439: Papo Capillo at The Barn
August 28, 2009
Papo Capillo Stand up frontside grind at The Barn NJ
Photo Deitz Bruthas
All eyes on NYC these days. Having been away from the place so long now I have to admit it being on my mind a lot as well. Here is NYC’s Papo circa 1985 at The Barn in NJ…too cool
Papo was smooth like butter. Those are Molly’s Skate Shorts with padded hips. He gave me some red and white ones back in the day. This cat was in all the Skates Mags back in the 1970′s. He worked for the Ad Council in the 1980′s. The Ad Council requires that PSAs promote positive social change in such areas as the quality of life for children, preventative health, education, community well being, and environmental preservation. He is one of the many friends from NYC that came out and had a great time at the The Barn. I’m sure that I was standing within a few feet of this perfect grind. Papo is a very Cool Dude. Great picture
Dennis Kane
438: SGT Jim Byrd (Cavalry Scout) A Troop 303rd Cavalry – The House of Steam in Iraq!
August 20, 2009
DUST AND LOATHING IN IRAQ
“I cannot properly explain myself in this humidity”
Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
Lung choking dust storms, mind numbing heat and constant frustration are a daily occurrence when serving in Iraq. Funny thing is this is my chosen profession and I did sign the bottom line, so here I am. We can argue all day long about the politics behind this but really where does that get us. People always ask me what I think about this, and the truth is it doesn’t matter what I think about it because no matter what I think, I have agreed to do this job. I have been a skater since 1984 and a soldier since 1997, seldom do the two callings cross paths but I have noticed at times that viewing the world through a skater’s eyes makes it more interesting. For instance Saddam seemed to like to have his military build pyramid shaped concrete bunkers ranging from 10-40 feet high and in all sorts of configurations. Its funny how having a humvee under you while traveling off road kind of feels like a giant board, granted this board included a machine gun. I did not bring a board on this trip and I am very much regretting that. Last time I was here we had a board (courtesy of SPC Tosh) and some flat concrete. I may have to embrace some of the flat land street / freestyle tricks I have missed out on while on these deployments. I am a long way from the pristine NW round walls, and even farther removed from my old stomping grounds of the Maryland shore. I did have pics of me cheesin with STEAM stickers while in Iraq but my computer became a casualty of this war (the humanity!!!!!!) and they are lost forever. There are however some very strategically placed STEAM stickers in the Al Anbar Province. I did not witness any local skate action but I have seen articles about Iraqi skaters, and a developer in Baghdad who plans a skate park as part of public space. I can’t wait for the day we see pro demos in Mosul. I can’t help but wonder what the Arabic take on skateboarding might be.
Thank you all for the support especially Jason.
Jim Byrd Salisbury MD 1986
Jim Byrd Frontside RnR
Cheney Park, Tacoma WA
Jim is the one without the Mustache!
I met Jim via The House of Steam and we corresponded quite a bit..England to Iraq. He had mentioned growing up skating in MD and was aware of Team Steam, The Barn and the skate scene that stretched from NY to VA. We became fast friends. Corresponding with someone while at war is a unique situation especially in this digital world. My parents generation had a lot of experience in this department staying in contact with my Father who served 20 months of combat service in Vietnam. It seemed to me normalcy is the key to it all for both parties. In that vein I attempted to get a custom THOS deck out to Jim and his troop but I found that the size restrictions on mail into Iraq is very, very small…Letters only really. I thought of pulling a Radar O’Reilly (M*A*S*H, he mailed a jeep home piece by piece) but even the smallest component was over the size and weight limit. In the end a big fat stack of Steam Stickers made it to our boys and were enjoyed by all. As Jim mentioned this original article from 8 months ago or so (along with Sticker pics!) and our ability to communicate became a casualty of war. Thankfully it was only a computer (windows as well, time for a MAC!) and not Jim! I have to say those pics would have been a great addition to the archive. Articles can be re-written but no need to head back for any snap shots!
Welcome home my BRUTHA!! Nice Work!
I believe Jim will be in and around WA for a bit say hey in the comment section or hit him up on FB I am sure he is up for a skate at the local.
Mid 80′ Blue N Black Air Jordans
Foot Armor -Jason Oliva
Photo by -Jason Oliva
So I thought I would start a new category in the Archive called Weapons of Choice, a place to document all the armor and tools of the trade. SO send me some pics!
Back in the day you didnt have to be Sherlock Holmes to tell who skated vert. One glance at the feet and the jig was up, no need to even confess. Vert shoes would cause murder mystery wonderment amongst the uninitiated, racking their brains for the answer as to how you wear out the tops of your sneakers even to the point your big toes were visible!(some Chuck taylor wearers even had big toe holes in all their socks as well, too funny)
During the 80′s there was a shoe shop in South Plainfield , NJ that we would hit up while en route to the Salvation Army looking for clothes. The shoe shop was great, they had one shrink wrap shoe on the wall and they brought out the other one if you wanted to buy them, and that was that. No selection of sizes at all. I cleaned em out of over sized Air Jordans for a couple years. Red Black n Blue(x2), Black n white (wore those only one time to the prom) , metallic blue and white, then one day I scored a pair of Red n Black and Blue n Black (both a perfect fit) I think they cost $18 as well. I wore the blue n blacks skating for over 20 years (the last time was 06-07 at the Battery Park skate park) My blue n black and Red n blacks look like they have been blasted by a shot gun under the duct tape…I even took a 12 inch splinter (which I kept forever in my skate-bag) through the top between my big and second toes through my sock and out the sole-lucky that time.Unfortunately over time the foam in the ankles would rot, but they still look good. I always kept em in my bag too and would wear my Puma cats (another life altering score from the shop, for you FaceBook Users you can see em here: http://tinyurl.com/opkxux) for walking and street skating. It was often a bit of muddy/snowy mess out to the Barn. Most NJ/PA ramps required a traipse through the woods or snow and I think that alone started the habit of having two pairs of sneakers, it was never the hi performance issue that shoes seem to garnish these days. You just needed to keep your ”Wednesday best” sneakers outta the muck.
Ok send some gear pics, boards, sneakers etc whatever is lying about. I know I have a pair of unused Texas Pads up in the attic…Are they still around?
Jason Oliva (Ben Cornish looking on) 1987 NJ McDowells ramp.
Sporting said ‘Air Jordans’….and some Jay Henry drawn/Tom Groholski skate shorts!
436: Harry Jumonji, NJ Shore contest back in the day.
August 16, 2009
Harry Jumongi Frontside roll in NJ Shore Contest
Photo Deitz Bruthas!
Page 350(closer to 400 in actuality) of this endless book is now written. We have had a lot of ups and downs lately and I hope everyone is doing ok.
I like the round numbers and with the assumption that this is page 350 I figured it was time to let this Black n White gem of HJ loose on the interwebs. Bernie O’Dowd should know the details (He was skating in the contest) all I know was this was at a NJ Shore contest photographed by Ken or Steve Deitz. Also Jeff Jones was there.
Anyone want to add any grammar(sorry just read Summerland by Chabon) to this entry about Harry feel free to email me or comment it and I will cut and paste….(Irene, Derek, Dennis…Jay?)
Feel free to express yourself , drop some memories or condolences in the comment section. If there is anything you would like to add do not hesitate to email me.
Peace-
Here is a great video sent over by Juice Magazine there is a great segment were Andy talks about his work with Jim Murphy and Wounded Knee.
Celebrating the Life of Andy Kessler
Ditch Plains Beach, Montauk
August 14, 2009
Photo Michael Rovnyack, MJRPhoto.net
Special thanks to Irene Ching for this.
Andy Kessler Riverside Park, NYC 1979
Tom Groholski, Glenn E. Freidman, and Any Kessler NYC 2008
Photo by Tony Squindo
Andy Kessler Deathbowl to Downtown
Andy Kessler Deathbowl to Downtown
The Kings of NY: Harry Jumonji, Rodney Smith and Andy Kessler
Photo Derek Rinaldi
434: The House of Henri-Jay Henry Rules: A new website.
August 7, 2009
Jay Henry at home in En-Jaye before the kids new it was the thing to do (early 80′s)
Everyone is going Solo these days, the kids are all grown up. Maybe in a decade when we find we are huge in Japan (euphemism alert) we can get the band back together for one super THOS post. Anyhow Jay is on a mad one these days skating up a storm. Here is an old pic of him in his backyard on an 8 foot wide ramp chucking an invert. I believe this is the ramp that would eventually become the Barn. I am sure Jay could have squeezed this bad boy into a phone booth(and chucked inverts on it) if given the opportunity so the idea of using a barn must have felt like an airport hangar at the time.
Check out Jay’s site:
http://jayhenry.kicks-ass.net/
I had to post the whole link to read, mostly cause of its truthfulness. Check out all his exploits at Fight Club and elsewhere.
Jason
Ps Sorry so slow recently I have been working on a lot of new art projects and commissions so I will try an pick the pace up…
433: West Coast Brutha Pep Williams : Photography show at Mirimar Gallery, Pomona CA August 8
August 2, 2009
Photographers have been getting a lot of love these days on The House of Steam and our West coast cool Cat Pep Williams is no exception. Pep has been a great mate these last 3 years so it is my pleasure to suggest if you are in the California area on August 8th you should head out and meet the man himself.
Ps. those longboards look Aaaright too.
