Letters - January to October 01

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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