Twenty Years Ago.

Twenty years ago today, I met my skateboarding heroes Lance Mountain and Mike Vallely for the first time. Through my local skateshop at the time (Endless Summer), I found out that the Bones Brigade Summer Tour ‘88 was making a stop in Rochester, NY approximately 60 miles east of Lockport. The demo was put on by Samurai Skateshop which I had been to several times when I went with my Mom to visit her Aunt in Rochester.

Inside Samurai Skates. Photo: taken from the Bones Brigade Intelligence Report, September ‘88.

I lived, breathed, ate, slept and dreamed everything about Powell Peralta so needless to say going to see this demo was the biggest and most important day of my 14 year old life. Lance Mountain was and still is the greatest skateboarder ever, my favorite ever, and I couldn’t believe that I was going to see him skate in person. I watched Video Show, Future Primitive and Animal Chin (Public Domain was still 4 months away) almost daily and Lance was the one who inspired me always and I exclusively rode Lance boards.

On the morning of the 16th my Mom and a couple of other skate Moms in the neighborhood loaded up all the neighborhood skaters and we we’re off to Rochester. We arrived kinda early, the mini ramp was already set up but no one was sitting near it yet. It appeared as if we weren’t allowed to get close to it because other kids who were there were sitting and standing very far from it. Once we got word we could get close we all ran as fast as we could to get a good viewing spot.

I ran so fast that I made it right up to the barrier for a perfect view of the demo and was armed with my Kodak 110 camera to take some pictures. Lance was the first one to appear, which seemed like out of thin air, to check out the final set up of the ramp and I noticed he and I were wearing the same sneakers. Vans high tops. I couldn’t believe it! Lance and I had the same sneakers on! The day had just gone next level!

The mini ramp unfolds. Photo: taken from the Bones Brigade Intelligence Report, September ‘88.

Before I knew it Mike Vallely, Jim Theibuad, Steve Saiz and Kevin Harris had joined Lance on the ramp and everyone was shredding.

Steve Saiz – early grab method to fakie. Photo: me.

Mike Vallely – miller flip. Photo: me.

Lance Mountain – lien air. Photo: me.

Lance Mountain – backside ollie. Photo: taken from the Bones Brigade Intelligence Report, September ‘88.

Mike Vallely – miller flip. Photo: taken from the Bones Brigade Intelligence Report, September ‘88.

After the the mini ramp session the demo moved into the parking lot for a very short street skating demo and then an autograph signing. The line for autographs kept changing directions and was very unorganized and it took about an hour and a half to get to the front for a signature.

Left to right: Steve Saiz, Lance Mountain, Kevin Harris, Jim Theibaud, Mike Vallely. Photo: me.

Here I am about to get Lance’s autograph. Photo: mom.

Lance signed (Lantz version) my shirt (I was wearing his Future Primitive shirt) and only wore it a couple of times after that day and never washed it so the signature wouldn’t fade. When I moved to California, most of my belongings were left at my parents house, including this shirt. A couple of years later when they moved, the shirt got tossed in the trash. Oh well.

Autographed Jim Thiebaud postcard.

Mike Vallely’s signature on the back of the Thiebaud postcard.

Still have the tour shirt that I bought that day.

When I was digging around for the tour shirt I found my Samurai Skates shirt too.

I headed back to school a few weeks later (9th grade) and the first assignment in English class was to write about our favorite experience of the summer and I wrote about going to this demo. I’m sure it was much more detailed than this blog as it was fresh on the brain at the time. I received an A+ on the paper and a note from the teacher that said something to the effect of “I can tell how excited you were to be there.” I wonder if my mom still has it somewhere as I think she saved all my old school notebooks? Also, a few weeks later after school started the newest Bones Brigade Intelligence Report showed up in my mailbox which was filled with photos from the demo in Rochester. Fully stoked.

Best day ever.

It’s crazy to look back on this day and think that a few years later Lance Mountain would design and create the cover artwork for my band’s album, I would move to California, skate with him, and even later meet Mike Vallely and become great friends and work side by side with him. 14 year old Larry would never believe what 34 year old Larry was up to.