Mike Sinclair.

The Toy Machine team manager kickflips from pipe top to pipe top. He also rode for Nice Skate Shoes.

Thanks to Creature for posting a link on Facebook for Vert Is Dead any time I scan something from their past.

Thrasher - June 1997 Volume 17 Number 6

Chad Knight.

Enjoy your retirement.

Based on the retrospective video 1031 posted, I'm thinking Chad is one of the more under appreciated rippers of the last two decades. Vert, street, mini ramp, crazy rigged up warehouse situations, the guy crushed it all.

The photo is by Ed Dominick.

Transworld - July 1997 Volume 15 Number 7

Sam Hitz.

"I like grinding, dude, that's what it's all about. For me, alls I want to do is fucking grind my back truck to hell and back. It's all about grinding the back truck. You're not skating unless you grind the back truck. I don't give a fuck about the front truck, grind the back truck. Grind the back truck, and then you're a real skateboarder. Grind it. Grind the fucking back truck."

Blader hater, Shed frontman, Creature Overlord and guy who really likes to grind the back truck.

The quote is from a Big Brother interview where Dave Carnie went down to San Diego to hang out with Hitz, Darren Navarrette, Peter Hewitt and company. They drank a lot of beer, went to a strip club and played some heavy metal.

Grant Brittain was the photographer.

For the quote: Big Brother - November 2003 Issue 102

Thrasher - September 1997 Volume 17 Number 9

Carl Shipman.

Carl never made it into DC Shoes week back in January so I'm taking care of that today.

He had a wallride and a switch wallride on this bank in Stereo's Tincan Folklore video.

The photo is by Mike Ballard.

Slap - December 1997 Volume 6 Number 12

Antonius "Toad" Dintcho.

"The Toad flies over a metal edge that would crush a such a tadpole. Service is where you find it."

Blood Wizard.

The photo is by Jaya Bonderov.

Thrasher - April 1997 Volume 17 Number 4

Tim McKenney #2.

"As a kid growing up, I went to demos. I went to the Swatch Watch tour at Hillsdale Mall, saw Rodney Mullen do his yo-yo, and was more stoked than I've ever been. Seen Cab 360˚ air over a fuckin' Honda, made my day. I wish someday I could do that for some little kid. If he comes up and goes, "Hey you're Tim. It's nice to meet you." I'd sit there and go, "You know what? It's nice to meet you." Many times I've done that and had some guy go, "Who the fuck are you? Get out of my face." That's kind of a let-down, it kind of breaks your heart for that second, but at the same time, I'm going to do it right. I'm going to go, "Hey, what's up, kid?" Give him an autograph. If I got some stickers or some product, give him that, make his day. I know that made my day when I was young. Get a little product, you're on top of the fucking world for the next month. Like a set of wheels, costs the dude 6 bucks to make, it's like a million dollars to you for some reason. It really means a lot, and I hope I can give some back, because I've gotten a lot. Just little things here and there, but it's meant the world to me. I hope I could do that for some other little chump just like myself when I was a little chump. It'll make me happier. It'll make me stronger. It'll make me feel like I'm doing something for mankind. I ain't walking on the moon, but for that second I will feel like I'm walking on the moon."

Today's episode of Vert Is Dead is for the kids.

For the quote: Thrasher - July 1997 Volume 17 Number 7

Thrasher - November 1997 Volume 17 Number 11

Dave Mayhew.

Tyrone Olson's homie.

Dave rode for Maple, A - Team and enjoi before injuries forced him to retire from being a professional skateboarder. He was also on Pig Wheels and had a good part in the All Systems Go video. He was on Direction Wheels before Pig. Dave had a solid and easy on the eyes style when he was doing the more technical tricks. Bolts.

Other than maybe Peter Smolik, nobody cashed in on the glory years of the Storm like Dave did with his D3 pro model on Osiris. However, Smolik does admit to having partied away his financial gains. Let that be a lesson to the kids: save your money.

What's going on at the Black Label?

Ed Dominick took the photos.

Transworld - February 1997 Volume 15 Number 2