Kelly Bird for Real Skateboards

I interviewed Kelly Bird for the reissue of his “Screaming Bird” Pro Model from Real Skateboards. A beloved graphic from the salad days of modern street skating.

James Kelch for Real Skateboards

I interviewed the official Mayor of EMB for Real skateboards, celebrating the reissue of his legendary first Pro Model, the “Flyer”.

Cash In

Get spun.

One day little Billy woke up and his idols, his favorite Pro skaters were clean. Little Billy saw that his idols were wasted everyday. He was inthralled by the fact of how hard they partied in the videos and could still skate big stairs. Billy tried the same drugs and bought all of the party guys boards. Billy even got a tattoo of their party logo. What he never knew about being an addict was how your body hurts without drugs. He never saw that torture. The Pros must have edited out what it’s like to be dope sick in the videos. He ended up lurking at the skateparks selling dope to support his habit all while his idols had cash and resources to go to rehab. Billy consider all his party idols “sell outs” and his idols never considered him at all. -ERL

Do As I Say Not As I Do

Theories are just that, theories. I gave a lot of thought to the current state of the skate shoe industry and have no ill will towards any shoe company big or small. Business is business and this is an idea of how things might have come about. Maybe think it over before you automatically dismiss any fault in how things went down. Again this is a theory based on what I saw as an employee of DC, a skate shop buyer, and a life long skateboarder. Thanks for reading.

There’s a lot of talk about supporting skater owned shoe companies. That seems like common knowledge. These are the brands that started it all. A movement took place that allowed other brands to come in and buy some real-estate on the shoe wall. They are feeling the heat from Nike SB, Adidas, Converse, and the soon to be released New Balance skate brand of shoes. These brands are considered outsiders to our tight knit skater owned industry. None of these big brands started in skateboarding. They did however see expansion and growth by offering products to skateboarders. They wanted to increase revenue by expanding their respective brands. Which apparently seems to be a foreign idea from skater owned brands, or is it?

Between 1997- 1998 a major skate shoe brand made a big decision to start selling shoes to what is called “the majors”. New shoe companies were taking up more and more room on the limited space of the skate shop’s shoe walls. This company was DC Shoe Co and the first “major” was Copeland’s Sports. The same decision to sell to Pac Sun and Macy’s was not far behind. DC wrote the book on selling to the “majors” and was soon followed by Sole Tech (Etnies, Emerica, and ES), then Adio, Vans, and so on. Because these brands wanted to increase their revenue they sold to non skater owned companies.

Small skater owned shops who helped grow these brands cried foul. How could these brands that started in mom and pop shops sell out and cross over to the chain stores? Now instead of prospective skate shoe buyers shopping where skate shoes originated (skate shops), skate parents could make the convenient drive to the mall and buy skater shoes for the whole family. No more bothersome trips to that small shop with the weird music. Elevator music, escalators, and a food court is much more comforting.

Could it be around this time when skate shoes were exploding with mainstream popularity that the big shoe companies noticed kids weren’t wearing Jordan’s anymore? When your annual sales are dipping you look to see what’s trending and make that move. At this same time the skater owned brands kept growing larger and larger with more Journeys, Zumiez, and mail order giants. The blowback was the “core” shops as they were called, who lost more and more business. Although the skater owned brands would throw out a core shoe here and there to make the shops somewhat desirable to skaters, parents found skate shoes more and more accessible the “majors”. Whole families were now wearing shoes that they were complaining about their kids destroying too soon only a few years ago.

The mainstream was all about skate shoes and the big sporting companies took notice. These skate brands were taking away sales from sport shoe companies on their shores, sports stores and “life style” stores. With all of these skater owned brands expanding out of actual skate shops, how would the big brands not take notice? Why wouldn’t Nike, Adidas, or Puma want a piece of the action that was taking away from their sales? Did the skater owned brands get too big for their britches and bring the evil outsiders on themselves? Did a bigger fish smell the blood from these dying shops and react?

Why wouldn’t these shops take in these new larger brands given their sense of betrayal? Why not welcome in non skate brands when the very skate brands these small shop supported reached out to non skate shops? Suddenly the small skater owned shops who welcomed the Swooshes or 3 stripes were the bad guys. How dare they turn to a sporting brand for profit! It’s not acceptable for shops to bring in outside brands. What does skateboarding have to do with other sports? Shops were selling out to major sports brands, how unheard of is that? 10 years before that is exactly what the skater owned companies did and it didn’t matter what the small shops thought because the shoe companies were killing it. Shops soon saw their goods in the mall, at Ross, and discounted online. Gigantic demos for Zumiez in grand fashion have replaced the old school US tours that supported shops who carried the skate brands. Huge prebooks and big checks made it easier to ignore the cries of selling out. Similar to Professional skaters quitting smaller shoe brands for bigger checks and future security, money talks.

Now with everything coming full circle, the shops are the bad guys for having the big brands on their shoe walls. You know, these sports brands. It’s no surprise at all that shops aren’t feeling a form of nostalgic guilt after seeing how these small companies outgrew them. The “these 3 shoes are our skate shop only models” didn’t sit well I guess. In retrospect picking a select group of shoes for a certain type of shop could have been swayed to the majors. The original shops who helped grow these brands were burnt by companies expanding into the mainstream and mall/sport shops. Now that the shoe is on the other foot, it’s not a good idea to make a profit from outside resources. It’s very possible that greed eventually attracted these outsiders to our neck of the wood because we reached too far beyond our own village. Did our light shine so bright we pointed it in the wrong direction? -ERL

12.7.77

Despite how hard Beau’s departure hit all of us, today is a day to remember what we had in the most unique and loving person I ever had in my life. Reno hasn’t been and will never be the same. Memories are razor sharp and when that’s all you have, consider it a gift. We get together and keep the spirit alive and well. I am thankful to all my friends I have in my life to share your memory. Bear hugs, cig breath, Sinclair ridiculousness, and that smile. The sun was shining bright today brother, thank you. Happy Birthday. You are Loved. Live4Die4. -ERL

 

 

29 Year Zinger

Everybody gets zinged from time to time. You might be having an off day and someone verbally checks you and you’re speechless. The worst thing you can do is try and rebut with a half ass retort. Bad news for you if the other dude is on his game. Decades ago I was zinged and it was legendary. To this day, no one has put it on me like this and hopefully no one will.

For the record, my first real skateboard was a Santa Cruz Jammer with Indys. It was from a yard sale. I don’t remember what the wheels were because I didn’t know shit about skateboards at the time. The one thing I do remember is the guy selling it said, “It has Independent Trucks, they’re the best.” and that is a fact to this day. At the time I really didn’t get the hook from skating. It took about a year to hit. 1984 was the year and I wanted a real skateboard. One with rails, copers, nosebones, and all the other plastic crap that all the “good” boards had.

I was in San Diego with my family and my Mom and I walked into a skate shop in the mall. In retrospect I should have known better to buy a skateboard from a mall. I saw a white Variflex board with a Ninja standing in front of a volcano erupting the brightest neon pink lava and I had to have it. It seemed radical with black Variflex trucks with red and black wheels split with the 50/50 color. I talked my Mom into it and I was thinking I was hot shit with my first Pro skateboard. When we got back home, I couldn’t wait to bring it to Jr. High and show it off to the other skaters. I thought I was a skater at the time. Not so much, having a skateboard does not constitute being an actual skateboarder. Cruise around a college campus and you’ll get the point.

I’m walking up to school and there was a group of skaters and one of them asked to see my board. I was certain I was going to get props on what a bitchin stick I had. This Ninja board was going to give me some serious street cred. The kids name was Wade. He proceeded to ask me, “Where did you get your board, Mervyns?”. I was so pissed. How dare he question my Variflex Ninja. My shit had neon pink lava spewing all over the place. I looked at Wade and replied with the utmost confidence, “No. I got it in California.”, because in my mind California was the absolute coolest place on the fucking planet. It was populated entirely by Surfers, Skaters, and hot blondes with giant tits. His retort was quick, razor sharp, and I have never forgotten it to this day. I personally think it was the best line in the history of comebacks. Wade simply asked, “Where? Mervyns in California?”. His timing was perfect, the material was untouchable. To this day NO ONE has zinged me with such authority. I muttered something pathetic like “No, San Diego.” but, it was pointless. I was hit and there was no recovery. I can imagine my red face was lighting the way to the wall I stood against, alone and defeated.

The funny thing is maybe a month later I cut up a Madrid Skateboard sticker and did a custom sticker job on my Ninja board. All the skater kids were hanging out in front of the movie theater and a kid named Kris checked out my board and assumed it was a Madrid Limited Edition Ninja and I didn’t try to correct him by any means. Back then I really wanted to fit in with the rest of the skaters, everything else was football and all of the jock shit. After that my Ninja board seemed a little cooler and my road to mongo pushing was on it’s way. Within another year, skateboardings popularity died and all of those “skaters” quit to jump on the next trend. No matter what though, Wade Adams zinged one into the history books. Soon after, I had a Roskopp III and all was good. California was everything I saw in the movies and music videos but, it let me down on my Ninja board. -ERL Everyone knows that California Girls all look like this when your 14 right? -ERL

Zinged on a Ninja.

Leroy and the Brat

We are children at heart. I am a child in my 40s. The day I picked up a wooden toy, my world changed forever. It is the fountain of youth. We all drink from the same cup. A special kind of magic that resonates to the few who allow it to sweep us away to a place where everything makes sense. We are children at heart and when someone passes it is utterly inconceivable, we are in disbelief. Not one of us, not our hero, not another child at heart.

I wrote the story below years ago, it shows the impact of meeting someone who affected my path in skateboarding. When I shared this with Jeff and he replied, “God it sucks knowing how much I sucked. Shameful…” I had to correct him. I told him, not at all. You were being a character and everybody perceived it as so. You must’ve made some kind of impact because I’m still detailing it at 30 some odd years later. You’re a good dude and people love you, just know that. I got a “Thanks buddy!” and that was more that enough for me. RIP Grosso, you were so much to so many. Hero status since I was 16.

John Lucero and Jeff Grosso were two of the first Pro Skateboarders I met. It was 1987 and it meant a hell of a lot to meet a Pro back then. You didn’t see a lot of Pros outside of California. There weren’t a trillion Pros like now. I went with my friend Cade to a skate contest at the Donner Ski Ranch. We rolled into the parking lot and saw a ton of kids. At the time if you saw a skater you’d always approach them and hang. Skateboarders were still outcasts at the time so you always stuck together. We watched the contest and made our way to the lodge. I’m pretty sure we both saw John Lucero and Jeff Grosso on the deck at the same time. We immediately freaked out. I mean why would two Pro skaters be at this little parking lot contest? The illusion that these guys were living the dream in California complete with mansions and swimming pools had me fooled. Jesus, a lot of us assumed the Bones Brigade all lived together and skated everyday like our crew. The ignorance of youth is bliss.

I had only seen them in the mags and was fully fanning out. A ton of kids were around them and we made our way closer. I asked Lucero if they were going to skate. Grosso replied, “Yeah, maybe if someone buys me a hamburger or something”. We were actually trying to figure out how to get money to buy this dude a hamburger! Although he was being a dick, I could care less. He was dropping pure gold in snarky comments to anyone within ears distance.

I kooked it and asked Lucero if he was giving away his board and he told me, “No way dude, that’s my board”. The one question you don’t ask a Pro I asked in hopes of getting that board of his. The same question he was asked a hundred times I’m sure. I asked Lucero why they were at the contest and they both said, “we’re here to see him”. They pointed to Riky Barnes who was pretty gnarly. To a small town white kid, he looked like something out of the Sex Pistols. He was all punked out and ripping the course. Spiked hair, leather jacket, bondage bracelets, and pushing around like a demon. After the contest Lucero skated and was doing fakie tail slides on a metal curb. Pretty mind blowing at the time. Pushing fakie to smashing his tail into the curb and coming out forward after sliding what seemed 100 feet. Lucero pretty much put on a one man demo without even trying, he was just skating around doing moves we had never seen yet.

In the middle of the signing Jeff said “You can only sign your name so many times before it gets boring” and stopped signing anything. An utter rockstar moment but none the less funny.  Being surrounded by kids and being that pretentious would have rubbed me the wrong way if I’d been older, Jeff was being a dick all day and we loved it. He just had his street model come out and he’s not going to skate? We were bumming and I never wanted to suddenly see a vert ramp so bad. Jeff did not skate, at all.

Cade and I both noticed Lucero’s board had little grooves routed into his nose. I assumed it was for nose grabs and a better idea than Ripgrip. Total prototype set up that I had never seen and never saw again. He was riding a purple stained Schmitt Stix Street Thing, white Thunders, and Saw Blade wheels. Seeing those guys made such an impression that stuck to this day. Cade and I both had Lucero and Grosso boards not long after. We also found a good curb spot where Cade learned fakie tail sides pretty quick. From Schmitt Stix, Lucero Limited, John Lucero Skateboards, to Black Label, I always rode and supported the original blue collar Pros.  Still do. –ERL

Street Thing ad.

Curb Crusher

While you were stressing.

Curb Life 101

The Forefront of Fashion.

Riky Barnes getting weird in Donner.

Riky coming in hot.

I tried to do this sticker job on my Grosso. Beautiful photo, brutal.

Serious Attention

Ain’t nothing changed.

On The Wall with Jared Isenberg

At some point everyone has opened a Thrasher, Transworld, Power Edge, etc and saw a picture that floored them. There’s going to be that one shot that made it on the wall above all others. There may have been an entire wall covered in pages pulled from magazines or posters but, there is always one that will stand out 20 + years down the road. I asked five people from Aces Tattoo to recall their favorite image of all time and discuss why it made such a memorable impact. Five skaters, all different ages, different generations, and unique personalties sharing their favorite photos that made it on the wall. Next up is Jared Isenberg.

1. Jared,  this is a tough question because skating is so unique and styles reign supreme in so many different eras but, what photo would you say is your favorite of all time?

Gonz -Thrasher cover September 1986.

2. Describe what it is about the image that made it your favorite, although it is a Gonz photo so it’s going to be a keeper.

Gonz was my idol. Look at that shit, Indy Boneless. Rad! This photo single handedly made me stop using rails, not to mention he’s riding my favorite board of all time.

3. Is this photo more about the trick at the time, the actual photography, or a blend of everything?

It’s not the trick really. I like the yellows and blues! I love the movement of this photo.

4. Was the Gonz your favorite at the time or was it purely based on the photograph?

Fuck yeah. Hands down fave, tied with Rick Windsor who never got enough coverage.

Even then he was changing everything.

5. To even mention Windsor is rad, underground ripper. How about an of the older advertisements? Was there one particular skate ad that made you run out and buy it up?

No ad ever made me buy anything but, the World/Blind ads in the late 80s early 90s ruled. Especially the Powell one, “Dear George”.

I have that ad on the wall at the shop!  Thanks Jared, everything Gonz is the right stuff. – ERL

On The Wall with Jake Griffin

At some point everyone has opened a Thrasher, Transworld, Power Edge, etc and saw a picture that floored them. There’s going to be that one shot that made it on the wall above all others. There may have been an entire wall covered in pages pulled from magazines or posters but, there is always one that will stand out 20 + years down the road. I asked five people from Aces Tattoo to recall their favorite image of all time and discuss why it made such a memorable impact. Five skaters, all different ages, different generations, and unique personalties sharing their favorite photos that made it on the wall. First up is Jake Griffin.

1. Jake, it’s a tough question because skating is so unique and styles reign supreme in so many different eras but, what photo would you say is your favorite of all time?

This took all of about five minutes for me to choose this photo, the one of Matt Hensley doing a frontside ollie on the underside of a freeway overpass bridge. 

2. Damn, great shot. Legendary for sure, what was it is about the image that made it your favorite.

The thing about the photo is pretty much the danger involved, not to mention it shows the kind of “seek and destroy” attitude that helps define what skateboarding is all about. There’s the risk of Hensley himself shooting off the side of the bridge to a most certain death and there’s the possibility of his board shooting out into unsuspecting traffic. It just looks like the whole lot of those dudes were having a fucking blast on the bridge that day.

3. Is this photo more about the trick at the time, the actual photography, or a blend of everything?

It’s a bit of both, any Hensley trick in a magazine back then was a treat…even the basic ollie. As for the photography, Sturt took (takes) some of the best pictures in the business. I dig how he incorporates the danger involved in skating…and none more dangerous than this one, or at least it’s perceived that way. 

4. There was nothing safe about this one, gimme danger! Was Matt Hensley your favorite at the time or was it purely based on the photograph?

Hensley? Hell yes he was one of my favorites! The dude was a beast, not even in the gnarly sense either, he just oozed skating and style. I remember each time a new issue of any skate mag would come out I would dig deep, hoping there was something new from him. I can honestly say that I rocked the cut off cargo shorts and royal blue tee because of him, but on the same token I never fell into the chain wallet craze that he seemed to influence.

5. I thought it was cool he rocked the chain wallet because Jason Jessee did and then influenced everyone because of it. How about an advertisement? Was there one particular skate ad that made you run out and buy it up?

I was never really influenced by ads in skateboarding. I was usually broke all the time so buying into advertisement was never really an option as much as trying to get a hook up was. Fortunately I had a few friends who worked at shops or a friend who actually worked at H-Street who would kick down product, which was awesome because at the time H-Street was the shit.

H-Street was the business until it wasn’t, thanks Jake. Great choice. -ERL

The simplicity of style and danger comes through with a legendary shot by Daniel Harold Sturt.

Ramblin’ Man Spencer Benavides Words and Stills.

Spencer is one of the few people I know who I’ll never wonder why he quit skating. By every definition of the term, he is a lifer. I always liked the tricks he did and how he incorporated fun into every session. Even the “temper tantrum can’t land this trick sessions” he’d smile through a meltdown or make fun of himself. Opinionated has always been a way to describe him as well. I’ve never seen him back down when he believes in something. You have to respect a straight shooter when you’ve got scars instead of comprise. Throughout almost 30 years of skating, Spencer was a no brainer for the next Wheel Bite interview. We could use some Spencer from 1988-2005 to pull some of these kids cards these days. On that note, off we go. -ERL

1. What’s up Spencer, what’s your take on the skate scene these days? It’s a bit of a mess.

It’s pretty bitchin’, kids rip harder than ever, videos are a lot more diverse and people seem to be more well rounded. I really wish kids would stop calling anything with transition vert. Vert is short for vertical, look that shit up.

2. “I mostly skate vertical at Idlewild.” That’s so bad! What does Reno Skateboarding mean to you?

Friends, family, love, loss, success and failure. A different story for every corner downtown. Lifelong friendships and some of the best and worst events in my life. Try, try, try and try.

TRU Bank KF

3. Well said, the best memories have been on the wooden toy. What is your favorite time period since you first started skating?

I have very vivid memories of Greg St. banks sessions and a few sessions at Skinny’s ramp that were amazing, when MK first found 293, the skate jams at the fair grounds, skating EMB and the marble benches in their prime… all of this happened between the late 80’s and early 90’s so I guess that would be it. A lot changed in a very short time, skateboarding died, skateboarders seized control of their own industry, vert really died, H Street made skating so raw and powerful and skipped the bullshit. I didn’t have time to watch stupid ass skits and videos aimed at 5 year olds, I wanted to see front foot impossible fakies on banks, backside grabs over crazy shit, flip tricks over The Gonz… real shit.

4. It was rough that vert died and retired so many dudes in their prime. “Punk is out rap is in” When did you first start skating around?

When I was around 7 a kid up the street brought his skateboard over to our house, as soon as I stood on it I did a Charley Chaplin to backside skull bongo on the sidewalk (smashed my head), I was in love. Next thing I knew I was scouring the neighborhood looking for my friends boards just laying out in their yards, I’d take it, go skate it and then put it back and go home in time for dinner. My mom wouldn’t get me a skateboard for a while but, I kept the nagging up and finally got a Street Surfer from Big 5 for my birthday. My cousins Jeff and Danny Cronin ripped and I looked up to them. They told me they’d put a cool shape on my board (back then shape really mattered) so I left it with them. I didn’t see that board again for a long time so I went back to stealing my buddies unattended boards and returning them until X-Mas 1986. My mom got me a Vision Gator with Indy’s, Kryptonic Wheels, NMB Bearings, Madrid Rails and a Powell Nose Bone and Tail Bone. Once I unwrapped that thing it was on… still going.

Gator, State Fair, 293, and fully padded ollies.

5. When you get hooked, it’s a hell of a ride. Keep it rolling! What was some of your spots you Sparks kids skated at?

Sparks was at the end of my street holmes, before I could venture out too far Sak N’ Save was it but, then they built the apartments at the end of my street (Pequop) and there were red curbs galore in that place, I met Kevin Vandersypen (R.I.P.) there when he first moved to town, he’d always give me Rebel Skates stickers and shirts, true ripper! Later on I started skating Arctic Circle and ShopKo and also K Mart had the super fun downhill curbs, Parkside Gardens with Chris Williamson, he had a bitchin’ launch ramp and they had tons of red curbs you could set up all crazy. Ben Dixon took me to the Sullivan Ditch for the first time, the stage at Sparks middle was a fun spot, all the cool older kids from Sparks Middle would skate there after school, Sunday Curbs in downtown Sparks was Scott Waters stomping grounds, we put some hours on that spot. Skating downtown Reno back then for me was serious business, I think I was about 12 the first time I got to skate it, Jason Bartlett and Mark Schuler had to meet with my mom and tell her they’d look after me. Hahahaha!

6. That’s a good Mom! Think about all the shit moms dropping off their brats at the skate park alone. Hey, did you ever groove? That was one of my favorite means of income.

For those who don’t know, grooving was taking clear packing tape and putting about a foot long tail hanging off a dollar bill. You insert the dollar into a soda/snack/stamp machine while holding onto the tail and as soon as the money registered you pulled it back out. You got the change and whatever soda/candy/stamp you pushed. That shit fed and funded many, many friends and skate trips back in the day. We had groove spots just like skate spots, you didn’t tell people where they were and you took care of your spot, only empty the whole thing out if you weren’t coming back for a while. It’s hard to believe how long it took them (the vending machine guys) to get hip to it. I didn’t do it as much as most of my friends (some of whom gained crazy record collections, got arrested, got kicked out of Nevada etc..) but, I had some really big heavy pants a few times. Plus, it’s incredibly funny paying for $30.00 worth of gas with quarters, dimes and nickels while you’re wearing size 54 waist pants and you weigh a buck twenty. God damn we were assholes.

Kick the boot.

7. What shop did you guys hang at? Everyone had one to lurk at for hours.

At first World Of Toys in Park Land Mall had the TV in the window and always had Streets On Fire playing so the planter in front of it was always packed with kids waiting to go skate Mayfare dock and 1 Hour Photo. Then they moved to Meadowood Mall. Excell was a little bit of a hangout but, mostly the pizza place next door was better. After a while this guy Mike opened up Bikes And Boards across from Hug High and that was super fun because it was close to my house and there were some heated sessions behind the shop because it was smooth and they had little manual pads and he sold uncut blank decks. You just traced whatever board on the wall you liked (Fishlips, H Street, Zorlac etc.) and cut it out, sanded it and skated it. After he closed down I started going to Meadowood more because Ben Dixon was working at World Of Toys, you could bum around for change and food till it was cool enough to skate in the evening. It’s ridiculous how much time we spent at that mall. Then Eric introduced me to Lisa and Allen at Addiction and they became like my second family. Eventually we moved Addiction downtown (where Sierra Tap House is now) and that was super fun in the summer but, we didn’t last too long. Not an ideal spot, just like my shop 50 50. Bummer spot means bummer sales.

8. I remember the zero days or the $30 days, brutal times man. What board did you have the most of in a row? Was there a Pro board that had you hooked?

At first I was all about Gator but, once I started really learning about concave and shapes and control I didn’t really hang on to any one deck. H Streets were on lock for a while with the Hell Concave bit. I guess the only board I consistently had a bunch of was the Think Flame Tag board, the shape just ruled for me. After about 12 years old, names stopped really meaning anything to me, function over fashion. The last time I rode a board because of the name on it was probably 1988 or 89. I’m always hyped to see a friends name on a board but, I don’t ride 8.5 boards, dig?

Momma said knock you out?

9. I see a bigger board in your future, you can’t ride minis for much longer! You and a lot of our friends were nailed to the X, what was the straight edge allure?

I saw from a young age what alcohol could do to someone and it made me hate it. All the kids I grew up with had some violent bullshit going on at home and booze was always involved. Around 8th grade I got way into Minor Threat. I didn’t know anyone that was into the sXe scene, it was just kind of my own thing. Around 9th grade my homie Dean started digging on it too and we heard Reno had a sXe band called Discipline so we made a point to see them. It was weird and cool to meet other kids that shared the same thoughts on drugs and booze, it was pretty rare back then. It didn’t take too long to see that it could also be used as a tool to be an asshole and get up in some shit just like the jocks and nazis that used to beat my ass. I did have great friends and the days of Left Hand Studios, Casa Margaritas, Fallout Shelter, Heritage Hall, The Tumbleweed and The Ice House were amazing but, after a while sXe was just an idea and way of living that was mine and didn’t involve anyone but me. I didn’t drink until I was 26. I still think it’s a great idea, I just became so soured by the stupidity and violence, not to mention the music just getting worse and worse and worse I took a nosedive into the beer pond but, kept the records.

10. I always thought it was because of Steve Steadham. Did you meet him? Did he give you Zinka?

I did meet Steadham at an Excell contest, I wasn’t interested in sXe ska and he didn’t offer any Zinka.

The very building David Lee Roth played with Poison. Steep ollie pop. KV Photo.

11. Steadham had Reno hostage there for a minute. Beyond Hell Concave! Can wood really bend like that? Who was your first sponsor?

Shop wise I think Excell. Company wise Gershon hooked me up with Grind Kings board company Haz Mat for a second but, I was an unappreciative little bastard so it only lasted one package. Plus, after having my shop and going to trade shows I learned really quick if someone offers you free stuff and it’s not good free stuff, it ain’t worth it. Thanks, no thanks.

12. Damn, a lot of kids these days need to learn that philosophy. I always saw you on the cusp of getting the sponsored thing going but not taking it too serious. Was it a conscience effort to keep skating fun? You could have made a run at it for sure.

I only really ever rode for one company and they were called Madkap out of SF. Super cool dudes! The sponsor thing was never really my bag, I was never really all that good and my style is busted. I skated in some C.A.S.L. contests for a bit and just being around people who want it so bad was a real turnoff. They were either total kooks with a couple tricks or just total rippers that made me feel like it was my first day skating. I’d rather just hear of someone cool getting hooked up, that’s way more exciting to me. My friends at Madkap told me they wanted to put their am’s names on boards and we’d get to design them but, I wasn’t into it. I was psyched when Scott Waters got on the team and he was hungry, always filming and handling his shit. After a while they finally talked me into it but, I hated it. I wasn’t pro and only pro’s should have their name on a board. It was nice to give one to my mom but, other than that, super bogus. Everything is trial and error, still love those dudes but, the name on board thing was definitely not for me.

13. It’s not for everyone, although there’s dudes that would cut off their face plate to have that opportunity. You have some serious miles under your belt, you travel a lot. Was moving to Florida to work at Addiction/Southern Boarder your first big move? How did that take place? Florida is 100% not Reno.

Yeah, that was my first time ditching Reno. It was fucking crazy. I went to a show at Casa Margaritas and this band called Bloodlet was playing, between bands I ditched out and went across the street and skated this little manual pad by myself. This dreadlock honky dude rolls up and starts skating with me and we get to talking. He ends up being Scott from Bloodlet and we became friends after that. Bloodlet comes back through Reno a little while later and Scott ends up asking if I want to go on tour for 3 months with them and Neurosis. I just graduated high school and can’t pass up some shit like that so I went. Bloodlet is from Florida and my friends who owned Addiction were living out there running a skate shop out there so I did the tour and had Bloodlet drop me off in St. Petersburg FL at the end. It was a trip and I’m still good friends with my buddies Joe and Jen Leonard and Jed Davis. St. Pete was fucking snorsville USA, driving 30 minutes to skate a plastic bench, a horrible Christian hardcore scene, insane race riots right when I got there but, Lisa, Allen, Duke and Tru ruled, I met amazing people I’m still homies with and I saw a Cannibal Corpse show at the State Theatre that was unbelievable. I believe this was 1996.

14. You came back to Reno and started 50-50, one of the most legit shops we had in years. No snow, wake, rollerblades, or anything lame. How did 50-50 come about?

I only lasted a few months in FL. I came back to Reno to visit (a 2 week Greyhound ride… no shit… 2 fucking gnarly weeks) and just ended up staying here. Got some shitty jobs but, kept bugging Excell to hire me. After months of nagging and being a janitor for Marshalls they finally hired me on. After a while I started forming plans to start my own shop (the people who owned Excell at that point were a fucking joke) because I knew I could do it right. I hounded anyone that had a spare dollar for about a year and no one was down (understandably) until one day Toby Riley tells me about this dude Bryan who used to skate back in the day and he’s got some money and wants to do a shop. Damn, I was just about to give up too. I meet with Brian and his partner is Gary Leeper and they’re ready to go all in. They put in the money and I run the shop with bonus/buy in ownership over time. We searched forever trying to find a Reno location, Skeeno was done, Excell was done and I couldn’t step on Kathy’s (Out Of Bounds) toes because she was cool as hell. I ended up going to a Fall Silent show in Sparks (across the street from Reed High) and noticed the spot next door was for rent and that exact spot used to be the Sparks Excell back in the day. I took it as it was cheap, I knew Reed had a lot of skaters and I had been working on the new Burgess park for a while too. It all seemed to be perfect.

Nothing impresses Scaught Bates. KV Photo.

15. Didn’t you break your nose on that mini ramp there?

Yeah, Greg Janess, Toby Riley, Scott Waters and Dean Christopher built a mini ramp in the shop, right next to the shoe wall. My very first run, all the kids and parents watching, caught my heel on the wall and shot face first like a bullet into to transition. I instantly grabbed my face and was fading in and out of consciousness. When I finally pulled my hands away blood went everywhere as I had a perfect hole in the center of my nose. Shaver later told me he dipped his hands in my blood pool I left on the ramp and was chasing kids around the shop with bloody hands. Really wish I’d of seen that one, what a jerk hahaha. It really messed my neck up, I still have problems with it today. Plus, just the other day, I did it again only skating street with you guys. I gotta stop stopping myself with my face.

16. It was weird because all of Reno/Sparks knew you were the face of 50-50, that respect level brought that place a following. It’s so damn hard to be a small privately owned shop. How did the ship eventually sink? I hated that, I wanted to secretly work there for a long time. I was definitely envious you had the more “core” shop going.

I think in our 2.5 year existence the shop turned a profit only 1 month. I did as many demos and movie premiers as possible and it just wore me out. It got to the point where I never skated, not even on the mini ramp in the shop. I lost sight of why I started the shop in the first place. The industry was changing, people bugging me for free shit when they never supported me in the first place, one of the owners became overly religious and I’m %100 not down with that shit, Copelands undercutting the shit out of all of us and no shopping center in Reno would even talk to me. As soon as I said skateshop as I was trying like hell to move the shop… it all just piled up and made me bitter as hell.

17. It wasn’t too long that you left Reno again for KC. What was the story with Escapist?

After 50 50 closed down, I had no direction or motivation. I lived on Sinclair with my homie Jake Griffin and a bunch of other people and none of us had jobs. Total pile out time because the shop just broke me down. My friends Dan Askew and Adrian Frost pretty much opened their shop in Kansas City the same time Bryan and me got 50 50 going. We would always talk about ideas for sales, events etc. and they had made some comments about me working for them some day. After piling out hard for about 6 months I was talking to Adrian and he said they were opening another Escapist and I should work for them. I had nothing going on here so 2 weeks later I was in Jakes mom’s truck with all my shit loaded in it towing my car to KC. Jake’s mom volunteered him for the job and he still brings it up every day. He made Beau Halvorson go with. Neither of them were very happy about it. Thanks Mrs. Griffin, Jake and Beau!!

Mr. Smith was there. KV Photo.

18. Was there a bit of culture shock moving to Kansas City?

For sure, all my friends that lived in KC were either married, or didn’t drink and I’d never lived alone before. The skating was bitchin’ but, once the day was over I’d just be chillin alone thinking about all my friends here having a blast. Just another step in growing up. After a while though I made some really great friends, and it got to be really amazing. Escapist still is the best shop I ever got to work for. Dan, Adrian and Nick looked out for me and I will always appreciate that. Plus the kids that rode for them were serious rippers. The music scene there ruled and the city itself is beautiful. I really miss it and hope to return someday. The fact that the bars close at 1:30am really does make a huge difference too.

19. You met a young Sean Malto and Ernnie Torres at Escapist, did you know they were the next big thing?

When I met Sean he was a little kid that just destroyed everything, it was weird watching someone so little doing man sized rails and gaps, everyone knew he was gonna blow up and he’s one of the few prodigy kids I’ve met that truly deserves it and he’s cool as hell. Ernie was in the magazines already and he was super fun to skate with. He reminded me of Gershon in that he only skated for about 4 or 5 years and he was getting in magazines and just ripped super hard and he’s a super nice dude too.

All killer no filler.

20. How did you start traveling through music? I’m still so stoked you toured with Lucero, they are such a good band.

Well, the Bloodlet tour was my first tour in 1996 but, after that Fall Silent took me out with them and my friend Sean Ingram from KC started having me do some Coalesce tours wich turned into Casket Lottery tours wich turned into meeting Rocky Votolato when we toured with Waxwing so, I did some touring with Rocky. I remember telling a friend that I was done with touring and the only way I’d go out again was if Lucero was involved somehow. 2 days later Rocky called me and asked if I’d be into going on tour with him, William Elliott Whitmore and Lucero. That was my last big tour, 2 and a half months I think in 2006. All of those tours my duties included but, were not limited to: driving, selling merch and anger management. I really love driving long distances and the tours with Rocky were just me and him in a car. Some brutal but, amazing times. I really miss the road sometimes and really miss hanging with all them dudes.

21. Lucero was still relatively small, there must have been great little shows. Did any of those guys skate?

For sure, small shows are always better but, some of those shows were pretty big, Denver was 1,000 people but, then a couple nights later 200 people, you never really know what you’re gonna get. They were more BMX dudes when they were younger and Brian (guitarist) was an old sXe dude who hung out with the Raid guys (an old hardline militant vegan sXe band), he’s got a Stomp Crew tattoo. Super funny but, they were all really nice mellow dudes. William Whitmore used to skate, he did a kickflip on my board with his shiny old dress shoes, and he listened to gangster rap a bunch. Rocky was always writing in his notebook and I made him listen to David Allen Coe a bunch. Really it was like touring with my Reno friends for the most part.

Normally if it’s not a make it’s not mentioned. After sliding most of this, sticking, and head butting the ledge it made the cut. Blood in blood out Holmes. KV Photo.

22. What brought you back to Reno?

I had this master plan of moving back out west so, I basically said goodbye to everyone in Kansas City, if it didn’t fit in my mini van, I left it behind and drove to Reno, dumped all my stuff in my homie Andy McKennie’s garage, flew to Seattle to meet Rocky and then we drove straight to Memphis and crashed at the Lucero compound for about a week so Roy could practice with Rocky for the shows. After the tour ended we drove straight from N. Carolina to Seattle (that was a brutal one), got on a plane to Reno, chilled 1 or 2 days then drove to San Diego to crash on my friend Bryan Nolte’s couch and tried like hell to get a job in the skate industry. I ran out of money just before x-mas so I came back to Reno to try and save up to go back down to SD and while I was here one of my best friends Beau Shaver (R.I.P.) died. It really shook me and all my friends up and made me think about the years I’d spent away from them so, I decided to extend my visit… I’m still visiting. Along the years back here I have gotten to spend time with some other homies that have passed and I’m really lucky in that respect. Being here still kicks in memories of great times with them.

23. Reno is beautiful if you can balance all of the things that make it Reno.I know you have had the opportunity to work for some great skateboard companies in the past. What kept you from making the move to California?

I just kind of answered that above. Mainly no one would hire me and I learned that I don’t care too much for San Diego. Really great people for the most part but, I hate being called bro. A lot.

24. One of the many rad things about Reno is our skate scene and heritage, who was your crew back in the beginning?

Damn, I think Chris Williamson was my first skate friend, we were pups man hahaha, and then a little later Mark Schuler, Jason Bartlett and Ron White. Steve Gauthier and Ron Rash took me skating a few times, then Scott Waters, Dean Christopher Beau Bevier, Scott Brown, Josh Stockwell and then Toby Riley, John Ludwick, Justin Hay-Chapman… so many people and so many years. I do remember Rob Hostetter used to kick me some of his old boards back in the day wich really meant a lot to me, thanks Rob!! I spent a lot of time rolling solo, still do but, always dig skating with friends too, my time is just so limited these days.

25. How many of those guys do you still shred it up with?

Toby and Dean the most and I skated with Scott a few weeks back. All these dudes still rip it too! You and Classic have made a bitchin’ Sunday that’s brought some people out of the woodwork and it’s really great! None of us ever really quit, it’s in our blood. I play in a band with John Ludwick called Cathedral Ghost, a different kind of shredding but, he’s definitely shredding!!

Never question the magic of it all. KV Photo.

26. Out of everyone we’ve seen come and go chasing the trends, I knew you would be in it for life. How is it skating these days? The ground gets harder with age right?

It still rules, having a blast! It is more scary because when you get hurt it takes much longer to recover and I pay my own bills… barely. I appreciate just being able to go skate, lot of people fucked their knees and backs etc. for life and somehow I’m still rolling through the mine field called luck. When I see Dean take the most brutal slams and still handle business, there are no excuses.

27. I dig the full circle effect you get after skating over 25 years, you remember why you started and appreciate it more it seems. What made you want to start skating and what made you a lifer?

I just knew that’s what I wanted to do from the moment I saw a skateboard, sounds weird but, true. All of my friends, music tours, moves, everything came from skateboarding. I can’t imagine what the hell I’d be up to without it. I’m sure I’d still be a scumbag but, without the glory. I have slowed down a bit but, I’m having more fun these days. Like The Gears said, “Gotta Keep Moving” man!

28. Glory and stories go hand in hand my friend! You’ve been in several bands with a big spectrum of styles. How is the music going lately? Talk a bit about your band.

I play drums in a band called Cathedral Ghost with John Ludwick on guitar/vox and Megan Kay on Bass/vox. It’s been super fun, we just recorded 7 songs we’re about to put out soon and we just finished a little 3 day tour with our homies Wuv from Oakland, they rip! You can check us out at facebook.com/cathedralghost.

Beat Street.

It’s rock n’ roll, punk, garage blah blah stuff so if you’re into that, check it out. I’m also working on a project I’m calling Killed By Reno wich is a youtube channel / wordpress blog where I’m gonna post demo’s of extinct Reno bands. I’d like Reno’s punk / hardcore history to be more accessable and give people a chance to hear our past. This spans decades so if you know of any old Reno bands or have old fliers, pictures etc. please let me know at sdog76@hotmail.com. This is a huge project but, I am making headway. Other than that, I DJ at Chapel Tavern or The Hideout from time to time.

29. Favorite video, favorite board, favorite Pro, favorite company, and your favorite spot. Drop knowledge son, spread the word.

I keep watching the new Real video (Busenitz’s part) to get hyped. That’s my skateboard Viagra. Escapist decks because they’re the same as Real, Anti Hero and Krooked. Pro’s Dennis Busenitz, Leo Romero, Reynolds, Sean Malto, Ernie Torres, Gershon Mosley, Koston, Mike Carrol etc. Can’t wait to see the new Escapist video with Malto and Ryan Pearce, Josh White, Rod Harper, Max Chilen, Joseph Lopez, Arthur Dachiardi, Dillon Aguilar, Tyshuan Johnson and Josh Crane. The Deluxe family tree is my favorite of the industry. Favorite spot???… San Francisco.

Ain’t nothin’ changed. KV Photo.

30. Thanks Spencer, I’ve wanted to interview you for a long time. I’ve always liked the fact that you speak your mind regardless of the consequences. People hate that but, I like to know where someone stands. You and a few others are the blueprint for Reno Skateboarding, well done sir. I’d like you to close this one up with the standard thank you, and what skateboarding has meant to you since day one.

Thanks Eric, I appreciate it! So damn many people to thank but, they’ve all meant so much to me and I’m just stoked to be rolling. My mom and dad, Alle and Andy, Doug and Tracy, Benavides, Garrick and Cronin families, Jeff, Danny, Mikey and Pat Cronin, The Reno Outlaws, The SAPs, S.O.D.C., L4D4, P.R.L.J., Lisa and Allen Sprague @ Addiction / Southern Boarder, Dean Christoper, Eric Lantto, Scott Waters, Jake Griffin, Chris “Carnage” Carnell, Emma Fuentes, JT Gurzi, Eric Sasze, Chris Davis “Coonsley”, Jason Isidro “Dills”, Dan Askew, Adrian Frost, Nick Owen and everyone down with Escapist Skateboarding, Eric Lantto and Classic Skate Shop, “Good” Kyle Volland, Excell Skates, World Of Toys, Bryan Rosario / 50 50, Bryan Nolte / Baltic Ave, Bikes and Boards, Stan Byers, Lee Ellmaker, Reno Zoo, 292 and 293, Tri State, Sean D., Beau Halverson, Mikey Reno, John Colbert, Andy McKennie, Andytude Haney, Garret Lee, Mike Huntsman, Steve Gauthier, Ron Rash, Rob Hostetter, Richard and Randy Barr, Justin Hackel, Sean Ingram, Nathan Ellis, Nathan Richardson, Stacey Hilt, Gang Grenis AKA Jess Steineger, Scott, Charley, Matt and Art from Bloodlet, Rocky and April Votolato, Neurosis, Levi and Damon Watson, Brian Woog, Fall Silent, Unruh, Coalesce, Mother Fucking Titty Suckers, Gehenna, Powerchord, Esoteric, The Casket Lottery, Waxwing, Lucero, William Elliot Whitmore, John Ludwick, Megan Kay, Jared Isenberge, Nikkie Knuckles, Tom and Tiffany O’Shaughnessy, Josh Martin, Adam Anderson, Milton Bradshaw, Big Eyes, Belle Bloodcreek, Redrum, 601, S. Virginia St. Sluts, Huck, Mike Mechanic, Bindle Stiffs, Tate LaBianca, Ty Williams, Britt Curtis and everyone at Holland Project, Jawsh Hagemin, Duncan Mitchell and everyone at Chapel Tavern, Tim and everyone at Carter Bros. Ace Hardware, Kevin and everyone at Aces Tattoo, Valarie Bischoff, Blue Collar Press, Amber and Never Ender, Skate NV, The Gears, Wuv, anyone who’s ever supported the shop’s, bands and events I’ve been involved in, all the punks, rads, thrashers, skins, weirdos, dorks, dweebs, dickheads and righteous dudes that get down with the get down!! Not Bob Metz and his gray baby, I know I’m forgetting people, sorry, my face hurts and I can’t concentrate but, you know who you be!!!

Fuck heroin. Skateboarding rules ok.

My friends that have passed on, I miss you all and think about you all the time. Rest In Peace Beau Shaver, Kevin Vandersypen, Tony Hospital, Tom Incopero, Roger Colestock, Jon Grellman, Penelope.