Chris [WEEP] Blank
Groholski’s Ramp NJ
Photo by Greg Colescott
Archive addition number 600! thought I would give it to Weep with this cool ‘below the coping’ Jeff Roenning waiting for a go…at Tom Groholski’s.
Great stuff
Jason
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Jeff Roenning on one of his Epic Ramps NJ late 80′s
Jeff Roenning has built more personal backyard ramps than anyone I can think of. They were always taller, wider and longer then anyone’s around as well. I cant tell you how often the alliteration Roenning’s Ramp has been used. Prior to attending the Watchung Hills Regional High School Skate Academy (where we all came together) I was dragged to church on Sundays by my Mother and one day en route I spied one of Jeff Roenning’s Mega Ramps. At the time I was riding Lackland’s – an 8 foot wide ramp along with Rocky Vertone and some other friends. It was in the woods near to my house (only a 45 minute skate) and I had not met Jeff yet because we attended different Junior High schools.
One Saturday I took the two hour skate journey to Jeff’s – I walked into his backyard unannounced with a friend and just started skating (didnt even ring the bell) that is how it worked back then. Jeff came out and started ripping…my friend and I had not conquered dropping in yet so we did not talk much that afternoon with Jeff on the platform and me starting from the flat but I do recall him asking me “Have you been to the Barn?…
Rocky Vertone, Jason Oliva, Jeff Roenning (Deer in the Headlights) watching Christian Hosoi skating
After that day I went on to ride Roenning’s Ramps (starting with number five) and we have been friends ever since. When I showed up in High School a year or two later I was introduced to Tag, Corn, Weep, The Kanes, The Padulos, The McDowalls, The Pruskowski’s, Taylor, Tom, Murph, Bernie,Darren,Jay Henry, John Ballon, Papo, Jaime,Jeremy, Irene (the NYC crew) and then a further cast of out of State characters(PA,MD,VA,TX,CA,MA,CT,DC..etc etc) plus all those younger then us(and this list continues to grow). Jeff is currently building ramp number eight, a mini ramp in his backyard built completely with wood salvaged from the Santa Cruz dump…you can’t shake that [En-Jay] DIY spirit it seems. Jeff also has a killer website about skateparks in CA Mostly Roundwall so check it out.
I have attached some photo’s of Jeff’s ramps I will try to add all 7.
PS
Alot of people rode Jeff’s ramps back in the day Hosoi, Miller, Roskopp, Groholski to name a few:
Christian Hosoi Jeff Roenning’s Hill Crest Ramp (Circa 1986)
Chris Miller on Roenning’s Ramp- Jeff on Deck circa mid 80′s
King George – The First
Valley View – The Second
Number three!
Need a pic of Number four
Dan Tag hard at work on Number 5 (The first one that had some modern thought to it)
Number 5 underway
Glorious number Five
Mountain Ave ramp – Loads of vert and number 6
The Epic Hill Crest – Winter, Lucky Number Seven
The Epic Hill Crest – Spring
Santa Cruz 2010……Number 8!
Jeff Roenning NJ Backyard circa early 80′s
Killer shot of Jeff Roenning making those first ventures onto the invisible transition that lied above the coping. Piloting the original Vision Tom Groholski ‘Jersey Devil’ board as well. So many people road this board back in the day..everyone I went to High School with and Mike V for starters. Tom’s backyard ramp was the only ‘public’ skatepark in existence at the time when this board was out so it was like if you went to Graceland and Elvis gave you a TCB necklace…you wore it. There was no Euro or paypal back then Groholski decks were the preferred currency of choice. Before going to The Barn I road the magazine boards myself…First Steve Olsen then Tony Hawk for example but something changes when you see people like Murph, Tom, Tag, Herring,Bernie, Jay and John Ballon amongst others skate in person. Suddenly you want to ride the boards you see clanking the coping and flying past your chin while standing on the deck…it was no longer the California fantasy of the mags (I credit Jeff Turko for that phrase) which made one think if I had that I could do that…. it switches immediately after you see some one like Tom skate in person to ….if I ride that I have no excuse for not being able to do that other then my own abilities and ambitions. Seeing people ride the gear like that in person put the emphasis back onto the person where it belonged. Skating ability is so democratic if you were good the board just didnt matter..I once saw Bernie do his entire repertoire of tricks at Ocean City while riding some kids long board…wish I had a video camera that day…inverts to fakie on a 4 foot skateboard is a site to behold. Anyway were was I?…Oh yeah its a simple equation of this begets that.
When in person-Seeing this(photo by Dave Padulo):
Begets that:
Then when you actually Beget(Father) something it leads to bequeathing to them this via ebay(for their bedroom):
and the beat goes on…as long as this graphic doesn’t give your kids nightmares (let us know Dave)
This really should have been a Board Hall of Fame post… I will remedy that soon
Jason
PS. JR has re-discovered a box of old media so the Skate.Jpeg business is good!
Steve Caballero and Jeff Roenning
April 9th 2010 Santa Cruz at Cab’s Art Exhibition
There are so many reason’s to dig Steve Caballero. The fact that he is one of the premiere ambassadors of skateboarding is one reason…The fact he lives a life full of strong faith and conviction which he uses to inspire is another good reason. At THOS we have even recently gone out of pocket to show how much we dig his music (a third good reason) . So if you were unaware and were also looking for a further reason to dig Cab here are some images from his recent art exhibition in Santa Cruz. Jeff stopped by last night and they chatted like old friends.
Steve has a cool visual vocabulary: Hot Rods, Helmets, animals and 70′s Japanese Movies and Television….he is adept at painting with acrylics, pen and ink, silk screening and stencilling.
Great stuff!
Thanks for the pictures Jeff…
490: Jeff Roenning some things never change even after 23 years.
January 31, 2010
Jeff Roenning Fakie Ollie The Barn
Photo Ken Deitz.
Jeff Roenning fakie ollie 2010
Photo…you guessed it The Padulo Bros.
I guess your skate style is like a finger print no way to change it or disguise it…JR got together with Matt and Dave Padulo last week in NJ after some 23 odd years ….they had a grand “old” time.
Jason Oliva
I’m not gonna say much about this video except thanks to Mike Vallely for getting this filmed back in the day and giving it to us for the archive and another thanks to Larry Ransom for his editing and THOS support throughout the years. Another big thanks goes to Dennis who after searching the web for this footage decided to go to the source and clinched it all. The still images are of Mikes early Vert days at The Barn and the song is Revolution Mother “Night Ride” (pretty fitting) If you comment with a time and a name I will create a gallery of screen grabs…I will get the ball rolling with an important one: 1:24 Weep on Deck.
Enjoy the show…The time is now!!
Jason
This is great. Mike talks about the first video he was in. “Action East” If I remember correctly, they showed up at The Barn with all this high-end video, lights and sound gear. It was right in the middle of a hot session. I was like, “What the hell is this???”
The guy who owned the company was like, “Can we film a video here?” and I said, “What’s in it for me?” (as if I was going to say No). This was way beyond squeezing 10 bucks out of some squid for “the new layer.” So he flowed me a “No Fun Joe” deck, a t-shirt and some other free shit and I said, “Go for it!” Of course, our power situation was a 300 yard extension cord to the house that kept blowing out. The next contest I entered as….sponsored by Action East.
Let’s see if we can get this classic film posted.
DennisK
Skater by order of appearance:
1st couple stills Mike Vallely
Papo Capillo No Shirt Red Shorts
Dennis Kane Silver helmet after Papo…Big Indy Air later on
Jimmy Kane Yellow helmet white Tee no sleeves
Mike Vallely Yellow helmet layback air
Papo on roller skates?
Matt padulo Red shorts Layback Air/Backside Air
Tom Groholski Black Shirt Inverts/Layback Air
Bernie O’Dowd No Helmet Frontside air/Invert/Layback Air
Who does the big air with the pink helmet?
Loads of peeps on the deck and on the couch too
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- Weep on Deck
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- Dan Booger Brown
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- Matt padulo
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- Tom Groholski 1:14
427: NJ High School Ditch, Weep & Corn, Tag, Rocky, Roenning circa 85 A Padulo Brothers Brigade film!
July 17, 2009
Hey Jason
SkateBoarding” Clip
That’s Tag to start. Looks like there a ton of people on the ground watching. Next is Rocky in the White Helmet. He always skated like Cab with that smooth style and crooked neck. That’s Corn in the blue shirt and yellow helmet. That’ Jeff Roenning in the white Zorlac shirt and yellow helmet. And I think thats weep sitting on the platform as Rocky chucks an air over his knees. Next is Corn and Weeps at the Ditch. Corn said it’s the ditch by the highschool but I think it’s the one closer to Bridgewater on 78 East. I could be wrong. This part kinda chokes me up watching it. And then there’s the weird Kona part at the end. I know nothing about it.
The second part of the clip is at my ramp again and it’s Tag again.
I’m sure the people that did the original transfer just stuck it together with no rhyme or reason. My folks still have the original film too.
Dave Padulo
Classic stuff! That is the ditch on route 78 across from Watchung Hills regional Highschool.
Out the cafeteria (during lunch) and through the woods then it was just a quick game of Frogger across 78 and you could skate for 15 minutes or so and have time to get back to class. Unless you went with Weep who would take one annoying long 15 minute run and leave you standing there to watch…Commmmmmaaaahhhhhhnnnnn WEEP!! enough already!…great times.
PS. The generic transfer music is too sad.
Jason Oliva and Weep Sciving off from school: High School Ditch NJ…86′ish
Photo Ben Cornish
