Pools and Pipes
What can be said about empty backyard swimming pools?

That's what I really learned on besides getting the balance factor down riding in the street. I loved going down hills or shootin' the line but pools gave me my first thrill of that rollercoaster sensation. After discovering pools came Baldy pipe (the most famous and celebrated place in the world as far as I am concerned). No place has lasted longer skatewise.

Connecting the Dots
Those are my two main focuses, my forte so to speak. I feel most comfortable in pools and pipes. I live for the flow of connecting the dots or lines. I have been riding them since the beginning of my so-called skateboard "career" and will never cease or stop doing it even though it is illegal. You gotta bend the rules alittle to have fun right?

Duty Now for the Future
Growing up and living in the Badlands gave me the oppurtunity to thrive in a pool infested area. They were everywhere (and still are). The raddest thing is that I remember all of the spots over the years and never forget a rad pool and where it is. I constantly scour. Sometimes it can take 10-15 years for my patience to pay off.

I have not ridden Upland High School in ages but, it will happen again. Same with Collosus. Pools are everywhere and are waiting for me. Like the Koontz' pool and the Dodger pool.

Nothing Good Lasts Forever
Some, unfortunately, will never be ridden again. They were the pools of yesteryear. Like Carbon Canyon, Dolphin pool, Archibald bowl, Prime Evil, Skull Bowl, 25th & Euclid, Roll Bowl, Grape bowl, Nude Bowl, Rohr park, and La Mesa roman. All of these marvels erased forever by progress(?), technology, suburbia, housing developments, strip malls, and freeways (like the Brookhurst pool).

An Unlikely Ally
Fires and natural diasters are a skaters best friends. I hate to say it but it is the truth. The Northridge earthquake gave us over 300 pools in a 3 summer period. They never stopped coming. Strathern and Reseda. Sunburst kidney, Elvis kidney, and Jelico kidney. Apartment after apartment, house after house, condo after condo. They were everywhere and we took advantage of em' all!

Pipe Dreams, Bad Smells, and the Future
As for pipes, it all started in a grain factory boneyard. It was the first (even before Baldy). A 13 ft. green painted grain silo turned on it's side. Then came Baldy and the Arizona CAP projects. These lasted about 10 years (1978-1988). These years were the bountiful years of piperiding.

Phelper claims he has ridden more pipes than me. He has ridden two in Ecuador and the "big one" in Ozzie land (which I crave to skate one day). Other than those two, we have both ridden the Glory Hole, Site 1 & 2, and Tejas (where we were had!).

There were the first missions I went to with Stacy Peralta, Doug Schneider, Rick Blackhart, Greg Ayrres, Scott Dunlop, and James Cassimus.

Other trips were made with the same guys plus some assorted others like Bongo including the first real adventure to Ammo in 1979. These trips set the pace for all others to follow.

Florence was next with Brian Brannon leading the charge. Next were ChickenButt, Ping (Thrasher mag 1984/85), Salt River, the Agua Fria pipes, 3rd & McDowell (Thrasher 1987), 7th street , and then back to Ammo with team Santa Cruz (where Scott Dicktrick got us busted after I told him not to stay by the opening). Thank God Santa Cruz skateboards paid all of our fines due to the filmwork we did for them (I still have the ticket!).

Pipa Grande was the next big find (to this day it is wrecked and full of mud from the El Nino rains). Don't get any ideas of going there because it is a full-on bust. It's located on government property and they DO prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.

Silverwood was found after searching for 6 months. That one was so friggin' rad and smooth. Then back to AZ. Then it was on to Site 1 & 2 with Bellmar, Farmboy, Rhino, Preston, and Texas Daniella. We heard the rumors and went and prevailed.

After discovering the internet—five years too late—we tresspassed all over the place "In Search Of." We actually became Leonard Nimoy. We found many and got shut down here and there but we conquered Site 3 & 4 and researched about 6-7 pipes that we could not skate due to constant dampness, bust factor, high secruity, or just plain not skatable.

During this time popped up Calgary, Louisville, and Upland's new pipes. Joe V was a bust and I never got to ride Nukeland because the two times I tried to go there we got caught and escorted out by armed Marine guards!

Not to be dissuaded, there still was the Fontana Ameron plant and various grain silos like the one we rode with B.K. on my friend Eric's work yard near Corona. Speaking of B.K., he and I along with Farmboy and Bellmar, have ridden something nobody ever has. I talking pure virgin territory! Believe me, she was worth every ounce of spilt blood.

Then came along the Long Beach pipes off of the 405 Freeway and Cherry Avenue. These were the smelly ones. So bad they gave me splitting headaches so I threw away my clothes, my pads, and my skateboard!

As of late Kelly and I went on a southwest vacation to some colored rock formations near Apache territory!

pools and pipes are the lifeline of my skating and without them I would be nowhere. I have little detectives everywhere detecting for me. Keep up the good work guys and we will skate together soon.

A special thanks to my buds Beez Lovelace, Dusto, A.G., Farmula, and the France's.