Torger Johnson

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Ozzie Ausband

Torger Johnson – perfection

Torger was very influential. He was an early pioneer and all terrain ripper. Tony Alva called Torger ”His one great influence.” He is gone from us now. 1983. Hawaii. The story told is one of late nights, drug use and high speed automobile driving… Whatever the case may be, Torger Johnson lives on. Aerial Action Sports will be unveiling the Logan Earth Ski line in the very near future.

You want one of these!

The Torger Johnson model in the photograph was pulled from the run currently in production. Keep your eyes open and grab one of these legendary decks as soon as they hit the streets. Skate- Ozzie

Bobby Piercy

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Ozzie Ausband

Bobby Piercy – LaCosta 1977

Bobby Piercy. San Diego in the 70′s. Rumors abound. Grist for the mill. Playboy bunnies, cocaine, BMW’s…. the high life. Bobby was a superstar. Reportedly, he was the kind of guy that loved life and lived that life to its fullest. He was a World Class skateboarder. He won slalom & downhill races, rode pools, parks and pipes. He had fine ladies around him at all times. He was a ripper.

Bobby and a friend

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? Has he actually just moved on and is living his life as a baldy, big-bellied hardware store clerk in Utah somewhere? Maybe 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.

Bobby Piercy – Rector advertisement

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

timelessness

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Ozzie Ausband

David Hackett- the proof is in the doing.

When I grow up, I want to be just like David Hackett. He has style, power, commanded respect, fitness, success and about a hundred other things I’ll never have. Oh well… a guy must have dreams right? Anyway, I was watching television at a friends house the other day. I never watch TV. I don’t own one. However, on this night I saw older athletes being interviewed. They had former NBA and NFL stars on there. They were out of shape. They appeared slow, soft and weak. It was clearly evident that they were done with whatever made them what they are. It made me think. I do this often… it’s a curse. I think and think. The other weekend I saw David Hackett slaughter a pool. From first run to last run, he was absolutely style, grace, speed and authority. We watched him and saw how bowl riding is really done. I wondered how those former NBA and NFL …. uhm, “athletes” would look on an athletic field these days. It made me realize what a treasure we have. Timelessness. Perseverance. Longevity. Thanks to William Sharp for the image. Skate- Ozzie

Logan Earth Ski

Posted on June 23, 2012 by Ozzie Ausband

Tony Alva at Fruitbowl

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.

Brad Logan at Wallos in Hawaii

Brian Logan – nose wheelie

Bruce Logan- stadium demo

Robin Logan- high jump

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
Aerial Action Sports
Logan Earth Ski

Jay Adams

360 Sportswear Easter Classic at Oasis Skate Park

360 Sportswear Easter Classic at Oasis Skate Park

Posted on June 23, 2012 by Ozzie Ausband

360 Sportswear Contest Advertisement

On Easter weekend in 1978, skateboard pros descended on San Diego, for the greatly anticipated ’360 Sportswear/Oasis’ skateboard contest. Under a snarl of overpasses & concrete, in Mission Valley, the Oasis skate park squatted in the shade. Stories were later told of Bert Lamar being forced to stop riding in the middle of his contest run, as passers-by on the freeway ramp above, threw soda cans into the pool.

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

“The event was a combination of the Halfpipe and Pool. Andrecht was the points leader going into the finals followed by me, Pineapple and Salba. The day of the finals (April 14th, 1978) Andrecht tired out and made some mistakes.” I nodded and thought back to the images I had seen in the magazines. Dave continued, “I kept my runs fast and clean with no falls and ended up winning the overall and the Cross Country 3- man team (obstacle course relay), with Dennis Martinez and Steve Schisler.”

“I remember trying to create a new move on my initial drop in on the half pipe- which for me was front side- I would drop in and blast an Alley-oop Invert, which at the time no one was doing… but it was a weird twisty- kinda thing which not many people noticed.”

Dave Andrecht- 2nd Place

Doug Pineapple Saladino- 3rd Place

“I remember in the end, Andrecht and I tied in overall points for the Pool and Halfpipe- Pineapple in 3rd and Salba in 4th. When the judges looked back at the score cards, I had no falls and because of that… I ended up beating Andrecht at his own park! He came back the next year at the Marina Dogbowl Pro and beat me at my park!”

360 Sportswear Ad from Skateboarder Magazine

The final results of the 1978 Oasis Pro Bowl contest:

1st – Dave Hackett $1000.

2nd – Dave Andrecht $650.

3rd – Doug Saladino $450.

4rth – Steve Alba $150

5th – Dennis Martinez $50.

6th – Bobby Fraas

7th – John Walker

8th – Brad Bowman

9th – Layne Oaks

10th – Scott Dunlap

One must remember that this contest took place over 30 years ago! Also, these riders have ridden in countless contests over the years and -more than once- I was told that these contests started “blending together” in their heads. Memories & events become confused. Whatever the case may be, David Hackett, Dave Andrecht, Pineapple, Steve Alba & the others killed it & did so, before many of us. I thank them here & now! Thanks. Thank you to Jim Goodrich and David Hackett for the images. Skate- Ozzie

Father’s Day

Posted on June 18, 2012 by Ozzie Ausband

Angelo and his dad… poolside

I love my dad. He gave me my love for books and words. He was a photographer among other things. When I was very small I would see him stride into the house. His long legs went up forever and his low voice rumbled. I only ever wanted to be him… Like I said, I love my dad. Angelo loves his dad as well. From his father he learned his no nonsense way of dealing with life. Angelo’s dad taught him to work hard, make something of himself, stay out of the other guys pocket and be self sufficient. “Once you learn to take care of yourself, then you can help others when needed.” You can’t carry passengers when your own train is derailed. Today, Angelo’s dad and mom came to the house. His family was all on hand.

Angelo- BS carve grind in front of his dad in the very bowl his father originally had built at Skate City.

David Hackett- decades of style with his wife and daughter on the deck

the first photo my dad ever took of me was an invert in 1979. At the time, I was thinking about Bill Sharp photos in Skateboard World Magazine. Today on Fathers Day, Bill Sharp shot this invert while I thought about my dads photo. Can anything be cooler than that?

We ate really well, laughed a bunch and skated hard. Angelo’s dad was responsible for the Whittier Skatepark and the original clover bowl. We let him know how stoked we are on him! Dave Hackett came by with his wife and daughter and drew some insane lines and heavy airs. He was no joke! It was a great family day. To all the dads out there- Happy Fathers Day. Thanks to William Sharp for the images. Skate- Ozzie

Angelo with dad, family and friends. Fathers Day

Steve Olson / Dave Hackett

 

 

 

Steve Olson / Dave Hackett

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Ozzie Ausband

Bulky Olson and OG Slash in Paris

All terrain vehicles. Most of the early skateboard Pro’s were exactly this. They rode everything. Most of them came from a surfing background. Style and flow was of paramount importance. If you didn’t ride everything… you didn’t really ride. Skateboarding has changed but –thankfully– some things haven’t. Steve Olson and Dave Hackett are two of the most influential skateboarders ever and they still ride everything.

Hackett in Paris

Olson in California

There is a growing number of young skateboarders coming up that ride street, pools, ditches and bomb hills whenever possible. Its a brave new world. A new order. It is now acceptable to roll through life riding whatever you want. The ‘Street Gestapo’ has been toppled from power. They are going away with their black-heeled jackboots and one hundred attempt trick video parts. If someone launches themselves off a set of stairs often enough, the odds are pretty good that eventually they will land back on their board! Is this skateboarding? I beg to differ.

Hackett- layback

Olson layback

Taking nothing away from the insanity that street skating has become, but there was a time when it defied logic. Those days are gone! Thank the Gods. All terrain is back. Steve Olson, Dave Hackett and the others laid it all out in its humble surf-oriented inception. If you ride a skateboard… ride everything. -Ozzie

David Hackett Skateboarder cover

Steve Olson Skateboarder cover

 

 

   

     

 

Tony Alva

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Ozzie Ausband

Tony Alva- Logan Earth Ski days… Soul Bowl -San Diego

Tony Alva started a small fire… it spread. His close friends: Dave Hackett, Jay Adams, Stacy Peralta, Wes Humpston and all the others, constantly looked for new pools, banks, pipes, ditches and anything else they could throw themselves into. If they weren’t surfing, they were skating. There could be nothing else. Most of these early pioneers had more than a little creativity inside them. Some spent time drawing and painting. Some played music… all were influential. TA became what he became. He did something before others, and threw a small pebble in a big pond. He did it before most realized it was even here. History. Like most of his early friends, TA still skates, surfs and plays music. Influence. Thanks to Warren Bolster R.I.P. and MRZ for the images. Skate- Ozzie

TA playing with G.F.P.