Thrasher Skate Rock Tour 2008

This last week I found myself on Thrashers west coast skate rock tour. I met up with all the boys in Sacto to skate for the day and ended up following them all the way to Seattle. Not my plan from the get go but ended up being the best thing I could have done.


For the most part I was following the SHED van.


Schmitty jumped in with me for awhile. This is pretty much what it was like. Me driving and Schmitty texting.


After Sacto, I met up with the tour in RENO. Then it was off to Red Bluff, CA to skate and READING, CA for the bands to play a show. (check these links... They're gnarly). Then we headed to Medford, OR for a demo we didn't do and a show that didn't happen (Medford sucked).


After the Medford show got called off the SHED guys set up a last minute show in a backyard in Talent, OR (only 3 miles from Medford). Best SHED set of the tour.


Navs.


Slippery.


With back up drums by Hewitt.






After the Cops shut down the SHED show in Talent we took it up to Portland were I found a build your own Bloody Mary bar at the Sandy Hut. Pretty sick.


Then it was off to Seattle.


Grindline the Band featuring Jimmy Moore and Mark Hubbard. Two of the gnarliest dudes on the planet.


"TURN THE FUCKING MIC UP!!!"


This is about as close to downtown Seattle as I got.


For being two dudes that weren't even invited on the trip, by the last day Sammy Baca and myself ended up with our own hotel room and were off the floor and in beds. Way to come up Sammy!


Then... it was off to the West Seattle Bowls.






The Butter Bowl.


After most of the crew flew out I drove back to Portland solo and went straight to Burnside.


Then met up with Childress and Kanights and went over to the private Nike skate park.




For my last day on the road I went to a new park just outside of Portland called Tigard.






Complete with T Rex.


The drive home was a long one but I had a few cds to keep me company. It took me 9 hours from Portland to SF on only 2 tanks of gas.


Repair this file...


My last stop before home was in Weed, CA. where apparently some dude buys Mushrooms.

Billy & Wiley (also ripping)

Awhile back Wiley visited SF and me and Billy met up with him and went shralping.


Billy with a stationary front rock. Sick, Sick.


Big W with a ollie nose stall on the new "Tra & A" QP.


Me doing... a smith grind? I think.


Then a quick stop at the dog park for a front board contest on an unwaxed rounded ledge. It was between Bill and Wiley. I think Wiley stock it first but Bill came in with the land only a try or two after big man.

Then... STRAIGHT TO POPS.

Wiley's saying, "can you believe that we were ripping all day and Danny didn't skate with us?" (a little butt hurt)


Then, later Danny set the record straight by giving us a SHOCKA. We all know the Shocka is the international sign for: after I finish all this college crap I'm going to be ripping harder then ever.

I believe it too.
Do you?

Mom's Billiard Class

Sickest name for a bar... maybe ever.


Graphicly amazing.


And here are the students. My mom is the first person on the left. She told me awhile ago that she was taking a billiards class and sent me photos of her last day of school.


I don't know if you know this yet but my mom freakin rules. And now she can kick your ass at pool too.

El Vortex's Griptape Paintings

Last time El Vortex was in town he came with a handful of original artwork done on sheets of griptape. Seems to be his new thing. Here are a few examples of what is going on inside that dudes head.





Strange huh? Where does that guy find the time to paint on top of trying to save the world daily? I know... blows me away too.

Polite Graffiti

Whatever happened to kids writing graffiti like "eat shit and die"?
I mean, come on now... what the hell?

Danny... Ripping.

So I called Gotimer the other day and found out he was posted up at his place doing crossword puzzles. No way... not today, not when its this nice out. I pulled up and forced him into the ol' frontier.


When we got to the DC super ramp (aka the Daly City skate park) Dan decided to pull out the guns and show me how its done. Nice work Dan.

Rollin 3's with Creature LEE

Just the other day I decided to roll down to Santa Cruz and pick up a Creature box and kick it with Lee for a bit. I grabbed Biggs and we made it to SC just in time for lunch. All of us went to this brew pub across the street from NHS where Lee treated us to fish tacos and brews.
But... Why the face?...


Heres why... Biggs. Lil' Biggums was on a bad one. He decided to get drunk early as hell and was goin off and everything. It ended up being comedy for everyone who attended lunch. They kept ordering more beers just to feed the fire.


After lunch... it was off to the tables.


Lee challenged anyone and everyone to a game of 3's.



Lee... lookin hard.


It was an open house for retailers and they set up a small street course in the parking lot for team riders and friends.


Complete with a ramp up to a truck that had another ramp in it.



GUS! 420-Gus is livin the Goodtimes out in Grass Valley. He showed me his SICK new Blood Wizard tat. So sick.


The food was good as hell. Even ol' Pork Chop got some scraps.


Another fun ass day in Santa Cruz.