http://chromeballincident.blogspot.com/2012/12/guest-post-chris-nieratko.htmlFunniest/best part:
" This is from that great period when ODell was still shooting skate photos for Thrasher. I love Epicly Later'd but I also very much loved his photos and miss seeing them in skate mags.
Chet isn't from Jersey but this spot is in Asbury Park, a town that was somehow missed by the storm while all surrounding towns were devastated.
I love photos that tell stories and this one just jumps off the page/screen. Last try before the crane eats the pool alive.
My reason for picking this photo is my personal story with it. This image was in the Indy 25-year book. There was a proof page with registration marks and Bryce's editor's notes written on it in Sharpie for auction at one of the last ASR trade shows I ever attended. This story is one of the main reasons I stopped attending: the industry of skateboarding is littered with kooks and those trade shows were full to the brim with them.
As soon as I saw this photo for auction, I told myself it was coming home to New Jersey with me. I bid $200 and I waited. I literally stood next to the image drinking wine, waiting to dissuade people from bidding. For some time, no one else bid. No one even looked. Then came along some bro-brah surf kook and bid $205. I told him not to bother. I was winning the photo and I bid $300. 'Oh yeah, dude?? he said, 'Fuck that!' He bid $1000. I was stunned. 'What are you doing, guy?? I asked. 'You're not winning this, I am,' he told me. He then proceeded to up his bid to $2000. 'Why? Why are you being a fucking prick,' I asked. 'Because I can,' he said. Real piece of shit. I asked him if the image had any meaning to him. He said no, that he just liked it and he liked pissing me off. I actually liked that last part, I could relate to it, it made me smile at him. But not too wide. I threw back my last gulp of wine and said, 'Fine. Listen. I'm going to be right over there,' I pointed at the bar, I'm going to start drinking very heavily, very quickly. I'm not going to take my eyes off you for the rest of the night. After you pay the $2000, I'm going to follow you into the hallway, beat the piss out of you and take the fucking photo. Understand?' He laughed. I laughed too. I laughed all the way to the bar. Then I started really drinking. For an hour I mad dogged the fuck out of this asshole in sandals. I don't even now if he even had a shirt on. It got so uncomfortable for him that people in every conversation he got into had to ask who the guy was at the bar that was trying to melt him with his eyes was. With five minutes left on the auction he came over to me half-joking, half-cautious and said, 'Come on, dude! I was just kidding with you.' 'I wasn't kidding with you, dude. Pay the money. I'm taking the photo. I'm going to knock you out right in front of everyone.' He had no response other than the obvious course of action; he went over and crossed out his name off the bid.
'There,' he said, 'it's yours.'
'It was mine either way, you fucking kook, I told him."
Topic: Nieratko: Chrome Ball guest post (Read 1221 times)