409: Congrats Bernie O’Dowd 34 years skating. Jim Murphy undergrip Layback air at Tom Groholski’s ramp.
May 30, 2009
Jim Murphy somekind’a Andrecht grip layback air Groholskis ramp NJ Early 80′s
Photo: Doh’s Darn Deitz Bruthas!
So Bernie typed the other day that he is beginning his 34th year skateboarding. Here he is circa 25 years ago (Green Pickleheaded Helm) waiting for a go on Tom’s ramp. Knowing Bernie most likely dropped in did 15 tricks and exited the ramp onto the platform (very annoying to the skaters like myself who basically skated till they bailed or slammed whichever came first, and not after too many tricks mind you) It is safe to say Bernie has put in enough miles on vert ramps, both backwards and forwards to have traveled to the moon and back.
Nice work Bern, hope the next 34 are just as good fer ya.
330: A young Jim Murphy…God knows where. I know when! 83-84
October 30, 2008
Jim Murphy circa 83-84 Where abouts yet to be determined.
Photo: To be announced
I have received a wealth of early N-Jay(NJ) pics. Here we have a young Jim Murphy (fakie ollie?) It is up to the collective consciousness of The House of Steam to determine where this is…how insane a pic this is needs no determining. As to our contributor I say hats off and keep them flowing, welcome on board.
264: Its the Bruthas Dave and Matt Padulo…checking in! Dan Tag’s ramp 1983′ish (Yikes!)
February 14, 2008
Got an email from New Jersey’s one an only David Padulo, it read like this:
228: “What about the Captain?” Bernie O’Dowd writing about Team Steam’s Capatain John Ballon and good ‘ole’ En-Jay.
September 5, 2007
“What about the Captain?”
Why did Team Steam have a Captain? Why not? Ours was none other than my
life-long best friend John Ballon of East Brunswick NJ. He had no official
duties, he wasn’t voted into position and didn’t enforce any rules.
(Although there was one official rule of Team Steam and that was to write
Team Steam on your board.) He just had a certain power of Captain-ness
about him. To Tag, Rick, and Darren he was a bit of a scary authority figure
who ripped. He was older than them, tall, and had the driest sense of humor
ever which was confused by many to be no sense of humor at all. Imagine Star
Trek’s Mr. Spock skating and you’d be pretty close to that of the Captain.
Super alien nerve-pinching strength pulled him through many a Wheel Barrow,
Andrecht, Indy air to back truck and other ramp shaking maneuvers.
Captain John Ballon The Barn in Ole En-Jay!
Photo Irene Ching
He has Captain-like smarts too, the kind that led to him quitting college after
three years of being on the Dean’s list because they didn’t get his ideas or
his own alphabet that he could fluently write in. He wrote a letter to
Thrasher after seeing Tom G. on the cover saying we’d like to skate his ramp
sometime which led to Tom’s dad looking John up in the phone book and
inviting us over.
click to enlarge
Tom met us at the Brunswick Square mall in a Camaro.
That’s so New Jersey, we probably went for Pizza afterwards. Shortly after
meeting Tom we built our own training facility in the woods behind John’s
house. Made of all stolen wood she was a grand 4 feet tall, with 4 foot
transitions, 8 feet wide and adorned with world-class PVC coping. It was
there that the Captain learned many a trick which would then be applied to the
slippery Lexan behemoth in Tom G’s backyard on fabled Saturday sessions.
The Captain John Ballon NJ 83 BackSide air
photo Bernie O’Dowd
The Captain John Ballon En-Jay 83 Invert
photo Bernie O’Dowd
Captain John Ballon NJ 1983 Back side Ollie (ZORLAC!)
photo Bernie O’Dowd
El Capitan laback NJ 1983
Photo Bernie O’Dowd (taken from what looks like a tree?, jason)
Looking back at these pictures of a young John Ballon tearing it up on that
tight little ramp in 1983 it was clear he was headed for greatness. I
remember J.T. Murphy, John The Rubber Onion and Dan Bay (Groholski ramp
locals) being impressed with our progression after not seeing us for a few
months.
The Captain and I have been away from NJ for 20 years now, it’s hard to
believe.
Bernie O’Dowd Invert to Fakie OC Captain John Ballon on deck
We went from Jersey to Ocean City MD. to Daytona and then finally
split up in the early 90′s. John headed up to Philly for a stint and then
out to Seattle where he still resides. He’s got a lovely wife, a house, and
a job that utilizes his creativity and smarts. John never gave up on
skateboarding but his body did. He’s just too worn out he says. It’s a sad
thing to not have you’re best skate-bud ride anymore but he skated harder
than most in the time that he was shredding. Hard enough to earn the rank of
Captain.
Bernie O’Dowd 2007
El capitán del vapor John Ballon 2007
Nice one Bernie!!!
I think “ramp shaking maneuvers” or RSM’s as they will now be referred to sums up The Captain best. I can remember him (The Captain) busting out a random act of air walk and everyone on both decks at The Barn going ape . Those where the days.
Here is one last RSM of The Cap from Power Edge Magazine:
Post every and all Captain John Ballon story or recollection in the comment section…dont be shy, I am gonna leave this one up for a bit.
Dont forget to checkout the Team Steam Media Archive too.
East Coast Pride by Tom Groholski
Remember The House of Steam is looking for Sponsorship, Submissions and Suggestions!!! Send all to jasonoliva@gmail.com
187: The House of Tom: Groholski’s ramp. ’83-’84 New Brunswick, NJ. Words and Pictures by Rob Mertz
July 31, 2007
Groholski’s ramp. ’83-’84 New Brunswick, NJ.
We spent a lot of time at Tom’s ramp and let me tell you, he could rip it!!! The first time I saw Tom skate it-I was in complete disbelief. I never saw anyone skate so good, and that ramp was gnarly!!! Skinny and slippery as hell and unforgiving. I can still remember the sound as my hip would bounce of the plexiglass. POWWWW!!!!!! and the time my friend Jonathon went flying off the side of the ramp, over the fence, and landed in a pile of trash, and the time we drove all the way down there to find Tom’s little bastard of a brother hosing the ramp down and using it as a slip ‘n slide….damn good sessions went down there. I wish I could find more of my photos but, for now this will have to do Rob…
Tom grinding the extension!! The
ramp was only 12′wide and he threw
an extension on it!!! He could do
whatever he wanted on that thing.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
|
Tom “The Jersey Devil” chucking a |
 |
Whoa brutha…tom floating one of
his patented nosepickin’ lein airs.
Funny, that’s how I do ‘um now….
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Tom had his ramp so wired…it was
just amazing to watch. His dad was
really cool too……..fakie ollie
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Reprinted from Mertzworld.net with Rob’s Permission
Thanks Rob!!
I got to skate at Tom’s once with Dan Tag and Tom. Cant say I took to the ramp all that well. I remember it being ridiculously slippery as well. After I managed to pull all the tricks I knew at least once I called it quits and watched Tag and Tom do there thing… I always had a camera but not that day for some reason…too bad. I remember Tom Talking about taking the summer to skate with Wilkes and work on 540′s must have been 87 or so.
jason
PS Checkout Mertzworld.net it rules and remains a precursor to The House of Steam in my mind. There are tons of pictures, accounts and where are they nows. All from Robs illustrious skate history….and alot of pink letters too!!
Oh yeah here is Rob Mertz in The Zorlac zero hour video…tell me this couldnt be 2007 by the tricks Mertz is pullin waaaaay back then (circa 90 maybe?)
Thanks again Rob!!
jason
Thanks to Chris and Bryce at Skatedaily.net for posting The House of Tom as a news event!!
Thanks to Wendy and Tony for getting all this together…(Check out Squindo.net)
and Tom for the big Ole stamp of approval!!! You Rule!!
East Coast Pride by Tom Groholski
Remember The House of Steam is looking for Sponsorship, Submissions and Suggestions!!! Send all to jasonoliva@gmail.com
160: Chuck Treece and Tom Groholski at Tom’s Ramp NJ 83
June 29, 2007
Tom Groholski & Chuck Treece Tom’s Ramp 1983
Photo Mr Groholski
jason
the foto was taken by mr.grohlski..tom’s father..
that’s tom’s ramp in north brundwick,nj.
that’s when we were both sponsored by MADRID SKATBOARDS,OJ WHEELS,GULLWING
TRUCKS…
THE YEAR
1983…
this foto ended up in thrasher mad way back..
treece
Well I thought I would wrap it all up with a classic… This picture is Iconic…and if you ever wondered who shot it well now you know!
Nice one Tom’s Dad!!!
I got to skate (more like survive) Tom’s ramp one afternoon 4 or 5 years after this was taken. It was me Dan Tag and Tom….. I should have stopped to take a few pics that day.
Thanks Chuck..have fun touring!
Peace-Jason
Hey Jason
John Engels
Uprising has reissued “absence of sanity”
so click the pic and go check it out (buyit)
Remember The House of Steam is looking for Sponsorship, Submissions and Suggestions!!! Send all to jasonoliva@gmail.com
CLICK HERE FOR The TEAM STEAM 1987 PHOTO ANNUAL.
Take the time to sign the map or add a skate spot to it.
37: In 1983 apparently “The Captain” John Ballon was sold on shredding
September 8, 2006
This was a letter written to Thrasher magazine in 1983 by Team Steam’s Captain Jon Ballon. The Bernie he is referring to is his best friend Bernie O’Dowd. According to Bernie this letter was read by Tom Groholski’s Father who Invited John and Bernie over to skate Tom’s backyard ramp. They all became fast friends and the rest is skating history folks….
…and Captain…THRASHER, Black Flag, DEVO and the Circle Jerks are still too cool!
Bernie O’Dowd frontside air at Tom Groholski’s ramp New Jersey 1983
Nice One Bernie!
