one else. Everything was becoming possible.
Richard and I were thrown out of the park
for life for disturbing the peace too many
times (punk), so we started street skating in
the parking lot to aggravate the owner
(punk), grinding curbs, slappies, boardslides.
ollies, commandos, and hurricanes all going
down. We got sponsored by Powell-Peralta
as the first street brigade experiment. We
were young and punk and didn't understand
what they wanted from us. We just wanted
to skate the park. Six months later, we were
back in the park and on the park team,
thanks to Jerry Hurtado, which meant we
skated free! Powell wouldn't sponsor me for
pool and park skating, so it eventually dwin-
dled, and I kept progressing.
We met two little kids (they idolized us!).
Jeff Grosso and Eric Nash. We loved them
because they loved us, and we tortured them
with punk power. We had groupies. Little did
we know that they would become two of the
92 T
best skaters in the world, and Jeff would come to be
my all-time, full-time best friend. Through thick
and thin, we will hang tight for years to come.
1981. Neil Blender sponsored me for
G&S. and I went off through a number of
team changes: G&S, Tracker. Variflex and
Zorlac. It was my favorite time.
1982. The end of an era. Skate City
closed. One last contest. Neil Blender
won pro. Kevin Staab won amateur. I
got 3rd. Oh, well.
1983. I graduated from high
school and skated wherever I
could-Upland Pipeline two or three
times a week. Del Mar on weekends.
Parks have mostly all shut down.
Skateboarding was almost dead.
1984. I was ready. I turned pro for..
my former sponsor. Variflex, and
Independent Trucks. I got 10th place
Left: The Grossman
hits the beam at the old
Kennedy warehouse.
Below: Sequential rock n'
roll boardslide at the Kelly
clamshell in Huntington Beach.
my first pro contest at Del Mar. Not bad. I was
stoked. Young Grosso and I became a team. The
Variflex thing ended pretty quick, and we
hooked up with our dream team, Santa Cruz.
I went off to Europe with my friends Steve
Keenan and Spidey. Grosso stayed home to
become the new amateur powerhouse. When I
came back from touring Europe, skating start-
ed to pick up and so did my bad luck: Injuries
everywhere, ran over by a car in San
Francisco, pinched nerve in Dallas, knee
blowout at Del Mar.
1985. A new sponsor, Madrid Skateboards.
I designed my own graphics and my body.
was back in shape. Things were better than
ever. I did well in some street contests and
ramp and pool events. Skateboarding was
making a big comeback. I was hanging with
Grossman, Blender, and my new friend,
Mike Smith. Those were good times. But, I'll
spare you the dirty details, and I mean.
dirty-girls, girls, girls.
1986. Grosso and I hooked up with Paul
Schmitt and Brad Dorfman. Skateboarding
took off. Paul and Chuck Hultz made the
best decks. I designed the graphics and
shapes. Brad took us to the limits: travel.
contests and demos. And, for the next two
years, I was on top of the world. I was mak-
Six years later and
almost thirty-two years
old, I still skate and work
on the future, but will
never forget the past.
ing big money, more than I could spend. We
did the infamous hell tour-the greatest tour of
all time. Rocco, Jinx, my new partner in crime.
John A Grigley, and I were travelling and
meeting kids all around the country, skating
all the worst spots. We were on the town every
night. There are more stories you'd want to
hear, but should be afraid to ask!
1988. I broke out and started my very own
company, Lucero Ltd. I had the cash, but not
the know-how. I had the Ideas, but not the
brains. I was still skating and travelling and
partying. Hooked up with Rocco and his new
company, but that didn't work. Then Santa
Cruz stepped in and got it going. Lucero Ltd
became a reality with Ricky Barnes and Tony
Chiala as the ams plus young Upstart HB
local, Skip Pronier, and Chris Olivera and Mike
Archimedes. I made the move back with Brad
and Vision closer to my home and the best
wood in the world. Grosso finally joined my
company where he always belonged. Ricky
turned pro, and Ben Schroeder joined along
with Shawn Martin from SF. Joey Tershay, Troy
Clower. (RIP), Ben Pellegrino, John Harris, Gene
Hare and Gus. All new team and energy.
1990. Lucero Ltd was over and Black Label
was born. No longer afflicted with the big com-
panies. Borrowed some money from my pal, Chicken, and the rest is history.
Black Label has gone through some good times, bad times, ups and downs,
but the Label cannot die! We are the lone wolf. The silent scream. We
stand for the true individual. This is no instant company branch off. There is
no magazine behind the Label. No corporate giant. Just the few, the true, the
hardcore with Grosso, Schroeder, Ricky Barnes. Max Evans, John Cardiel.
Shawn Martin, Skip Pronier, Tim Upson, Jim Gagne, Randy Colvin, Coco
Santiago and Joey Tershay. Some have stayed, while others have gone. Six
years later and almost thirty-two years old. I still skate and work on the
future, but will never forget the past.
Thanks to everyone ever involved with my life on a skateboard, especial-
ly my mom, dad and sister. A very big thanks to my brother Joey (the "Yo");
FIAME Still Burns.
1996
SEAN CRONAN
he gave me the confidence to go for it because he would. To all my
friends-Grossman, Ricky, Skip. Tim, lim, Coco. John A Grigley-thanks for
being there! And, to everyone else, thanks for your support. Party on!
-John Lersy Lucero
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