John Rattray #2.

The Predatory Bird.

John rode for Blueprint before Jamie Thomas recruited him for Zero. He's wearing DC's in the photo and he was riding for éS until the recent demise of that company. He has also gotten kicks from Savier and Osiris. John has something that many a pro skateboarder doesn't have: a college degree.

I'm taking tomorrow off. I'll be back on Monday.

Slap - September 1999 Volume 8 Number 9

Diego Bucchieri.

Chop chop. The Butcher cuts a massive double set down to size.

Diego is from Argentina. He did the old carcass toss down some of the biggest gaps and stairs the USA had to offer and was rewarded with a pro model from Think. A few years ago he joined up with Toy Machine and has been with them ever since. Interesting side note about Diego: he's a big fan of Oasis and has logged some serious miles to see them.

Thrasher - November 1999 Volume 19 Number 11

Al Partanen #3.

Parts started Illenium in the summer of 1999 after Creature was killed by a mob of angry villagers. The team included Mike Peterson, Steve Forstner, Christian Brox and Troy Mahony. Illenium also introduced us to a hot new am from Milwaukee by the name of Greg Lutzka. It lasted for a few years before joining many skateboard business ventures in the defunct company graveyard. Fortunately the story has a happy ending since Al joined up with the resurrected Creature squad, scored a shoe deal with Nike and is still destroying pools and parks at the age of forty with a full head of hair. That Lutzka kid is doing alright, too.

The photo is by Ed Dominick.

Thrasher - October 1999 Volume 19 Number 10

Arto Saari.

Happy trails, éS.

Sole Tech is putting the brand on hiatus to focus more on Etnies, Emerica, Altamont and their snowboard footwear company. I'm a little surprised that this is happening because their demise has been a topic of skateboard mag gossip columns for at least the last decade, yet never came to fruition. Over the years éS gave us quite a few classic shoes, including the first pro models from Sal Barbier and Eric Koston, along with the Accel. They also let Chad Muska design a pair of sneakers with a secret stash pocket in the tongue and footwear has never been the same.

Arto is from Finland and was the hot new am at the end of the 1990s. He rode for Platinum before joining up with Flip. He turned pro for Flip and is riding for them again after a couple of years on the Alien Workshop. He was on éS for a while until Gravis revamped their footwear program.

Atiba Jefferson took photo.

Slap - March 1999 Volume 8 Number 3

Erik Ellington.

The Mule.

He's wearing some Axion kicks.

That's all. Have a good weekend.

Thrasher - October 1999 Volume 19 Number 10

Joey Pepper.

Underground favorite.

Pepper has ridden for Rhythm, Aesthetics and Zoo York. He currently is sponsored by Expedition. His part in Aesthetics' Ryde or Die video was sick. He is still going strong today and getting solid coverage.

Slap - November 1999 Volume 8 Number 11

Tino Razo.

"While New York sleeps... Tino Razo 100 ft. below"

Tino rode for Rookie and the reincarnated version of Shut. He makes frequent appearances on Patrick O'Dell's Epicly Later'd website.

Thomas Campbell took the photo.

Slap - September 1999 Volume 8 Number 9