Chad Knight #3.

Happy Halloween!

Creepy Chad tries to escape the evil eternal vortex.

This eerie photo is by Christopher Donez.

Thrasher - April 2007 Volume 27 Number 4

Drew Dezort.

Demonic Drew leaps into hell's abyss.

Drew is from Hudson, Ohio. Kristian Svitak hooked him up with 1031 and offered him a chance to move out to California. He worked at a Christmas tree farm in Ohio before making the move. Once out west, he got a job working in the warehouse at Black Box Distribution. Drew would pack boxes and process orders for Zero, Mystery, and Fallen. Ben Gilley is one of his favorite skaters. He was also on Vox Footwear and Theeve Trucks. His welcome to the team part for Vox in 2015 features a bunch of gnarly ripping in ditches and unique tech tricks down handrails.

Christopher Donez was the soul stealer.

For the information: The Skateboard Mag - April 2010 Issue 73

Thrasher - May 2007 Volume 27 Number 5

Jon Rojas.

As per Transworld's website from February 16, 2007:

"Jon Rojas is the new am on 1031. Jon is from Pasadena, California and can shred with the best of ’em. Go to the 1031 MySpace and check out Jon’s full length video part. This guy can crank out the video footage!"

The ghosts of the internet.

The photo is by Blanco. Anybody know a first name? Google wasn't helping at all.

Thrasher - July 2007 Volume 27 Number 7

Ben Raybourn #4.

Scary Ben throws down a spooky frontside boneless in a haunted masonite pit.

For this year's Halloween festivities, I picked out a week of 1031. Why I never thought of using a company that essentially has Halloween in their name before is beyond me. 1031 was started in 2006 by Kristian Svitak after he parted ways with the Black Label. Around about 2015, Svitak turned off the porch light and joined up with Mike Vallely's Street Plant. A few dudes around here still swear by their boards and will scrounge for dead stock in Ohio.

The photo is by Christopher Donez.

Thrasher - March 2007 Volume 27 Number 3

Dan Murphy.

Dan is from Raleigh, North Carolina. He rode for Mystery, had a stint on Foundation, and is back on the new version of Mystery. His other sponsors include Nike and Theeve Trucks. This trick was in Mystery's Black & White video from 2007. Indy, his trusty doggie sidekick, passed away in 2018. Dan's skating tends to involve blasting switch and regular tricks across large patches of real estate. He's got a really solid style and everything is popped just right.

Props to Jeremy Leabres for using a Polvo song in his Toy Machine video part.

Mike Blabac was the photographer.

Transworld - January 2006 Volume 24 Number 1

Ryan Gallant.

Kevin: Well, do you have the latest Pixies album?

Bruce: Yeah, but it sucks. All that new stuff sucks, but it's over there.

Kevin: You know, actually I was thinking of getting into something vintage. Anyway...I don't know, maybe The Doors?

Bruce: Really! Never had you figured for a Doors fan.

Ryan is from Southboro, Massachusetts. He was introduced to the skateboard world at large in the Coliseum shop video from 2002, P.J. Ladd's Wonderful, Horrible Life. The video showcased the talents of Boston area rippers Alexis Sablone, P.J. Ladd, Colin Fiske, Southie, and Jereme Rogers. Ryan had a very strong part full of well done flip tricks, big ollies off flat, and speedy ledge lines set to the music of The Doors. His hardflips are on point. He rode for Expedition, joined the reboot of Plan B, and switched back to Expedition. DC and Circa have sponsored his feet over the years. Ryan is presently doing a company called Visit.

The weather has been mixed the last few days. It's been very windy with intermittent batches of rain. I've gotten in some skateboarding after work in the driveway at my parents. I have to build a little moveable ledge type of thing because the old portable flatbar isn't really cutting it. Everything did dry up and the wind calmed down so I hit up the park later last night, too.

I had nothing for yesterday's post. I had a couple of ideas I was mulling over, but I never bothered to put the words together. They probably weren't all that great to begin with. I've decided to focus a little more on content from the 2000s moving forward, which is something I've been doing the last few months. Enough time has passed that those years can be looked at with a critical eye.

The photo is by Mike Blabac.

Transworld - June 2006 Volume 24 Number 6

Bam Margera #6.

Nothing.

Transworld - March 2006 Volume 24 Number 3

Mike "Lizard King" Plumb #2.

Fun bits of Lizard King trivia:

1. He gave out his phone number in an interview with Skateboarder Magazine.

2. He got the Deathwish logo tattooed on his neck before the company existed and was only in the planning stages. He still rides for Deathwish to this day.

3. Ryan Sheckler gave him a car after a contest for Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory television show. Sheckler won the car in a best trick contest. Lizard won a sword for his fourth place finish. When it was realized Lizard didn't have a car, the two swapped prizes.

4. He might be responsible for the awkward trend of slapping the bottom step with your tail or rail after leaping down a set of stairs.

5. Geoff Rowley punched him in the nose and broke it.

I've been digging the parts of the new Toy Machine video that have been popping up on Thrasher. I hope this one does come out on DVD because it looks totally worth viewing multiple times in the living room.

For the facts: Transworld - March 2010 Volume 28 Number 3

Thrasher - July 2006 Volume 26 Number 7

Steve Nesser #4.

Minnesota North Star.

Nesser was on a serious spot killing spree in the 2000s. Handrails, gaps, weird transitions, and whatever else got wrecked all over the world.

Ian O'Connor took the photo.

Transworld - June 2006 Volume 24 Number 6

Omar Hassan #8.

Mile high magic carpet ride.

You don't usually associate Omar with the big air/mega ramp type stuff, but here he is, way up in the air.

I've got a Blockhead reissue sticker of his first graphic on my current board.

The photo is by Daniel Harold Sturt.

Thrasher - July 2006 Volume 26 Number 7

Nick Dompierre.

"In our area you don't really think about people being pro skaters, 'cause it's such a hard place to grow up. Nick had a rough upbringing; pretty typical of New Bedford, Massachusetts. But he started making it, and he started taking care of people around him. I think all the responsibility kind of made him like an old man, too. You know how your dad is always pissed off? So even though he's 22, 23, he's got the mentality of an old man - he works on cars, he's wicked quiet. But he's a big giver, too. He definitely looks out for his friends and family." - Craig Paiva

I feel Nick provided the blueprint for how a guy like Kyle Walker skates today.

I liked the part Kevin Braun just released for OJ Wheels. It was a nice blend of tricks.

For the quote: Thrasher - August 2010 Volume 30 Number 8

Thrasher - September 2006 Volume 26 Number 9

Baker Team 2006.

Ultimate family portrait.

Front row: Antwuan Dixon, Jeff Lenoce, Kevin Long, Dustin Dollin, Erik Ellington, Leo Romero

Back row: Knox Godoy, Theotis Beasley, Braydon Szafranski, Jim Greco, Bryan Herman, Andrew Reynolds, Terry Kennedy, Jacob Walder, Beagle

That is Knox behind Antwuan, right?

The kid in B jersey is Jacob Walder.

Braydon's enthusiasm is completely negated by Bryan's apathy.

I like how Leo is holding an owl statue.

Thrasher - April 2006 Volume 26 Number 4

Corey Duffel #2.

The Downtown Lights.

Corey recently released a long form video of him skateboarding around at night with Cameron Boutté. The long time F-Trooper also left the Foundation about two month ago for parts unknown. I imagine he is focusing more on his Devium clothing company.

Eric "Rodent" Cheslak was the photographer.

Transworld - March 2006 Volume 24 Number 3

Spitfire Team 2006.

The Flame Head Squad.

Spitfire revisited an ad concept from 1995 for 2006.

Thrasher - March 2006 Volume 26 Number 3

Jeremy Wray #9.

"Never did a pressure flip. Jonas could do all those, but I never did one. The only impossible I ever did was a front-foot impossible. I liked those because you could ollie into it. All the pressure flips and ollie impossibles you have to hold your foot down and scrape the tail - I couldn't do that. My back leg only does pop - it won't do a little scrape."

Jeremy uses some of that pop to get up on a level frontside noseslide.

The weather has been a good dose of mild fall lately. I've gotten skateboarding every night at the park this week. It's been a tad cool, but very comfortable, especially once you get warmed up. I had a bit of late summer slump on skateboarding in general and now I'm back into it.

It will be two weeks of odd stuff from 2006 starting on Monday.

For the quote: Transworld - February 1997 Volume 15 Number 2

Transworld - December 1999 Volume 17 Number 12

Joel Meinholz #2.

"You can only do what is comfortable to you. It is good to know how to do as many tricks as you can, but what tricks you choose to do are the tricks that will really define you."

Get Mind Bent.

Joel is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and moved out to Florida with his parents in the late 1990s. He is currently pro for Hopps and has ridden for a few different companies over the years, including Reflex Bearings.

For the quote: Slap - August 2000 Volume 9 Number 8

Slap - March 1999 Volume 8 Number 3

Geoff Rowley #5.

Unobtrusive Airwalk ad.

In addition to putting out a gnarly part for Vans called Take It Back, Geoff recently launched his own board company called Freedome Skateboards. Take It Back also featured full parts from Pedro Barros and Ronnie Sandoval, along with some of the other team riders. I'm a big fan of Ronnie and Pedro is an undeniable ripper, but I wasn't super into the video. I think it might simply have been the music. I did like that Omar Hassan had a couple tricks in the mix.

I've been trying to figure out what I think of Geoff as a pro. You have to respect how he and Tom Penny pushed skateboarding in the mid to late 90s and beyond. After watching Take It Back, I'm not sure I'm a huge fan of the type of skating Geoff does. For as impressive as the stunts are, it wouldn't ever be my go-to pick for video to watch. Although I will say his part in Sorry is an enjoyable section. Given his longevity in the fickle skateboard world, I'm going to make the assumption that Geoff is probably oddly eccentric, but a decent enough chap if you know him in person.

Daniel Harold Sturt snapped the photograph.

Transworld - March 1999 Volume 17 Number 3

Kareem Campbell #6.

Kareem drifts a big kickflip over some stairs.

Reflex was a bearing company done by the Alien Workshop in the late 1990s and early 2000s. As expected some of the Alien guys were on the team, like Josh Kalis, Rob Dyrdek, and Danny Way. They also sponsored Kareem, Mike York, Bob Burnquist, and Stevie Williams to name a few riders from other companies.

The photo is by Atiba Jefferson.

Transworld - September 1999 Volume 17 Number 9

Rick McCrank #6.

Do you like pickles?

I despise pickles.

Really?

Yeah.

See, I bet no one ever knew that. We really delve deep in these Transworld interviews.

I don't gag or anything, though.

But pickles are a definite no?

Yeah, they overpower the food. I don't like that.

Kevin Wilkins grills Rick about his dislike of pickles.

For the quote: Transworld - June 2003 Volume 21 Number 6

Transworld - November 1999 Volume 17 Number 11

Danny Montoya #5.

Optical art V-Force.

That Mark Suciu kid is good at riding his skateboard. Was that ten minutes of all new footage? SOTY? What kind of sucks is that for the massive amount of effort Mark put into the video, I'll probably never watch the part again. I dug how he had a couple of regular frontside 50-50s thrown in the mix.

Thrasher - April 1999 Volume 19 Number 4

Jacob Rupp #3.

"Kids carrying around cameras trying to get the latest trick on video is boring. Some filmers are truly amazing and really put their heart into it, like Dan Wolfe and the Eastern Exposure stuff. I like photos better, but videos help spread the word to the masses and can help out a good skateboarder."

Jake gripes about the drawbacks of present day life some twenty years ago.

It looks like Transworld is chipping away at the process of putting all the issues of 411 Video Magazine on the internet in complete form.

There's been rain the last two days and it shows no sign of letting up today either. I feel I needed a break from skateboarding, but I'm good to start rolling again. I've got to get these new shoes broken in. I also have to maybe replace a bushing on my front truck. I think it's disintegrating.

For the quote: Slap - January 2000 Volume 9 Number 1

Thrasher - February 1999 Volume 19 Number 2

Jerry Hsu #9.

"I started skating because I just wanted something to do instead of watching TV all day. I realized that was kind of lame. At first, it was just another thing to do when I was a kid, but it just turned into something I loved. It is just one of those things that never goes away. It just makes me feel good. . . It makes me feel bad sometimes, too (laughter). I lose my mind sometimes. But skating always felt good to me."

We're gonna find the meaning of feeling good.

I managed to get skateboarding at least a little every day in September. It got a tad dicey at the end due to a head cold and work, but I got it done. Of course, it rained last night on what will probably be the last truly warm day of the year.

The photographs are by Ed Dominick.

For the quote: Slap - September 1999 Volume 8 Number 9

Slap - June 1999 Volume 8 Number 6

Matt Mumford #2.

"It was sort of coincidental that Jamie Thomas came to me and asked me to ride for Zero. I already knew Wade Burkitt, who was on the team, and he'd already talked to me a couple of times about it. So I'd been thinking about it, and I liked the way Zero was going; I liked the feel it had. It sort of came knocking on my door at the perfect time. I was super stoked they'd even consider having me on the team. I always thought I'd be psyched to ride for that company."

Matt is from Brisbane in Queensland, Australia. He has ridden for Chapter 7, Shaft, Invisible, Zero, Legacy, Black Label, and Slave over the years. He was thrilled to get on Zero in the early days of the company.

For the quote: Transworld - December 1999 Volume 17 Number 12

Thrasher - February 1999 Volume 19 Number 2