Grom Drops In!

On a chilly Saturday afternoon we set out for the indoor skatepark. The place was bustling to say the least. I took a few runs and set up camp with my wife to watch the grom. He was on the platform of the micro mini ramp about to drop in. With the encouragement of his fellow groms and skaters he attempted his 1st drop in. With a little constructive criticism he was able to pull it on his 3rd attempt. He couldn't have been happier and as parents we could not have been more Stoked (somehow "proud" just doesn't fit, but we felt a lot of that too). Greg has done a pretty good job of providing us with a place to ride and was more than happy to accommodate us today. The only down side to public skateparks is sometimes the public. I will just leave it at that. I just can't help but wonder how some of you creeps sleep at night but then I realize that you are without a conscience, so there you have it. Karma ain't nothin' to mess with. Big ups to the Grom on his 1st drop in. He is on his way to becoming a ripper.

May I Use Your Restroom?

If I ever ask you this question then please be sure you have some Goo Gone on hand. I am probably in there secretly vandalizing your shitter with a skate sticker or three. I'll plaster stickers right over your short curlies. IDGAF.

Have You Seen This Guy Lately?

The Cheese. I've seen this guy a few times since he left WV in 1988 to relocate to Virginia Beach. He's probably down in Va. Beach right now riding those "killer waves" that break just at about your knee. Cheese was one of the first skaters I met after getting my first board back in the early '80's. He was riding a Zorlac Double Cut with clear Rat Bones. I can only assume who may have taken this pic but I'm guessing it was Mr. Slappe

Archival Pics

These are from 1989 I believe. Shot at City National Bank in Kanawha City, WV, back when it used to have nice curbs to skate. Jeremy prepares to touch down an ollie to grind while the Sasquatch ollies a bush on a Santa Cruz Jeff Kendall that weighed as much as a tank. RAD!

Portland, Oregon Is Rip City

Check out this movie trailer. This will give you a little insight as to why we want to go back ASAP. Pictured aboved is West Virginia transplant Stephen Slappe enjoying the blue tiles of Pier Park, one of several concrete parks in Portland. Watch for Mark who runs AntiGravity Press to air over the door in the trailer. Sick.

West Virginia Round Steak

Nothing better than some fried bologna, or West Virginia Round Steak, with some BBQ sauce and Sriracha Chili Sauce to set it off...

Marc's New Ish

Marc's new logo bears a simularity to a "Visionesque" logo from the '80's. I dig this one. I saw another one that said "Violent Street Kids". An interesting throwback to say the least. Going hard with it.

No Skateboarding Allowed

I think I've ran this one before but IDGAF. Sign of the Times. Again. I wish I would have got a nice shot of that big ass chain on the gate. There are some nice banks down there that they locked us out of. Bummed.

Wake Me When It's Spring

The old timers tell me "Spring is just around the corner". Will someone take me to the corner and drop me off? I don't do well with early mornings and now as I am "maturing" I have discovered that I don't do well with winter either. Despite the fact that there is an indoor skatepark minutes from my house I still crave to roll on concrete out of doors and free of restriction. And emphasis on the word "free". Why would I pay to do something I should be able to do for free? Meanwhile I'm packing back on the pounds lost over last spring and summer with an ever growing beer gut and an even more ever growing supply of Miller High Life in the fridge. At around $6.00 (American) for a 12 pack of bottles it is almost free. Now one could argue "Jeff, don't buy that beer, go skate at the park" to which I would reply "Let's buy beer and go skate". Jackie, this spring you gotta take me to that mini ramp so I can get hurt, I mean skate. You can even blindfold me on the way there. I swear I won't give up its secure location. The above sequence of my frontside boardslide to fakie was shot by my Loving Wife, Emily, back when I was just a little skinnier, or not as fat if you must, and the weather suited my clothes.

Archival Pic of the Week

This one should be pic of the year if the year were still 1989. Most of the old skate pics posted on my page were shot with either a Kodak 110 camera (that used FLASH CUBES!) or an inexpensive "automatic" auto focus 35mm (fixed focus). It wasn't until later that I started shooting with a manual 35mm Pentax K1000. Crappy cameras aside I am still pleased to this day with the images I managed to capture. Heavily influenced by J. Grant Brittain and Morizen Foche I was determined to freeze skateboarding in time while still conveying the all out balls to the walls aspect of it all. This is Jeremy. He was usually concerned with the neat appearance of his shoe laces. He is pictured here doing some damage to his shoe laces with a nice ollie across the trash compactor gap behind the former Big Bear grocery store in Teays Valley. The landing pad was pure diamond plated steel and not very big. But yeah, Jeremy made it.

Rolling Away Clean

Yes, this happens too. Of skateboardings many rewards rolling away clean is sometimes the best feeling in the world.

Eating $H1T

Yes, it happens. Some days more than others but usually at least once a day I'll take a good spill and donate some blood or gain some bruises. It's as much a part of skateboarding as anything and it's what makes landing and rolling away that much more worthwhile.

Archival Pics

Mario Rubalcaba (Alva), Matt Hensley (H-Street, Plan B), Sal Barbier (H-Street), and last but not least Ned Hadden (Assault). I was lucky enough to see some really good demos and meet some super nice pro skaters back in the day. And I am lucky to still be rolling today.

These pics were snapped at various demos at the Huntington Civic Center in West Virginia with the exception of Sal Barbier kindly giving the thumbs up from atop the vert ramp at SunSports indoor skate park in Columbus, Ohio. There are two kids with wicked mullets in the first pic. I think this was around 1989.

Shelter In Place At Sam's This Weekend

No it isn't due to the mysterious blue clouds and odorous lingerings around the Institute, WV area. The Chemical Valley gets a taste of some good picking and playing this weekend as Shelter In Place takes the stage at Sam's in downtown Charleston. Here's a teaser of band member Mike Pushkin invoking the spirit of Bob Marley while sheltering in place in our living room yesterday. Thanks Mike.

Warmth

Just days after shooting Grom snowboarding I managed to squeeze in a skate session during some unseasonably warm weather. ("Unseasonably" is a "word" I borrowed from the weather folks on the TV). The panels of today's boneless sequence contain subtle differences (probably because I ripped 3 pics from 4 different sequences). Spot the differences and win two dogs! Kidding. Dogs not intended for giveaway. Void where prohibited. By Law.

Floatin' On The Freshies...

Sequence of Grom's 3rd run thru the side yard on a day off from school. Urban snowboarding at its finest.

And Don't Forget These Two

Ollie and Indy got some new jackets. They don't really give a crap about them. Tearing up some paper however provided them with some good times.

New Stuff

Grom and I received some new skate supplies for Christmas. Can't wait to ride these new green wheels on these new Indys. Stoked. Thanks Emily!