Coping Block Skateboarding Magazine "The Blog!"

The Surf Expo and fun at the All 80's Day Vert Challenge!

2011-11-29T00:04:00.008-05:00

There are two Surf Expo's per year in Orlando Florida, get to one of them!
January's is the biggest, followed by one in September, they are both the place to be to get inside of what's really happening and what's up and coming in the Surf, Skate, Resort, and Beach Wear industries.

By Cleo Coney Jr.

Anticipation of the “Surf Expo” and Friday’s “All 80’s All Day” vert challenge hosted by Quicksilver, had my adrenaline pumped up at a high level all week. With some of my favorite skaters set to appear and skate, my mind was racing, it had been years since I was able to see all of them skate together, and in one place!

Christian Hosoi at the Expo

Just before it was time to leave, I opted to leave my skate stuff because I had been told earlier that it was invite only. Bummer. It’s going to be tough to watch everybody blazing and not want to get in on the ramp session as well.

On my way!

This trip to Orlando wouldn’t be as spacious or as comfortable as previous ones due to a blown head gasket in my five series, “Bust My Wallet”. So, alternative transportation had to be acquired. With a little bargaining, I was able to borrow my dad’s little Isuzu fishing truck and headed over to Orlando for the festivities. Interstate four was relatively spacious and opening up that little four cylinder engine was smooth and silky, however it’s lack of torque allowed me to pleasurably view the many side profiles of various automobiles as they sped past my green single cab pickup truck like I was in reverse. No big deal, I was going to see some of the world’s best skateboarders ever, and it didn’t matter to me how I got there, as long as I got there.

During the drive east a long time friend and fellow skater by the name of “Bill Procko” phoned me to let me know he too would be there to take in the festivities and skate history with his family. He reminded me that due to our current ages that a much less stressful and safer skate routine would be necessary if we had been allowed to skate. A routine that would fill up the time allotted with nothing but fakies, and kick-turns, followed by a knee slide that would require emergency treatment on one of Barry Z’s stretchers behind the ramp. Ice! Somebody get these guys Ice! (LOL!)

Bill Procko demonstrating how old skaters end up.

Well, I like to look up to Mark Lake who is still ripping into his fifties as inspiration! I’m not even fifty yet and I may not be able to pull off all of my old tricks consistently, but I have thrown down a few extended and contorted inverted maneuvers recently, followed by two days of stretching and..ice on my lower back, lots of ice.

Once I reached Orlando it was time to check into my room and get my grub on. These are the days of living below one’s means and saving money, so the Econo Lodges $44.99 rooms right on International drive fit the bill well. When you combine its great location with the Surf Expo’s free executive bus rides to the convention center, I had enough money left over in my daily budget for a sandwich and a glass of water! Yes! These are hard times, so give me a break. I found a cheap buffet and got busy.

Surf Expo exhibitor EMAD has Powerful Skateboards!

Upon arriving at the convention center you could immediately see and feel the difference from previous Expo’s. This years Surf Expo was huge! More exhibitors, more buyers, more bikinis then I ever remember all under one roof, this is good, really good, and in fact it’s great. As usual, I make my rounds to see who’s in the house, and introduce my publication to as many new faces as possible. Plus get a few interviews with the exhibitors. Thank you Jerome and Amanda of EMAD electric skateboards! I’m also simultaneously scanning the scene for Tim Payne (The Ramp Builder) so I can find my way back to the vert ramp where my homies from back in the day are practicing. You see the vert ramp is separated by the world’s largest folding partition, and all doors are locked from the side that I’m on. I look over my shoulder to see Andy MacDonald and crew looking for an entrance as well. I join in with their search party and our caravan finally gets the correct information and directions to a far side entrance requiring us to exit the building.

The QuickSilver Ramp during practice sessions.

We travel along the outside of the building to where a door is propped open with a chair. Sitting in the middle of over 200,000 square feet of space is the Quicksilver Ramp and tour bus. Off to the right side of the ramp there are some familiar faces from past skate sessions. Mike McGill, Bob Umbel, Christian Hosoi, Mike Frazier, Mark Lake, Kevin Staab, Donny Griffin, Todd Johnson, Buck Smith, Barry Z, Chuck Dinkins, Henry G., Jeff Hedges, and the crew from the S.P.O.T., Brian Schaefer, and Ryan Clements. Brian and Ryan were also this events MC’s. A few moments later Steve Steadham walks up with Morgan Monroe of the “Hollywood Summit Show”. I kept thinking that Monty Nolder and Steve Caballero really should have been here too. I emailed Rob Mertz earlier in the week and he was injured and couldn’t make it. But there were enough talented skaters here to put on a really awesome display of skateboarding. A film crew was posted up near the rear of the ramp capturing some skating and recording interviews with the ambassadors of our sport. I quickly snap some images of the interviews in progress and then catch up with old friends. It’s always good to see that everyone is healthy and that they too have little belly growth.

Christian Hosoi blasts a classically floated lien air.

Represenatives from the Smithsonian Institute

Quicksilver needs to be commended for putting together such a memorable event, which was fun, exciting, and historic! Representatives of the Smithsonian Institution were in the house to gather Skateboarding artifacts to put on display, including the 1980’s Tony Hawk Skateboard Model ridden by Tony in the event, and to seek the helmet and skateboard from Mike McGill that he wore the day he invented the McTwist. The influence skateboarding has had on American culture is astounding! It’s about time skateboarding got some recognition, first it was the California African American Museums Exhibit “How We Roll”, and now the Smithsonian is gathering skateboarding artifacts. Nice!

Tony Hawk pleasing the masses.

A little while later Tony Hawk makes his presence known on the ramp. I stopped counting different wall-to-wall tricks after fifteen during one of his runs. Watching these guys skate brought back so many memories of skate sessions past. Mike McGill’s maneuvers were just as I remember them back during those super hot skate sessions on muggy Florida afternoons on John Grigley’s half-pipe, just higher and more powerful. Frazier ripped the ramp like he was riding a mini ramp inside of Astro Skate in New Port Richey. You could tell that many of the skaters were having to make adjustments in their riding style to match the small nose shapes of the eighties skateboards that they were riding. Buck Smith was a prime example of this as he did front side disasters at speed and had to shuffle his front foot back behind the front truck quickly to compensate for the lack of a nose on his old eighties model.

Darlene of Coping Block with Biker at the DREGS Booth from Surf Expo two 2011

Later on, when the walls separating the two massive rooms were rolled back, you could see the massive hordes of eager spectators awaiting entrance. Once the ok had been given to enter, the ocean of rabid skate fans bum rushed and spilled through the entrance like water flowing through a broken damn and engulfed the area surrounding the ramp. You could feel the energy building as skaters continued to warm up and please the crowd with high airs and mind numbing lip tricks at speed. Because this was a salute to eighties skateboarding, it was like going back in time, the clothing, the skateboards, the ramp, the music, and even Christian Hosoi’s hair were all eighties based. This is how I remember my early days in skateboarding competitions and backyard skate sessions. While standing next to the ramp I imagined the weight coming off my body and my hair growing on top of my head to form a high fade flat-top haircut right there and then. Alas, my late night French fry belly, glasses, and fat face make me look a lot like a certain American Idol judge, and that’s not a good thing!

Kevin Staab slams as the crowd looks on.

Once the official event kicked off the skating was just explosive!

Mike Frazier is no joke! Officials are still going over some of his maneuvers in super slow mo to try and determined exactly what he was doing. Was it a switch varial flip one footed cess smith grind disaster to tail wrap backwards, or an illusion? Who knows, it was just sick! Christian Hosoi could play patty cake and make it look cool, he is the style master and the crowd loved ever second of his skating. He satisfied all with his “Rocket Air”. Kevin Staab must pull the highest backside ollies of all time. They look like they’re lighter than air and his blunted re-entries into the ramp were awesome!

Carabeth-Burnside drilled some lofty frontside airs that got the ladies in the crowd hyped up. This is what skateboarding needs more of, vertical skateboarding on display in places that don’t get to witness the intensity and skill of these veteran skateboarders. I was listening in on the conversations of various street skaters talking about how stoked they were, and how they didn’t expect vertical ramp riding to be so exciting and fun to watch live. There’s going to be a whole new breed of vertical skateboarders in Orlando and Quicksilver can take credit for planting the seeds.

Jeff Hedges dealt invert variations like cards, Mark Lake pulled Lake Flips at will, and the eventual winner Tony Hawk toyed with the ramp and the crowd, going through an endless bag of old school tricks like fakie ollie foot plants that confused the new school skaters. They never saw one. I like that.

Bryan Schaefer and Ryan Clements passed out hundred dollar bills to skaters that pulled off requested old school tricks and that hyped the crowd up even more! Mike McGill pulled an Elguerio to the satisfaction of many old school skaters and snagged another hundred-dollar bill for himself. Cool. This has been a great day, and I’m thankful for that little green truck that could and did get me from the beaches of the Gulf to the land of Disney safely to be able to witness this historic day of skateboarding.

Chuck Dinkins, Reggie Barnes, and Cleo Coney Jr.

Orlando’s Surf Expo is an event and if you’ve never been to one, well it’s time to plan for the next one in September. There’s no guarantee that there will be vertical skateboarding on display, but it’s well worth the trip to be apart of the industry’s biggest gathering of Surf, Skate, Skim, Ski, BeachWears, and the Bikinis aren’t bad either.

Push, Carve, Grind!
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The Exclusive Billy Beauregard Interview in Coping Block Skateboarding Magazine

2011-11-27T23:30:00.007-05:00

Interview
by Cleo Coney Jr.

Billy, It’s an honor to be able to interview you for the readers of Coping Block Skateboarding Magazine! For the state of Florida, you have always been an icon, for the rest of the skateboarding community you have been like a ghost. Stories about your mind blowing skateboarding abilities, and your misfortunes have risen to the level of urban lore. It’s time for you to set the record straight; it’s time to let the world know all about William “Bogey” Beauregard and your powerful skateboarding history.

Billy Beauregard

Let’s get this out of the way off the top, Christian Hosoi, Mark Rogowski, and you Billy Beauregard, were all incarcerated at some point. Why were you sent to prison, and what advice do you have for troubled teens and young adults now that you are a free man again?

I was incarcerated for drug and drug related charges. pretty much an out of control life style. Dealing and using that lead to hanging out with a lot of people who I shouldn’t of been with. To those who think that this is an easy life style think again. If you get caught its a real pain. If you get caught more than once the law will come down harder and harder each time. Best thing to do is to just skate your heart out and stay free, remember it’s the little things in life that make you content.

Billy, just how old were you when you began to skateboard and what was your first skateboard?

I was about eleven years old. I was in a boy’s home because I ran away from my biological parents. While I was there someone left me a cheap Makaha skateboard. I would skate in the driveway for hours just sliding and trying to do a three sixty, and stuff like that.

Billy, people know you are from Florida as a skateboarder, but where exactly in Florida did your skateboarding roots take hold?

I am from a small town south of Orlando Florida called Winter Haven.

Everybody had a crew of skateboarders at some point in time, who were the skaters in your crew?

Yes, I had many skate crews at many different times. They would always change as the industry progressed. Many quit and went on to do other things; some went to prison like me. But there are those that stuck around. Like Pat Splat, Steve Altop who is now deceased. R.I.P. Steve, and Chuck Hults. Plus there was a bunch from Lakeland Florida, who when we had to tear all our ramps down for one reason or another, they stepped up and started building ramps over there. Like Jason Connors, Mike Coyle, Jessie, Dave Headson, Brian Kenyon, Jason Gainous, Kent Richards, Kyle, Kent Ramsey. I could go on forever, I’d hate to leave someone out but I know I can’t keep writing them all down.

Photo by Chuck Hults

Now, did your crew street skate, or was there a skate park near where you lived?

We street skated for a while, but not in the way they do today. But as soon as we saw that you could ride ramps it was over for the street, other than to get to the ramps. We would skate ditches and anything else with a bank. But we fell in love with ramps or the likes.

Who was the first really good skater that you saw skate that inspired you?

Kelly Lynn blew me away when I first saw him skate at Kissimmee skate park. We had been skating there for about 6 months. He showed up one day and just ripped. I knew right then I had my work cut out for me. I didn’t stop until I could do everything I saw him do that day.

Photo by Chuck Hults

Was your family behind your skateboarding?

No, Dad wanted me to be a preacher. It made it really hard because he would never come and watch me skate, or go to parks or contests. So I would just hook up with the street people that where outcasts of society like myself. But really I wasn’t, but those who condemned me where. Just took a long time to recognize it for what it was. It was hard to fight your own family to do what you love.

When did you first ride vert, and did it come easy to you?

I believe it was about 1977, I think. No, I don’t think it came easy I would practice for hours at a time to master certain tricks. I think after you learn the basics and you get to a certain point in skating then everything else just originates from what you already know. So at that point things start to click and it gets easier to learn new tricks. But at first it was a real pain in the backside.

L to R Alan Losi, Larry Balma, Billy Beauregard, and Jim Goodrich.

Now at some point you entered your first skate contest, where was that and how did you do?

Yes it was this cheesy city contest that the Winter Haven PTA or something put on. They had three different events, Down Hill, Slalom and Freestyle. I entered them all and only won the freestyle event. I was on the front page of the Winter Haven News Chief Newspaper.

How many hours per week would you say you spent skateboarding at that time in your life?

I would say about thirty, sometimes more because of holidays. I would mow lawns to get money to go to the skate parks on the weekends. I had to pay my way to everything that had to do with skateboards.

Billy shredding the Thrashmore Ramp Va.

What sponsor would you say discovered you and your skate talents first? Plus, list all of your previous sponsors in order as you recall them.

I went to a contest at Kona Skate Park in Jacksonville Florida that Sundeck sponsored. There were a lot of big name companies and skaters from the west. After that weekend Powell and Variflex stepped to me about a sponsorship. I went with Variflex because they made complete boards and would get me to contests. Sponsors were Variflex, Schmitt Stix. Independent Trucks, Thunder Trucks, SIO shorts, Vision Street Wear, and Vans. I think that’s it.

Billy at Kona Skate Park Andrecht handplant.

Billy, your list of tricks that you are remembered for has always been staggering! When skaters talk about you there are many that are frequently mentioned, like your over contorted Andrechts, your air to fakies, your table top backside ollies, your stalled, contorted, and gnarly inverts to fakie, and your bio backside airs! Did you have a favorite trick, or combination of tricks that you liked at that time in your skateboarding career?

My favorite trick was always the one I was working on to add to my bag of tricks. When I would master that one I would move to another one. But I did have sequential tricks I liked to do. Like backside air to backside air to fakie to three sixty air, or invert into invert to fakie to elgarial.

When did you make the decision to turn PRO?

I went to a contest at Del Mar Skate Ranch. I think it was part of the Rusty Harris Pro/Am series. I skated against the best of the best and did fairly well. So Variflex offered me a PRO model. That meant no more mowing lawns; at least that’s what I was thinking.

Billy skating his way to a respectable third place against the worlds best, at Del Mar Skate Ranch.

Thrasher Magazine once featured an article on a Del Mar Contest in which they said, “you ripped your way to third place on your first visit to the park.” What do you remember about Del Mar Skate Ranch, and that contest?

Yah, same contest I was talking about. That pool was kinky as hell and every wall is totally different. I was used to half pipes that where pretty much the same. So I had a hard time with the pool, but I fought through practice sessions. Even Tony Hawks father said something to the effect of “this guy is no threat, he is so inconsistent”. But I snapped in the contest and even blew my own mind. I was like, “did I just do that?” After the contest Tony’s father stepped and said, “I sure was wrong about you”. He shook my hand and that made me feel real good that someone of his stature would have any interest in me.

The last time I saw you Billy was at an event in Ohio years ago! I believe it was at the end of the eighties at a Bill Danford skate contest. How often did you travel to contests?

For a while there it was like every month I would not only go to contests, but we would do road trips around the United States promoting our products.

Billy air to fakie in Ohio, photo by Cleo Coney

Let’s get into your signature model deck graphics a bit. There was an Alligator, and Bogey, and what else?

Yes, the “Bogey Board” was the first with a Humphrey Bogart graphic. I liked that dude. I thought he was the shit. I used to wear a hat like his and everything. “Ya weirdo” that’s what kids would say. But he always got the fine babe. That board didn’t sell too good it was pretty plain. All my board graphics where done by an illegal alien. I had no idea back then. I wish I knew what I know now. So we changed it to the Swamp Gator which was an idea based on my home state, always rains ground soaked. I always was amazed with Gators, such a happy looking beast. That was it for PRO models. I also skated for Schmitt but didn’t stay long enough to get a model.

The Saint Petersburg skate crew would watch your truck hangers wobble back and forth on your backside Ollies, as they floated over-head. How hard was it for you to ride Variflex Trucks?

Everyone made a big deal about it but they didn’t bother me. You just had to use the right bushing combination.

Billy floating a backside ollie on Variflex Trucks, photo by Chuck Hults.

Who built your home ramp and what were the dimensions?

Pat splat was our carpenter in Winter Haven, but there was about three or four of us that would all pitch in. But the Ramps in Lakeland where built by them, I think we helped with a few. Ramps where always changing in our area. Sometimes we would just find some woods that looked good and set up a ramp. You would skate for a while and one day you would come to skate and it would be burnt to the ground or there’d be a note left on it to move it.

While you were away, what about skateboarding did you miss the most?

Everything! It sucked. I would get the Thrasher Mag and just reminisce about old times. Then I would go play Volley Ball and try to take someone’s head off to get out some aggression.

Elaborate will you, on your artwork and what you’d like to do with your artistic abilities.

My artwork is very broad. I have my own style, I call it beaug-art, which is a collage graffiti style that is just madness. I also do portraits in pencil and chalk, realism, still life’s, and cartoons. I'll send you one of Grave Digger. I was going to send it to Thrasher but I have not received any of the artwork back that I have sent them over the years. Maybe we can work something out and I can do a cartoon every month. Hint.

Artwork by Billy Beauregard.

Are you selling any graphic illustrations?

I would love to. I probably will never sell any of it that I did in prison, but I will do work for anyone that would like something done. What I do is, we come up with an idea, or several and we play with them on paper and come up with the final composition. Then I bring it to life. So feel free to email me at http://us.mc1226.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=beaug_art@yahoo.com. But we will have to do it through the mail. Because I don’t have a computer. Not unless someone has an old computer, I can do some work for you and you can pay me with a computer.

Billy, are you back on a skateboard?

Yes, but not in the way that I would like to be. Circumstances will not allow it yet due to no job. No license and no car. I NEED A JOB, and it is not easy with out a license or a car.

Will we see you in a skateboarding Masters event in the near future?

That would be awesome but without the above it is going to be hard to achieve that status I'm not getting any younger. I'm a “Barney” remember.

Variflex Ad featuring Billy Beauregard.

What skaters from the past are you eager to session with?

Of coarse the Lakeland crew, Pat Splat and anyone who would like to have a good time and have fun.

Where are you living these days?

Campbellsport WI better known as BFE.

Why up north?

Had no other options, “I'M COMPLETELY BROKE BUT THE CLOTHES ON MY BACK”.

Any chance you’d head back to Florida?

If the opportunity to be financially set, to do the things I need to do yes.

More Billy Beauregard Artwork

Billy, I have had the pleasure of skating with you in the past and I want to tell you personally how good it is to know you are a free man! Any last words, thanks, shout outs, or words of wisdom for our readers?

First of all, I would like to thank you for your help and interest. Thanks to all the Lakeland crew for their moral support. Thanks Dad for pawning me off on someone else so you didn’t have to deal with it as usual. Thanks to Paul Schmitt, Chuck Hults and 780 killer Skate Pads for your support with skate gear.

Push, Carve, Grind!

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The Mike Folmer Interview in Coping Block Skateboarding Magazine!

2011-11-08T23:11:00.022-05:00

The Mike Folmer Interview is brought to you by:

 Mike Folmer left a huge mark on Skateboarding in Florida, and upon the rest of the skateboarding world with his ultra smooth style and powerful flow.

His finishes in California Skateboard contests in the late seventies and early eighties were always in the top tier of the competition. Everybody has a Mike Folmer impression from those skateboarding days of glory. Mike Folmer was and is one of the best skateboarders ever to come out of Florida. Even today, Mike Folmer’s imprint is still on the minds that got to witness his skating first hand. Some of his peers and some of his long time fans took a moment to reflect on the man and his skating.

Mike is the coolest skater to come out of Palm Beach County, Florida, if not anywhere. He had style on and off the board. Just like Hosoi did in the later decades, Folmer was the Fonz of skateboarding in the 70's and 80's. Every move on a skateboard was beautiful, a simple tail tap or carve was thrilling to watch. I believe you will see a little of his style in every Palm Beach County skater.

-Steve Marinak

Mike was the first guy I ever saw fly off the side of the tombstone and back into the bowl.

To this day he is one of the best guys to do it. So much style!

I have the pic hanging in my office . . . its one of my personal favorites.

-Martin Ramos

"Mike was always a fun guy to hang out with and one of my all-time favorite skaters to photograph. He always raised the bar wherever he skated with his smooth and powerful style and go for it attitude. I didn't get the chance to spend as much time with Mike as I did with the other Florida skaters and I always looked forward to sessions with him. Mike's talent was key in showing the rest of the world that Florida's skaters were a force to be reckoned with."

-Jim Goodrich

I loved how he dragged his tail on backside airs on take off. He flowed like water & did great Miller flips!!

-Rob Weir

My most memorable moment with Mike Folmer was after he broke his leg in Georgia I went to the hospital to visit him and let him know that he was the first East Coast skater to be on the cover of Skateboarder Magazine. He was so stoked he couldn't believe it! That was the best pain relief possible!

-Hunter Joslin

When Mike was still in a body cast at a Clearwater skate contest when he saw some photos of me and was (probably acting) incredibly stoked. He probably will not remember it but he made me feel so good. It 's not what people say; it's how they make you feel. Feels good now just remembering it again.

-Ed Womble

I have two:

1). Mike’s inverts on the coping side of Clearwater Skate Park's half-pipe, while making eye contact with the crowd. I think his board was covered w/ S&H green stamps.

2). I (my Mom) bought a Folmer Stinger at Clearwater Skate Park. He was skating there and someone told him. He came over and signed my board and gave me a bunch of SIMS stickers. I thought he was a rad skater, but I used the stickers to cover his signature. I kind of felt like a kook having a signed board...too bad I don't have it today.

-Bruce Whiteside

I was about 15 years old at Clearwater Skate Park and I was just blown away by Mike Folmer's reverting a lot of his tricks,

and his fast aggro surf style! I approached him and asked for a sticker and he took me out to his van and gave me like a 100 red Sims Wing stickers, coolest PRO I ever met right there...

-Walter Lewellen

A very young yet stylish Mike Folmer back in the day.
Photo by Jack Folmer

Mike we know you live on the west coast these days,
but where did you live in Florida when you first started skateboarding?

West palm beach, you know the place you see on "COPS". But Lake Worth when I started skating.

We had the 10th Ave ditch, Hypoluxo ditches, some pools, and Lake Worth High School had a 10'x 50' pipe that became a smoke stack that can be seen to this day off of Lake Worth Rd./I-95.

 What attracted you to the skateboarding, and what was your first skateboard?

 In the late 60's to early 70's, I used to fish on the Lake Worth Pier where I’d see these guys surf, also probably thru surf magazines and the local shops having skateboards.

I used to roller skate @ Galaxy roller skate rink on Friday nights, and one day I took my skates apart, drew an oval shape on a sheet of plywood, cut it out and there was my first skateboard. Come to think of it, Galaxy rink used to have a skateboard night around 1975 or 1976 with plywood banks.

 Who was the first really good skater you saw skate that inspired you?

I think it was 1975 or 1976 when "Skateboard Safari" broke ground in West Palm Beach, and the Brewer skateboard team came and did a demo.

We were blown away! Rodney Jesse, fast, out of control! He was doing Gnarly barking lips slides with those tall brewer wheels. That lit a fire under all of us and the next day we were doing lip slides.

Mike Folmer Port St. Lucie Pipe :photo by Hunter Joslin

Do you remember the first time you hit coping?

Yes! My first pool was in Palm Spring Florida. It was a nice new community (not like the one you see on “COPS” now)

the pool was a nine-foot right hand kidney with two inch pointed coping, probably around mid 1976.

 What did your family think of your skateboarding?

My whole family was really supportive. My mom would drive us around to skate spots,

 and my dad being a professional photographer, took lots of skate photos.

 Let’s get into the guys you skated with, who were they and are you still in contact with them?

WOW!

That’s gonna take some memory jogging.
I liked to skate with everybody, there, everybody!
Just kidding, at first I used to skate with my next-door neighbor, Mike Cormier.
We used to play skate derby on his sloped driveway with fiberglass boards and ram and kick them into each other’s board. Man, we beat the hell out of those skateboards! Mike Brooks and I hung out a lot and would try to find anything we could to skate.

I remember the abandoned West Palm Beach Polo grounds, and guys would take any and all scrap materials to make a one sided bowl under a carport area. Dude! It was Gnarly! Pieces of metal, fiberglass, plywood, cardboard, anything laying around and just slapped together with bent nails sticking up. Not to mention, we used to skate barefoot!

Scott Mc Craniels, actually His Uncle Paul, and his dad Chummer too! Paul turned us onto the Hypoluxo drainage system. New fresh poured cement for the I-95 under pass. It was like a mini skate park to us. It had 4 or 5 sections. Later when Skateboard Safari opened up I stared to skate with Pat Love, Chris west, Chuck Lagana, Johnny Miller, Tony Montavlo, John and Tab Textor, Danny Billard, Joe Saint Angelo, and many others. I’m sure I'm forgetting some, but unfortunately not much contact with most of them.

Mike attacking the Coping!

There has been quite a lot of influence on skateboarding from Florida skaters like you.
Why do you think that is?

Florida much like California had surfing as an influence.

 What was the first skate contest you participated in?

I think it was a free style contest in St. Petersburg Florida.

I think Huck Andress won by doing a headstand spin.

 I wanna say early "1977".

 Who were your first sponsors prior to riding for SIMS?

Ron Heavy side at Nomad Surf Shop sponsored myself, and Mike Brooks.

Mike working the Pools at Cherry Hill Skate Park.

How long did you skate as an Am before turning PRO?

As in competing, probably a year and a half.

 When did you switch from Tracker Trucks to Indy Trucks?

Well, I rode Gullwing Trucks, but was first sponsored by Indy in 1978,

and at some point I switched to Tracker Trucks because Fausto couldn’t pay me a salary.

I think there was only a hand full of guys getting paid by Indy. Olson, Bowman, Salba and maybe Peters.

So I switched to Tracker for a twenty-five dollar a month salary, for about a year.

That was a lot of gas money back then!

 Do you think surfing influenced your skating style?

Oh definitely!

                                                                        Mike flying high and fast.

 Ollie layback disasters! How did those come about?

HHHMMM, let's see.

I think at Del Mar I was doing kind of a Disaster to Bert, and landed wrong and leaned to the other arm.

 How many skate models have you had and do you have a favorite?

 Four board models with Sims, and one with Death-Box.

 What was it like to be on the SIMS TEAM back in the day?

 It was cool! Wally Inouye and Chris Strople took me under their wing after Hunter Joslin introduced me to them.

They showed me how to walk into Tom Sims office with a pile of receipts and walk out with a fat check! Brad Strandland had it mastered. You gotta remember, I was only sixteen and I didn’t know anything about reimbursements.

Mike Folmer on the Hollywood Ramp.

If you could reconstruct any section of any of the old skate parks that you skated

back in the day and skate now, what would you recreate?

Wow! Let me see.

Some of Cherry Hill's pools, the snake run from Colton, and the washboard Winchester Skate Park.

 How often do you get to skate these days?

Not enough!

 What is your favorite skateboarding memory?

I'd say the finals at Oasis Gold cup in 1980.
They had so many skaters that when I made it to the finals I was tied for 1st with Eddie Elguera, but everyone was so tired that Micke Alba stayed on his board and won at like age fourteen.

Mike Folmer flying through his Tracker Truck days.

Mike Folmer flying off of Clearwater Skate Parks Pleixglas extensions.

When Skateboarder Magazine’s sequence of your “rad roll in at the Big O” skate park came out,

 how stoked were you?

Actually, I was more stoked when I got a two-page color spread,

 with a sequence doing a channel jump at the Big "O" during the Hester Series.

 Who are your all-time favorite skateboarders?

 Thanks to Hunter, I was introduced to all the California heavies!

So it was cool to be able to hang out with Alva, Jay Adams, Wally, Strople, Waldo, Larry Bertlemann, plus, Ah Shit! Hang on a second, I gotta bend down I dropped a name! Oh and thanks to the Ramos family, we Floridians got to meet all the California skaters at Kona in 1977 at the Pro-Am they put on.

Mike Folmer flying backside out of the Sensation Basin.

Mike Folmer handplant at speed.

Mike I understand that you are an avid fisherman, what’s been your best day of fishing ever?

I'd have to say it's a tie Between my forty eighth birthday when I caught an eight foot Thresher shark with the assistance of Exene from the band "X",

and my forty ninth birthday when I caught an eight foot two inch Thresher shark, this time with the assistance of "Willis" that’s right! Todd Bridges from “Different Strokes”!

That episode ended up on "TMZ".

 Do you have any fillets in your freezer now?

Always, I just added some Calico Bass to a near full freezer today!

 With out the Folmer’s, Gelfand’s, McGill’s, Lynn’s, Lakes, Fishers, McClelland’s, Rogers,

Diaz’s, Peddie’s, Schmitt’s, Murray’s, Baucom’s, Mullen’s, Beauregaurd’s, Bentley’s, etc., all where would skateboarding be today?

There would be no "Ollie’s" or "540's", the progression of skateboard technology would be in the dark ages, and there would be a lot less style to the sport.

What’s your opinion of the “X” Games?

I can't really say because I haven’t followed it much.

 What do you feel is missing from today’s skateboarding versus skateboarding

in the mid to late seventies, and early eighties?

 You really had to prove yourself to get sponsored or turn Pro.

It was less about an image thing or whom you knew.
In the Hester Series contests you had to do a compulsory routine.
If you couldn’t complete that, you were out of the contest!

Do you have any lifetime shout outs or thanks you’d like to share at this time?

I'd like to thank my parents (GOD rest their souls) for all their support in my skateboarding.

Push, Carve,Grind!

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Papa Dred Chats with Coping Block Skateboarding Magazine!

2011-11-08T19:15:00.003-05:00

Papa Dred Blazing photo by Chloe Garris

When did you first get on a Longboard?

I grew up skating and was around all kinds of boards, but I didn’t get serious about Longboarding until I moved to a hilly part of Florida about nine years ago.

What attracted you to downhill?

The speed of course!

How long have you’ve been competing?

My first skate contests were back in the 1980’s, down hill only a few years because of the lack of races down south.

How do you evaluate wheels for speed?

For wheels it depends on not only the style and type of riding, but things like texture of the pavement, the outside temperature, the steepness of the run and so on.

What has been your fastest timed speed on a longboard?

That I know for sure, 55mph, I was clocked by a Sheriff at a spot in Clermont, Florida!

I’m pretty sure I’ve gone a bit faster though.

Do you ever just go free riding?

As often as possible, every time I skate! Hahahah

How big is your quiver and what’s in it?

Got a pretty big house hold so…

Well, a Carbon Evo, 925, Switch, Drop Wedge, Drop Carve, Clutch Deeze nuts, Jim-Z pool board, a couple of Popsicles, a mini and then some.

How often can you be found on Florida’s little known hills?

All the time.

Papa Dred moving up fast! Photo by Micheal Harrington

Talk about your worst spill, the how, the where, and the when?

No telling if any are the worst spill, probably high side in on a toe side turn when it was starting to sprinkle. I was airborne and landed on my head, helmets save lives!

Who else in your family rides and for how long?

My whole family skates, I’m raising all of them on boards. I have a three-year-old daughter, five, ten, and twelve year old sons and even their mom has been charging it over the past couple of years.

Papa Dred taking the inside line.

What about the sport makes you angry?

All the little kids giving advice, yet they aren’t old enough to skate after dark.

Do you skate garages?

Yes, if they are fast!

Do you use safety equipment?

Yes, and I can’t stress it enough, please wear your helmets!

Moving Art, Papa Dred at Speed. Photo by Chloe Garris

Any words for those with a need for speed, looking to get into longboarding?

HELMETS SAVE LIVES!

Papa Dred calm after another of his skateboarding storms.
Photograher unknown.

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Michael Alexis Skater, Musician, Happy ..Chats with Coping Block Skateboarding Magazine!

2011-10-30T17:46:00.011-04:00

Cleo: Where ya been man?

Alexis: Ah man, I’ve been just down here doing my little thing, working on music, working on a lil bit of skateboarding. Just trying to stay happy.

Cleo: That’s all there is.

Alexis: That’s all there is, that’s all it’s really all about.

Michael Alexis pulling a gnarly stool Lein Air.

Cleo: Did those backside Ollie’s you used to do at Justin’s make you happy?

Alexis: (Tremendous Laughter) It certainly made a doctor happy, thirty thousand dollars later.

Cleo: OH NO!

Alexis: When it’s all said and done, yeah! Between all the bills it’s about just under thirty thousand dollars!

Cleo: Break it down to me.

Alexis: Break it down? Ok, ah, (pointing at his wrist) it’s all wrist, it’s all that. That’s thirty grand right there. You know I had to have a nice little plate put in there, so I had surgery. My initial visit to the emergency room was an eight thousand dollar visit, I went to Dr. Swiggett, and ah, he was my bone surgeon and all that kinda stuff, he diagnosed exactly what was broken and what needed to be done. He also performed the surgery, and between him and the facilities at Edward White Hospital that was another fourteen thousand.

Cleo: WOW!

Alexis: Yeah! Plus, for a little bit of time I went to see him for rehab to get it moving again and that was another four thousand dollars, plus I got bills from all sorts of doctors that I didn’t even know I saw!

Cleo: Why didn’t you change your name dawg? (LOL!)

Alexis: I’m not dead yet, so that might happen! (LOL!)

Cleo: Michael, you used to skate the streets around here hard! Skating everywhere, you picked up a sponsor, it was a truck company wasn’t it?

Alexis: Yeah! It was Independent Trucks, and ah..

Cleo: How did that go down? How’d you get on them?

Alexis: Well, ah, you know Thom Nickleson?

Cleo: Yeah, I know Thom!

Alexis cornering a little Longboard action.

Alexis: Well, I had been skating a lot with him and he had been out in California a lot at the time, and he was back and was showing me what he had learned while he was out there, stuff he picked up. I guess he was impressed with the way that I was able to take it and utilize it and he did the best he could to try and help me out and get me sponsored. Then one Saturday morning he called me up and

gave me a number to call, and I called that guy and had a conversation, and it turned out that the guy was Fausto.

Cleo: No!

Alexis: Yeah, yeah, the imfamous Fausto!

Cleo: GOD rest his soul.

Alexis: Yeah, yeah, and he put me on the team and he was like, “let’s see what happens” you know, and every contest that came up I entered and placed good in every one and so it went, and they started sending me the boxes. It was good!

Cleo: Wow! You were grinding them up! I remember skating with you behind Lakewood High School, or was it Lake Vista?

Alexis: Lake Vista! Yeah!

Cleo: You were doing Bench Ollie’s, Ollie board slides, Ollie disaster slides across benches front and backside, foot plants to tail, Ollie’s to nose pivots, all kinds of tricks at will.

Alexis: That was my little training ground back then at Lake Vista and Lakewood. They had these concrete benches back then that were just perfect for anything! Anything street! They were great for slides, grinds, perfect height you know, you had to have some Ollie skills to get up on them, but it was a perfect size, a perfect layout. If it was raining out they were covered so you could still skate them. Perfect.

Cleo: I know that when I used to watch you skate you always had this really light style, like your body loss weight while you skated. You have this constant body ollie action going on that’s so light.

Alexis: LOL! Well I’ve never been a real heavy person! LOL!

Cleo: LOL!

Alexis: I was taught by somebody we both know to ride on your toes, always use your toes, toes are where your control is at. To this day people are like, “Mike you’re all toes” and I’m like, “You damn right”. LOL!

Cleo: Now when did the “ZAAAAAAHH” factor come in?

Alexis: LOL! Very early in the game, I was introduced to the concept of “ZAAAAAAHH”.

Michael Alexis in "Zaaaaaaahhh" mode!

Cleo: LOL! What a trip! You know you shredded the BRO BOWL man, and also “Justin’s Bowl” which was widely known as the “Burg Bowl.”

Alexis: It shredded me a little bit though, it got me good, it got me into surgery.

Cleo: It caught you sleeping.

Alexis: It caught me sleeping. It did catch me sleeping. I was sleep. It really caught me, that’s what it was, I was sleep that night.

Cleo: Yeah.

Alexis: But I’m gonna say that the Bro Bowl is my favorite place to skate of all-time. It’s one of those places that is always opening up. As you learn it sorta grows with you in a way. You grow into stuff that you can do there. You know what I mean? It’s like always a challenge in a low- pressure environment. It doesn’t come across as a very intimidating place, however the potential for just sickness is infinite. You know? There so many ways that you can flip that bowl and do something sick! It’s just a freaking great place to skate.

Cleo: That’s hot man!

Alexis: Yeah.

Cleo: A lot of people don’t know that you were with the Funky Groovy Caterpillars.

The Funky Groovy Caterpillars!

Alexis: Yes, the Funky Groovy Caterpillars. Well, the original members were Anthony Florence and Myself and then we later added Pete Banks and that was DJ DRE. He later went off into Drum and Bass fame. But originally, it was just Anthony and I, who was just here a little bit ago. When we started that band there wasn’t much of a hip-hop scene in the Tampa Bay Area and not much of a radio scene either as far as, you know specialty type music, which at the time was rap music. Which was sort of the new kid on the block, wasn’t easy to find it, and you had to kind of be in the know to find it and we quickly latched on to it. I mean we were kids when it came out, I was about ten or nine years old when it first came into my world. It quickly became the thread in my fabric, you know what I mean, its my foundation. So um naturally, after we gained a little more confidence in music and we got a little bit older, we started the band and it was the Funky Groovy Caterpillars. Yeah, it was a really exciting time, an exciting time for rap music in this area. There were a lot of people trying to do a lil’ something, we were part of it and I feel we deserve a part of Tampa Bay History musically.

Cleo: Hey, you guys won! You were voted the best rap funk act in the Tampa Bay Music Scence!

Alexis: Yeah, the very first one right, the first one!

Cleo: That was sick! You came in and crushed.

Alexis: Yeah, and we were a piece of history, and that’s brilliant and wonderful.

Cleo: Some of the groups you guys opened up for were, My Life With The Thrill Kill Cult, Consolidated, De La Soul, 2 Black 2 Strong, Digital Underground and others.

Alexis: Yeah, yeah.

Cleo: Your sound it’s self was fresh!

Alexis: Yeah, it was a different sound for the time.

Cleo: You had a keyboarder that was kicking some awesome chords and grooves, what was his name?

Alexis: Dave Christopher, he is doing the Rabbit in the Moon thing in L.A, along with a couple of other people from the area. They stay busy doing re-mix work and their own original works. Several other things so he’s staying pretty busy.

Dave Christopher and Michael performing live.

Cleo: You’ve been doing some new music yourself these days.

Alexis: Yeah, I put out “Weapons of Peace” an acoustic release, before that I put out “Smile and Cry” which was a little bit more a dance venture. I’m working on a new release right now and I have several pieces, but no name yet for the work.

Music flowing from the soul of Alexis.

Cleo: Will we see the FGC again in the future?

Alexis: Good question, now that Anthony and I have been in contact again, it’s come up more than a couple of times. Sometimes he acts favorably and sometimes not so much. I myself would love to do it. I don’t know what it would sound or look like, were talking about twenty years later.

Cleo: Man that’s crazy isn’t it?

Alexis: Yeah, that’s crazy! Twenty years! It would be interesting to see how that unfolded. But I’m game for it. You know I’m game for it. I’m always working, always working on stuff and that would be a really good project to get into.

Cleo: I meant to tell you that I have a video of the FGC at Lowry Park in Tampa! Now, skating wise are you getting back into the Street? Bowl? Longboarding or what?

Twenty years ago the FGC Rocked!

Alexis: My big thing right now is my park tour with my friend Jimmy. We’ve been going to skate parks all over Florida. Were going to start filming soon, and were going to call it the Mike and Show. You’ll be hearing about it real soon.

Cleo: Can Coping Block Skateboarding Magazine do something on it?

Alexis: Absolutely! We’ll work out an exclusive for ya.

Cleo: So right now you got skating happening again, music never left your life.

Alexis: Correct.

Cleo: Where do you see Michael Alexis in the next couple of years in music and skateboarding?

Alexis: I’d say a lot more visual, and more accessibility for people so they can see what I got going on.

Cleo: So you going to pass the gravy?

Alexis: LOL! Yeah!

Cleo: Any thanks or shout outs at this time?

Alexis: First I would like to thank the Coney Family mainly for creating a lifelong Bucs fan, and for teaching me skateboarding. Thom Nickelson, Brucifer Whiteside, both very influential and instrumental in my skate career. Faustino, such a cool cat and finally, my Ovados family and my homies who still go skate w/ me Yimmy, Justin, Will, all of youz I love yaz!

The classic Alexis grin.

Push, Carve, Grind!

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Coping Block Skateboarding Magazine Chats with Cam Simon!

2011-10-25T22:09:00.003-04:00

Cam Simon, seventeen years old, skateboarder, and movie producer.

There aren't many people who take charge and put their dreams in motion, but Cam Simon is one who does just that. With a growing desire to capture and record the skateboarding foot print of his skate crew, Cam put his idea in motion. The result is the "FLA STORY".

Cam shot his first skate film at the Ross Norton Skate Park in Clearwater Florida, but desired to expand his vision to include the cities of Orlando, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Clearwater, Saint Petersburg, and Tampa in this his second production.

Cam holding the extension of his eye.. his camera.
Westside Skate Shop sold out of his new movie and ordered more! Speaking of Westside Skate Shop, it was John Montessi that helped organize his premier at "The Bricks", in Ybor City Tampa. Cool spot for a hot skate movie premier! Cam grew tired of looking at the same people over and over again street skating on-line doing variations on the same old tricks. So Cam set out to put his vision on film in a fresh crisp way, and combine it with his skate crew at the same time. This didn't happen overnight as Cam shot footage of skating for some fourteen months!

In the "FLA STORY", Cam delivered the goods and included skaters shredding ledges, gaps, rails, and more on virgin skate territory. He used about twenty skaters from Florida which included some of Westside Skate Shop's team riders. The film has nine parts in it so there's lots of footage to check out!
Please watch for Marcus in this film as he kills it! At one point in Miami Cam bribes a security guard to let them skate for THREE BUCKS! Great film producers have to be able to stay in budget. Cam Simon has it in him to go far in skateboarding, and in film as his work ethic is solid. Cam edited the entire film by himself and plans to attend film school next year. His dream job would be to produce skate videos for major skateboarding companies.

Cam thanks Westside Skate Shop for all their support, all his friends and skate buddies whom supported his efforts both on and off film. Cam said, "I really would like to thank my mom for all her support and inspiration, "and the food!" Yep! you gotta thank your mom for the food!

For more info, please visit http://www.theflastory.com/

Push, Carve, Grind!
Coping Block Skateboarding Magazine

GRO's Courtney Payne Taylor chat's with Coping Block!

2011-08-31T22:55:00.009-04:00

"GRO's" Courtney Payne Taylor chats with Coping Block Skateboarding Magazine

Where did GRO come from?

For the love of Skateboarding, and the lack of girls in skateboarding.

You said that where you come from people didn't wear pads, were you big time skating back then?

No, I just started skating in 2004, I'm relatively new to skating, I was twenty- two when I started skating. So, It was a late found love. My deal is I skate for me, I skate for fun, it's more about GRO reaching out to the other girls and getting them active, the ones that are out there killing it, they got the young starts that are trying to make things happen, where here for them.

I've seen you at a lot of skate events, is GRO a one woman operation, are you doing this alone?

So for me, I travel with the stuff, I basically bring all the stuff to the city and then we bring the girls from that area. Because, that's what matters in that area, the girls there. That's the best place to grow a team from, grow information amongst the young girls there with the girls that they are going to see continually where they live. I'm on my own in between the spots, but when I'm in the spots I have all the girls in that area that work with GRO, so I'm never really alone.

Young girls are invited to join the Girls Riders Organization.

I like your shameless GRO plugs.

Lol, I can't help it, it's all I do man, I need a break, Lol!

Where's your home base?

Bloomington, Indiana, that's where I was born and raised.

So, you are a mid-west girl.

Yes, proud!

You know, every skater I've met from the mid-west seems pretty laid back and nice.

It's definitely a different world there, everyone knows there neighbors, everyone say's hi. It's a good time, I like it there.

The Girls Riders Organization supports Longboarding!

Tell me about the event you have coming up this year for the girls, how that came about, where it's going and what do you want to see it grow into.

The GRO Am series that were doing this year, well, up to this point, there hasn't been a way for girls to actually qualify and do an event like X-Games or Maloof where they have a girls category contest. We want to change that, we want to give an opportunity for girls all around the country to get a chance to be seen and earn their way and place into that world. So were doing nine qualifiers around the U.S. including Florida, Texas, New York, and Chicago. We need to give these girls a spot light and bring these girls out.

Is this going to be mainly street, ramp, or bowl?

For now where going to keep the focus on street this year, if we have success in the Am Series with the street, then we'll extend it out into the bowl, into the Vert. But for right now this is going to be street focused, and the girls will be qualifying for that event.

How do girl skaters that would like to get involved and compete or participate get in contact with GRO?

They can go on-line, our website is girlsriders.org, all of our contacts are on there, you can get in touch with us and ask whatever questions you have about this event or anything. You can also find out all the dates for the

tour on-line and the registration will be up next month.

Women like Patti McGee helped to inspire other girls to try Skateboarding.

You said earlier that you started skateboarding at the age of twenty two, what was your inspiration to get involved?

My home town got a skate park, and I had a meeting with the ex-parks director, so they thought that it would be convenient for me to meet with them at the grand opening because they would be there anyway. So, I ended up at a skate park. I was going about my business, I had on sandals, a business khakis skirt, I was there for a business and someone asks me if I skate, I said no, and they asked me if I'd like to? I said sure and that was that. I rode a across the skate park in my skirt and flip flops and never quit.

Who else does GRO partner with?

Grind For Life, Women of BMX, GRO Snow, Girl Scouts, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and all our events are always free so come on out and enjoy our events. We will also be starting GRO BMX.

You have a great energy about you, your passion for getting girls involved in typically male dominated sports is unduplicated. What drives Courtney to do all of this?

Like anyone, my passion comes from my own experience. So, from my experience, what skateboarding has done for me, in my mentally, courage, belief in myself, and my physical strength. But what comes from skateboarding mentally has meant so much to me, that that's what we want to share. Anyone who skates knows this already, but giving someone fresh a chance to experience it is what it's all about. They need to be introduced to the love as well.

Skateboarding isn't just for the guys! Girls shred too!

How often are you in SoCal?

All the time, there are so many events there, we have a crew in Orange County, our GRO Van is there.

The fastest growing segment of skateboarding is Longboarding, is GRO working in that segment of the sport as well?

We support Longboarding, but I love how people distinguish a difference between Skateboarding and Longboarding, to me it's all the same. There’s subtle differences, but it's all riding a board with four wheels on a hard surface. We support all of it, we love it, the Longboarding scene is huge! Girls are very into it on the transportation side outside of the skate parks, riding their Longboards to class and down hills. This is the Girls Riders Organization, what ever they ride, we support.

There was a Push Culture event in Miami full of girl riders hitting parking garages, and distance skating. Mike Dallas of Bustin Boards New York told me that there are some really skilled lady Longboarders down there. Are you all actively pursuing any of them to your organization?

We can right now, Longboarders get a hold of us, find us at girlsriders.org, we need leaders in each area, so as soon as we have someone that's ready to come on board and focus on Longboarding were ready to do more.

Picture yourself just cruising along enjoying the ride.

Did you go to college?

Yes, I went to Indiana University and got a Business Degree.

As I suspected, there's a sharp business mind behind those natural good looks.

School is definitely great, I love that I went to school. I learned a lot of things that made a lot of this possible. A lot of our team riders and the girls that are out there today shredding, even the ones that are top notch are going to school and going to college. It's good because not only do you have a back up plan, but no matter what your plan is it's all going to help you out along the way. It's going to make you a better all around person. It will help you get done what you need to get done. So I do support School.

What does your family think about your involvement in GRO?

When I started this organization my Dad told me it was bad, it was a waist of my time, that I was over it, and then about two years ago he was trying to give me some fatherly business advice and he said, "You know, I don't know what your business attire is, but make sure when you go to events you wear the proper business attire for Skateboarding." But now they've seen what's been happening, they are supportive, just like everyone else, they see that girls are getting more and more into it and involved. I've convinced my parents and now I have a few more parents out there to convince.

What about skateboarding really makes you smile?

How do you I explain the love of skateboarding, ah, it's plain and simple but impossible to explain, It's freedom, it's fun, the people you meet in skateboarding are top notch souls. If you're a girl and want to get into skateboarding, get a skateboard and come skate with us, how do you explain falling in love if you've never been in love. It's something you have to try and that's what it's about and it keeps me smiling.

"It's plain and simple but impossible to explain? "Do you mind if I use that on a shirt?

Be my guest.

There are some skateboarding companies producing female specific products do you think that this is necessary?

There's no difference in the decks. But female branded items are cool, but do we need a different physical board? I think that's something that needs to be researched for sure because we have a different body set up, our hips, knees, and ankles work differently.

I think women have an advantage because you move smoother than the guys.

We have a grace for sure, look back at the seventies and women were skating next to the guys in freestyle and the differences were even more noticeable. It was almost like a dance, an art. It was all about the beauty of it, the creativity. Laura Thornhill and others were very graceful. GRO wants to bring the history of female skateboarders to light and we will have a series of interviews of the greats like Patti McGee available to read.

Any thanks at this time?

Yes!

Skate Park Of Tampa, they've supported our efforts and brought GRO in, Etnies for being with us from the beginning, all the skate parks that work with us, all the girl skateboarders, all the moms that let their girls skate, my folks, all those that support us, if you want to help us please go to our site girlsriders.org and make a donation.

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This Coping Block Interview was brought to you by: Bustin Boards

The New Longboard Giveaway 2011!

2011-08-30T10:45:00.002-04:00

With the success of our previous Longboard Giveaway, Coping Block Skateboarding Magazine has decided to do it all over again!

You could win this "Never Summer" Longboard!

We are going to giveaway two new complete longboards to two lucky skateboarders!
All this is due to our great sponsors like The Surf Shack Surf Shop, Gulf Coast Skate Shop, and Bustin Boards who donated that last two Longboards that were given away.

These two were donated by Bustin Boards and given away last year.

All you have to do is tell us in fifty words or less, why you deserve to win a free Longboard!
It's that simple and that easy! After thirty days, our sponsors will select two persons to win complete Longboards, and eight others will win brand new designed Coping Block Skateboarding Magazine T-Shirts! Just click on this link to enter: http://www.copingblock.com/#!__win-a-longboard

Please visit our sponsors links and help support those that support skateboarding!
Keep the stoke alive! Push, Carve, Grind!

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Mike Frazier Chats with Coping Block Skateboarding Magazine!

2011-07-13T19:16:00.001-04:00

Reprinted from Coping Block Skateboarding Magazine 2009 Volume 1 Issue #2 The Mike Frazier Chat was the very first interview in Coping Block! If you missed this one and you probable did, here it is for your reading pleasure.

Aged but not old, tested but not tired, torn but rebuilt, this man machine continues to blow minds every time he skates! His office sits six feet above the coping; his work is often switched as he re-enters the skating surface backwards.

A die-hard, a journeyman, gnarly, dedicated and focused are just some of the words that could be utilized to describe this phenomenon on a skateboard.

Mike Frazier hits Stirling Skate Park every now and then with his son. Along the lip of the bowl at Stirling skateboard park sit dozens of younger skaters, their eyes fixed on the ever changing body movements, while ears are tuned into axles grinding on coping all the while contemplating the cat like quickness of Mike Frazier’s Maneuvers.

Sometimes you can’t believe your own eyes; did he just do what I think he did? Yeah, and at speed, backwards!

Mike Frazier during a television interview at the Orlando Surf Expo.

I was able to chat with Mike about where he’s been and where he’s headed in the skateboard arena.

So how long have you’ve been skating Mike?

Twenty-two years.

Where and when did you first start skateboarding?

Cruising the streets of Clearwater, and then one day I saw these guys with full skate pads on, and I asked them where they were coming from. They said a ramp; well two years later I found that ramp and started skating it. It was Chuck’s ramp.

You’ve skated for quite a few sponsors, whom was your first?

A local surf and skate shop, and then Zorlac, Mertz told me to send a video in and I got hooked up for three years. After I placed 1^st, 2^nd, and 1^st in the Am series against Mike Crum, Danny Way, and others I went to Canada with Bill Weir who got me to quit Zorlac and hook up with Powell.

So how long did you skate for Powell?

Two years.

Whom else did you skate for?

I Rode for Zorlac, Powell, Bird House, Stereo, Toy Machine, Element and Santa Cruz.

Did you go into hibernation after vert skating went down?

I never stopped skating for twenty – two years except for injuries. When vert skating went down, I still skated four or five days per week.

What kind of injuries did you have?

Well, right now I’m recovering from two biceps tears, a collarbone separation and a re-injured rotator cuff that I originally hurt at Woodward skateboard summer camp.

I had two surgeries to fix that stuff and then I was in a car accident and re-injured the rotator cuff. I’m not even supposed to be skating right now. I know all the rehabilitation exercises, and strengthening with bands, weights and stretches. I have about two more months of rest to go, so I’m taking it easy.

Who’s your favorite skater?

There are so many, Rob & Ken, Monty Nolder, Jeff Phillips, Jason Jesse, Matt, Jeff Grosso, Tom Boyle.

Any advice you want to give the younger skaters?

Skate for fun, not for the fame, skate because you like it. If it’s your life, then you’re in it for the right reasons.

Push, Carve, Grind! –

If you missed the 80’s All Day event at the Surf Expo in Orlando, then you missed Mike Frazier put on a clinic that had Tony Hawk standing with his mouth open. Frazier is healed and ripping!

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The Chris Baucom Interview in Coping Block Skateboarding Magazine!

2011-07-06T22:13:00.001-04:00

Chris Baucom laying down a fresh Smith Grind!

Chris, thank you for your support and taking the time to answer a few questions for Coping Block Skateboarding Magazine. Chris you have left your footprint deep in the trail of Florida Skateboarding History, when did it all begin for you, and what drew you to the sport?

I started using a neighbor’s board in 1970, or 1971 and loved it. I haven’t been without a board since then.

Seems like you have always been on a faster learning curve then your contemporaries, whom influenced you the most when you were just a young up and coming skater?

All the Basin skater’s (Peter Andrews, Bruce Mason, Mike Thibault,” Mutt”, Kelly Lynn, Clyde Rodgers, Monty, Lake, Petty, and Walker.

Chris re-entry at the Sensation Basin's Pool Bowl

You’ve always ridden your skateboard solid, your style straightforward and focused.

What is at the core of your emotions while attacking the lip with your array of tricks?

What the hell does straightforward and focused mean? Was I supposed to not pay attention? SORRY-Kidding. I always just had fun; learning stuff always kept skating new for me.

I believe the first time I saw you skate was at the Sensation Basin Skate Park in Gainesville Florida. You were floating backside ollies in the pool-bowl, working on your line and I remember thinking to myself, “that guys rad!” What tricks did you perfect at the Sensation Basin?

Everything I could ever do, I could do there, not sure I perfected anything though. The girls were awesome! (One of them became my wife for twenty-one years).

Chris Baucom floating a backside ollie during the Pepsi Challenge.

Many skaters don’t realize it, but you invented some skate tricks that are out there today, what are some of the tricks you developed?

Ollie to tail and Ollie to grinder things, lip trick stuff, invert varials to tail, a front side foot plant with the wrong foot, I don’t know. There is a picture in an old Bones Brigade newsletter of a Front side air Foot plant. A lot of guys threw down some cool stuff at the Basin. Stacy Peralta wrote in a Brigade newsletter, that I was doing front and back ollies to tail before he saw anyone else doing them.

Chris lifts a high lay-back air on the massive vertical walls of the Basin.

When did you first get sponsored and how many have you’ve had over the years?

I was twelve and skated for Bill Murray at Inland Surf, then the Basin, Powell, Walker and Independent continues to flow.

When did you turn PRO and what was your first PRO event?

It was either the Pomona Pipe and Pool event in 1982 when I tied for ninth with Micke Alba, or the first Saint Pete contest, where I placed first.

I saw a picture of you and your son doing skate doubles together and grinding the same coping. I was stoked! What’s it like for you to see your son ripping it up on a skateboard?

He’s getting nasty, does lip-slide entries, front side slide and rolls, big ollies, really long front side tail slides, he kicks my ass.

Chris Baucom sweeping the lip of KONA's half-pipe.

You used to have a pretty long list of shall we say, “ Chris Baucom Antics” that earned you the title “Rude Boy”. But is that really how you got that name?

Yeah. I was punk, but a lot of the stories are just shit. I saw an interview of Chris Miller where he said he saw me throw a TV in a pool..never happened..some funny (mostly harmless) stuff went down. But you can’t believe everything. Ok, maybe it did go in.

How has becoming a father changed you as an individual?

I assume the same as most. All of a sudden you have others depending on you, can’t be an idiot anymore. I had to grow up fast. I couldn’t be any happier with the way both my kids have turned out. Daughters almost twenty and the boy is eighteen, never any trouble, both in college, both got academic scholarships, good people.

I remember standing on the lip of the half-pipe during a contest at KONA, and hearing the California guys asking each other whom you were. They were as impressed then as people are today who witness your skating. How often are you able to get on your board today?

Once or twice a week, but I’m sure no one’s impressed.

A young Chris Baucom gets some air as an even younger Rodney Mullen's looks on.

Are you going to continue to skate in the “Masters” events around the state?

I got first in my last one at the SPOT. I’m done.

When I get a chance to skate with my old friends I don’t want to have to think about learning a line or skating when it’s my turn or at a certain time. I just think contests SUCK! How about just a party? Skate all weekend whenever you want?

What’s in the skateboarding future of a famous shredder like Chris Baucom?

Skating with my boy and my friends as long as I can.

Any last remarks to those persons that helped you become whom you are today, or to the young skaters out there reading this?

Thanks for all the good times to all those that sessioned with me throughout the years.

God Bless.

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The Rob Mertz Interview in Coping Block Skateboarding Magazine!

2011-06-30T17:57:00.001-04:00

Rob Mertz appeared in Issue #13 of Coping Block Skateboarding Magazine.

Rob you are what we call a “multi-state skater”, where are you originally from?

Originally from Pa., east coast born and bred!

When did you move to Florida and why?

I left Pa. To live on top of the Clown ramp in Dallas in 85’, then ended up in Florida.

I think I was going to a contest there.

Who was a part of your old out of state skate crew, and who made up your Florida skate crew?

It was Ken Sigafoos and I that manned the van for all those years. Just traveling up and down the coast. The Florida crew was Morris, Pete, Frazier, Matt, Jeff, Dave R., Bret, Ralf, Tony, Chuck, Doug, Leonard…and I’m sorry if I’m forgetting anyone!

Rob Mertz inverted during his normal day of "freakin rippin"!

What ramp was your favorite in the Tampa Bay area?

I like all the ramps. Chuck’s, Carrolwood, Leonard’s, the “No-Vert”Ramp, Astro, Mikes Vert- Spine Ramp, I learned a lot of tricks on those ramps!

You have left a legacy of shredding big ramps here in Florida, people who have witnessed you skate still talk of those days. What pushes you to skate at such a high level?

Thanks for that Cleo! Some guys have that natural talent and some guys have dedication, desire and commitment. I definitely fit in the latter.

How many companies have you skated for?

Not a whole lot..Ah, Indy, Brand X, Skate Rags, Santa Cruz, OJ’s, Airwalk, Zorlac and.. SKATEHELL!

Lofty and bio, fast and gnarly, that's just Rob Mertz.

How did you come up the idea for the “SHARK” graphic?

I just thought that the shark was the gnarliest thing on the planet..and what would be gnarlier than a shark coming out of a graveyard? NOTHING! Ha..and then having PUSHEAD draw it-Sick! Rocking that graphic today.

I remember you talking me through the motion on backside boneless ones. I made my first one under your watchful eye way back in the day. Are you still teaching others when you skate?

Yeah, I’m always trying to push someone to slam! HA!

Rob Mertz demonstrating a backside boneless for those willing to learn.

What are your favorite tricks?

Big smash down tricks! Anything that you will get really hurt on if you slam. I always tried to do unique tricks and make them my own.

Where are you skating at these days and with whom?

Skating a lot at the DC Vert Ramp early mornings before work. Was skating with Borst a bunch, and now it’s Paul Wisnewski..pretty much anyone who’ll session with me at 8am, not too many people down with that. Then skating all the parks out here, Encinitas pool, Culver City pool, new Fontana pools.

Do you get skate often?

When I’m not hurt, I try to skate at least once a day.

Who are your favorite skaters of all-time?

Wow! Early guys would be Duane, Salba, Malba, Olson, Andrecht, Elguera, and then Tom G., Murph, Craig and Tex, Hosoi, Hawk, Gator, ( yeah I said it), Frazier, Sean Miller and all the rest of my east coast bros.

Rob Mertz floating a high Indy Air high above a rusty metal lip.

Are you involved in any other aspects of skateboarding?

Business side I own Syndrome Distribution, but I really stay out of the “Industry” side of it. We do our own thing.

Do you have a preference for pools or ramps?

Being from Pa., we only had a few pools to skate, so I’m a Vert Ramp kid but pools are a real close second, I love’em.

How do you feel about street skating, and do you think Vert Skating is dead?

Vert isn’t dead! I was just at the Protec Pool Party and watched some fourteen or fifteen-year-old kid from Brazil, do every kind of eight foot high 540 you can think of! There were a ton of new kids ripping!

What do you like about skateboarding the most?

I really like the challenge of not being able to do a trick. I get on the verge of smashing my board and leaving, and then powering through mental anguish to make it is the best feeling ever. It makes it even better if I slam and then get up and pull it. Although, every slam now seems to put me out for a year.

When are we going to see you back in Florida?

I haven’t been back in forever. After all the years I spent traveling, I’m really content on my one- hour circumference of skate parks right now. So much good stuff, I would like to come back and see everyone one day.

Any shout outs to your old buddies here in Florida?

I already did! The Florida crews and sessions were some of the most fun times I’ve ever had and I hold those years dear to me. Thanks to all those guys for being there.

Any words of wisdom for those young skaters reading this interview?

Keep skating aggro! Look at footage of Frazier and skate like that!

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The Morgan "Hollywood" Monroe Interview in Coping Block!

2011-06-27T19:55:00.000-04:00

Morgan "Hollywood" Monroe

When did you start Skateboarding?

I started skateboarding in 1972, 1973ish.

Are you from Florida?

I lived in Indiana initially, and then moved to Florida around 1978 after the change of seasons. Started at Dunedin High School and then skated Clearwater Skate Park, it was my home park. Jimmy Marcus was one of the first Kids I met there; he was like six years old. I then met David Adams, Fish, and Pat Parker. David Adams was always Mr. Smooth and a good guy to hang with. Clearwater was one of the most innovative skate parks ever. I met Tony Alva and all those guys there. It was an impressive place to learn to skate and to be around a group of people that were way ahead of our time, guys like Mike Folmer that were way ahead of everybody else.

When did you build your first ramp?

I actually built my first ramp probably around 1980 it’s hard to say, it wasn’t a very good ramp the plywood was sideways. It was a half-pipe full of kinks only one ply thick. We located a piece of Plexiglas behind a store one day that was shaped like coping and we put it on top.

David Adams would come by and do these gnarly front side layback holding the nose grinds! All on the worst ramp ever, and no we never patched it! We’d see where the holes were and then we stayed away from them. I’ve got video of it, it was just Gnar!

Hollywood and Hawk

Is this where you skated before the parks closed?

Yeah, Skate Wave in Tampa closed first, and then Clearwater Skate Park, and after that we all went to Rainbow Wave, the Basin and Kona to skate when we could.

Then one day after school my stepfather said get in the car and I was like right on let’s go, and he drove over to Skate Wave and told me that they had just leased the park out so we’d have a place to skate. My parents knew the importance of Skateboarding and how much it meant to us kids. My stepfather coached little league but we weren’t into little league, he knew we loved Skateboarding. My stepfather opened that door for us.

Skate Wave was not a good park, but if you didn’t have anything to skate, then it was the best. We had that to skate after all the other parks closed. I think we had it for about a year. Mike McGill started skating at that park.

Did you have any additional ramps?

My first good ramp was behind some condos I used to live in, it wasn’t supposed to be there at all. It was about eight feet high on one side and about ten feet high on the other with eight-foot transitions. It was skated frequently by David Adams, my little brother and I.

Morgan "Hollywood" Monroe at the Grind For Life Booth

What were deck were you riding then and what was your dream set up?

I had just got rid of a Ripper with bonite in it, and I was riding a Block Head deck with double conical wheels. When I first started skating my dream skate deck was a SIMS Taper kick, Tracker Trucks is what I was skating back then, Bones wheels with racing bearings and Pizza Grip!

What was it like riding Clearwater Skate Park back in the day, and did you have any skate Hero’s?

I remember I used to break a lot of boards at Clearwater Skate Park because we used the moguls to launch from. Who was my hero back then? Wow! Great question! I had local hero’s back then, people like Todd Webb “gnarly”, the “I’m going” attitude, people like ALVA. He had a great time and didn’t care what people would think.

Did you compete in any of the Sun n Fun Events?

No I didn’t participate in any of the Sun n Fun events. I had just moved down from Indiana and I was still dealing with culture shock. Back then there was no transition in Indiana. We went from playground riding in Indiana to learning our first kick turns in Clearwater Skate Park’s half-pipe. I stood on top of the half-pipe one day for about two hours as the owner looked at me through the window of the PRO shop. I was getting ready to do my first tail drop and up pops Jimmy Marcus and he just drops right in. So, I dropped in and I was so stoked and then went inside and the owner said maybe next time, and I said, “I did it”! and he said, “I know”. He was messing with me man.

The Maloof Money Cup Van

What do you miss about Clearwater Skate Park the most?

I miss the sound of wheels hitting the Plexiglas extensions the most.

You had quite a few ramps though didn’t you?

My later ramp that was caddy corner of Astro Skate had a huge ramp that was frequented by Mike Frazier, Rob Mertz and others. We had a mini ramp underneath one of the platforms so you could still skate even if it rained.

How did the Hollywood Summit Show come to be?

I moved to Hollywood California and did acting and stunts for fifteen years. Got the buzz working for a production company in Cocoa Beach. Started taking acting classes after that and went to California. Not to become a big star, I just wanted to be seen doing movies and get more knowledge of the business. When I got back here I got right back into my old skate click and they had just finished Stirling Skate Park at the time.

I worked on putting a show together with Tom who I met on-line and with Matt who’s the show’s MC. So far we’ve done Wake Board events, comedy sketches, Skateboarding events with the Ian Tilmann Foundation and most recently the Maloof Money Cup. We are stoked and looking forward to continuing to promote and host Skateboarding events.

We want to be innovative and have fun along the way, and so far we are reaching our goals. We want to showcase skate talents that aren’t getting the exposure that they could get if they lived on the west coast.

In your face dudes!

What pushes you to go on?

I get a ton of inspiration from Mike Rogers, he has gone through some difficult times and right now I’m battling with some health related issues that he and I’ve chatted about.

He’s a tremendous motivator and he is still out there killing it on his skateboard and I just want to thank him and give him big props. I told him he is the most gnar person I’ve ever met.

What’s new with the Summit?

Right now were coming out with totally new merchandise. We have a specially designed wax that’s formulated for street skating. It’s available in forty-five countries, and it comes in twelve different colors. Unlike the other waxes on the market, which are basically slow burning candle wax, our wax is designed to provide a gliding surface for board slides and to grab when your wheels start rolling. Plus it has a special smell, so when you throw it into your skate bag, your bags contents are going to smell good too.

What’s it called?

Waxy Wax.

What do you want people to get out of the Hollywood Summit Show?

I want people to see what we’ve filmed, I want them to take a look at the shows we’ve done and the skaters we’ve helped to promote, I don’t want them to look at me the individual but the overall effort of the Summit Show. When you put yourself out in the public eye, you have to expect to get positive and negative from the populous. I met some great people all over this country and they’ve all been cool to me. It’s a great thing to believe in what you are doing and I believe that I’m helping to promote the sport in a positive way. The haters are wasting their time hating.

Who’s that band I’ve seen at your events?

The band at my shows is the Hollywood house band, “ Full Fledge Unit”. They rock!

They also jam with Steve Steadham when he’s in town.

Morgan and Mike McGill

How has your family feel about your involvement in the sport?

My family has been down with skateboarding and my involvement in the sport from day one. I think they are a bit surprised as to how involve I’ve become, but they support my efforts. My mom has been down since day one; she knows everything about Skateboarding and stays on top of the scene.

You hosted some Ian Tilmann Events in the past, will we see you work with them again anytime soon?

I totally support the Ian Tilmann Foundation and what they’ve done.

They’ve taken a tragedy and embraced it and made it into a positive thing.

I’m going to travel with them some more in the future. Barry and Marcy Tilmann are the best!

You seem to be full of energy what’s the force behind your drive?

The people caught up in the struggle doing what they like to do really push me to do good things. Just like Coping Block, is an underdog but continues to grow and gain market and respect. Things like that inspire me.

Thanks Morgan, any last words?

Stay off your face man!

Coping Block Issue 60 Longboarding!

2011-06-27T19:23:00.002-04:00

Coping Block's round table chat with Erik Basil, Mike Dallas and Bruce Walker about Longboarding

photo by Melissa Sanchez

Erik are we going to see a cultural war between Longboarding and Street skating?

No Cleo, although the commercial interests behind street have programmed a lot of angst among the teenybopper/skinny jeans crowd, Longboarding is so inclusive that there's just not enough reason to worry or "compete" with "street". Longboarders tend to be less about fashion, fitting in or clubiness...more of a "just skate" mentality. The culture accepts skaters for skating and doesn't have the vibe to support much of a "cultural war", even as it continues to take over.

Erik, what is it about Longboarding that makes it so addictive to it's participants?

It's fun. It's fast. It's freedom on a plank of wood. It's unbounded by fashionistas, and anyone can get into it without concern whether they have to commit to any level from casual to total immersion. Just skate it.

Erik, Downhill, Free Riding, Freestyle, Parking Garages, and other forms of Longboarding are sprouting up all over the United States, which is growing the fastest?

Cleo,"Freeriding" is a really big term that has sort of swallowed up "all-arounder" longboarding, so that's definitely what's growing the most, since it includes downhill, parking garages, carving, cruising...whatever. The other area where longboarding is growing huge is in personal transportation: on high school and college campuses, the longboard is the quiet, fast, smooth, efficient way to have fun while getting to class and then you don't have to let it rust in a bike rack when you get there.

One of many little known hills in Florida, yes, Florida!

One last question Erik, what advice do you have for the upstart Longboarders out there reading this?

Go Skate! Relax, Don't Worry, Ride Your Longboard!

Mike, have you seen in increase in female Longboarders in your area?

Cleo, the NYC skate scene has had a huge increase of ladies on the longboard scene. Casual cruisers and full leathered up chicks are mashing the streets and creating a new niche in the skate market.

Mike, what makes Bustin Boards so cool with the youth?

Cleo, Bustin is a grassroots family owned and operated company that targets first time users. Bustin Custom Longboards are designed to the specifications of each unique rider depending on individual needs. New customers are drawn to Bustin by fellow Bustin riders and the cycle keeps turning.

Mike, explain the "Push Culture" and it's scene where you live.

Well Cleo, Push Culture is a term used to describe our general population of riders. Push Culture is about commuting from Point A to Point B and the adventure in between. New York City skaters must adapt to fast paced streets and skaters step up their game for survival. Enough time spent doing the same routine and you’ll get good at it. Push to work, work to push.

Mike, where are the Bustin Board stores located and what's the fastest way for someone to get one of your decks?

Bustin Custom Longboards has a production facility at 340 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11211. The BK location is the shipping fulfillment center for online sales and has a small core shop inside open 10am-6pm.

Longboard Loft NYC by Bustin Boards opened April 1st, 2011 – located at 132 Allen St in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Both locations are a few blocks away from the base of the Williamsburg Bridge on Brooklyn and Manhattan sides, the most notorious longboard hill in NYC.

Thanks for sharing Mike!

Bustin's got your back Cleo!

Bruce Walker hanging ten!

Bruce, when did you first ride Longboards and what about them grabbed your attention?

After having ridden short skateboards for over 12 years, I rode a long skateboard for the first time in 1975 in Pensacola, Florida. The local surf/skate crew had built a solid hardwood longboard that was maybe 45" long and I tried it and loved it. The ride was very surf-oriented as we skated a hill with multiple banked driveways on both sides of the road that doubled for waves and each provided an opportunity to carve turns and bert slides. I enjoyed it so much that I've been primarily riding longboards ever since. After Pensacola, I went back to our Melbourne Beach factory and immediately started manufacturing and selling 36", 42" and 48" longboards.

Early Bruce Walker Quiver.

Why do you think there's a resurgence of Longboards amongst the public?

Cleo, the concept of a skateboard as transportation to check the surf is ruling the day and longboards are perfect for that. Generally, the mass population of people on earth will shy away from high-performance skateboarding because they are intimidated by it and deem themselves to be unqualified to be busting out big moves. In the past, the easiest path was to not skate at all. That way a person didn't subject themselves to possible criticism from their peers for not being very good at skateboarding. That's changed a lot now that it's become cool to just cruise on a skateboard with big, soft wheels, primarily for transportation. When you're riding a flat pintail longboard with no kicktail, nobody expects you to perform, so that let's everyone off the hook. Everyone's doing it now because anyone can do it and fit right in.

Paul Schmitt and Bruce Walker at the Florida Skateboarder Hall Of Fame Ceremonies.

Bruce Walker at Stirling Skate Park Dunedin, Florida.

Bruce, is Walker Skateboards producing any fresh Longboards and if so how can people order them?

Cleo, I closed down my Walker skateboard manufacturing in 1991 and spent the next decade at Ocean Avenue Distribution concentrating instead on the distribution of a variety of skateboard brands to skate shops nationally and internationally. After more than 33 years, I sold the company to Reggie Barnes in 2005 so he is now the owner of both the Walker and Ocean Avenue labels. He too, concentrates on distribution and not manufacturing, so there are no new Walker products being produced or sold at this time. I've been personally sponsored by Sector 9 for many years now and they are releasing the Sector Nine 42" x 8.5" Bruce Walker Pro Model 8-Ply longboard in late 2011. It will be Sector Nine's second pro model ever, as they currently produce the Joel Tudor Pro Model. The most important feature of my deck is the 8-Ply hardwood maple construction which provides for a more rigid, snappier flex than the sponge-like flex of the typical 7-Ply longboard. It will be the only 8-Ply in Sector Nine's 2012 product lineup so ask for it at your local S9 dealer.

Bruce Walker's signature Longboard by Sector 9.

Cleo, Thanks for including my input in your Longboard issue.

I had to include the Florida Longboard legend Bruce Walker!

Bruce Walker

Proud new owner!

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The 2011 Florida Skateboard Hall Of Fame Inductions!

2011-05-16T05:10:00.000-04:00

By Cleo Coney Jr.

April 9^th 2011 loomed like a pending meteor strike on the planet’s surface.

Some how the folks at the Florida Skateboard Hall of Fame had nominated and selected me to be inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside my Florida skateboarding hero’s!

Nah, no way, this can’t be correct. This has to be a stunt, a set up on an episode of PUNK’D!

Let me start from the beginning. Back in March I received a call from my skate brother down in Miami, Rob Weir. Rob and I go way back to my college days as a Miami Dade South campus freshman. Rob calls me and asked me if I was sitting down, he then proceeds to tell me that I was selected by current members, to the Florida Skateboard Hall Of Fame.

What! I’m in the Florida Skateboard Hall of Fame? I don’t believe that for a minute!

Well, a few days later I get a phone call from a member of my old Saint Petersburg skate crew, our old ramp owner himself, John Grigley. John tells me I’m in the H.O.F. and that he was the key vote in selecting me to the H.O.F, and he wanted to personally tell me. Hmmm, I remember Rob telling me that Steve Marinak said his vote was key in my being selected too. Well, I know for sure this is a set up now! These guys are going to hit me in the face with a big whipped cream pie, pull the rug out from under me, then hose me down with reclaimed water, and video tape the whole thing and put it on YouTube! Yeah, something like that is brewing I’m sure.

I had planned on attending the Hall Of Fame Event up in Jacksonville Florida to cover it for Coping Block Skateboarding Magazine anyway. So, if they are going to play a trick on me, might as well write about it.

Now, in working out the details for this trip, it was decided that riding up part of the way with my old skate buddy Bill Procko would help save a few clams (for those not in the know, clams are equal to: Mula, Skrilla, Greenbacks, Scratch, Cheese, Dead Presidents, Ducketts, Dough, Coin, Cash etc.,) I keep forgetting that not everybody is as old as I am.

Demon Seed Ripper in the house!

Tampa crew in the house!

Bill and Kim Procko deliver raffle deck to the winner.

The Florida Skate Museum owner Kyle Sokol.

Anyway, once Bill’s home was reached I had to get a good look at the new Zip Line installed on his property. It’s over four hundred feet of cable stretched out through the forest from the upper deck of his beautiful home, which is built right next to the Suwannee River. The Zip experience ends down line with a bungee braking system. Bill Procko does Amazing Tarzan stuff regularly, so it’s always interesting to see what his next project is. I felt it best to just observe these happy go lucky types flying off his porch into the dense woods, and becoming all so very tiny as they quickly sped into the distance.

The next morning we head off to KONA Skate Park, the oldest, longest running skate park in existence in the U.S.A. today! I have so many great memories skating at KONA as a Block headed, skinny little teenager it has me very eager to skate! Once we arrive and depart Bill’s Van, my mind instantly replays images of years past, as if by magic the sun quietly reminds me of those, super heated sessions of long ago. Those killer sessions where Billy Beauregaurd was flapping Andrechts and Chris Baucom unleashed those scary front side foot plants! Kona’s original concrete Bowls are still in the mix, the super fun snake run rules supreme these days, and on this day it was getting quite a lot of traffic from us older skaters. The snake run is just so fun!

Donny Griffin eggplant reentry in Kona's pool.

I helped Bill set up his booth and then went for some food and ice cold water. Whew! It is so hot here today. A quick look around KONA’s huge complex one realizes how much the park has actually grown since the old days. There’s an extended campground, a huge street course, a massive half-pipe, a sick pool to skate, and a whole lot more. Up above and behind the original KONA half-pipe sat the H.O.F. tent where the festivities would kick off later in the evening.

Lenny Byrd Grinding Kona's Pool

The coolest thing about a gathering like this is that many of the best show up. Great skaters from various skate eras make the pilgrimage to a new location every three or so years. This year wouldn’t be any different as several of the best ever were in the house. All around skaters like Kelly Lynn, George McClellan, and Chuck Dinkins, plus Buck Smith, Mark Lake, Binky Conklin, Peggy Turner, Dan Murray, Steve Marinak, Bruce Walker, Mike Rogers, Lenny Byrd, Todd Webb, Ed Womble, Paul Schmitt, Chris Baucom, John Grigley, Bill Procko, Lonnie Reiter, Walter Lewellen, Bruce Whiteside, Rob Weir, Karen Snyder, Donny Griffin, Marty Ramos, Steve Fisher, Ray Diez, Jimmy Plummer, Steve Workman, Reggie Barnes, the Pineiro Brothers and a host of other rad skaters. Celebrity notables brought out the Tampa crew from the S.P.O.T. both Ryan Clements and Brian Schaefer were seen in the mix, plus the Florida Skate Museums curator Kyle Sokol. There are just too many names to mention all of them, but what a great crowd filled with skateboarders from all over the country.

Mark Lake and friend.

Lonnie throwing up some peace.

The pool session was heating up as the sun began to slide down in the horizon just as the band “Sadly Mistaken” was ripping things up on the lip of the Pool. The band’s frenzied energy was being fed on by the skaters riding the pool. For those of us not skating at the time, a food line began to form near the rear of the H.O.F. tent, and Buddha bellies like mine were in it with the quickness. A catered southwestern buffet was in effect, thank you very much Mr. Ramos!

Peggy Turner in the white top with friend.

Paul Schmitt and Bruce Walker enjoying the festivities.

When the announcement was made that things were about to start, my eyes scanned nervously for the hidden camera’s that would record the biggest “PSYCH” trick played on a person ever. Everyone seemed calm, so I was relaxed too. Dan Murray launched the video of the skaters to be inducted and not enough can be said about the tedious amount of work both he and Steve Marinak put into these events! Not to mention the great video editing and sound mixing, plus, the creation of H.O.F. jackets and awards! I know there are probably others involved here but those two really shined.

Florida's original Kryptonics Skate Team L to R, George McClellan, Dan Murray, Steven Fisher, and Ray Diaz.

The original St. Pete skate crew from L to R, Bill Procko, John Brigley, Bruce Whiteside, Walter Lewellen, Paul Schmitt, and on the mic Cleo Coney.

It was great to see Ray Diez, and Steve Fisher, talk about those glory days of Skateboarding that most of us still remember. Just seeing those guys in Kryptonic Shirts and big smiles on their faces while taking photos with the balance of the Krypto team George McClellan was worth the drive. I can’t forget Steve Anderson’s speed in the half-pipe, or Ray Diez’s smooth flow on long board slides, or Steve Fisher rock n rolling the vertical extensions in Clearwater’s half-pipe! These were moments that I lived over and over again in my head as a very young skateboarder. Steve Anderson who was unable to attend the event because of his teaching gig in China, sent a thank you video that featured his young students repeating skateboarding trick names in English and promoting his favorite tricks from the past, instantly became a classic and crowd favorite, too funny!

I’m still stoked. The video of Karen Snyder was evidence of her skills as a freestyle skater. I never got to skate with her back in the day but there’s still time to session with her. But not only did she get inducted, but her brother Craig Snyder as well for his photo contributions to the sport over the years. He was unable to attend but was there in spirit, as we all looked upon his great photographic work in his segment of the induction video.

Ancient Skateboarder Cleo Coney gets inducted.

John Grigley, Cleo Coney , and Ed Womble.

Listening to these skaters talk about family, the skateboarding family and how that bond helped them or pushed them to do better is exactly how I feel about the sport. Skateboarders are one big family. The sport that I began at age eight only by accident has embraced my efforts, and now my name is being called to come forward in front of my skate family, to be inducted into the Florida Skateboard Hall of Fame. I guess this isn’t a joke on me after all, these very talented skateboarders, these hero’s of mine, the people I continue to look up to from my wall posters as a kid, they have decided together to include me in their midst. Wow! Thirty-nine years after I picked up my first skateboard with clay wheels here I am. Today I’m humbled, and so grateful for skateboarding.

The Hall Of Fame emblem on the rear of each inductee's jacket.

Push, Carve, Grind!

For more great Skateboarding stories visit http://www.copingblock.com/

The David Adams Interview in Coping Block Skateboarding Magazine!

2011-05-16T04:00:00.000-04:00

David Adams chats with Coping Block Skateboarding Magazine!

David Adams carving coping at Dunedin's Stirling Skate Park.

Dave your name brings instant respect and appreciation when mentioned in any skateboarding related conversation around the state. You’ve been involved in skateboarding for some time, beginning in those glorious Clearwater Skateboard Park days of yore. You were also instrumental in getting the city of Dunedin to recognize a need for a quality skate park and helped to get Stirling Skateboard Park built, and everybody thanks you for that!

When did you first realize that skateboarding was in your blood for good?

Wow, that’s a big question. I first rode a skateboard when I was around 8. It was a Hoby Super Surfer with clay wheels. I was hooked from the minute I rode down the driveway.

Back in those awesome skate days at Clearwater Skateboard Park whom did you skate with?

I skated with the Team a lot, which included GBM, Womble, Pat Parker, Jeff France, Todd Sondegrath, JBM, Fisher, Schumaker and all those rippers. Oh, and the younger guys on the team like Tony Simotes, Mike Coccia, and Jimmy Marcus, those kids were awesome. I skated a lot with my surfing friends too, like Shane James, Donny Staley, Kevin O’Connor, and that crowd. I can’t remember everyone I skated with right now, because I skated a lot, just about every night.

David flying frontside on an ancient ramp back in the day.

What are some of your most memorable times you have of Clearwater Skateboard Park?

I have so many really good memories from that time in my life. It felt like my second family there, and I needed that at the time. One of the best times for me was the grand opening of the park. It was like a dream come true to have that much concrete available to be creative on. The weeknight sessions were always hot, and skateboarding was progressing at such a rapid pace in 77/78, that from one week to the next, the level would just go up and up. That fueled my fire for sure.

When you skate Dave, your style flows like water, did surfing create your style or

were you always smooth like butter on your skateboard?

Whoa, thanks for your assessment. I would like to think that surfing and skateboarding together have influenced my style, but back then skating was always about trying to emulate surfing, so that approach probably influenced my style. I was trying to be like Jerry Lopez at Pipeline man.

Wheeling some coping block back in the day!

Looking at the finished product that Team Pain delivered at Stirling Skateboard Park, and after skating in countless sessions at the park, is there any design changes you would make, or park extensions that you’d like to see?

I really do think Tito and the Concrete Crew for Team Pain did such a fantastic job designing and constructing the Sterling Skatepark in Dunedin. And I enjoyed being a part of that process. As for design changes, no, I don’t have anything on that. However, I believe a true street plaza designed for competition on the area where the basketball courts are would be a great addition to the park. We’re going to work on that with the City in the coming months, so stay tuned.

Just how long did it take in the process of working with the City of Dunedin to get Stirling Skateboard Park approved for building?

Well, I was invited to participate as a member of their origin Task Force back in 1998, and the Grand Opening of the park was in September 2007, so around nine years. I’ll be honest and say there were periods where I would get frustrated and just give up. But I would regroup and go back and talk to the leaders in our community, and promote the concept of a poured in place concrete park. I learned a lot along the way, made many mistakes, and probably ruffled a few feathers, too. But in the end, it worked out for the best. Had I convinced the other members of the Task Force to support a concrete park back in 1998, we would not have what we have now, because skateparks have progressed so much.

What would you suggest other skaters in other communities do to help move the process along and to help win approval of such?

Get to know your community leaders on a more personal level. Get involved with the process by requesting meetings with your recreation leaders. Go in prepared with photos of other projects and educate them on how important a skatepark is to their community. Recruit your support from outside the skate community, like business owners and law enforcement. You’ll be surprised how much you can get done.

Dave you’ve seen some radical skateboarding over the years by various skateboarders, whom are your all-time favorite Florida skaters past and present?

Man, there are so many really good ones I’ve enjoyed skating with or just watching, but I will say from my personal perspective, Monty Nolder, Mark Lake, Mike Daly, Tullie Carlton, John Grigley, and Chris West all skated the way I thought it should be done. In the present, I am a big fan of Jimmy the Greek and Mike Frazier. Oh yeah, and Buck Smith is the man! He destroyed the pool when he came to Dunedin.

Do you think skateboard parks should develop team riders like they had back in the late 1970’s to compete against other skateboard parks? The Team Pain Series - Teams from Dunedin, Cocoa Beach, Oviedo, New Smyrna, etc. competing for the title at a neutral site.

Well I haven’t really thought about that. It sounds cool though.

How has skateboarding enhanced your life?

Skateboarding probably saved my life. It took me to the edge in other less risky ways. Yeah, my lifestyle has always had skateboarding in it, and I am forever grateful for the friends I have made because I am a skateboarder.

You had the opportunity to go west and skate in some big New Mexico Ditches, what was that experience like?

It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. GBM was such a great host, and very good race organizer. Hanging with Kelly Lynn, Chuck Dinkins, Garr Poe, Farid, Jimmy Marcus and Heidi was just so fluid. I helped set up the course for the Indian School race, and worked the finish line with Gregg Stubbs, one of crew from Texas. The qualifier was held the next morning and I ran in that one. I was so stoked to do that. We went to a lot of the ditches around Albuquerque, including Kate’s Nips and the Bear, which can only be appreciated in person. We hit up a few pools, partied at Palmers house, and just raged for a few days. I came away feeling like I had been to the Mecca of the skateboarding world. The whole scene out there is just so full of energy, and I loved it. I want to go back in the future.

David Adams hauling azz in the New Mexican Desert.

Select one of the following complete setups:

A) Original G&S Fiberflex with Bennett’s and Alligator Wheels

B) Original Logan Earth Ski with Trackers and Road Rider 4’s

C) Original Sims Taper Kick with Gullwings and Sims Bowl Riders

D) Original Hobie Mike Weed Rocker Kick with Lazer Trucks and OJ’s

Oh, the Taper Kick for sure! I had a couple of them back in the day and loved those boards.

I’d change the wheels to white Powerflex 5s though, trying to be era correct and all.

Did you ever have a Tony Alva poster on any of your bedroom walls back in the day?

No, my posters were usually surfing posters or that black light poster of the hot chick with the Afro. It was the 70s man! Just kidding on that one. Surfing posters were it. I think I remember having a poster of Mt. Baldy at one time. Waldo Autrey over vert, I think. It’s all kind of fuzzy.

Evening grind on an original BURG BOWL deck.

Dave your kids skateboard a little, what is it that you would like them to take away from skateboarding and apply it to their lives?

The individual creativity that each of us has inside. We all need some form of canvas to lay it down. So if they can explore that aspect of their lives through skating, surfing, or some other avenue, I’ll be satisfied with that. I just want them to enjoy the experience.

Dave you have been blessed with a great skate history, a beautiful family, and you’ve set a positive example as a concerned parent and citizen. Thanks for taking time out of your busy life to talk to Coping Block.

Thanks Cleo, you’re right about that. My wife and kids are a blessing for sure, and have made my life beautiful. That, and all the good friends I have, like you my man. Stay cool.

Push, Carve, Grind!

For more great Skateboarding stories please visit www.copingblock.com

The Walter Lewellen Interview in Coping Block Skateboarding Magazine!

2011-05-16T03:21:00.000-04:00

By Cleo Coney Jr.

Walter Lewellen wheeling a disturbingly kinked early version of the Saint Petersburg Ramp.

Walter let's get right into it, where and when did you first start skateboarding?

I first started skateboarding in 1976 when wide world of skateboarding magazine started appearing in the news rack at Lil General store in St.Petersburg, Florida. I went to church camp that year and some surfer skaters Nick Kurz and Dale Allen let me ride their "Banzai aluminum" board.

What was your first set up?

My first "real" board was a Bahne watermelon with Chicago trucks and Weber performer wheels. It was used and had duct tape on the nose.

You have always had an aggro skate style and philosophy to your skateboarding, who were your earliest influences?

My earliest influences would be seeing Matt Davies at a Toys r Us demo and skaters at Earthin Surfin like Chris Moriarity, Michael Daly, and Jay Hamilton.

You were able to skate many of the earliest concrete skate parks in the state of Florida, did you have a favorite and if so what did you like about it?

I liked Earthin Surfin since I went there the most. I liked the snake runs. I have skated I believe every park in the Tampa area including Surferdrome, the place next to Oil can Henry's in Bradenton, Coquina, Skate Wave, Clearwater, McGill’s, Rollin, Sensation, and Lately New Tampa.

Notice the early PVC home made version of copers! Walter Lewellen stinky frontside Air.

You spent time skating with the St.Petersburg, Crew at both the Nacho Ramp and the Grigley Vert ramp, how did those sessions influence your desire to create your own line of skateboards?

I started building them because of my interest in them and I couldn’t afford to buy more than a board or two a year. I started building boards at home then at Gibbs High School in 1977. Later I tried to do some of the great ideas developed during cracking sessions and slurpee runs.

Where and when did you start building skateboards?

At home, and then Gibbs High School Woodshop. The school had a press that was perfect, and made a rocker kick, which was cool. I then put Formica on the bottom, which looked good and was slick.

When did you come up with "MSD" Manual Skate Device?

During a your momma cracking session at Bruce Whiteside's house.

What were the decks dimensions what combinations of wood did you experiment with?

The boards I built at school I used ash with a 1/4" bottom ply and then combos of thin ply's above, and Formica.

An original MSD deck, Manual Skate Device.

Let's get into your skate relationship with Paul Schmitt; did you ever discuss with him glue strengths, lamination combinations, or construction techniques in the distant past?

All of the above I used to pick his brain when I would visit him in the 80's and 90's. He took me around to different woodshops, Upland etc.

Were you at the ramp the day Paul rode straight through the quarter pipe transition and ended up having a ramp around his upper chest?

Yes and I have a knot on my head still from Paul's board, that flew out like 50' in the air one day and hit me in the head.

The knot now gone from the head of Walter.

I know that you worked with both Bruce Whiteside and John Grigley in developing board graphics, what was their input?

They are both artistically savvy and can translate ideas into reality without much explaining.

When did you first come up with the concept of "SANITATION" Skateboards and Clothing?

I thought that it was alternative realm and was clean. I was trying to do something different than skulls. Growing up in the Burg I was inspired by the Sanitation dept.

What were some of the T-Shirts that "SANITATION" produced?

"Solid Waste”, “Janitor" "Garbage Girl” designed by Anthony Foronda and John Grigley.

Will we see any new stuff from Sanitation in the near future?

No.

Another MSD design.

You have one of the most creative minds in skateboarding, but you never really exploited your talents to the masses. You are the quintessential idea guy, why hold back?

I am into consistency over time so I take my time...

Elaborate on 100% Rocks and Easter Island heads as graphics.

Hanging out with Cleo in the 80's and Paul Sneed.

For the following one-word questions, please answer with the first word that comes to mind.

1. Nellie? Dirt

2. Flips? Snead

3. Cardboard? Yes

4. Charlie? Charlieeee

5. Fiberglass? It itches without duct tape (Hey! That’s more than one word!)

6. Monty? When he blew away Fausto (That’s five words! LOL!)

7. Fire? 24yrs

8. Henry? He was def at that Rockin Chair Theater b-boy contest

9. Cheese? Davis

10. Yellow? Drew Crepeau

11. Ice? Arlank

12. Cactus? Nagasaki

Micro companies are one of the best things about Skateboarding. Idea's translated into reality and sometimes into mega companies. What future plans do you have for skateboarding?

I plan to keep riding and potentially produce some products later in this decade.

Walter Lewellen enjoying some edge play for the fun of it.

If you could design your own skate park what would it be like?

I like the new parks, but they should have snake runs or gravity runs and be a little less cluttered. These parks need a consistent concrete half pipe with long even sides.

What single skateboarder do you respect the most out of all others?

Don’t have a single one have many that I respect. Seeing Matt Davies blow away the California Free Former team at Toys R Us. Growing up Mike Folmer gave me like a large quantity of Sims stickers. Bruce Whiteside, John Grigley, Cleo Coney, Thom Nickelson, Paul Schmitt, Bill Procko.

Have you ever thought about how the crew of skaters you grew up skating with have influenced the sport over the years?

Constantly yes, Much respect and good times for Bruce Whiteside, John Grigley, Cleo Coney, Thom Nickelson, Paul Schmitt, Bill Procko for the great times we had skating, building ramps, going to 7-11 and crackin "your momma" jokes...Etc

Will you ever consider producing snowboards or snowboard related gear?

I thought of making Solid Waste bright urange (orange) mitts.

What's your opinion of the new skate parks?

They try to pack too much stuff in, the concrete is so smooth and they are well built. The wood parks are too slippery for me.

What was your participation in getting the New Tampa Park built?

My neighbor was the number 2 guy in the City of Tampa parks dept and I constantly told him about Team Pain concrete parks, after about 3 years he was able to pass it on and we got lucky.

Walter axle sliding to fakie.

As a young skater what was your dream set up?

Castor IPS 6 ply with BSC trucks and White Gyros and Sims gold bearings.

What do you like most about Skateboarding?

You can always do it and you meet some exceptional friends. When I showed up at Tyrone mall Champs sports and Barry Zaritsky's voice was gone so I MC'd for Rodney Mullen and he was surprised I could do it.

Any last words?

When I skate I think about war, when I fall I am not dead. Also, I would like to thank Mrs. Grigley and Mrs. Whiteside for letting us build and skate ramps in their backyards.

Push, Carve, Grind!

For more great Skateboarding stories please visit http://www.copingblock.com/

Coping Block Skateboarding Magazine looks into Micro Skateboard Companies

2011-05-16T02:33:00.000-04:00

Micro Skate Companies vs. the Giants

The growth of the Skateboarding Industry can sometimes be measured by the success or failure of the many micro skateboarding related companies that make up the industry.

Many of today's industry giants were once garage operations.

By Cleo Coney Jr.

Murder Ride / Charles Crank

Murder Ride, what was your inspiration to kick it off?

It was easy, I had been watching so many horror films as a kid and with my babies momma and thought a Murder themed skateboard company would be a hit. Wes Humpston and Skip Engblom are the guys that inspired me the most to start a skateboard company though. I wanted to have my very own Zepher Team and bring some riders up by putting the illest custom painted boards under there feet just like Dogtown Skates did. I thought if I custom painted my own boards and picked up some diversified riders that I could kickstart my own revolution based on the Dogtown Chronicles.

Micro Skate companies seem to generate more grassroots buzz than the larger entities, how has Murder Ride been accepted in your area?

The local shops have been real supportive in the growth of the company, people in the Bay Area are really into what we are doing, the parents like it as much as the kids do. Many locals tell me that Murder Ride boards look better than any other boards on the racks in the skate shops.

What's your biggest obstacle in the growth of Murder Ride?

I’ll say troubleshooting with the many different types of paints and other secret products that we use has been the biggest obstacle so far. I can’t count the hours we spend trying to perfect the recipe.

How quickly can you make graphic changes?

On the fly we can put a hot new five board series together in one day and produce prototypes within 3 days.

What's been your most proud moment so far in the development of Murder Ride?

Seeing the faces of these kids light up when I offer them a spot on the team is the best, It instantly builds their confidence and opens more doors to get them more sponsors and support.

Demon Seed / Wade Ulrich

How did Demon Seed come about?

Demon Seed was started in 2009 with a vision to product the highest quality boards with the sickest graphics on the market and sponsor some of the best skaters out there.

Collectively who decides what the graphics are going to look like?

Myself and the artists, I try and let each artist design graphics with their own style while keeping with the brand image for Demon Seed. My Brewery riders did have input on their models though, especially Steve Workman with his model.

Skateboarding Micro companies are all the rage, how big do you want Demon Seed to grow?

Don’t plan on taking over the world…hahaha, but you never know.

What do you think is the coolest thing about having input into your own skateboard company?

Not having to settle for second best and having creative freedom.

What has been the biggest challenge so far?

The biggest challenge was to find a manufacturer that could produce boards that met my high quality standards. I'm a little OCD when it comes to quality and the Demon Seed brand.

What part of Florida is Demon Seed in?

Demon Seed is from Cocoa Florida.

What's the fastest way a person can get their hands on one of your decks?

At their local skate shop or online at www.Demonseedskateboards.com

When I think of micro skate companies Paul, some of the first ones that come to mind are from back in the day, Markel, Flite, Schmitt Stix, Little, etc., all.

Why is this industry filled with so many micro skate companies?

Don’t forget products like the Clyde Slide and Fish Stix. Skateboarding has always had a very do it yourself attitude, that means a lot of people want to try their hand at being a skateboard company. Now days it usually means having someone else make it for you and your company designs the graphics and images and sometimes the shape.

You used to be a micro company back in the day, what was your biggest obstacle back then?

Things were very different back then, as the skateboard had not been accepted by society yet. For me as a young company the obstacle was potential market. That means I did things to promote skateboarding like build ramps, run contest, document them etc. Now days its the fact that a skateboard is a commodity product that sells price and not the merits of the product.

Creatively, do you think micro companies have a better handle on what's going on at the grassroots level?

Young companies have the advantage of understanding their local marketplace. The problem is, to be successful you have to sell everywhere and that means you need to market well enough to get the consumers attention and create excitement about the product.

What advice do you have for all those start up and current micro skateboard companies on the scene today?

When I was young the skateboard was unrefined. I was able to refine it and that is how I got people to pay attention to what I was doing. As a new company how are you going to get the consumers attention? Start your brand as a hobby and see if you can get someone’s attention locally and far away. If you can, then you need to figure out design, marketing, production, distribution & finance. If you do not have those 5 areas of your business in place, it’s going to be hard to compete in today's marketplace where the skateboard has become a commodity.

Find out what Paul Schmitt is up to @ http://www.createaskate.org/

For the best of Skateboarding please visit http://www.copingblock.com/