I’ve been really busy… and injured. Healing. Slowly. I am working with a new company and developing a team and doing some cool things. We decided to put out two Blue Tile Obsession boards. One will be a standard 8.5 x 32 3/4 inch board with a 15 inch wheelbase. The other version will be a square tail directional deck. I will have the boards and shirts ready shortly. I will also be posting up some new material this week. Thanks for supporting my deal. Love- Ozzie
Bobby Piercy- Traknology advertisement. 1978
One day, Bobby simply disappeared. He wasn’t there anymore. It was as if a giant hole opened up in Point Loma and swallowed him up. The grapevine. Innuendo. Subtle hushed conversations. “Bobby was arrested for dealing blow.” Furtive looks and worried expressions… “He’s now in the Witness Protection Program.” Yet who really knows the truth? Can anyone ever truly know? Is he dead? Some stories describe Bobby as being executed in a drug deal gone wrong. Has he actually just moved on and is living his life as a baldy, big-bellied hardware store clerk in Utah somewhere? Bobby Piercy knows but he’s not talking. At least not to anyone who knew him back in sunny San Diego in the 1970′s.
I prefer to think of Bobby as he lived. Wide open. Possibilities. Unlimited and lawless…. that is the Bobby Piercy that I admired. Thanks to Jim Goodrich for the images. Skate- Ozzie
Sam Beckett- wisely using his power of choice – back tail
”I voted for the Democrats because I didn’t like the way the Republicans were running the country. Which is turning out to be like shooting yourself in the head to stop your headache.”
–Jack Mayberry
Viva Emptiness. People can be just like a pool. You can take that comment any way you like… Anyway, let us move on to the power of choice. I was reading an interesting article recently. An attorney from Texas, Neal Boortz, gave a commencement address to the recent graduates of Texas A&M. Reading it, I don’t think it was what they expected. He spoke of Liberal views. He spoke about the young and the fact that they had the luxury of being in a position to be Liberals. He talked about “Using wisely your power of choice.”
He went on to tell the graduates that, “Liberals use the phrase “less fortunate” … it implies a few things. To imply that one person is homeless, destitute, dirty, drunk, unemployable and generally miserable because he is “less fortunate” is to imply that a successful person-one with a job and a future- is in that position because they are “fortunate”. The dictionary says that fortunate means “having derived good from an unexpected place.” There is nothing unexpected about deriving good from hard work. There is also nothing unexpected about deriving misery from choosing drugs, alcohol and the street.”
use wisely your power of choice
After further wonderful raw naked reality, the graduates were left with the following pearls of wisdom. “The key to accepting responsibility for your life is to accept the fact that your choices, every one of them, are leading you inexorably to either success or failure, however you define those terms. We have the right to work hard and make good choices. Highly successful people don’t clock out at five. The losers are caught up in afternoon traffic. Winners drive home in the dark. Proclaim your rarity. Each of you is a unique human being. Use wisely your power of choice. Go the extra mile. Drive home in the dark.” I just found the speech interesting. Thank you to Brian Fick for the image. Skate- Ozzie
William Sharp and I have been talking virtually everyday as we move forward with the book project. A bunch of us decided to meet up at Arto’s on Saturday. We were going to skate, have fun and then Sharpie and I could go over a few things. I left San Bernardino early. I drove through a few side streets and checked some pools that I knew of. At one place, I heard raised voices over the neighbors fence. A slamming sound. Doors and yelling. I slipped against the fence like a ghost and squatted there quietly. I heard the sounds of violence. Someone had been struck…. no doubt. Silence. I moved cautiously out of the yard and to my truck. I frowned. Do I intervene? People carry guns. Out here in San Bernardino, it can be brutal. There is nothing out here. People act messed up because they are messed up. I caught my reflection in the mirror. “…. and you live here by choice.” What does that say about me? I drove the busy roads to Los Angeles. It was warm and I tried to think good thoughts. I listened to Reverter. On arrival, I saw good people. I felt better. Lance, Steve Olson, Rusty and friends all met up, as well as Al Brunelle, Angelo, Wes, Chris and a few others. A great session ensued.
Arto Saari- front feeble
Arto was flying through the pool and it was rad to witness. High speed frontside feebles were on his mind. Sharp was taking photographs and Arto quickly joined him. Lance was ripping as always. Front rocks on the hip, huge airs and inverts were his. Steve Olson took two runs and dropped more style than most anyone all day. I guess some folks just have it…
Lance, Olson, Angelo and Wes
Mr. Mountain
Steve Olson
The crew was heavy and the vibe was light. The sun shone and the shadows through the trees were incredible. Al Brunelle was on fire! The kid is non-stop. He rips and when one is ripping… it’s unmistakable. Al lit the session with huge stalefish, lipslides, front Smith reverts light box and just about anything else he wanted. Everyone was stoked.
“there is freedom within, there is freedom without….”
Al Brunelle – front Smith death
There was a really cool crew on hand. It was a mixture of old and new. Layback rollouts, rock-n-rolls, sweepers, airs, lipslides, grinds and plenty of speedy carving were all to be seen. People were in and out all day. Arto took some awesome portraits of some of the riders. It was fun. After what I had heard earlier in the morning, I was happy to be a skateboarder. I think that there are so many people walking around in misery. Empty. Frustration. They have no way of expressing themselves except through pain. Malice directed at others and even themselves. Drugs. Alcohol. It is a dark existence. We should be content in the knowledge that we have skating. It doesn’t matter your ability level or style. It only matters that you do it. Positive expression. Creativity. Thank you to William Sharp and Arto Saari for the images. Skate- Ozzie
Steve Olson
me
Lance Scissorhands
Logan Earth Ski. The First Family of Skateboarding. They were around making boards and ripping it up before most people knew what a skateboard was. Think about that for a minute. It is a pretty cool thing. The family had some very influential skaters. Brad, Bruce, Brian and Robin all rode in contests and represented skateboarding around the world. They were innovative and unique.
In a world of posers and conformity, the Logan’s stood alone. They took an idea and a product that they believed in… they nurtured it and helped create a way of life for generations to follow. Thank you to the Logan family.
Aerial Action Sports is preparing to relaunch the Logan Earth Ski line. In an agreement with the family, Aerial will be producing all of the past models so that the Logan line can continue with its proud legacy. Skate- Ozzie
360 Sportswear Contest Advertisement
Oasis overview from the 805 overpass
360 Sportswear threw more than soda cans at the contest. They ponied up $10,000 in cash and prizes for the contestants. The money was a huge draw for the skateboard pros and it ended as a veritable ‘Who’s Who’, that showed up contest day. Dave Hackett ended in 1st place, Dave Andrecht in 2nd, Doug Saladino in 3rd and Steve Alba claimed 4th just one point behind Doug ‘Pineapple’ Saladino.
Oasis contest riders group photograph
Salba stated that he thought this contest was in 1979. He told me that the contests went as follows. “The Hester I series started in 1978. The first contest was Spring Valley and then Pipeline, Newark and Big O. In 1979, it was the ’360/Oasis’ contest, then Hester II started at Del Mar, followed by, Winchester, Lakewood and Pipeline. After this, the Gold Cup started.” Salba also stated that there was a half-pipe, bowl and obstacle course in the 360/Oasis contest. All riders participated in the three events.
Steve Alba- 4th Place
Salba remembered, “I did not like that pool (Oasis park pool) too much for lack of real vert. It had funky coping on it…when you rolled in you had to ‘Gordon Lightfoot’ over the back of the coping which was flat then rolled up and over the bullnose……it was like a long wait!”
“Layne Oaks did ‘shove-its’ for the 1st time…Pineapple did long rock -n- roll slides…….him and Chris Strople did the longest ones back then.” “I don’t remember much else. We did stay in ‘hotel circle’ and wished we could skate the hotel pools.”
Oasis Skate Park pool- relaxation before contest day
I laughed at Salbas comment. When I lived in San Diego, I would say the same thing to Rhino & Andy Mac. There are some crazy pools in Hotel Circle! Dave Hackett was definite about the 360/Oasis contest being in 1978, however. He pointed his finger into the air & recounted the events from that day.
Dave Hackett enroute to 1st Place
Dave Andrecht- 2nd Place
Doug Pineapple Saladino- 3rd Place
360 Sportswear Ad from Skateboarder Magazine
Jon Spooner
I don’t normally promote anything on the Blue Tile Obsession except positive skateboarding, pools, skate history and my various and sundry mental disorders. However, my good friend Jonathan Spooner has developed a really unique thing that I must tell everyone about. Jonathan fractured his leg skateboarding last year. He was laid up. Rather than take that time and delve into self-pity, pain meds and relentless drinking bouts, he decided to develop a new APP that helps skateboarders find parks. Being as he is a computer programmer, he knew that it would simply take a great deal of time and he had time in abundance. Pushwood is an App that you can get for FREE. It is a comprehensive skate park directory. You can update it, add images and find all the spots you’ll need on any trip or adventure into a distant city. Jonathan rides pools, parks and vert regularly. He is one of my favorite people and I ask you to check out his new Pushwood Skate Park location App. Thank you to Kyle Lightner and Chris Teitz for the images. Skate and support your friends. – Ozzie
Jonathan- back tail Fontana II
To see the Skate Park location App- 3183-jessee-turner-health-and-recreation-center-fontana-2
To download the free App- PUSHWOOD
Mancha- BS Air in Riverside
Mancha is really rad. He rips and always has a smile on his face. Mancha will throw down in every session. It is hard not to love a dude like that! Get back out here and ride some pools soon! Thanks to Brian Fick for the image. Skate- Ozzie
Tony Alva at Gonzales Pool- 1980′s
Gonzales Pool. Gone forever. Remember. Believe. Thanks to Grant Brittain and Lance Mountain for the images. Skate- Ozzie
perfection in the fall of 2008
A few years ago, when I would find a pool, it would seem awesome to me. I would check the transitions and peer down the face wall thinking “Well, there doesn’t seem to be too much vert on it.” Salba and others would come to ride the pool and they would say, “Why did you go to the trouble of draining & cleaning this! There is no shallow or it’s pinched or the loveseat cuts into the transitions too much.”
can you see it?
The point that I’m trying to make is that I was finding the pools but I wasn’t visualizing the lines. The set up, the flow and the development of speed was lost on me. Since I’ve now ridden so many pools, I have a far greater understanding of what will be good and what will not. However, some pools are a ‘no-brainer’. I see the pool and I know. I visualize in my minds eye exactly how to get speed, where I can do an air and what the line is to get the deathbox or side ladder stairs.
perfect for you to…
We found this big beauty in the fall of 2008. It lasted a month or two. Police came on the last day and set us down, set out to check our I.D.’s and then set us on our way. It’s a swimmer now. A happy family lives there. I know because I check it about once a month! Rather than show you images of Salba ruling it (which he did), I thought I’d just let you visualize your own lines. You rip it! Skate- Ozzie
