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If you would like to submit a letter, comment, or article
to Real Skate with the intention of getting it published, this is
the place to do it. No guarantee all submissions will get published
and they are, of course, subject to editing. Names and e-mail addresses
will be published. Thanks for your interest in Real Skate!
Clarkie
Submit to: editor(at)realskate.com
Letters and articles
reflect the views and opinions of the writers only and not necessarily
Real Skate or its staff.
From Brandon
Getty
Hey guys, I really love your page. The Dogz On Boardz is really
funny. I am a skater that has been at it about 3 or 4 months. I
am fairly good, I can do ollies, still and moving, a pop-shuvit,
50-50 grind, almost kickflip, tic-tac, and almost 180°. But
it doesn't matter how good I am or how good I get, no matter if
I get sponsored or not, no matter if I have my own pro model deck,
I know that skateboarding will always be for fun, not about being
sponsored, or being able to be the best. I skate everyday, whether
if its for 5 hours, or for 5 minutes, I always have to get some
skating in. No matter how many times you fall, no matter how big
the cut is, you always get back up and do it again. There are some
wussy pros out there who bang their shin attempting a boardslide,
and call it a day. But if I ever do get sponsored, I will always
have in the back of my mind that skating is recreation, not an Olympic
sport. All skaters should have that in the back of their mind. So
that's it for my letter, I hope you liked it. Skate free 4ever!!!!
[Editor's
note: We like!]
From Gordon
Weaver
Dear realsk8: I'm 13 and I got that sk8 park for the sk8ers
at Camp Kinser, Okinawa. I used to live there and we couldn't sk8
because people called the cops on us. So I got my friends to get
the Shorty's "legalize sk8boarding" shirt and we went
to the town meetings wearing those and told the camp comander about
our need for the sk8park. I moved about a month before they finished
the sk8park. On your web site I saw a page that had the name Jason
Roe and I used to sk8 with him and his brother Kenny. If I sent
this to your magazine do I get some free stuff?
[Editor's
note: Um, no. We don't have free stuff, but I'll give you a good
deal on a RS t-shirt! Thank you for your letter, we appreciate it
very much.]
From Justin
Hanberry
What's up! My name is Justin Hanberry. I've been skating for almost
a year now and I love it. The first time I stepped on a board I
thought it would suck and that I would never be good at all. But
I had so many influences; my friends, my older brother, my brothers
friends, it just came to me. That's when my brother took me to W3
(winds ways and wheels) and I got my first board, a Vallely Black
Label board. Then I started skating and I was getting good, better
than all my friends. Then winter came and I stopped for 2-3 months
cause there was no where to skate while my friends were skating
in their garages getting better. Oh well, everything is getting
better. My brother has been skateboarding for 10 years and he's
pretty dang good. So is his friend, Cory, who used to skate with
Josh Kalis a while ago. I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan which sucks
cuz you cant skate every day. It's either raining or cold or snowing.
Summer is all the time you get......... By the way can anyone tell
me what Rodney Mullen's and Mike Vallely's e-mail address is or
their AIM s/n is (if they have one)? Write me back at aestheticsworkshop@hotmail.com.
All u skaters out there,"keep on skating!" All the rest of u people,
its a skate or die world, you choose what's best.
[Editor's
note: Mike has a website www.mikevallely.com and I don't know about
Rodney, but if you get it, please give it to me!]
From Nathan
Clarke
I am just writing in to let you guys know that your site is excellent.
I live in Belfast, yes Belfast in Northern Ireland! Skating here
is getting very popular, no parks as of yet, but the street scene
is good enough. Dublin in the southern Ireland has two nice indoor
parks. Last summer (August 2000) I visited San Diego; that city
is sick! BIG RESPECT to Aric Sanders, he skates for SoulGrind skateshop
in the Pacific Beach area. He took me skating at the Mission Valley
YMCA skatepark; that has got to be the best park I've ever skated!
Aric cheers for the memory, and I hope you got that Mustang convertible!
[Editor's note: Thank you Nathan. Nice
last name!]
From Alan
"Ollie" Gelfand
Really liked your site it's fresh and different; tons of content.
Spent a hour and still did not see it all. "Skate or Die."
[Editor's
note: Alan, thanks and thank you for inventing my dog's name!]
From Mike
King, Caroga Lake, NY
When I first saw a skateboarding event on TV I saw Tony Hawk, and
some good street skaters. Then a moment came when Tony Hawk landed
the 900, I thought he was not going to land it at all. As for seeing
an ad for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater on TV I knew, "Maybe I should get
that for Christmas!!!!!" Someday I hope to meet my favorite skateboarding
heroes!!! One of my skateboard heroes is Elissa Steamer, she is
a good street skateboarder, and I hope to see her!!!!!! The others
are Tony Hawk, and Chad Muska!!!!!
From Gunar
Conklin
You probably know my best friend Danny Larson
aka Sose the one that did your Sidecar Interview and Skrewface
Interview in your music section of this e zine. He died the other
day on the 4th of July while he supposedly held onto a car my friend
was driving lost his grip and hit his head. They thought he was
all right because he wasn't really going that fast, and they were
all just playing around. Danny was unconscious when his head hit
and they tried to revive him. They called for a ambulance not thinking
it was nothing critical and the next morning he was declared dead.
This kid has skated just as long as I have if not longer about 12
years or so and he has always loved skateboarding and been a huge
inspiration. He was good enough to go pro at one point but things
got in the way. I never saw a person that loved skateboarding as
much as he did. He always put other people before him no matter
what as you can tell in his interviews that he was a real sincere
guy!
I love skateboarding its always going
to be a part of me. In all my years of skateboarding I have never
really heard of too many people dying on a board. I think the last
couple years some pros died from car accidents and some other things
but I never thought that shit would happen like this to one of my
friends. I have hit my head enough when I have gone down handrails
and other shit, but I never thought it would be just like that you
could die from it but it is very real; you have to keep that in
mind. Well I do know he loved skateboarding and he died on his skateboard.
I know none of you probably know him personally but he definitely
deserves props in the skateboarding industry he kept the scene alive
when it was dead like we all have he was my inspiration and I miss
him.
I guess he is going to be cremated
and his mom is going to sprinkle his ashes in the ocean. That would
be really cool if you could post anything on Danny he definitely
deserves it. I know he would have loved to be remembered in the
Skateboarding culture! Thank you for everything. Danny talked highly
about alot of people I didn't know so I know that he would have
wanted you all to know that he passed away in the name of Remembrance
of a true survivor and skateboarder!! One Love !!!!! R.I.P. Danny
Larson 1974 - 2001
From Emma
Sugarman
Hey Clarkie- I love the Gurlz on Boardz part of Real Skate! I am
a 12-yr old girl who just recently discovered boarding. I love it!!!
It is a kick sport, although I am the only girl in my neighborhood
to do it. Just want to show my support to your magazine and think
you should feature a "mailbag" section, to feature the tons of FANMAIL
I'm gonna send! Luv the mag and luv the sport— Flipside (my
nickname from my "crew").
[Editor's
note: Right here's the bag! Thank you Emma.]
From Katie
Gibbons
Hey guys, I share the sentiment of the other letters in that I think
the site rocks. What I like most is the overall attitude and message
you are putting out there — that skating is pure fun, no matter
whether you are a pro, just starting out, or anywhere in between.
I also especially liked the Gurlz on Boardz section, since I'm a
girl skater myself, and one who is new to the sport. I am 20 years
old, and thought that maybe I was starting "too old" to ever be
any good. After reading the interview with Linda Vaughn, I am totally
inspired! I was also really impressed with Abbey Whitney; I wish
I had started skating at her age. Anyway, keep up the great work
with the site, and I'll keep skating!
[Eidtor's
note: Thank you Katie, I'm sure Linda will see this and be thrilled.]
From
Aurora
I really love this page,
it's so awesome. I'm a girl skater, and I'm not too good, but I
try!!! I love this page and I love all of the pictures, keep up
the excellent work. p.s. I definitely dig your "Hunks" section,
Andy is HOT!!!
[Editor's note: Thanks Aurora, cool name.
I'm glad you like us - send us in some pics of you skating for our
gurlz gallery. p.s. Andy was flattered!]
From
Gabriel Tone
Some friends and I are seeking sponsorship and heard you guys are
some cool sponsors to have. Looking through your online magazine,
it's pretty tight. Moving on, we're the "Doriana Krew." There are
7 in our group, but only 5 of us actually want to get sponsored.
I guess I'll start with the youngest.
The most young is Benjamin; he's
10, a great all-around skater. He skates street with a vert style.
All he needs is a little practice on his vert because there isn't
much to practice vert skating on. His best tricks are halfcabs,
and nollie- kickflips. Also he skates balls out.
Second is: Hershey (Henry) age 13
- great with a camera, whenever we got one anyway. Being sort of
"plump" he is a good skater. Currently being hurt with a messed
up ankle. He is our head cameraman. Only he has to work on his guts
to try things.
Next is Donnie 14 years old. Great
at flat riding tricks with a lot of shove-it variations including
some he made up, also he does some good-looking grind tricks. For
example, 50-50 360 frontside shove-it out. He'll do pretty much
anything.
Another balls-out skater is Junior,
age 15. He takes normal tricks and puts them in higher levels with
doing tricks well above the ground. His best tricks are 180's over
gaps, and pressureflips down stairs. When it comes to guts, he tries
pretty much anything huge.
Finally, there's me Gabriel the oldest
at 16 years old and with the most experience of 3 going on 4 years,
including the times I was hurt. I skate with a "old school" set
of tricks including: different boneless tricks plus a variety of
self-invented tricks like a beautiful trick named the "arm-impossible."
My special tricks include: boneless tricks, and 180 grinds. Also
I try almost anything. Well, I guess that's all of us. Thanks for
reading my long letter. Sincerely...
[Editor's note: Why don't the other two
want to get sponsored?]
From
Riely
Street
Hey I wrote you guys once but I don't think I wrote it to this place.
I'm a 13 year old chick from the east coast. I just started skating
and I'm stoked that I did. It's awesome to see the guys upping the
chicks! My brother doesn't like to skate with me that often so I
am teaching myself right now............it's wacked! No lie! I've
landed on my butt a whole lot..........and for me........well that's
a pretty big area to land on! Geez! I can't wait to get awesome
and bust out some moves in front of this one guy. We got into a
huge fight about skating and chicks not being any good. He pinpointed
my wearing Vans skate shoes when I don't skate. So I got really
pissed and went home, grabbed my brother's board (he was out of
town....lol) and hit the driveway. And that's how I got started.
That sounded really lame but what the hell right? Right. Well later!
[Editor's note: You go grrl!]
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