Awkward (but not bad) Pro Encounters

[QUSH]

back in like 2003/4 baker was in town and, while getting stuff autographed by them, I told Erik Ellington he was my 2nd favorite skater besides Reynolds and still have no idea why i said that. they were sitting next to each other too. Ellington was hella cool about it, they both laughed.

[McBrandt]

Back around 2004/2005 I went to ASR, it must have been the year they had the Powell museum. I've been a huge Ray Barbee fanboy since I was 11, and I'd only been living in San Diego for a year or so after moving from the midwest, so seeing famous spots or pros still tripped me out. I saw him wandering around the tradeshow, and I was with my then future ex-wife and we kinda stalked him a bit, hanging in the wings while he was talking to other pros and playing them his music in headphones and stuff. I'm pretty sure he was aware of me. After a while we wandered off, and a bit later we were walking down an empty aisle and he came around the corner by himself. My girl got all excited and grabbed me and so I introduced myself, and he was super grateful, just kind of chuckled and was all 'yes, yes sir, hello', like it was inevitable he was going to have to talk to me. I then told him how I'd been a big fan and asked him some questions about his music. Didn't have him sign anything though. A while later the Animal Chin special edition dvd came out and in the bonus sections there was a shot of me looking around in the museum, and I was stoked. Come to think of it maybe these instances happened in different years.

[ndsr]

ASR, I think 2004-2006 ish, hazy days back then but a hotel bar like a couple blocks from the San Diego convention center.  Drank beers with Adrian Lopez on my left and Pepe Martinez on the right.  Great conversation at first Adrian was very cool to talk to and was genuinely stoked on meeting Pepe.  Pepe seemed to be a little on the broke side so I bought him several mixed drinks.  Adrian was just drinking beers I think.  Adrian soon became much less stoked on Pepe as he started to get a little too drunk.  I’m pretty sure Pepe wasn’t staying in this hotel.  When it was time to go I remember asking if Pepe was cool to get to his hotel he said yes but I knew better.  I offered to get him a cab but he declined, I gave him a 20 and thanked him for the stories and good times.  He died not to long after that.  RIP Pepe Martinez

[Featherdale wildlife park]

Me and my mate got buzzed up and went to watch a vox demo at five dock a minute or so ago. Buzzed we got got there and the vertical vampire was having a go on the cradle over there.  I think there was a ad of maybe a hurricane (photo? Not sure)

So we watching and this guy carved past with a fag hangin out his gob... by the time I figured out what was going on drehobl does the nose blunt Staley over the bump.

Anyway so me n my mate go over the side to smoke a little number
Some dude comes wandering over with a yank accent “hey guys my names Peterr!”
I say in my accent “I know who you are...I seen you on my tv”
My mates clicks to who’s there and and wants Pete to sign his Indy flag (maybe too excited). Pete’s ok with that so my mate runs off to get his flag and his texta

Me and Pete just stand there...puff puff pass....I think I done one those clicking sounds you make sometimes when you make eye contact and raise your eyebrows together with the other human

Mate came back and got his flag signed.

Good times.

[munchbox]

just saw caleb barnett at my local shop in brooklyn and i can now see how people fumble it in these moments.

was gripping my deck and three dudes walked in. one with a chocolate shirt (am or flow maybe), someone i couldnt id, and a tall black dude slightly shorter than me. baggy ass blue jeans, fresh bruins, hoop earring, beanie. did my best to poker face it and be oblivious to what i was seeing. just play it as cool as i can. overhear some talk about skating with rick (howard?) from the guy in the chocolate shirt and i make my conclusions quickly. i hurry up to finish my grip job and say later to one of the owners, barnett just bought some bearings in front of me.

i say "did anyone ever say you look like caleb barnett?" or something along those lines. everyone in the shop goes quiet and he laughs without looking me in my eyes and goes "yeah i get that all the time." i can do nothing but chuckle, say later to the 6 or so people in the shop, and head to the skate spot in shock. thats the best i could do to not fan out in front of one of my idols.

[Nosferatu]

You just had to make it awkward.

[munchbox]

You just had to make it awkward.

but not bad

[winecrab]

What a piece of shit, I can't believe he didn't look you in the eyes.

[HORSES]

just saw caleb barnett at my local shop in brooklyn and i can now see how people fumble it in these moments.

was gripping my deck and three dudes walked in. one with a chocolate shirt (am or flow maybe), someone i couldnt id, and a tall black dude slightly shorter than me. baggy ass blue jeans, fresh bruins, hoop earring, beanie. did my best to poker face it and be oblivious to what i was seeing. just play it as cool as i can. overhear some talk about skating with rick (howard?) from the guy in the chocolate shirt and i make my conclusions quickly. i hurry up to finish my grip job and say later to one of the owners, barnett just bought some bearings in front of me.

i say "did anyone ever say you look like caleb barnett?" or something along those lines. everyone in the shop goes quiet and he laughs without looking me in my eyes and goes "yeah i get that all the time." i can do nothing but chuckle, say later to the 6 or so people in the shop, and head to the skate spot in shock. thats the best i could do to not fan out in front of one of my idols.

Are you a teenager?

[munchbox]

Expand Quote

just saw caleb barnett at my local shop in brooklyn and i can now see how people fumble it in these moments.

was gripping my deck and three dudes walked in. one with a chocolate shirt (am or flow maybe), someone i couldnt id, and a tall black dude slightly shorter than me. baggy ass blue jeans, fresh bruins, hoop earring, beanie. did my best to poker face it and be oblivious to what i was seeing. just play it as cool as i can. overhear some talk about skating with rick (howard?) from the guy in the chocolate shirt and i make my conclusions quickly. i hurry up to finish my grip job and say later to one of the owners, barnett just bought some bearings in front of me.

i say "did anyone ever say you look like caleb barnett?" or something along those lines. everyone in the shop goes quiet and he laughs without looking me in my eyes and goes "yeah i get that all the time." i can do nothing but chuckle, say later to the 6 or so people in the shop, and head to the skate spot in shock. thats the best i could do to not fan out in front of one of my idols.

[close]

Are you a teenager?

just turned 21 so yeah it still feels like it. quarantine really nuked my social skills. looking like a long road to recovery sadly

[phillip dominguez]

I was at Woodward in 92, had to shit so bad and went to the furthest bathroom I could because I knew it was going to be bad.  As I’m finishing unloading my bowels and cleaning myself up I hear someone say wow, smells great in here.  Legitimately I blew that place up.  Come out of the stall and it was Jeremy Klein washing his hands, he’d come to hook up with the rest of the Birdhouse team.  He just says what’s up you feeling ok?  I just muttered something about damn camp food, and nice to meet you.  He just offered an awkward you too, rightfully so, and got out of there.    His Rubbish Heap part was on heavy rotation when I was a kid and I awkward as hell talking to him in that shit  smelling restroom which we both knew I was the cause of.

Another one, and this wasn’t for me per se, but was embarrassing on a teen level.  It was a rainy day and me and my friends were making plans to skate garages that day.  My friend said we’ll be by to pick you up, we was Bucky Lasek and my other friend.  I knew Bucky and was cool with him, we weren’t tight or anything, we have mutual friends and we’d skate the same mini ramp back in the day when he was coming up, and he’s a down to earth legit nice person, plus it was the 90s and then in Baltimore every one knew everyone who skated and mostly we were all cool with each other.   

They show up and we’re just kicking it in my room for a bit and when we go to leave my mom kind of fans out on him.  Telling him how they got me his first board when it came out for my birthday, and asking him if he saw the pictures of him from the mags and other people from Baltimore I had on my wall at the time.  Just sort of chatting his ear off and I’m just in my head thinking please stop mom.  He was cool as shit and polite to her.  I apologized when we got out of my house and he was just like it’s no thing, she’s your mom and she’s a nice lady.  BTW that day we skated he did frontside nollie switch crook come out switch on the 5 stair rail on the top of the Towson Courthouse in 4 try’s which back then was nuts.  He definitely has street skills, just never filmed a part that did him justice. 

[Bugsytootsie]

I was at an element demo at my local shops skatepark that included Westgate in the mix. There was this bump to bar there that he absolutely crushed. I remember him doing the best frontside flip I’ve ever seen in person. Watching that man skate in person completely had me in awe. After the demo finished I politely asked if could get a picture with him. He smiled and was like yeah for sure. Anyway, Since the front of my camera phone was busted I had to resort to the back one with my screen facing away from us while relying only on a finger to blindly hit that shutter dot. I was so nervous being next to one of my favorite skaters that I could not hit that fucking dot square to save my life haha. After 2 maybe 3 tries I called it as I didn’t want to take up too much of his time. I shook his hand while saying honestly just meeting you beats the hell out of a photo anyway before thanking him. He seemed to really appreciate that. Nice dude

[finecojeffe]

One that was coincidental and fairly awkward for me was back in 2003. I was living in Los Angeles and was invited to go with some people to Pomona to check out a car show. The people I rolled to there with were in a car club with Bucky Lasek, so I was able to meet him for a brief minute which was cool. He had a nice white BMW M3 and was a nice guy is all I can remember about that. I didn't hang with him per se, but just for ease of description I say I did. It wasn't awkward meeting him...however the following weekend I flew to Philly and was at a bar in the suburbs and Bam was there with some friends of mine from high school.

One girl I knew wanted to introduce Bam and I, so we said hello to each other cheers'd beers and had a moment of awkward silence. I'm a fairly awkward person socially anyway, so to fill air I asked "hey you know Bucky Lasek?" to which he said "yeah"...and I just replied with "I hung out with him last weekend." He stared right at me, eyes wide, with a face that was like what the hell?!?. It rang in my ear for a while after that because it was something completely irrelevant to the situation, and I tried to cool-guy myself. It's tough trying to force common ground with people though, so I find it a little embarrassing and funny too.

[Nosferatu]

This is the most coverage Bucky has gotten in years. Good stories. Also I can imagine Jeremy Klein exclaiming about the bombed out bathroom so well it’s like I was there.

[GardenSkater77]

I was at a contest at Landsdown in MD in 95’ and guess who was there in the crowd...you guessed it Bucky Lasek. I leaned over to my friend who was living in Baltimore at the time and said ‘what is Bucky Lasek doing here’ he said that he is from MD and I said ‘oh, that makes sense’. He seemed pretty relaxed so I didn’t want to bother him so instead me and my friend went to Royal Farms for some fried chicken.

Jake Rupp was Ollieing so big off the main hip that day. He was amazing.

[Brguy]

Back around 2004/2005 I went to ASR, it must have been the year they had the Powell museum. I've been a huge Ray Barbee fanboy since I was 11, and I'd only been living in San Diego for a year or so after moving from the midwest, so seeing famous spots or pros still tripped me out. I saw him wandering around the tradeshow, and I was with my then future ex-wife and we kinda stalked him a bit, hanging in the wings while he was talking to other pros and playing them his music in headphones and stuff. I'm pretty sure he was aware of me. After a while we wandered off, and a bit later we were walking down an empty aisle and he came around the corner by himself. My girl got all excited and grabbed me and so I introduced myself, and he was super grateful, just kind of chuckled and was all 'yes, yes sir, hello', like it was inevitable he was going to have to talk to me. I then told him how I'd been a big fan and asked him some questions about his music. Didn't have him sign anything though. A while later the Animal Chin special edition dvd came out and in the bonus sections there was a shot of me looking around in the museum, and I was stoked. Come to think of it maybe these instances happened in different years.

I can't help but picture a video of you hiding behind corners and following Ray during the tradeshow.

[Stu Pickles]

I was at dunbat in Toronto around 2014 and Wade Desarmo shows up with ryan racine. Also being from Ottawa I was quietly fanboying out and just wanted to play it cool and kept doing my thing. I was working on bs nosegrind shuv out and Wade started warming up with a bs nosegrind 180. after he did like two bail outs i rolled up to the ledge and bailed out of my trick too but ended up 100% on accident landing a clean bs nosegrind 180 (got the shuv out and kinda fell with it while spinning). i have no idea if he thought i was trying to one up him or steal his trick but I had no idea if I should have said something. I always think back and feel embarrassed about it.

[JANUS]

I was at dunbat in Toronto around 2014 and Wade Desarmo shows up with ryan racine. Also being from Ottawa I was quietly fanboying out and just wanted to play it cool and kept doing my thing. I was working on bs nosegrind shuv out and Wade started warming up with a bs nosegrind 180. after he did like two bail outs i rolled up to the ledge and bailed out of my trick too but ended up 100% on accident landing a clean bs nosegrind 180 (got the shuv out and kinda fell with it while spinning). i have no idea if he thought i was trying to one up him or steal his trick but I had no idea if I should have said something. I always think back and feel embarrassed about it.

You never saw him around Ottawa back in the day?

[Stu Pickles]

Expand Quote

I was at dunbat in Toronto around 2014 and Wade Desarmo shows up with ryan racine. Also being from Ottawa I was quietly fanboying out and just wanted to play it cool and kept doing my thing. I was working on bs nosegrind shuv out and Wade started warming up with a bs nosegrind 180. after he did like two bail outs i rolled up to the ledge and bailed out of my trick too but ended up 100% on accident landing a clean bs nosegrind 180 (got the shuv out and kinda fell with it while spinning). i have no idea if he thought i was trying to one up him or steal his trick but I had no idea if I should have said something. I always think back and feel embarrassed about it.

[close]

You never saw him around Ottawa back in the day?

Maybe once or twice, scene wasnt that big and the parks were few so definitely would have run into him but no memory of wade sticks out. Remember seeing Spencer Hamilton a number of times and Mitch Barrette was always around and a baby Sam Lind. Saw Sam like a week ago at the local but he wasnt skating.

Seeing Wade in the story above was really the first time I saw a skater I adored and just felt awkward being around him. Saw Jamie Thomas outside a bar once in Ottawa as I was walking by and just yelled that he was the boss but didnt feel that awkward

[ndsr]

I was staying at the Warner apt Ellington, Maldonado, steamer, maybe Heyl and Tony Da Silva had.  Pete Eldridge and Mike minitas we’re visiting as well.  I was a stoner back in those days so I needed grass.  They called their buddy to bring me some grass.  Who shows up, Brad fucking Hayes!  About 30 minutes later Joe Brook and Danny Wainwright cruise over hoping to get some grass.  I think Joe was just trying to accommodate Danny.  So I end up giving Danny some grass for Swiss bearings and a bunch of slap gear.  Danny had just won the high Ollie challenge like the day before so I had to bite my tongue to not compliment his Ollie.  That Ollie was sick!

[bigdave]

I was staying at the Warner apt Ellington, Maldonado, steamer, maybe Heyl and Tony Da Silva had.

Weird Da Silva note. He's a pretty good amateur mountain biker and YouTube channel guy now. Seems like a really nice. Rides trails I ride, but I havent run into it. Lives a few blocks from my office. Seems like he really put together a solid life for himself post PD.

[JANUS]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

I was at dunbat in Toronto around 2014 and Wade Desarmo shows up with ryan racine. Also being from Ottawa I was quietly fanboying out and just wanted to play it cool and kept doing my thing. I was working on bs nosegrind shuv out and Wade started warming up with a bs nosegrind 180. after he did like two bail outs i rolled up to the ledge and bailed out of my trick too but ended up 100% on accident landing a clean bs nosegrind 180 (got the shuv out and kinda fell with it while spinning). i have no idea if he thought i was trying to one up him or steal his trick but I had no idea if I should have said something. I always think back and feel embarrassed about it.

[close]

You never saw him around Ottawa back in the day?

[close]

Maybe once or twice, scene wasnt that big and the parks were few so definitely would have run into him but no memory of wade sticks out. Remember seeing Spencer Hamilton a number of times and Mitch Barrette was always around and a baby Sam Lind. Saw Sam like a week ago at the local but he wasnt skating.

Seeing Wade in the story above was really the first time I saw a skater I adored and just felt awkward being around him. Saw Jamie Thomas outside a bar once in Ottawa as I was walking by and just yelled that he was the boss but didnt feel that awkward

Bahahaha what year was this? And what bar?

[Stu Pickles]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

I was at dunbat in Toronto around 2014 and Wade Desarmo shows up with ryan racine. Also being from Ottawa I was quietly fanboying out and just wanted to play it cool and kept doing my thing. I was working on bs nosegrind shuv out and Wade started warming up with a bs nosegrind 180. after he did like two bail outs i rolled up to the ledge and bailed out of my trick too but ended up 100% on accident landing a clean bs nosegrind 180 (got the shuv out and kinda fell with it while spinning). i have no idea if he thought i was trying to one up him or steal his trick but I had no idea if I should have said something. I always think back and feel embarrassed about it.

[close]

You never saw him around Ottawa back in the day?

[close]

Maybe once or twice, scene wasnt that big and the parks were few so definitely would have run into him but no memory of wade sticks out. Remember seeing Spencer Hamilton a number of times and Mitch Barrette was always around and a baby Sam Lind. Saw Sam like a week ago at the local but he wasnt skating.

Seeing Wade in the story above was really the first time I saw a skater I adored and just felt awkward being around him. Saw Jamie Thomas outside a bar once in Ottawa as I was walking by and just yelled that he was the boss but didnt feel that awkward

[close]

Bahahaha what year was this? And what bar?

2017 and im pretty sure it was Hooleys or John A MacDonalds on Elgin, it was Zero tour and there was a bunch of the other skaters with him but when you see the chief it was all I remembered, was drunk walking back from a concert with some non-skater friends so didnt want to stick around and meet everyone

[ndsr]

Expand Quote

I was staying at the Warner apt Ellington, Maldonado, steamer, maybe Heyl and Tony Da Silva had.

[close]

Weird Da Silva note. He's a pretty good amateur mountain biker and YouTube channel guy now. Seems like a really nice. Rides trails I ride, but I havent run into it. Lives a few blocks from my office. Seems like he really put together a solid life for himself post PD.

From what I understand he moved back home after being cut from foundation and went back to school to study computers/programming.  At one point I believe he worked for sole tech doing computer stuff

[smokecrack]

What do we want? More Bucky Lasek stories!

When do we want em? Now!

[Obscura]

I went to college in downtown Chicago back in the late 90's. One night me and my friend were out skating and we bumped into Mike Rusczyk while skating some marble ledges near the Picasso sculpture. We kind all kinda ended up skating around together, and at one point he broke his board. I had a couple of extra used decks back at my dorm room and I offered to let him take one, so we headed back there. I grabbed some random pasta from the fridge for everyone while he was setting it up, and he was like "oh, you're a vegan, huh?" I was like "yeah, but how does just a bowl boring pasta tip you off to that?"
And he said, "it wasn't the pasta, I could tell by your gay-ass shoes" and pointed at my gay-ass canvas Airwalk Yukons.

[EdLawndale]

I grew up playing football with this kid who lived down the street. He went to a private school but our families were friends, remained so even as I got more immersed in skating and the kid took up lacrosse. His older brother married a woman who was some sort of on-camera investigative reporter out in Bodymore, Maryland. One day, I got a call from this kid's mom, asking if I had any contact info for this pro skater who had been publicly fleeced for a large sum of money by some white-collar scam artist lady. My estranged friend's mom was desperately trying to get her daughter-in-law the plug for the inside scoop. I confirmed that I knew of the skater but, despite my past internship at Transworld, had no connections to get her an exclusive interview. I then hung up in her. Who was this pro skater? None other than Bucky Lasek.

Edit: Here's the case

https://www.espn.com/action/skateboarding/news/story?id=5299166

Guess this chick ended up doing 15 21 years for stealing $24k by faking terminal stomach cancer and getting a free trip to Disneyland (and maybe a forged check or two) lol fail

[JANUS]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

I was at dunbat in Toronto around 2014 and Wade Desarmo shows up with ryan racine. Also being from Ottawa I was quietly fanboying out and just wanted to play it cool and kept doing my thing. I was working on bs nosegrind shuv out and Wade started warming up with a bs nosegrind 180. after he did like two bail outs i rolled up to the ledge and bailed out of my trick too but ended up 100% on accident landing a clean bs nosegrind 180 (got the shuv out and kinda fell with it while spinning). i have no idea if he thought i was trying to one up him or steal his trick but I had no idea if I should have said something. I always think back and feel embarrassed about it.

[close]

You never saw him around Ottawa back in the day?

[close]

Maybe once or twice, scene wasnt that big and the parks were few so definitely would have run into him but no memory of wade sticks out. Remember seeing Spencer Hamilton a number of times and Mitch Barrette was always around and a baby Sam Lind. Saw Sam like a week ago at the local but he wasnt skating.

Seeing Wade in the story above was really the first time I saw a skater I adored and just felt awkward being around him. Saw Jamie Thomas outside a bar once in Ottawa as I was walking by and just yelled that he was the boss but didnt feel that awkward

[close]

Bahahaha what year was this? And what bar?

[close]

2017 and im pretty sure it was Hooleys or John A MacDonalds on Elgin, it was Zero tour and there was a bunch of the other skaters with him but when you see the chief it was all I remembered, was drunk walking back from a concert with some non-skater friends so didnt want to stick around and meet everyone

Amazing. Thank you for indulging me. I like to believe Chief was at Hooley’s for hip hop night.

[OctopusJack]

Met Al Davis twice. First time chilling with him and DeLatorre at my local park was just fun and super chill. Saw him again like 2 years later at Tompkins and tried to say what’s up to him but it seemed like he was having a rough day, felt bad but realized everybody’s got those days

[Owen]

I grew up playing football with this kid who lived down the street. He went to a private school but our families were friends, remained so even as I got more immersed in skating and the kid took up lacrosse. His older brother married a woman who was some sort of on-camera investigative reporter out in Bodymore, Maryland. One day, I got a call from this kid's mom, asking if I had any contact info for this pro skater who had been publicly fleeced for a large sum of money by some white-collar scam artist lady. My estranged friend's mom was desperately trying to get her daughter-in-law the plug for the inside scoop. I confirmed that I knew of the skater but, despite my past internship at Transworld, had no connections to get her an exclusive interview. I then hung up in her. Who was this pro skater? None other than Bucky Lasek.

Edit: Here's the case

https://www.espn.com/action/skateboarding/news/story?id=5299166

Guess this chick ended up doing 15 21 years for stealing $24k by faking terminal stomach cancer and getting a free trip to Disneyland (and maybe a forged check or two) lol fail

Damn 15 years for conning a trip to Disneyland? Seems a bit excessive right?