467: Delaware Water Gap Vert Facility: Gets bowled in for 2010.
December 30, 2009
The new Bowled end at DWG Vert Facility…. Here is the BEFORE shot
Photography by Paul Puccio
Remember how exciting it was when the ramp got a new layer!! Maaaan have times changed…Looks like Allen Gibson has decided to Bowl up the entire deep end of his Masterpiece….Looks like The East Coasters have it all wrapped up now…Bucky has his concrete Heaven out West and AG has his Wooden Vert Facility on the East…You do know you can Skate this…right? (On Saturdays only) Email me.
Jason
Allen “Guts n Glory” Gibson he has his home court dialed in
Irene Ching Vert Roller Skatings reigning Queen and Spokesperson.
If you Vert Rollerskate or Vert Skate and you do not know of her….then you must! CLICK HERE
465: Happy Holidays from The House of Steam
December 23, 2009
Edgewood circa 1986
Photo Jason Oliva
Happy Holidays to all 201 skaters currently listed in The House of Steam archive also Happy Holidays to all the readers and supporters of THOS.
Best Wishes
464: Blaize Blouin: Rasta Ramp and Farm Ramp
December 21, 2009
Blaize Blouin Rast Ramp
Circa ?
Photo MC
I received this picture sometime ago and was convinced that I had posted it in the archive. I checked and realised I had added a video to youtubeskate.com but not into THOS itself. So here is a great shot of BB and that youtubeskate.com video from 1988.
Jason
463: The answer to The House of Steam’s Tony Hawk Ride trivia contest is……… and the winner is……….
December 17, 2009
The answer to the question who bested Tony Hawk in a 1992 Florida contest is…..Tom “The Rock” Boyle!!
Tom “The Rock” Boyle Stalefish
So who is Tom Boyle you say… he was the rider who was the first to pull frontside kickflips on a vert ramp and along with skaters like Danny Way and Colin Mckay helped usher in the final bit of modernisation that brought all the street skating tricks of the early 90′s onto the vert ramp. Things would never be the same. Let’s take a look at Tom and these guys skating back then…Shall we?
Tom Boyle…1994!
Danny Way, Colin McKay…1997
So its now 1997 and vert riders can perform magic on the ramp, its no wonder the sport started coming back out of the darkness. Who would not be excited after watching this level of skating. We all know a bit of what is to come in the new millennium skating audiences wanted skaters to go from being magicians to plain old death defying stuntmen….and the sport moved into 360 Loops, Mega Ramps, Helicopters and Great Walls in China. By making things bigger and more daring almost overnight there where 1,000 new first to be attained in the sport…first to do the loop, first to pull any trick across the mega ramp or on its wall….Has anyone done a 25 foot frontside ollie to grind yet? .Well I for one am pleased to report that with the influence of East Coast Legend Bucky Lasek and his new bowl ‘Heaven’ it seems vert skating is trending back to a healthy balance of everything. That bowl looks like skaters skating something that is humbling for all the right reasons.
Yes, Yes I know that there were countless other skaters involved in these decades least of which Tony Hawk who’s contributions to the sport of skating need not even be taken into question but when you crack open the history books be sure to pencil in Tom “The Rock” Boyle if you find his name missing.
Ohhh and the winner of the Tony Hawk Ride (chosen at random from the correct entries) is……..MATHEW KLEIN
That is young Mathew Klein circa 1987 about to drop in on the quarter pipe…while I (Jason Oliva) skate his vert ramp
Well, Thanks to everyone who entered and thanks to Tony Hawk and the good people over at THRIDE for sponsoring!!
Look for more trivia contests soon in the new year. Dont forget to check out THRIDE and spread the word.
PS…. for those of you who may not know about Tony Hawk’s contributions on and off the board to the sport of skating this video is a good place to start…Nice run Tony!
Thanks,
Jason Oliva
462: ROB MERTZ Skating at Bucky Lasek’s new pool “Heaven”
December 14, 2009
Been skating Bucky’s pool almost everyday, (until I jacked my back again about 6 weeks ago…). The pool rules! Probably the best thing I’ve ever ridden!!!! I’m sure everyone has seen video of it by now. The daily sessions were me, Paul Wisnewski, Chris Conway, Tony Mag, Miller and Owen Neider and Bucky of course! The pool is as big as a modern vert ramp but, with all the hips and corners of a pool! So, if you’re a vert dog who loves pools, (like me), you are S-T-O-K-E-D!!!! Big thumbs up to Bucky for making it happen and letting this old vert guy skate it!!! Thanks Buck!!!
Rob
461: Ian MacKaye on technology and the value of a good song : Shudder to Think Digital Download for Christmas please!
December 10, 2009
Ian MacKaye Dischord Office
Photo Amy Farina
Thanks to Jake Egolf for sending me this.
Great Interview with Ian MacKaye from CreativeLoafing.com. Some gems you will find:
Ian Makaye
Photo Jason Oliva
-The general impetus is to document something that’s important to you
-People ask me about starting labels all the time and the truth is that you have to write a good song.
-If you want people to remark upon your work than you have to do something remarkable.
-One of the benefits of the Internet is that you can find anything there, but the problem with the Internet is that you can find anything there.
-That’s the trap that people fall into, and they say to themselves what’s the best way to promote music. Well, the best way is to write good music.
-Essentially that’s how I try to live period; think about a situation and try to come up with a creative way to navigate it.
-you don’t have to do things the way people tell you to do them. That’s the quickest way to bitterness and surrender.
You get the drift click Here to read the whole interview and get Ian’s take on technology today.
Which leads me to Dischord records and:
Shudder to Think’s first record. I dig Shudder saw all their DC shows even took a university level photography course with Chris Mathews at the time of its release…1989! I had a taped version from the vinyl that I eventually wore out and have not been able to find this record for anything less then 3 figures on Ebay ever since…Enter Dischord/Sammich who apparently without telling me remastered it and added the first 7″ and you can buy it on vinyl, cd or digital download…Merry Christmas indeed One of the all time great bands and their all time great record!
If you dont know who Shudder to Think is Let me Google that for YOU (Seriously click that for some internet 2009 wizardry, you’ll be doing it to before the day is out)
So I am adding this to the Master List:
Shudder to Think Curses Spella Voodoo Mooses from Dischord (this is a seriously good record)
-Tony Hawk RIDE (check out the contest!!)
-The House of Steam Tee Shirt…LOL
-ONE CHOICE (Rob Mertz) Vinyl/with Digital Download
-Anything from DeathMarch Skates
-Sublime Wheels on a Miramar Longboard
-A Pulaski Park, Washington DC Tech Deck…or a Prototype for a “Barn” Tech Deck
