Street Rat, Parking Lot Trash/ Top 5 Saturday

There are many topics I blap about and one I don't really feel like I need to go on about is skateboarding. Either you have or you haven't and that is that. If you have then you know the link between skating, punk rock and the need to be rolling. In comes motorcycles. I would get up on a Saturday at the crack of dawn and plan out all the spots I would hit that day. Knowing as I went all the parking lot trash I called friends would show up. Some of the best days of my life were spent in empty parking lots and abandoned buildings. Never really thought of skateboarding as a sport because I hated all the jocks and assholes at school. It was antisocial but very social if you were in the circle. There were 5 little towns that make up Santa Clarita where I grew up. All the skaters from these towns were very competitive but we all were friends. We would pile up on the bus or try and fit 10 guys in one car and make our way around. As we got older people kind of dropped out or got girlfriends which all was fine and dandy but I never let that crap get in my way. I remember dumping one girlfriend because she wanted to hang out on a Friday night and I was going to go to the valley and skate the blue pool. Later and I knew it was worth it. So here is a collection of my all time 5 favorite pictures of skateboarding EVER. They are burned in my head for all time or until I bite it. I will even explain why. 

Number 1. Lee Bender Carving- The only newer picture in the whole batch. This is perfection in motion. Bare foot Serape carve its got style and danger and it makes me want to go find a pool to hurt myself in.

Number 2.Duane Peters Bombing- The Master maybe right before he turned into a junkie turd. Honestly if I had to just pick one picture that sums up skateboarding this would be the one.

Number 3-Matt Hensley ollie- I stared at this picture in Thrasher for weeks trying to wrap my head around how high he could Ollie. My favorite Street Skater hands down. He could do tech and he had style. Met him a few times and was always very cool. One time he gave me a set of wheels because mine were so trashed. I would go and buy green army pants and hack off the legs so I could have the same shorts and I never even came close to Hensley nor did anybody else. He was God.

Number 4. Gonz Gap- The first time this ran in the magazine I was like NO WAY NO WAY could anybody do that gap. But right there in my face was Gonz killing it. I went to SF and tried the Embarc gap. I failed and damn near killed myself. Right up the street was the famous ledge. It was gnarly and I managed to do one railslide down it before I broke my board and packed it in. 

Number 5. SATAN NATAS- Besides Mullen Natas was so ahead of his time that he left everyone behind. Did the craziest stuff in the Streets of fire and Wheels on fire Videos. I watched them so many times that I wore them out. Wall rides, handrails, ollies, kick flips, you name it and he did with style and great speed. He made skateboarding more like art along with Gonz. Enjoy and never forget where you came from. Street rats and parking lot trash.