Jesse Martinez's Sweatshirt

Back in 1988 or so a group of my friends traveled to Ohio for the Surf Ohio or Cow Skates pro street contest. Mike Vallely was blowing peoples minds with hand plant variations that were previously only thought possible on vert. Steve Rocco was skating and popping ollies and someone ollied the Cow. Jesse Martinez was there and ripping it up and someone among the crew decided it was a good idea to take Mr. Martinez's Thrasher Magazine Sweatshirt. When he returned to his seat to smoke a cigarette and discovered his shirt missing he was visibly pissed off. Who could blame him. He's from California and came to friggin' Ohio to skate in the middle of winter and someone stole his sweatshirt that he most more than likely brought with him to keep warm. When the crew returned home they were so stoked on the contest and on skating that it was unbelievable. Since I didn't make the trip to Ohio one of my boys kicked the sweatshirt down to me and then explained to me how he acquired it. I was too young then to know about Karma so I accepted the kickdown and sported it PROUDLY. It was Jesse Martinez's Thrasher Magazine Sweatshirt after all. I wore that thing for years and as Karmic retribution I lost it somewhere somehow back there in the ozone. Jesse has a new board out on Santa Monica Airlines and it is awesome. Do yourself a favor and check out Skip's latest designs on the SMA website. Until then check out these pics of me skating in the fall of 1989 sporting what else but that Thrasher sweatshirt. I'm sorry Jesse Martinez. You ripped in Rubbish Heap.