an ollie? Mike (opposite bottom) said he
was sorry that he didn't know either.
Around the corner from City Hall, Mike
(opposite top) nosegrinds to fakie at the
Federal Building in 1992.
You don't like doing heelflips?
I used to, it's just that some things come and go. You
have those days, you have those months. You have cer
tain tricks for about a month, a week, a day. It all just
depends on how your body's feeling.
Have you ever nollieflipped the Gonz?
No, one time I tried it. I only ollied it once, just to
prove to Mike Termasky I could do it. He was just like,
"You would never do it." And it's like, "It's not that big
of a deal. I can do it, I just don't want to do it." So I
ollied it once, then I figured I'd try it and nollieflip it.
Did you get worked?
No, I didn't come close. It was just something stupid
that I tried. I don't even know why I tried it. I don't
know what I was thinking.
Name some people with fat ollie pop.
Donger, Keith Hufnagel, Eric Koston, Lavar-he
doesn't have the most, but for as little as he is, he sure
gets up onto shit at Hubba Hideout and shit like that.
Has anybody ever done a backside noseblunt slide
at Hubba Hideout?
I don't know.
I bet you could do it.
Maybe.
You're only twenty years old now, right?
Only? That's fuckin' old.
Do you think you'll be skating when you're twenty-
five, thirty, thirty-five?
I'm not sure, it all depends.
How's your body holding up?
Decent. Obviously you feel sore, but I used to feel
sore when I was a little kid.
Who can you name for the Hall of Fame?
Mark Gonzales, Matt Hensley, Jason Lee, Christian
Hosoi, Natas Kaupas and Tommy Guerrero.
What about how street skating is all focused on
handrails nowadays?
Well, not that long ago, it was more based on Hubba
Hideout and Wallenberg and the Gonz. It seemed like
84 THRASH
that's all people were focusing on for a
little bit. Maybe that was just up here.
I guess you can get more recognition
off handrails now. Whatever, do it if you
want to do it.
It's pretty dangerous shit.
Not if you know what you're doing.
Do you remember at Embarcadero
when there would be like two hun-
dred people there?
People just everywhere. I guess prob-
ably two hundred people at that one
demo when Alf got hit.
Do you think those kids still skate?
A lot of them probably do.
What's your favorite vert trick?
An Indy air. Just airs. That was the
only move, then I got hurt, and then I
stopped. Smith grinds, obviously.
What size wheels do you ride?
51,52
What's the best feeling on a skate-
board for you?
Landing. Just doing shit. When it
makes you feel good is when you're
obviously having a good day. Doing
what you know you can do and you just
keep doing it.
What message would you give to the
kids out there?
Buy Girl. I'm joking. I mean, it's obvi-
ous, skate for fun, just the same corny
shit that anyone else would probably
say. But I don't even want to say that,
because it's just too predictable, and
it's contradictory saying, "Skate for fun,
not for fame. Don't skate to be spon-
sored..." And I'm already sponsored.
But the message, just skate.
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