I ONLY WANTED TO SEE YOU SKATING IN THE PURPLE RAIN...

Aside from the cost of ruined gear, skating in the rain is underrated.

STUCK IN TIME

Jay Adams, Stecyk's iconic eye classic. I used to to manuals at the bottom of that hill, Santa Monica. 

Do I need to comment? Another Stecyk. Not sure of the gnarler.

Bryan Ferdinand, backyard ramp pivot to fakie. Chucka boots or bedtime slippers??

Rodney Mullen, impossible over Grants stick cam, before most could ollie. 

Any photo of Gonz is rad. I remember thinking "why?" Now I think, "why the fuck not??" was always his attitude.

One of my top 5 favorites. Straight from San Diego to Seattle with Daniel Harold Sturt, (driving a rented car because he [Hensley] was too afraid of flying) got the photo, drove home. This hat is now 5 minutes from my house.

Another top 5. Wish the car and weren't there. But this is like herding cats. The only reason it's in focus is because they are connected. This is taken probably 50 yards from the Jay Adams photo.

Anyone know the story on this one? Is it real? Is he Gleaming the Cube?

Grant Brittain's experimentation (see also the Rodney pic) with cameras on sticks made for some of the best photos ever. Chris Miller nosebone. A very photogenic meteor. 

I remember Surt saying he had 911 ready to dial on his cell phone when he shot this. I was always amazed at how short Wray actually is in person. Flea gene DNA splicing?

I just love this photo, that's all. Dune, SF, circa whenever.


THIS POST WILL KEEP GROWING. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITES?

Also, odd I had this post already in the works, when I came across Grosso's Love Letter to skateboardings best photos. Bad azz commentaries, funny motherfucker. 

THE DAVE CHAPPELLE OF SKATEBOARDING...

Didn’t Welsh basically save your life after you fell of that bridge? 

Save my life? He fell on top of me! That dude almost killed me! Son of a bitch fell on top of me and didn’t get a scratch on him! I fell off the damn bridge all drunk and woke up in ICU wondering why the fuck Joey Pepper is holding my hand? I had all these needles in me… looking down at the cathodor like, “What the fuck is this thing in my dick!?!”


EPIC CLYDE SINGLETON INTERVIEW OVER AT ONE OF MY FAVORITE BLOGS, CHROME BALL...


I also highly recommend watching 20 Shot Sequence with Clyde's commentary. (World Box Set)

"DON'T YOU EVER, EVER, EVER HAVE THAT MUCH FUN AGAIN!"

More wintery video. One winter night downtown Seattle, Brian Henderson and Quinn Davis, circa 1994. Downtown at night during the holidays is lit up like Vegas.

Previously posted at: QAD MISC: One Night Downtown:

NOT JUST LIKE THE GUYS IN THRASHIN'.

Really stoked to see this going to Sundance. Can't wait to see it.

Cool little Interview with Stacy Peralta with dates and showing times for the January festival in Utah.

Preview:



UPDATE: From the premier....

UDPATE 2: Tons of new/old merchandise and weird offers (including pre-ordering the video) in lieu of the release date approaching (Nov. 6, 2012) Check the video of Stacy and preview.

STAY CALM

DOLLY CAM AT MARGINAL?

The New Kid on Lib...filmed a commercial (I assume for Lib) at Marginal last weekend on a very cold day. Great attitude, he was very patient, helping a crew to set up a dolly cam and lights. He needed no warm up. Boneless to disaster on the tall wedge wall. Keep your eyes on this one.

STRIKE A POSE / TRIP ON THE EGO

Jammer jeans with suspenders, teal shirt, neon painters cap and a curly mullet.

Dear Lord, it's amazing what the ego can allow you to do (to yourself). I saw this guy once in Maui at a gift shop, I was probably 9. All I remember was he was super tall, and I was not the biggest Night Rider fan, but I was stoked. The fact that this guy is still famous is a serious embarrassment to our species, and a major set-back to any dignified woman trying to identify with a hetero brethren in modern Western culture.

I wish I could see how long it took him to wobble down into the solitary surfer stance....hope he didn't get hurt. And where did the brand new Powell set-ups come from?

SPOT CHECK: JENNY WRIGHT, IN BACK.

First handrail I ollied onto (back in the day, cave-man's came first....) and slid. No straight runway, 90 degree Tron turn to get on. The motivation was seeing Alex Alvarez front board-sliding it. That was amazing not only for the time, but let alone the small town. (What ever happened to that guy??) We had some serious talent.

Seth took this photo. I'm posting it in lieu of a nice short visit from him, his better half, and brilliant son, Talus tonight.

This spot will come up again....I broke the subtalar part of my talus off kickflipping the little 5 stairs in front, (which I used to skate more than any other spot) then had it razed from its awkward, uncomfortable reposition via surgery. I have the removed bone and ligament scraps in a plastic jar, and showed it to Talus tonight. I wouldn't let him open it, no. Namesake it isn't, but odd it was.

FREEDOM IS A RELATIVE TERM / TIGHT TRANSITIONS

In light of Mumia's death penalty sentence being reduced to life, I thought this photo (an old top-5 favorite...one I remember vividly in one of my first Thrasher's) was appropriate. Still wearin' the stripes, but able to do amazing things in a small space.

CHRISTMAS LIST TOPPER

I beat this when they had it in the mall...is that something to brag about?

TEXAS IS THE REASON

In the summer of 1995 Q and Chris took a greyhound for 4 days to Corpus Christi Texas, via Billings, to pick up a car and drive it back to Seattle any route we chose. Houston, the deepest limestone cave in the country: Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico, the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, San Diego, and Los Angeles were major hits after leaving Texas in my new Chevy Celebrity. We traveled roughly 5252.9 miles round trip.

Unfortunately, our video documentation came to an abrupt end when Chris got hit by a big wave while filming us surfing on Padre Island, TX. Only a few photos and some skate footage was all we had of the rest.

This is a short edit of what we did get.

SKATERS: 1 - UNIBOMBER: 0

I vaguely remember this, which is to say, I don't remember it at all. Street skating brings you in face-to-face combat with so many poor souls, it's impossible to keep record of them all. Between knives, fireworks thrown from moving cars, iron clubs, mace, and guns, one tends to lose memory of the relatively passer-by's. Aside from the fact that I wish I remember this Cohen Brothers character, I need some assistance.

Who took the photo? (Blair?) Does Chris remember this? Did it escalate? He looks ready to watch a Bears game and shoot some shit if they lose the game.

Strange thing is, I dress more like him these days than the kite-flying shit I had on there. But I did have Jovante's last board....

LATER NOTE: I asked Chris about this and all he had to say was "Ha, mall grab skills."

WELL, HAVE YOU?

Does your mother support your skateboarding?

Andy, Vinnie, Gerwer.

SPOT CHECK: TRACYTON ELEMENTARY

Blair and I brought this kiddie table from Washboard's and tried flippies over it. I don't know why we didn't get them. That's a little Josh Renner in the background. He probably could've done either first try.


Tracyton got cut out of the budget a few years ago, co-opted students going to another school in a consolidation move which must've sucked for both student and teacher. It's just a grass field now.

COFFEE AND CIGARETTES

Melody (AKA "Mel" back in the day) is an old friend. She sent me
this nice little ditty:

It's Saturday, around 8:30pm on a warm, breezy summer evening. I'm 36
years old. I just left work and am walking to my car. I hear the sound of
wheels on pavement, and the unmistakable sound of wood sliding on a curb,
echoing out of the parking garage across the street. As soon as I hear
these familiar sounds, I am 17 again. I imagine the boys inside of that
garage with ridiculously baggy pants and flannel shirts. The sound track
playing in my mind: Operation Ivy, NOFX, Descendents. I can taste the
Mountain Dew and as I take a deep breath, I can feel the cigarette smoke
flowing in my lungs (a habit I gave up more than 14 years ago.) I go all
the way back to my days as a cashier at a weird little burger joint called
Farknarkles, where on any given day I could hear the sounds of wheels
coming down the hill towards me, prompting me to get a few "pink waters" 
ready because my boys were thirsty!

As I approach my duel-sliding-door, silver mom van, I imagine myself opening
the door to a band-aid colored, 1978 Pinto station wagon. A bitter-sweetness
fills me as I remember days since passed. I feel content with the memories
made, and the friendships discovered. On my drive home, I think about
specific people and specific memories. I think about driving my friends
all over town so they could film their skate sessions; clocking them with the clunky
speedometer while they bombed hills; taking the injured to the hospital for
stitches, casts and bandages; and late summer nights, jacked up on coffee,
watching my friends skate a rooftop parking lot. Although I have no desire
to relive my teenage angst (or drive that Pinto), I feel a happiness that
I was a part of something that can cause me to completely step back in
time, even if only for a moment.

The next morning, as I pass that same parking garage on my way back to
work, I hear wheels again. I turn to look, just a middle-aged woman in a
navy suit wearing running shoes, holding her high heels and pulling a
rolling suitcase. Not the wheels I was hoping for.

Reverie officially over and I am 36 once again.

SPOT CHECK: GENERAL SUPPLY

A lot of hours went down at this West Bremerton attraction. The new ledge looks fun, I need to check that out soon, had no time yesterday. It can be seen so far in these previous posts:

FEELING A BIT MELANCHOLY

Skate Rats 101

Props to Seth Book for the updated version. 

 

NEW APPROACH TO RED CURB

CONCRETE IS HARD, VERY HARD!

NOPING

Mr. Weinstock with a proper frontside ollie at the weirdest park we've got, Southpark.

NOW THE STORY CAN BE TOLD...

This video got me hyped before I even stepped on a board. I just remember Natas skating the couch. When I lived in Venice I was always hoping to run into Mike Muir. Never happened. Note the very oddly placed (even for him) Timothy Leary cameo.

DIY

Ben and Blair started this chicken wire concrete masterpiece in one of the lower parking lots of the East Bremerton YMCA, and Blair and I got a little further the following night via car headlights. The next day we found a large note from the Y insisting we cease and desist any and all building on private property. Now, just 20 or so yards away, is a large, public concrete skatepark...with no transitions.

BIPOLAR BEARS

You can feel that Winter is upon us soon. Get ready for frost sessions. Must...find...mittens.

Heath, Chris, Blair and Quinn at Silverdale, Dec. '09. Fun.

PLEAD YOUR CASE

If we don't get them
They gonna get us all
I'm down for runnin' up on them
Crackers in they city hall
We ride for y'all...

JUNK

I FILMED THAT.

I FILMED THAT. from Quinn Davis on Vimeo.

Only thing I ever filmed that made it into a legit company skate vid. Daewon Song, Daewon vs. Rodney Round 1. You don't care about credits when you're 21. He gave me a board and wheels. Good pay for 10 minutes work.

AFTERTHOUGHT: I wish Jeff Henderson would get his ass in this here blog...I know he's filmed some of the gnarliest stuff ever done to date. Stay gold, hoss. 

FEELING A BIT MELANCHOLY

Greg Martin, old buddy, hometown ripper. Taught me board(rail)slides. This has got to be my first skate photo. Ma's point-n-shoot.

Wade Speyer, Aforementioned Bainbridge Think demo. Taught me I am a pussy. My old trusty Pentax Asahi, RIP.

Adam Crew, another hometown ripper. Blasting at Silverdale. Taught me what style looks like, holmes. Dad's newer Pentax, still got it. 

Blair Taylor, homeboy, running a little interference bonkage. What was that bank called? U-Haul? Pic taker?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN.

ANTICI...PATION

Earlier post about taking the plunge sums this up.

Age is not an issue.

BULLDOG SKATE GENE

Why do all bulldogs like to skate? I think we need to find and research that genome.

Pools held the primordial ooze

This is a great photo. And I don't know the back story....he'll fill us in via comments.

 Blair's always been one of the funnest people to skate with, and always a step ahead of me.

Grind over the light, no coping, more like ledge on vert.

Skate & Destroy vs. Disrespect

Board in question from previous post, being molested and abused as described, circa '95. Posed lay-back grind on one of my favorite all-time spots, Safeway Red Curb in Silverdale, R.I.P. (Photo by John Daley on a late, very bored night, right before we stole a television and photo-staged it sliding down a playground slide.)

Q.

Power = ambition + talent

I think I only skated with Junior Wudruff (sp?) once. But it was inspirational. He and Ben Hooker and others were of the generation before us who we looked up to. I skated with him and Ben at the newly built Fred Meyer on Wheaton Way in East Bremerton. I remember Ben slappy 50-50ing the ledge, Danny Seargent style. Amazing. Junior, I just remember being goddamn good. No specifics.

Anyway, I don't remember who posted this photo I stole on Facefuck, but credit due, because it's epic.  Rough ground, no nose, huge hydrant, and he's easily going to clear it. Nick White had similar power and finesse. I skated with him more often, so he was the dude I idolized the most. I geeked it completely and actually asked the proverbial (of old) grommet question, "what's the highest thing you ever ollied?" He humored me and after laughing, said, a tennis net. It floored me. What a little grom I was. Fuel for the fire. Ollieiing was the goal at the time.

What really pains me is I used to have that exact Natas board. And later, I treated it like shit, just skating it and not caring about the damage done. I left it in an L.A. garage to be thrown away by an unknowing mother. I just spoke with someone about that the other day. He said it sounded insignificant, like a vintage car that doesn't get seen or driven. I told him it was about the significance of actually having owned it when it came out, and it meant a lot to me as history. It's not about the commercial value, but the nostalgia value. Red Slimeballs, my first pro wheels. I had a mini Natas (w/ the kitten) for about one day before breaking it by dropping my launch ramp on it while trying to move it. My new board was focussed by a fucking launch ramp. Or rather, gravity and a lack of physics planning. (Wedge vs. fulcrum vs. counter-weight.)

So I kick myself about those old boards I vandalized. More on that note later when I shaw/talk about an old Greg Martin board I have that looks like drift wood. Not many people would understand what it means that I want to frame it professionally. To me, it is the symbol of passion and endurance in the face of a lack of means.

Q.

ROLLING IS KEY.

Regardless of who or what, makes getting this blog going easier. I think early era with no affinities should to the trick*. I'll have a better photo of this day later down the line, but have to go into the Old Man's slide vault to do so. For now, just know that these 2 dudes (first 2 frames) rode bikes (yes, bicycles) from somewhere in Southern California up the coast on HW101, and that day stopped at Cannon Beach OR to do some radical shit. This was the first built-to-skate thing I ever touched down on. It was the Chin Ramp as far as I was concerned. And yes, I brought a freestyle board too, to make up for the fact that I could barely skate the bowl thingy. I think dropping in and kickturning was my whole my bag.

*I'll give a prize to whomever can name the "trick" in frame 2. 

Take the plunge

Just like dropping in for the first time, you gotta be stupid and just take the plunge. (My first drop in story will come later...think early grab Christ airs on a 4 foot in the woods. No, I didn't do the airs...)

There's no perfect way to start this BLOG. But that brings up a good question: How/why did you start (skateboarding)?

I saw the videos "Possessed to Skate" by Suicidal Tendencies, "Devil Inside" by INXS, "End of the World as we Know It" by REM, and saw a dude do a handstand all the way down a hilled parking lot of of Wheaton Way in Bremerton. Then I stood on a banana board, and rolled down a hill. Then someone showed me Animal Chin. That was it. From there on out, standing on a skateboard and rolling was like mainlining. From what I hear...

SKATEBOARDING IN 4 STEPS

Found it in a random Men's (Dude's) magazine.

Guy Mariano

We've both spent time away from skating and have come back. I know there are things that I really appreciate about it when I'm not around it and things I really hate about it when I am. Maybe hate is too strong, let's say really find great discomfort in. Did you find this to be true when you started skating a lot again?

Yes I agree. It's like a love / hate relationship. When I was away from skating I would only wish to be in a 10 hour van ride to some random town going to battle a trick just to end up not getting it and then being so sore the next day it would hurt to walk. People might think that's the bad part but to me that's the love. People might think that it's all about the money, the contracts, and the fame but that's the part that I find discomforting. That's the stuff that will pull you away.

This reinforces what Drake Jones told me about ducking out of professional skateboarding: "it feels like a job." For most of us, what this means is 'it sucked having to do stuff and deal with stuff I don't want to do, based off the feeling in my gut.' It's just amazing that this can happen even in careers where the employee is doing exactly what he wants to do, what he's passionate about, he just doesn't like the forum or context he has to do it in as a pro. This has everything to do with how freedom, can be so frail a concept (and how it is an addiction).

GOLF THUG LIFE

This one's for the old man, who is bewildered by the plethora of "No Skateboarding" signs in public domain. Well, turns out, we aint the only vandals.