Awkward (but not bad) Pro Encounters

[Chaz]

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I think this story fits the thread:

The Toy Machine team came through my town in NH and skated at the indoor skateshop/park I worked at when I was just out of highschool. I think it was summer of 1996? I remember Ed, Mike Maldonado, Elissa, and Satva were there. I was vegan and pseudo-political at the time, and was really stoked to meet Ed Templeton. I tried like 3 different times to get a conversation going with him, but he didn't seem too into it. I did a stupid little punk/activism zine (of course), and really wanted to interview him for it, but was feeling super weird and uncomfortable approaching him because he seemed sort of annoyed by literally everyone at the demo. After the team was done skating, I sat outside on the sidewalk while they signed autographs and packed up, and I was dying inside about whether I should bother him again. Right before they all hopped in the van, I decided to just go for it and ask him for an interview, because pros coming through New England was super rare, and I'd never get this chance again. He ended up being cool about it, gave me a little stilted interview about the 'He-Man Ed Haters Club' and other random shit, and even drew me an original Turtle Boy panel comic for the zine. He wasn't very warm or "nice" to me, but it was cool of him to take the time and I'm glad that I still have the shitty zine with his original artwork 24 years later.

[close]

This is a rad one. Also out of curiosity, was it pioneers or Rye?

That must have been the trip where the the jump off a building cover was shot in Laconia if I remember?

[Junglist]

I have a super awkward one. I know a few pros from living in sf in the 90’s. I went to a SF Giants game with Welsh and we ran into BA. Rob introduces me and BA was double fisting large beers and reached one toward me and said “what’s up dude” I was like “wow thanks man” and tried to grab the beer, I got a hold of the beer but he didn’t let go. He said “I’m not giving you the beer I’m just doing a fist bump”. I should have known better, beers are like 15 bucks apiece. Pretty embarrassing. Sorry if I already posted this story.

This hurts to read but still sounds very fun.

[Mr. Stinky]

I have a super awkward one. I know a few pros from living in sf in the 90’s. I went to a SF Giants game with Welsh and we ran into BA. Rob introduces me and BA was double fisting large beers and reached one toward me and said “what’s up dude” I was like “wow thanks man” and tried to grab the beer, I got a hold of the beer but he didn’t let go. He said “I’m not giving you the beer I’m just doing a fist bump”. I should have known better, beers are like 15 bucks apiece. Pretty embarrassing. Sorry if I already posted this story.

Honestly, this just kind of makes me like both you and BA.

[ndsr]

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I have a super awkward one. I know a few pros from living in sf in the 90’s. I went to a SF Giants game with Welsh and we ran into BA. Rob introduces me and BA was double fisting large beers and reached one toward me and said “what’s up dude” I was like “wow thanks man” and tried to grab the beer, I got a hold of the beer but he didn’t let go. He said “I’m not giving you the beer I’m just doing a fist bump”. I should have known better, beers are like 15 bucks apiece. Pretty embarrassing. Sorry if I already posted this story.

[close]

Honestly, this just kind of makes me like both you and BA.

I agree

[Willie]

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I have a super awkward one. I know a few pros from living in sf in the 90’s. I went to a SF Giants game with Welsh and we ran into BA. Rob introduces me and BA was double fisting large beers and reached one toward me and said “what’s up dude” I was like “wow thanks man” and tried to grab the beer, I got a hold of the beer but he didn’t let go. He said “I’m not giving you the beer I’m just doing a fist bump”. I should have known better, beers are like 15 bucks apiece. Pretty embarrassing. Sorry if I already posted this story.

[close]

Honestly, this just kind of makes me like both you and BA.

[close]

I agree

[Obscura]

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I think this story fits the thread:

The Toy Machine team came through my town in NH and skated at the indoor skateshop/park I worked at when I was just out of highschool. I think it was summer of 1996? I remember Ed, Mike Maldonado, Elissa, and Satva were there. I was vegan and pseudo-political at the time, and was really stoked to meet Ed Templeton. I tried like 3 different times to get a conversation going with him, but he didn't seem too into it. I did a stupid little punk/activism zine (of course), and really wanted to interview him for it, but was feeling super weird and uncomfortable approaching him because he seemed sort of annoyed by literally everyone at the demo. After the team was done skating, I sat outside on the sidewalk while they signed autographs and packed up, and I was dying inside about whether I should bother him again. Right before they all hopped in the van, I decided to just go for it and ask him for an interview, because pros coming through New England was super rare, and I'd never get this chance again. He ended up being cool about it, gave me a little stilted interview about the 'He-Man Ed Haters Club' and other random shit, and even drew me an original Turtle Boy panel comic for the zine. He wasn't very warm or "nice" to me, but it was cool of him to take the time and I'm glad that I still have the shitty zine with his original artwork 24 years later.

[close]

This is a rad one. Also out of curiosity, was it pioneers or Rye?

Nu Wave in Laconia, little indoor park with a weird street course but a great mini. And yes, the town where the cover of Jump Off a Building was taken.

[Timothyleary]

Saw Eric Koston walking out of staples center once, looking for his car/ride and I shouted, "FUCK KOSTON!!!" I never understood why he looked mad until reading what I just wrote. No wonder... I guess i just thought with his sense of humor he would have had a laugh at that. Guess I was wrong.

[Jagr]

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I have a super awkward one. I know a few pros from living in sf in the 90’s. I went to a SF Giants game with Welsh and we ran into BA. Rob introduces me and BA was double fisting large beers and reached one toward me and said “what’s up dude” I was like “wow thanks man” and tried to grab the beer, I got a hold of the beer but he didn’t let go. He said “I’m not giving you the beer I’m just doing a fist bump”. I should have known better, beers are like 15 bucks apiece. Pretty embarrassing. Sorry if I already posted this story.

[close]

Honestly, this just kind of makes me like both you and BA.

[close]

I agree

[close]

[Joust Ostrich]

Saw Eric Koston walking out of staples center once, looking for his car/ride and I shouted, "FUCK KOSTON!!!" I never understood why he looked mad until reading what I just wrote. No wonder... I guess i just thought with his sense of humor he would have had a laugh at that. Guess I was wrong.

It's better to have shouted "Fuck Koston", and know the reaction, than to never have shouted "Fuck Koston", and die wondering.

[BroBruhBra]

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Saw Eric Koston walking out of staples center once, looking for his car/ride and I shouted, "FUCK KOSTON!!!" I never understood why he looked mad until reading what I just wrote. No wonder... I guess i just thought with his sense of humor he would have had a laugh at that. Guess I was wrong.

[close]

It's better to have shouted "Fuck Koston", and know the reaction, than to never have shouted "Fuck Koston", and die wondering.

[DarthDingusMaximus]

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Saw Eric Koston walking out of staples center once, looking for his car/ride and I shouted, "FUCK KOSTON!!!" I never understood why he looked mad until reading what I just wrote. No wonder... I guess i just thought with his sense of humor he would have had a laugh at that. Guess I was wrong.

[close]

It's better to have shouted "Fuck Koston", and know the reaction, than to never have shouted "Fuck Koston", and die wondering.

[close]

This gave me a good laugh, he seems like he'd be a dick to someone fanning out yet he'd get mad if no one kissed his ass.

[BroBruhBra]

The BA one is so good, I feel like even he would appreciate it. He might have even wrote about it on the Pros' bizarro messageboard about being pro. "Awkward (but not bad) fan encounters."

Straight up, Biebel would have the worst signatures.

[rupertspupkin]

Still have tons of videos and photos of drunk Forrest roaming the streets of BCN. Good times.

Release the footy

[Gbeerme]

Mad Circle/New Deal demo at Rampage skatepark in Fall of 98, the weather was shit this day, but the park was indoors. Kenny Reed sat off to the side and did not skate.  I asked him who he was "just the new guy, my name is Kenny." Seemed extremely frazzled and shy, but in a tie dye shirt and weird cap, so that was rad.  I remember vaguely Welshington crooks'n the fuck out of the 20 foot long 4ft qp.

 After the short lived demo, as Rampage was more a park for Bartie and the transition skaters, Karl asked my buddy and I if there was anywhere around to eat.  Mind you this is Davenport fucking middle of nowhere Iowa. Literally besides a random diner there's McDonalds. We inform Karl of the weak ass choices of food and walks over to chat with Puleo and Scooch. Turns back around and ask us if we want to go get something to eat and can they get a ride.  Rest of the two teams are signing and milling around the shop.  We drive them 10mins down the road in the back seat of 2 door Chevy Blazer to Mcdonalds, likely with Xzibit at the Speed of Life or 36 Chambers loaded in the Blazer. My older buddy carried on an extensive convo with  Karl about being vegetarian in the Midwest.  I sat in awe eating ShitDonalds trying to small talk with Sooch and Bobby. This was almost 25 years ago so I remember very little about the actual conversation. Just San Francisco spot talk and trying to be a cool 16 year old by not vibe them out. We drive them back to Rampage and Scooch asked us if either of us wore a size 10, I lied, said yep.  I was probably a size 8.5 at the time. He gave me the brand new black DC Rudy Johnsons right off his feet. 

In summary,
Karl, as most know, is so positive and very approachable. Scooch seemed very level headed and also generous on the transportation for shoes trade. Bobby didn't really add much value to the experience.

We attended many great demos at Rampage(RIP) in the late 90's.  This demo was probably the smallest turn out of fans, but when I look back this particular experience showcased that when off the skateboard pros are just average joes and McDonalds will play tricks on your digestive system no matter who you're with.

[bust.factor]

Back in the summer of what I think was 2013 a friend took me to the quicksilver team's apartment in chinatown. Danny Garcia was playing guitar in the corner and making quinoa and Jake Johnson smoked me out. At the time I was really bad with weed and would get paranoid and lose focus of conversation easy. I was trying to fan out on his midfield part but he proceeded to engage me in an anecdote he had about the revolutionary war and american history and all I could do was smile and nod and blurt out platitudes like "yeah man, that's wild" until he lost interest and moved on

[Crusty Grundle]

I went to a Powell Peralta demo back in the late 80's. I asked Tommy Guerrero for an autograph. He just scoffed at me and said "yeah right". Jesse Martinez was standing right there and grabbed Tommy G. by the shirt and forcefully told him to sign my shirt, to which Tommy G. promptly signed. I thanked Jesse and got his autograph too. I'll never forget how cool Jesse was and what a douche Tommy G. was.

[Menthol_spirits]

Summer of 2012 I was 13, went to north hollywood skatepark for the first time. Antwaun Dixon was their chilling but I didn’t know who he was. Said I looked like Stevie Perez and then took a pic of me. my friends called me 5 min later saying I was on Antwuans instagram. I was alone skating in la for the first time so it was a little scary, a dude with face tats talking to me, I didn’t even have Instagram then.

[manysnakes]

He just keeps looking at me with the same unchanging smile but never says a word back. He hasn't said anything the whole time, we're still just looking at eachother akwardly, so I say something along the lines of, "well...see you later" and I just walk off feeling confused.

There has never been someone so obviously autistic as Rodney Mullen

[Trashcon]

I have a super awkward one. I know a few pros from living in sf in the 90’s. I went to a SF Giants game with Welsh and we ran into BA. Rob introduces me and BA was double fisting large beers and reached one toward me and said “what’s up dude” I was like “wow thanks man” and tried to grab the beer, I got a hold of the beer but he didn’t let go. He said “I’m not giving you the beer I’m just doing a fist bump”. I should have known better, beers are like 15 bucks apiece. Pretty embarrassing. Sorry if I already posted this story.

Damn. This one is great.

[GlenSuggittsflexfit]

Summer of 2012 I was 13, went to north hollywood skatepark for the first time. Antwaun Dixon was their chilling but I didn’t know who he was. Said I looked like Stevie Perez and then took a pic of me. my friends called me 5 min later saying I was on Antwuans instagram. I was alone skating in la for the first time so it was a little scary, a dude with face tats talking to me, I didn’t even have Instagram then.

I for one would love to see said picture.

[Menthol_spirits]

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Summer of 2012 I was 13, went to north hollywood skatepark for the first time. Antwaun Dixon was their chilling but I didn’t know who he was. Said I looked like Stevie Perez and then took a pic of me. my friends called me 5 min later saying I was on Antwuans instagram. I was alone skating in la for the first time so it was a little scary, a dude with face tats talking to me, I didn’t even have Instagram then.

[close]

I for one would love to see said picture.

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Summer of 2012 I was 13, went to north hollywood skatepark for the first time. Antwaun Dixon was their chilling but I didn’t know who he was. Said I looked like Stevie Perez and then took a pic of me. my friends called me 5 min later saying I was on Antwuans instagram. I was alone skating in la for the first time so it was a little scary, a dude with face tats talking to me, I didn’t even have Instagram then.

[close]

I for one would love to see said picture.

Post is long gone, back when his handle was @bigtweezy? Or something like that then changed it to @teflauntwuan insta was still “coming up” but it was up their for quite a while I’d check it occasionally

[Idk]

I have a super awkward one. I know a few pros from living in sf in the 90’s. I went to a SF Giants game with Welsh and we ran into BA. Rob introduces me and BA was double fisting large beers and reached one toward me and said “what’s up dude” I was like “wow thanks man” and tried to grab the beer, I got a hold of the beer but he didn’t let go. He said “I’m not giving you the beer I’m just doing a fist bump”. I should have known better, beers are like 15 bucks apiece. Pretty embarrassing. Sorry if I already posted this story.

Can you tell us anything about Welsh? And/or his beautiful skateboarding.

[non-playable character]

i broke my ankle skating chelsea piers with danny supa. my cousin knows him so when i visited NYC as a 14 year old we met up to go skate. felt pretty shit not being able to walk for the rest of the week

[HyenaChaser]

Oskar Rozenburg showed up at the skatepark and we happened to be cruising around the same corner in opposite directions, not wanting to run into anyone I looked up and he was like "Hey man!" in a way like he knew who I was (he doesn't) and it kinda all caught me off guard all I could do was one of those polite white people smiles like

[Nosferatu]

Oskar Rozenburg showed up at the skatepark and we happened to be cruising around the same corner in opposite directions, not wanting to run into anyone I looked up and he was like "Hey man!" in a way like he knew who I was (he doesn't) and it kinda all caught me off guard all I could do was one of those polite white people smiles like

[jakeumms]

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Oskar Rozenburg showed up at the skatepark and we happened to be cruising around the same corner in opposite directions, not wanting to run into anyone I looked up and he was like "Hey man!" in a way like he knew who I was (he doesn't) and it kinda all caught me off guard all I could do was one of those polite white people smiles like

[close]

I used to do this all the time until I saw this show last year. If I ever need to smile I think of Stevie Williams in Baker 3 and it works every time:

[fakie butt drop]

went bowling with the volcom team one time.

colin provost and omar hassan were fiending for coke the whole night. axel was bored out of his mind and roasting me for riding thunders.

blacked out and came back to reality on there tour bus sitting with chris pfanner, omar hassan, colin provost and simon bannerot... crazy night.

lost my skateboard.

[SkateParkDesigner]

When I was a kid, I saw Stefan Janoski at the skate park and asked, "are you Stefan Janoski? (I think I pronounced his name Janowski)" He said, "no." I was like, "are you sure? Aren't you that guy who made the 360 flip trick tip?" I think he said something about his part, looked mildly upset, and proceeded to do some perfect frontside flips over this bank to bank & like 30 Tre flips in 60 seconds. It was obviously Janoski. He looked exactly like him & skated like him too. Years later I saw an interview, it turns out he was annoyed that kids recognized him from his trick tip, rather than his part that took 3 years to film. I was a big fan of his parts too though. It was the most awkward encounter with a pro that I've ever had in my life. I expected him to act different in real life, but maybe he just doesn't like when people mispronounce his name or feeling like his efforts went unnoticed. He seems like a sensitive dude.

[TunaNoodle]

In around 1990, I played a two player game of pinball with Chris Cook from the Alva team at a demo. I think the game was Black Knight 2000.

[winecrab]

went bowling with the volcom team one time.

colin provost and omar hassan were fiending for coke the whole night. axel was bored out of his mind and roasting me for riding thunders.

blacked out and came back to reality on there tour bus sitting with chris pfanner, omar hassan, colin provost and simon bannerot... crazy night.

lost my skateboard.

Did they end up getting coke?