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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Team Steam 1987 Photo Annual
Well here it is in all its glory!
Photos by:
jason oliva
ben cornish
geoff graham and others.
Skaters in order of appearance:
Dan Tag (Cover)
Jim Murphy
Rob Mertz
Bernie o’Dowd
Dan Tag
Rick Steamboat Chanoski
Darren Menditto
Rocky Vertone
Jimmy Kane
Jim Murphy
Chris DJ King WEEP Blank
Tom Groholski (back cover)
Head over to our myspace page to see the entire Photo Annual and hear my pals LONGWAVE’s latest track. (dont cry Mrs. Kane!!)
While your there please sign the Frappr map and add us to your friends.
Thanks
Jason Oliva
Yo Jay! I’ve been holding off on a post until I dug something good out of the archives, just found this little gem! One of the greatest gatherings of post-barn STEAM power I can recall. It was late 92, in Brick NJ there was an indoor skate park in a strip mall. The other end of the mall had a roller-disco rink. There was some kind of contest/jam, completely dominated by the steam presence,…the climax of which was a rock and roll onslaught by the RL’s, set up on the flat bottom. You can tell by the faces that a good time was had by all. Geoff Graham foto on the timer, getting in one last stage dive. Rounding out the roll call: Kelly Ryan; Rocky (Vertone), (Jim) Murf, Dennis (Kane), Charno (Rick Steamboat Charnoski), Moose (Darren Menditto), (Dan)Tag, me (Jimmy Kane) , Barker, Weep (Chris Blank), Jason (Oliva), Al B(aker), Steve D, Dr K and Billy (Collectivelly known as The Raging Lamos).
Jimmy Kane
Nice one! Jimmy
Ok( sorry about the title I just wanted to get the word elephant into the Archive list)
This photo rules! It says alot for sure. The winds of change sure did scatter us all soon after this photo was taken.
Here is the question I am pretty certain this was not the event but there was a similiar occasion we all went to a south Jersey strip mall skatepark for a contest. Tom “The Rock” Boyle (ummm someone please send photos of Boyle!) had beat Tony Hawk in a mini ramp contest in Florida so Tony Hawk showed up in Jersey for this event to set the record straight or something (real gunslinger stuff goin down) So anyway we (handful of peeps, definetly Steamboat) all went to another nearby (closed) indoor skatepark with an in ground wooden bowl. While we were skating Tony Hawk (wearing a ski hat over his helmet…wish I thought of that years earlier) and 2 young kids show up. Needless to say Hawk went off skating the bowl doing crazy stuff (but nothing as bulldozey as Charno’s boardslides). So who remembers all this?
CLICK HERE FOR The TEAM STEAM 1987 PHOTO ANNUAL.
79: The House of WEEP: Thank you to everyone!
November 28, 2006
Page 10 from the now infamous Team Steam 1987 Photo Annual (coming soon)
Photography:Ben Cornish
Sense of Humor: WEEP & CORN
Well it is time to switch gears back to The House of Steam.
Special thanks to:
Ben Cornish
Kevin McDowall
Jeff Roenning
Rodney Smith
Greg Taylor
and everyone who has sent emails and pics during our tribute to WEEP.
The House of Steam will have its 10,000th hit today in just 3 short months so I know there are people out there reading this…..
Having spent my teenage years and early twenties in a close friendship with Chris there are two important things I have taken away…..
1. I musn’t grumble…and
2. There is only one thing to do in life and that is to always press on.
Thanks for those Weep!
Same time next year my Brutha, till then we will be thinkin on you…
jason oliva
Bernie O’Dowd and Chris WEEP Blank Dorkin Around circa 1987
Super 8 footage by Ben Cornish
Chris Weep Blank Fakie Ollie and Backside air 1987′sh last days of the Barn
Photo’s Steven McDowall (keep em coming)
These shots were taken after the Kanes had sold the property and every session at the Barn seemed like the last. Holes were torn in the ceiling and walls to allow light in and night sessions were now a thing of the past.
Greg Taylor, Kevin Mcdowall, Mike and James Pruskowski are all on deck
Obviously Mrs. Kane has left the house cause everyone is riding with no helmets…Baaad!!
Taylor sent me this story via email:
Jason-
I was just thinking about Weep and all the stories I have about him (like everyone else) and thought of my favorite.
Weep came home (back to NJ) for a visit – I’m pretty sure he was living in AZ at the time. We all got together to skate, given the time-frame (1990 ish) I’m sure we were going to Cheap Skates. It was Corn, Fraz, Weep and myself making the drive to PA where we would meet up with Tag & Rocky etc. When we got there and exchanged hellos, jokes or whatever. Weep kept going on and on –like he always did, about how great it is in Tempe. He’s got the sun and the bros and the ramp, the kill job at Circle-K and the girls whewwwww boieey…Tag finally interrupted him and said pointing at a rock in the driveway, “Weep, if you lived under that rock – you would tell us it was the greatest thing ever.”
At the time Tag’s statement was funny as hell – because it was true. Now thinking back – that was exactly how Weep was. No matter what – loss of parents, motorcycle accident w/ broken ankle, freezing off toes etc. – he made the best of the situation and more than that he made his situations ok.
I’ll always remember Weep as the eternal optimist….RIP
Nice one!!
Jason oliva
Chris “WEEP” Blank launch ramp Judo Air at his home in New Jersey circa 1984
Photo sequence by Jeff Roenning (Nice One!!)
….No comment from me on this one its all right there….YAR WEEP!!
East Coast Pride by Tom Groholski
Remember The House of Steam is looking for Sponsorship, Submissions and Suggestions!!! Send all to jasonoliva@gmail.com
Chris “WEEP” Blank standing tall frontside grind Froncek’s ramp NJ Jason Oliva on deck
Photo Kevin McDowall
So I am biased about this photo since that is me (Jason Oliva) pointing defiantly at the camera (Kevins Father’s old school SLR) This was during the “You don’t even know” years. I am not sure who said those words first (I’ll guess Jay Henry) but it was quite a catch phrase for the time. It was eventually spray painted on the outside of the Barn during its last days.
So there is Weep doing his stylish thing as always and me letting the future (20 years later) in on the fact that…”You dont even know!”
YAR WEEP!!
Jason Oliva
CLICK FOR THE WEEP TRIBUTE PAGE
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thanks…
