Monday, May 18, 2009

Steve Olson.



"bugboy flip down eight stairs. O.K. so it's a switch-stance 360 flip."

This is not Alex Olson's dad. This Steve Olson rode for Foundation for most of the 1990s and then joined up with Chad Muska to be the second pro on Shorty's.

I got really stoked on mid 1990s stuff when I was looking for Tim Brauch pictures a couple of weeks ago so that is what it is going to be for the rest of the month.

Steve Sherman took the photo.

Trasnworld - January 1994 Volume 12 Number 1

13 comments:

EMRGNCY said...

No, no, no. Olson skates regular, so it's not switch. And that's a no-handed airwalk, not a tre flip.

He was one of my favorites when I started skating and saw Fulfill the Dream, the kf/fsbs/shove as the ender was 'the most', as no one says anymore because it's reminiscent of teenage gurls in the 50's. It's one of those phrases that's dying to make a comeback, but probably won't because it's too dated and effeminate. So rest in peace, 'the most'.
But Olson always asphyxiated it (yet not autoerotically)no matter what uni-colored outfits he wore later on, and I hope he makes a Guy Mariano-sized comeback although it will never happen ever.

Old School Sammy said...

Whatever happened to this guy? When the whole Shorty's quasi-phenomenon went the way of the Do-Do Bird, he seemed to have slipped away along with it...

Royce said...

It is a inward heelfip.

justin said...

I'd buy that as an inward heelflip more than a switch trey, but you never know.

I thought maybe Steve had gotten hooked up with Creation and/or Satori, but he isn't listed on either website. He gave it a good run from the early 90s until whenever Shorty's fell apart a few years ago. I guess there is room for only one Steve Olson at a time in skateboarding.

Anonymous said...

Inward heelflip. Definitely not switch, since Steve Olson is regular footed.

Olson was sick in those Foundation videos; he destroyed Hubba Hideout. On the kf/fb shove-it, I remember someone screaming out, "OLSON!!!" when he lands it. Steve did some goofy stuff in his "Guilty" part like dropping dummies off the roof, a la Lance Mountain.

I think the powers-that-be at Shorty's lost their collective minds with that "Guilty" video, what with Smolik trying to use the video as a platform to launch some shitty rap group he was "managing," by turning his part into a some rap video that you'd see on BET's "After Dark." Guilty really was the end of that company, because Muska's part was nothing but noseslides and tailslides, and then he decided to go party in Hollywood for the next few years. If I recall correctly, skate magazines said he was living full time at the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood, which he said he was having Shorty's pay for all the expenses, while he was doing that laughably-bad "MuskaBeatz" album. Dude started playing with a keyboard and a program called The Reason and thought he could be the next Quincy Jones. Not so.

—Rikku Markka

Keith said...

looks like a hard heel to me as well.

Dude was so quirky but did some super hard ass tricks. I saw him at the first Slam City Jam and he'd try some crazy nollie inward flip trick on the flat bank, looked like there was no way he was gonna land it, and pulled it off flawless.

Anonymous said...

I always thought he was the first to do a bs nbs down a rail, but others claim it was Heath.

I would blame Mary Jane before Shorty's for his fade-out.

justin said...

There were a few Foundation ads that talked about Steve needing medication beyond THC for mental health. I couldn't tell if they were joking or if they were truthful. Given his later day fondness for yellow sweat suits and what not, I think there might have been more truth than fiction.

Did he ever have an interview or anything?

I know he had a Last Words in Transworld and he seemed reasonable, but anybody can sound good with three word answers.

Anonymous said...

All of you are fuckng stupid who talked crap about my homje! He decided to quit skateboarding becus the industry got all about stupid bullshit!! Like flashy stupid companies shoes n shit! My homie resides in his home town of washington state chillin and relaxin.

Unknown said...

looks like an inward heel.

olson was the skater that inspired me to take skating alot more personally and artful and most importantly FUN. i saw a photo of him from that runned down riviera kind of place that they have a play with on fulfill the dream. and noticed in the photo that olson had one of his trucks screwed on the other way. so i tried it on really curvy surfaces. it made no sense in terms of turning and weight shifting, i cant believe he did all that stuff there. he was like a mad scientist. mad respect steve olson, and cheers.

Unknown said...

looks like an inward heel.

olson was the skater that inspired me to take skating alot more personally and artful and most importantly FUN. i saw a photo of him from that runned down riviera kind of place that they have a play with on fulfill the dream. and noticed in the photo that olson had one of his trucks screwed on the other way. so i tried it on really curvy surfaces. it made no sense in terms of turning and weight shifting, i cant believe he did all that stuff there. he was like a mad scientist. mad respect steve olson, and cheers.

Anonymous said...

I was lucky enought at like 16 or 17 to go over to Steve's house when he lived in PB. I was friends with Brandon Turner at the time and we went over there to chill for a bit then go skate.

Apparently dude was baked out of hismind and shrooming super hard. Anyways I just thought he was normally spacy. I remember him taking like 30 minutes to make himself a smoothie, and he asked us if we wanted any (he was putting tomatoes and crap in it, erm, no thanks Steve) and also had a litter of kittens just chillin in a baby's playpen.

I dont remember what happened specifically but we did not get to go skating. Bummed me out, he was super good at the time and I loved skating with any pro just because it was so inspiring to try new and harder tricks.

Unknown said...

This man is a god when it comes to old school skaters, and unfortunately I am one of those myself. I Loved Fulfill The Dream, it was one of the greats of skate videos and got me deep into skating. I was stationed in North Carolina, the Mecca of East coast Skating. I remember buying his pro board "Stone Cold Steve Olson" shorty's board. good old days Man I wish I was younger so I could still be shreading shit up. Props to Shorty's hopefully you guys get your shit back together I keep waiting and looking for a new Team but it always says scouting.