Encounters with Pro Skaters

[nightmare_situation]

When I was like 15, Josh Kasper came to my local skateshop by himself for some reason. My friend was fanboying out and asked him if he wanted any weed. Kasper said no but he wanted a pumpkin pie. My friend ran down the block and stole a pumpkin pie from the grocery store and gave it to Kasper. Kasper just took the pie, didn't offer to pay for it (he didn't know it was stolen), didn't offer anyone a piece. Just got in his car with the pie and left.

[Jebediah]

damn, cold with the pie. like he's done it before.

[kookdusoleil]

There was a good 18-month window where there were perks to being Kasper

[Dental Dan]

When I was like 15, Josh Kasper came to my local skateshop by himself for some reason. My friend was fanboying out and asked him if he wanted any weed. Kasper said no but he wanted a pumpkin pie. My friend ran down the block and stole a pumpkin pie from the grocery store and gave it to Kasper. Kasper just took the pie, didn't offer to pay for it (he didn't know it was stolen), didn't offer anyone a piece. Just got in his car with the pie and left.

... Probably so he didn't have to share the pie.

[blurst_of_times]

[blurst_of_times]

[DanCorteseFromMTVSports]

I heard from a very reliable source that in the famous THE STORM clip, the DJ is actually spinning pies on the turntables and that is why Kasper doesn't stick the ollie. Too distracted by the pies.

[Mr.Jenkins]

Spent a week with Kasper on the Storm tour back in the day - dude was actually really cool, probably the nicest pro ive meet.

At one signing he was the only one who brought a board and had a small show for the kids. After that we lost him and a few hours later he came back to the hotel - he had gone skating with the kids. Though that was cool.

He also made sure I was taken care of on the tour and felt welcome. He gave me a signed board, the really ugly Blind one doing the benihana over the fat women over a bet if I could finish a large pizza. Dude definitely crushed my presumptions of him   

[RichardBarkley]

Sounds like a legend

[Sick_McCrank_]

I don’t have many pro encounters. But this one dude with the cool gangsta no fucks given style paul trepanier run into a pebble right in front of me and got smoked hard. All this while just casually cruising the park.
I didn’t know how to react, so I played cool like him and ignored the incident. Still weird to see people who care so much about being untouchable getting touched by a tiny stone and lose all their grace while slamming.
This was a long time ago but I still think about it from time to time.

[Unkle Fleak]

I have a story but idk. I don’t even fickin know it was him till after.  I was like damn I’m never gonna be fucking sponsored.

Only Jahmal was cool till I met like Shortys. They was really fucking cool. And humble. I think fame had just fell on them because fulfill the dream it just dropped

[OldieButFrenchie]

I only had 2 "interesting" encounters:

San Diego, 1995: I'm skating a school yard and Willy Santos is there. I land a fs 5-0 right in front of him on a fairly high ledge and he gives me props. The only problem is that I was still pushing mongo at that point.... To this day I wonder if he thought the trick was switch, or if he was just being nice with the mongo pusher hahaha.

Paris, 1988 (maybe?): I'm skating the Eiffel tower ponds (blessed times...), and a bottle of water is passed around the assembled crew of skaters. I'm still young, 14, a little intimidated as I don't know the other older guys, so I drink and then put the bottle on the ground. Stephane Larance comes up to me and scolds me, like "why did you not pass it to someone?". And he leaves going "kids these days!". He was probably 18 or so, so that seemed much older to me. And he was already a legend in the Paris skate scene (nickname was "Blackie" back then, so that gives you an idea how far back this is, unthinkable today!). My teenage ass was sooooooo mortified.

[rolling is good]

Never outside a few demos, Lakai, Popwar, Alien.
Pros in France are exotic creatures, only seen in magazines and videos.
Even with globalisation and the olympics it feels like skating doesn't exist here and will for a long time to come be seen as a toy like it always has.
I saw many more skaters 20 years ago wich is easy as I don't see any nowadays.

[actionhack]

Briefly met TJ Rogers at the Intervals premiere. Saw him again later that night and he made it a point to call me by name. Wouldn’t have expected him to remember. Classy move.

[Too Frank To Fred]

I only had 2 "interesting" encounters:

San Diego, 1995: I'm skating a school yard and Willy Santos is there. I land a fs 5-0 right in front of him on a fairly high ledge and he gives me props. The only problem is that I was still pushing mongo at that point.... To this day I wonder if he thought the trick was switch, or if he was just being nice with the mongo pusher hahaha.

Paris, 1988 (maybe?): I'm skating the Eiffel tower ponds (blessed times...), and a bottle of water is passed around the assembled crew of skaters. I'm still young, 14, a little intimidated as I don't know the other older guys, so I drink and then put the bottle on the ground. Stephane Larance comes up to me and scolds me, like "why did you not pass it to someone?". And he leaves going "kids these days!". He was probably 18 or so, so that seemed much older to me. And he was already a legend in the Paris skate scene (nickname was "Blackie" back then, so that gives you an idea how far back this is, unthinkable today!). My teenage ass was sooooooo mortified.

Both amazing. Thanks for sharing.

[elbarto]

Briefly met TJ Rogers at the Intervals premiere. Saw him again later that night and he made it a point to call me by name. Wouldn’t have expected him to remember. Classy move.

I rolled a spliff for TJ Rogers, Chris Russel, and Clay Kreiner at a bar for some spitfire or redbull video premiere thing in Portland. I remember being taller than all three of them and I’m only 5’7” lol. They were all super nice dudes. I also met Elissa Steamer, Mason Silva, and I think T Funk there if I remember correctly, all really nice people who held good conversations with me. There was a strange amount of legends out that night. Filipe Gustavo and Miles Silvas were there too, they got pretty vibed out by the punk atmosphere and vanished in a puff of cologne within about 10 minutes lmfao.

[JM]

Met some pro dude out at night on the Hollywood star walk (near where the clubs are/were) when me and one/two other dudes were skating some nothing bump in front of a convenience store. 2006/7

Wish I could remember his name. He was wasted and really happy and asked to skate my board. Did a first or second try hardflip. It was a pretty cool encounter. He just wanted to hang with some nobody skaters.

Made me realize that pro skaters are people, too, but just really really good at skating.

Also during this time period, happened upon the Transworld award event when it was held at the Avalon that year (too fucking small a venue they said… no one could get in after a short while after opening). “Happened upon” because I didn’t know anything about what was going on in skate world… just doing my own thing, skating around LA on weekends and at night cruising the star walk black sidewalk (so good… so so good)

Mr. 411 himself was chilling by the fence out front, and I said hi and it was really cool to say what up and meet him (and I was just being an annoying stranger like I’m sure the pros always get all the time like most famous people). He was gracious and gave me his tickets to get inside… this was before they made the announcement that no one else was allowed in the venue. Maybe he knew, maybe he didn’t. Who cares… I’ve heard other stories of how he’s a genuinely nice dude.

Thanks, Lance.

[OldieButFrenchie]

Expand Quote

Briefly met TJ Rogers at the Intervals premiere. Saw him again later that night and he made it a point to call me by name. Wouldn’t have expected him to remember. Classy move.

[close]

I rolled a spliff for TJ Rogers, Chris Russel, and Clay Kreiner at a bar for some spitfire or redbull video premiere thing in Portland. I remember being taller than all three of them and I’m only 5’7” lol. They were all super nice dudes. I also met Elissa Steamer, Mason Silva, and I think T Funk there if I remember correctly, all really nice people who held good conversations with me. There was a strange amount of legends out that night. Filipe Gustavo and Miles Silvas were there too, they got pretty vibed out by the punk atmosphere and vanished in a puff of cologne within about 10 minutes lmfao.

'vanished in a puff of cologne' is a real funny way to put it haha

@Too Frank To Fred : merci 

[Turtle Boy]

Met Jim Thiebaud two times these last days in Bordeaux.
Really nice and humble man. We chatted a couple minutes and the second time I saw him when he was going home he stopped, opened his backpack and gave me two sets of F4 wheels.
Saw Ted Barrow too. He did a super interesting and sourced lecture about Robert Indiana, and Love Park. It feels good to see how skateboarding can get kinda serious and deep from time to time.

[Allen.]

I’m stealing “vanished in a puff of cologne.”

[work_lurker]

2019 Milwaukee WI- I stop at my local coffee shop straight after working a graveyard shift.  I immediately recognize Janoski.  Baffled,  I get my coffee and step outside only to realize there was  film crew right outside my car. Like a full production filming him cruising down the sidewalk.  As I was pulling away. I got a second to let him know how awesome I thought Mosaic was and he seemed stoked about that. Gave me an awkward handshake through the car window. 
 Turns out he's a fan of / friends with the  Violent Femmes and was in town shooting a music video with them.

[IWANNABEABIGDOG]

I met Louie Bartletta at the airport when I was like 12 and just told him how often I watch his parts on YouTube, He was the legitimately the nicest dude.

 I also met Jerry Hsu at a stay gold demo at around that same young middle school age and he was being a sarcastic jerk to all of us, as a wee lad I was bummed on it, as an adult I think it rocks.

[JM]

I met Louie Bartletta at the airport when I was like 12 and just told him how often I watch his parts on YouTube, He was the legitimately the nicest dude.

Can confirm that Taurus is the best sign.

[Troubadour26]

Not much of an encounter but I had to pick up my friend from the airport yesterday and was way early. I made the split second decision to stop at the Apex skatepark on the way up, as I was getting out of my car, I noticed Mike Sinclair was getting into his. My brain was working slowly and Bob Reynolds’ name came to mind at first but I knew that wasn’t correct. As he pulled out and drove past, I was skating in the direction of the park and shouted, “Mike Sinclair!” and waved, he waved back to me and as the car passed, I realized Cordano Russel was riding passenger haha.

It was all cool timing to me. If I wasn’t nervous about arriving to the airport on time, I wouldn’t have left so early. I had no intentions of skating yesterday, I even left the house without the board that I ride because I’d hot pocketed my foot Sunday and didn’t want to be tempted to skate. But I decided to just skate transition on my “cruiser” set up.

Perfect timing, got to see them leaving as I was arriving, made it to the airport right on time afterwards. Solid day.

[parasocial skater]

Not my story, but a dude told me at my local bar last night and thought I'd share. He said he was coming out of "a meeting" (bro was toasted at the bar, so hoping it was just a work meeting and not an AA thing), and this dude pops out of the car parked in front of him and approaches him. It's Guy Mariano, and he's super apologetic. Said he was just writing bar dude a note, because he backed into his car and he thinks it caused a mark. Bar dude was straight up and said "Bro, I've got so many dings there's no way I could possibly know you were at fault. It's totally cool...btw you're a god.

Guy told gave him his number and told bar dude to go check with his wife to see if she knew, as he still felt really bad. Turns out, Guy might have just bent the front license plate slightly, and bar dude told him it was all good. Guy tells bar dude to meet him at Val Surf a few days later, and when bar dude does, Guy has a signed pair of shoes and a board for him. They take a photo, chop it up for a bit, and go their separate ways. Bar dude said Guy Guy was really cool. Here's the kicker. He shows me the photo, and it's Andrew Reynolds.

hahahaha this is an all timer

[OldieButFrenchie]

I’m stealing “vanished in a puff of cologne.”

Hey! I had dibs on that

[mfweeno]

One time I watched a fully padded Jake Ilardi do a Kevin Gates flying squirrel type jump into a knee slide down a big pyramid. I still laugh at this when it pops in my head from time to time.

[polerbear]

Around this time last year, I was grocery shopping and was heading to the baked goods aisle to wrap up the trip. As I turned the corner, I saw that there was only one pie left and at the end of the aisle was Cordano Russell. We locked eye and both booked it to grab the pie. Unfortunately he beat me to the pie and got it first, to rub salt in the wound, he shouted out very loudly: I AM HIM to embarrass me further. Anyways I ended up buying flour and lard to make my own pie later that day

[overlyoffensive]

i'd hate to have to see cordano anywhere, let alone not in a skating situation

[GnarAlarm]

i'd hate to have to see cordano anywhere, let alone not in a skating situation

Parasocial relationships aren't healthy, especially hate based parasocial relationships.