You will
be
able
to grind
harder.
You will
to
be able
grind
longer.
THRASHER
man
Flip all whips, grips,
and old brown Q-tips to:
Mail Drop, c/o THRASHER,
PO Box 884570,
San Francisco, CA
94188-4570.
FREE AIR
drop
Why don't you guys ever answer my
mail? I'm working on a letter for Mail
Drop concerning Alan Gelfand and
the origin of the ollie. I'm tryin' to
word my narrative in such a way that
I don't come off to the readers as a
the lead
know-it-all or an I've-seen-everything
liar or some idiot. Anyway, he didn't.
invent the ollie even though Tracker
credited him with it by giving him
$1000 and a pair of trucks of his
choice. I grew up skatin' with the guy
through the late '70s and early '80s,
from Solid Surf to Sensation Basin. I
was at the
It wasn't Hawk or Peters. You tell me
who it was. See if you know or can
nail that one down.
Mark Simric
Ridgeland, SC
Jordan Richter was the first to really loop
it. T-ed
BITTER GRAPES
I'm writing in regards to your
May '99 issue. There is one big
'fuckhead in that month's issue. He
called himself "One Pissed-Off
Customer." Technically, you need
to wise up and really look into the
goodness of skating, because
and
the Hollywood (FL) ramp and Mucks and Smolik and the rest of
that
And
the Shorty's team rips ass. And
abou
be the
about shoes: DCs may not be the
best-looking skate shoes, but you
ahead I and wear
means can go
wear your fuck-
ing piece-of-shit Vans or Payless
shoes or whatever, and I'll keep
wearing those so-called piece-of-
shit DCs. Oh yeah, before I end
this letter, the only reason you
don't like Muska's badass back-
pack is because your piece of shit,
broke ass can't afford it. The only
thing you got right in your whole
letter is that Thrasher fucking rips,
so keep up the good work,
Thrasher, and keep making your
mag as bad as hell.
I saw him pick the trick up from a guy
of Jeff Duer Don't get
by the name of Jeff Duer. Don't get
me wrong; Alan was an excellent
skater in the day and I'm by no means
bashing him, but for the record, he did
not invent the ollie. I liked him and I'll
give him credit for doin' 7' pogos ine
7' pogos in
79 and almost beating Steve Olson at
the Big "O" contest by ollieing that
wide canyon. But the fact is: I saw Jeff
Duer doin' ollies before Alan even
heard of an ollie. Skateboard USA is
where he pulled off his first ollie on
vert, and that was after he saw Jeff
doin' 'em. I even recall Alan, on the
platform at Hollywood ramp, sayin',
"Man, I gotta learn that trick." I think
he's a racecar driver doin left turns in
Ledgen cars these days. That is
unconfirmed, though. It's
It's kind of like
who nailed the first frontside air, TA
or George Orton. TA, of course! I
give Alan credit for makin' it famous;
he took it out west and got credit.
There was no coverage on the East
Coast in those days. And another
thing, the first to do the "loop" is a
whole different problem. Look into
the Turning Point ramp. Scott and
Kent Senatore's parents paid for its
construction. It was a plexiglass bul-
let-shaped cone on a hydraulic trailer.
of like
all, in
ONA ROLL
Justin Roley
Mattoon, IL
Your magazine has recently been
the best that I can remember in the
last twelve years I've been reading
it. This is mostly thanks to the inter-
views with Giorgio Zattoni, Cairo
Foster, Jon West, Andrew Reynolds
(more for photos in that one...he
didn't have much to say but rips like.
a mofo), and especially Jeremy
Klein. To Lil' Billy, Frodo, Skunk
One, and anyone else who's been
writing in complaining about Klein's
GRIND KING
This summer there will only be one thing more
tempting to grind then our new G6 truck.
SENTO:
Mail Drop c/o Thrasher
PO Box 884570 Son Fronesco,
CA, 941-4570
GRIND KING™
The new GK-8 truck; advanced geometry, strongest, lightest,
longest lasting, superior bushing, improved patented kingpin,
smoothest grinding, nonslip axle, GK guarantee.
PO. Box 535 Venice CA 90294-0535