TRASH
SOLE TAX
A
FTER TRASHING THE LAST ATTEMPT AT THE SKATE MARKET (THEIR FIRST
shoe closely resembled the Simple old school model, or maybe a banana), Nike has
sprouted a new skate line, Savier, designed and endorsed by Brad Staba and Big Brian
Anderson. The company, which may or may not feature pro models for the lovable two-
some, will have all of Nike's technology but hopefully none of its shortsightedness.
In other let's-try-and-get-it-right-this-time shoe
news, Airwalk is hopping back in the game with
Genetics, a shoe company featuring Bucky Lasek,
Jesse Paez, and huge paychecks sure to lure a few
more over in the next few weeks.
Las
s Vegas' Vinny Gambardella has made his way to
California and has been killing rails on his way to
most-in-demand-undiscovered-amateur status. That
is, if you don't count Chris Dobstaff.
Don't look for any vertical impossibles in the near
future, as Mathias Ringstrom is recovering from hip
surgery. And for chrissakes, don't skate his mini-ramp
when he's not home!
In other ramp news, Bob is rumored to be near
groundbreaking on his new backyard apparatus which
is rumored to feature extensions, bars, and other extras
never before seen in the world of vertical acrobatics.
After doing the shoe sponsor limbo since Kantsell bit
the dust, Rob "G" Gonzalez has signed on with Etnies,
along with Brazilian-come-lately Fabrizio Santos.
Other loose talk points towards a major team shake-
up for Etnies.
IS POSSIBLE?
Citing his refusal to leave France, his impending
30s, and something about a pair of running shorts,
the rumor mongers have Stephane Laurance off
of Expedition.
Santa Cruz is one Armenian short after Vanik.
Hacobian joined up with Robbie Gangemi for his
new Vehicle project.
The streets of Clairemont have been quiet for once,
as Peter "Westside" Smolik has spent the last month
in the Czech Republic, feverishly slaving over his next
video part. The inclusion of
Kevin "Hair" Davis in the
trip has many speculating
on the hotshoe's
208 THRASHER
position as a new Shorty's am. Team manager George
"Cover Boy" Nagai ain't sayin' and, at deadline, is
more concerned with getting his lines down at the
new Santa Barbara park.
In online news, half the skate websites went out of
business, and the other half suck.
PARTY HARDY
Wedding bells could be ringing for Erik "Mule"
Ellington and his lovely lady friend. Could wedding
prep and too much time picking out china patterns
and planning rehearsal dinners be the reason for his
last-minute absence from the Baker video? Or does
The Mule have bigger things up his sleeves (or, um,
in his pockets)?
Australian rail rowdy Matt Mumford spent a recent
weekend attending not one, but two back-to-back
AC/DC shows with a slew of buddies, one of which
might have been named Jack or Jim. Limo rides,
headbanging, and a reported recovery time in the
neighborhood two weeks.
In other Aussie news, Chad Bartie made a hasty
return to the motherland but is slated to return, with
wife, sometime after the holidays.
on
For those who might be confused that skateboard-
ing really is viewed by some as a business, we offer this
tidbit from the fish wrapper file: Tony Hawk was
recently featured on the front page of the Marketplace
section of The Wall Street Journal. The article is enti-
tled "A Skateboard Hero Becomes the Unlikely Icon of
the Family Man." The Wall Street Journal has a nation-
wide circulation of nearly 2,000,000. More Hawk
stats: Activision has manufactured one million units
of Tony's Pro Skater 2 interactive game so far.
With the teen male population set to double within
the next 10 years, is it any wonder that Vans is quietly
stepping up to more than double their amount of
skateparks? Watch for 12 Vans parks (up from the cur-
rent level of five) in the immediate future.
These savvy aggressive tactics are why Vans is
the biggest buyer of boards in the world.
And with 7.2 million skaters in the US, the
numbers can only go up.
L RON BUMMER
Steve Berra caned himself upon a rail
in LA but refused all help until members
of the Church of Scientology arrived
on the scene. Berra is back in training
and has reportedly parked his
Hollywood career for a while.
Sports Illustrated ran an article on
skateboarding called "Sport? Not a Sport?"
Included were quotes from figures in profes-
sional athletics, and for your edification we offer a
THE REAL JUNK DRAWER
SF SKATEPARK
Cancer Dan couldn't wait to fly frontside
over the grate of death at SF's park.
sampling: "Anything where you have a chance to get
hit by a car has to qualify as a sport." (Angels coach
Mickey Hatcher); "It takes hard work and mental dis-
cipline, and there's money involved. Skateboarders are
definitely athletes." (Giants pitcher Shawn Estes); "It's
not only a sport, it's a fashion statement." (Nets gen-
eral manager John Nash); "They're trying to make
everything a sport. Why not grocery bagging at
Albertson's? These days they even call putt-putt golf a
sport. That's just trailer trash activity. Sure it takes skill
to do these things, but is it a sport?" (Marlins infielder
Dave
Berg).
make
AMC Theatres have released High Voltage
Productions' THE END on a nationwide basis. The
venerated film which stars Rick McCrank, Heath
Kirchart, Jeremy Klein, Willy Santos, Tony Hawk,
Bucky Lasek, Andrew Reynolds, and Steve Berra will
now have the chance to be seen by a much wider audi-
ence. Expect more skate epics in AMC's Adrenaline
Theatre if THE END is a big draw.
Tony Alva, Dave Duncan, and Steve Olson were
travelling together recently in Hawaii. Steve had
POSER OF THE MONTH
Poser: Matt Strome
Crime: Dumpster drop-in
Punishment: Get dumped.
brought his son Alexander along as "part HALL OF MEAT
of his home schooling." One night TA
reportedly punched up the production
assistant of a skate magazine while
Alexander watched in amazement and
Father Olson slept through the entire
episode. When asked if he was sorry that
his son hadn't awakened him, Steve said,
"Alex is too well educated to bother me
for that." Alva's only statement was said
to be, "The guy was out of line, and now
he's in line."
BOARD STIFF
The Schmitt factory is running 24
hours a day, seven days a week. Expect
the existing record of 80,000 decks a month
to be eclipsed soon.
a
There is a rumor that the long-awaited
Dogtown movie documentary may premiere
at the stellar Sundance Film Festival. Further
innuendo has it that Sean Penn will serve as
the project's narrator. Penn, who grew up in
Malibu, is an old rolling and surfing mate of
Jay Adams and David Hackett. Recently an
exhaustive Internet search located the long-
missing Z-Boy Wentzle Ruml, who was living
on Cape Cod, where he was an aquaculturist.
The Dogtown film's producers went to inter-
view Wentzle for the movie. He now is spon-
sored by Wes Humpston and Ray Flores, so
who
says you can't go home again?
Bucky Lasek had surgery on both of his knees
at the same time. He has secured the services of
sports medicine trainer Barry Zaritzky for one
month to supervise his rehabilitation.
TRIPLE DROWN
NBC is said to be very interested in gaining
rights to the Triple Crown. Analysts claim that
the approximately 150 sanctioned events that
feed into the Triple Crown would merge nicely
with the Gravity Games, all of this meaning
that the Crown offers authentication.
The high point of the ASR whorefest had to be
the Vans Volcom Thrasher Flip-sponsored
Motörhead party held at 'Canes Bar Mission
Beach. Hundreds attended, and the show itself
was notable, but the evening's greatest moment
had to be the police squad attempting to bar
Geoff Rowley from entry. Eventually some sane
Jack Weiser of Durango, CO,
started growing a third ass-cheek
after falling on a frontside flip.
people pointed out the billboard-scale
graphic photo of Geoff that hung on
the wall, and that did the trick.
Meanwhile, across the street from
the official trade show, Tod Swank
and company rented a building where
they set up a private club replete with
adult amusements. Besides having
more fun, Foundation etc. probably
did more business than many stuck in
the regimentation of the ASR expo.
Swank was overheard to comment,
"After three days of this it's amazing
that the vice squad never came."
After being courted by three
other companies, Arto Saari has
signed a five-year deal with és for
an undisclosed amount.
COLD SWEAT
And then there's Pops, the lat-
est brainchild of Skip Engblom,
who once upon a time founded
both Zephyr and Santa Monica
Airlines. Pops stands for Peralta
Olson Peters and Sons. For the
record, that would be Stacy.
Peralta, Steve Olson, Duane
Peters, and their skating sons.
WHAT'S MY LINE?
"I do nothing but do nothing.
That's my job description."
-Steve Olson
"I'll do anything I can to help you,
holmes. But if you screw up I'm
gonna kick your ass." -James "Red
Dog" Muir
"We don't care if he's Jesus; he's not
coming in."
-Security guard about Rowley
"People act like I really got hurt. But
it never seemed that serious to
me."-Ed Templeton
SAM SMYTHE
WHASSSUP?!?
BKR2G
0
by The Juice
n September 29th at the Key Club in Hollywood, CA, over 500 fans
gathered together for the BKR2G video premiere, directed and edited
by J. Strickland. The party began with Eric Pupecki spinning some dance-
hall dubs. As the clock ticked, you could feel the anticipation growing and the
crowd starting to get restless. At about 8 o'clock the doors flung open, and
shouts of "Up the what?" could be heard from bocks away. "Pissdrunx in the
house!" The stars had arrived and the kids were going apeshit as Andrew
Reynolds took the stage to provide entertainment and free Emerica shoes
while everyone waited not so patiently for the video to arrive. The crowd
mobbed up with magazines and paper for autographs, underage drunks
were tossed out by the handfuls, and the booze kept flowin'.
Grecs and Strickland
Strickland finally arrived with video in hand and the now-confirmed ama-
teur team of Baker Brand Boards, Knox Godoy, Evan Hernandez, and
Terry Kennedy, following behind. The bouncers thought the group looked
suspect and searched them at the door, finding McDonald's contraband
that was confiscated immediately. They each received citations for posses-
sion and intent to distribute cheeseburgers. Knox, Terry, and Evan made
their way to the stage and everyone started shouting,
"Are you ready?"
The
music stopped, the
lights dimmed, and the
screen turned black.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY
MOM," and then the
screen turned black again.
Knox Godoy's 360° flip.
down nine stairs showed.
that at 11 years old this is
only the beginning-keep
your eyes on this kid.
7 Day Weekend HAMMER TIME HIGHLIGHTS:
Side A:
Mouths dropped during Jeff Lenoce's opening line, and tongues hit the floor
after his nollie frontside heel at the Tampa double set. Mike Maldonado's East
Coast hammers got the audience in an uproar. Everyone knows how good
Andrew Reynolds is, and his part only confirmed that he's unstoppable: kick-
flip noseslide gnarly block-and what Heath? Jim Greco's part was hammer-
time straight through: backside lipslide down the Wilshire 15 and don't forget
the switch frontside flip down the big set at Lincoln (September 2000 Thrasher
cover). Dustin Dollin: you thought little Spawny was gone, but he's been lay-
ing down the hammer in Oz. Rearing the demon's ugly head: kickflip to
numerous grinds on 10-stair rails.
Side B:
Brian Sumner wasn't in attendance (but his part was), as he was waiting
for the baby to arrive. Congrats, Brian. Elissa Steamer's part showed once
again that she holds the title. Brad Hayes came through with the fakie
manual hammer attack. The one shared part debuted Terry Kennedy,
Baker Brand amateur, with Heath Kirchart.
The final version has 20 more minutes of people getting jacked, plus a
special Pissdrunx section packed full of all the high jinks you can handle,
featuring music by DJ Mouly (Alex Moul). The release date is said to be
October 31, 2000. In the next issue see Baker Brand Boards' pro team con-
firmed--but if you haven't figured it out by now, you're an idiot!
"Jim's part was the best! When it comes to throwin' down hammers, Greco's
strictly business. Gonna have to get him a raise after that part!"
-Justin Reagan, Emerica team manager
Mr. Lucky and BA
"I didn't see it 'cause I was out-
side ready to brawl... he
[Alexander] loved it and
thought it was one of the best
videos he's ever seen."
-Steve Olson
"I'm gonna buy it, and if I'm
gonna buy it, then it's good!"
-Alexander Olson
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