Tas and younger brother Ben burst on the vert scene from Australia in the mid 1990s. They certainly made things more interesting by doing the technical tricks larger and more consistently. In a way they were a throwback to 1980s vertical characters, like Lee Ralph. Tas rode for Mad Circle and Ben was on the New Deal. They both would ride for Platinum to close out the decade.
Unfortunately, Ben's story does not have a happy ending. He had developed a serious problem with cocaine and was arrested for smuggling the drug at Melbourne Airport in Australia. He was found dead in the water off Victoria Pier in Melbourne in March of 2007. At the time of his death, he was a suspect in the murder of his girlfriend. Police were treating his death as suspicious and not necessarily as a suicide. There were similarities in how Ben and his girlfriend's bodies were found. I haven't found any updates on the case.
Tas resurfaced a few years ago after some injuries at the X Games, I think. The internet is a little vague and doesn't seem quite up to date. I believe that he won a contest in 2006.
I was a little reluctant to post this ad after initially thinking it was a cool skateboard photo, which it still is. I figure this website is somewhat of an absolute value on just the skateboarding aspect of life and not the other things that happen.
Thrasher - July 1995 Volume 15 Number 7
8 comments:
Wow did not know about him dying like that. R.I.P.
Remember them from my younger years and thought they were cool as hell. Taz got more coverage and I remember thinking it was a taken name, being from Australia (Tazmania). Like Nanda Zipp, Ocean Howell or even Julien Stranger. Those names is just too cool to be real names, but I guess I will never know. Thank's for reminding me of the brothers Papas, haven't thouhgt about them for a looong time.
Both of them were super sick! awesome post. Just last week, a friend of mine introduced me to an Australian guy who's been in town for a while and we discussed all Aussie skaters from Shane O'Neil, Shane Cross etc and Ben Pappas' death came up. Pretty gnarly.
Tas was a bigoted jackass, karma's a bitch.
Weren't the Pappas brothers kicked off Santa Cruz when, at their signing party, they announced that they'd "turn this shitty company around," or something?
Amazing.
both those dudes rode for small beating too.
tas is sick . We miss you over here in the sates hommie. if there is anything I can do to help you hit me up!
Hajal
get my email from any of the boys
These kids............ Fukn sad bra TIME WOUNDS ALL HEELS R.I.P. BEN
'All This Mayhem' http://www.vice.com/en_au/read/all-this-mayhem-trailer-1
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