191 mini ramp. 1988?

In the late 80's I built a mini in my back yard. I had no experience with ramp construction and I had no plan. I started screwing wood together and ended up with something that very loosly resembeled a half pipe. It was four feet tall, twelve feet wide and had uber tight transitions. It went almost to vert in just four feet. It was a challange to ride but I loved that ramp. I skated it every day!

If you are searching for impressive skate footage then keep looking, you wont find it here. What you will see is an authentic 80's afternoon of skating my back yard creation! Fasten your seat belt, we are about to go back in time!

191 Thompson Vintage K from kvon on Vimeo.

The wall ride is!

In my 80's glory days I loved to rock the wall ride. Look at those pads! lol! Why am I wearing knee pads in this pic? I think we had just finished skating vert at Mr. J's ramp nearby. Or maybe I just wanted to look even MORE dorkish. Who knows. I have been threatening to ride walls again but wall rides leave dirty marks. These days I can't bring myself to deface someone's property even if it will wash away. Wanted: Brick wall that will not show dirt. What is your favorite 80's trick? When are you going to relearn it? ;) I love the shadow in this pic. Photographer: ??? One of my friends took this shot maybe Kolby W, Jeremy P. Bob J or Gary D.?

It came from the 80's... D.I.Y. Fingerboards!

I was digging through the closet tonight and I found some old Fingerboards that I made in the late 80's!
Back in the days before Tech Decks we had to make our own fingerboards.

Most of my old fingerboards are long gone but somehow I managed to save this Hawk and Staab.

I found the fingerboards hosed in a reclaimed Crayon box, covered with pics from an old thrasher. There is a Cab pic, a McGill snake, a bikini girl and a small pic of John Lidden on the box.

The fingerboards are constructed of several thin pieces of cardboard laminated with Elmer's glue.

The trucks were made of tiny pieces of balsa wood, the wheels cannibalized from Hot wheels cars.


I would cut graphics from adds in skate magazines and glue them to the deck with stick glue, then I would finish it off with a piece of clear contac paper. Keep in mind, I was like fourteen when I made these so the craftsmanship is a bit inmature .

The grip tape job is unfinished. I planed to put R.I.P.-Grip on the top for finger control!




At one point I had an awesome fingerboard vert ramp which I made in shop class. The vert ramp was about 24"x40" complete with coping, full decks, a roll-in, channel and plenty of tiny stickers at the tile level. I kick myself for throwing that ramp away. Ah, but I digress...

Fire your art director!

Maybe the conversation went like this:

Stacy: "Tony, I got a great idea for your new add!"
Tony: "O.K."
later that day...
Tony: "Stacy... I quit"
Stacy: "Now what on earth would make you want to do that?"

I found this old Powell Peralta add on calstreets.com I wonder if Vernon Courtlandt Johnson did the face paint on Tony? Anyone know?? Powell Peralta had some crazy adds back in the day.. I miss those days.

Then and Now

More than twenty years has passed since I started skateboarding. A lot has changed. Much has stayed the same. I am more chill and I am more uptight. I have more money and more bills. My family has grown and my love for them overflows. The world has turned, I am still here. That front-side air feels like the first time! I would like to tuck my knee. The movement is a little different. It will take work. I am also working on a front side air to tail and a finger flip front side air to tail. It will take work.

Out with the old....

I used to grab behind my front heal for about 99% of my backside airs (see first two pics). It always worked great for the "pre-grab" airs of the old days... Last week I decided to change my "go to" backside grab from behind my front heal to the standard "in front of the front heal grab". This works much better with the "late grab". Now, I can get a better pump into the transition and go higher. My goal is the top of the safety rail! (about four feet).

88-ish Little Park ramp

The Little park ramp had amazing views. It blew over during a wind storm. This ramp was later cut down to four feet high, a victum of the mini ramp craze..... what a shame.

Kvon getting comfortable with the new grab. July 27, 2008 Photo P

Nostalgia Tuesday

In an effort to stay regular with my posting, (more fiber in my post diet?) I have come up with themes for each day of the week. Monday, I will have the "Goal Post". Tuesday I will have "Nostalgia Tuesday" and Wednesday... well I haven't thought it through that far yet, So we'll see what good things Wednesday has in store when it gets here!

This week I have a picture of me (circa 1987-ish) on my old ghetto ramp at 191 T-son Road.

This is some variation of a front-side grind (my skate terms are not what they used to be). I was about fourteen or fifteen in this picture. You can see I loved Tracker Trucks. I skated Tracker exclusively for years. Why? Who knows. I liked them. I also really liked that Sims Jeff Phillips deck (R.I.P. Jeff). The Phillips was the last board I purchased with a focus on art and aesthetics. After the Phillips I only chose boards for function. I often painted over the bottoms as soon as I got them. What a shame. Kids, never ever throw out art completely. There is a balance between art and function that is LIFE.

I kept that old thrashed phillips deck for years. Regrettably I threw it away during our last home move. And to think... I could have dumped it for at least $30 on ebay.

They don't make 'em like they used to

This is one of my favorite things. It's a 1988 Powell Peralta Tony Hawk. This is the real thing, not a re-issue. This hawk is a lot like the first hawk I bought back in the summer of '87. My first Hawk was navy blue and had the gold dragon on the top. This hawk is more purple and has the winged ripper on the top. Note: Will trade for a navy blue hawk with dragon on top. lol! I bought this on ebay about 3 or 4 years ago. It reminds me of the good ol days.