A
HER
SHORTY'S
THIS SHIT'S GOT POPI
Seasons Grindings
from
Grind King
GRIND KING
GRIVD KIVIC
Holiday Stocking
For those who Grind.
Available at your local skateshop.
Thrasher, for being a longterm friend
like my old skate buddy Mike Varner
and BMX pal Mike Oyler of Vertzine.
I'm in love with Kim Shattuck of the
Muffs. Once again, thanks. I need
some Skarfing Material. Save a kid's
life; drain your pool. Screw the fire-
works; I'm gonna make some sparks
with trucks and a curb.
Chris Ellison
Akron, OH
Wake up; you're late for work. T-ed
LOCK BLOCK
My name is Mitch Mason. I'm 16
and I've been skateboarding for 4
1/2 years. I am writing you
because I have a question involving
your logo. Everyone I've ever seen
sporting Thrasher gear have always
been either butt-rock skaters or just
plain-out people. My question: is
Thrasher a butt-rock magazine, or a
magazine like Transworld?
Duh? T-ed
COLUMBINE ROCK
Mitch Mason
Redding, CA
I've wanted to write this letter for
quite some time. On December 17,
1997, a good friend of mine was mur-
dered in the city of Amarillo, Texas.
He was jumped by jocks and run
over by a Cadillac, of all cars. He was
jumped because he was a gutter
punk and did not religiously sport the
Nike logo. The murder did not get
much press so was hoping you
would print this for me so that his
death would at least maybe change
one person's mind. Brian Deneke
lived for punk music, beer, animals,
and friends. He worked and rented a
house where several of us lived for
free, thanks to him. He would rescue
stray animals and he was a major
promoter of the punk/hardcore
scene in Amarillo. He was cool with
anyone who was nice, and he knew
jocks, Gs, you name it. I was born
and raised in SoCal and I never saw
anyone get messed with for their
looks. But when I moved to Amarillo
it was like a time warp: I was in the
book The Outsiders, where guys.
named Chet and Cody ruled the land
in letterman's jackets and Mustangs.
It was strange to see a land where
people bent over backwards for guys
who played sports. Schools, parents,
and media focus on egotistical goals
like success, fame, and fortune
instead of acceptance and love for all
living things. I really don't see why
the outside world is so afraid of
punks, skaters, goths, and so on.
People are always afraid of what they
don't understand. Ignorance is a
powerful motivator for small minds.
The American way of life gets more
. excited that a man hit a ball over
fence 70 times than to even give
thought that every day 19 different
species of animals leave this planet
for good. Somewhere along the line
humans got screwed up. Maybe if
parents, schools, and America in gen-
eral would teach that it's more impor-
tant to accept people no matter how
different they are, there would be no
Klan, racists, homophobes, and all
those ignorant bastards. Brian
Deneke would be alive today. To all
you jocks out there who think it's
cool to mess with the "freaks," just
remember that karma doesn't care
how many touchdowns you scored;
it's how you treated other humans
and sentient beings. Violence solves
nothing. To the new generation of
punks, goths, and skaters, don't give
up and don't let your scenes die.
Mike Boswell
Enid, OK
Take his ashes to the Sanford Dam and
set him free. T-ed
LONE STAR
I was a loser from the start. I was
born different. But it was more than
that: I wanted to skate. My older
brother had a skateboard and I
looked up to him in every way. But
when finally saved enough to buy
my own deck, the trouble began. The
kids who skated at school began to
hate me when they saw me skating.
GRIMD KIMG ®
www.grindking.com
THRAINER
MCMXCIX
tsa
Smolik, Olson, and Lil B chillin'
with the Homles". From left to right:
Mr. Raza, Peter Smolik, Smiley,
Droopey, Sapo, Eight Ball, Steve
Olson, Brandon Turner, and Big Loco.
Send $5 (DO NOT SEND CASH) for our 56 page color catalog to Shorty's Catalog 122 Helena, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 for the dope shit boyese