Evidence XVIII: Pool of the Millenium

1.5-year-old evidence.

Hoss in the deep before massive hipper.

Jesse gets the shallow pocket.

So it all started with Dixon and Courtney deciding on a Pool of the Year, i.e. "This one's so good, it's gonna be Pool of the Year." There are two pools that we've hit recently that are former Pools of the Year, and they are still referred to by that name. So Hoss found this one, Brad, Hoss and I were the first to skate it, and it was so good, I told those guys that this was for sure the Pool of the Year last year (2010). We told a few guys, brought Dixon and Court there, and Dixon, ever cynical, declined to give it POTY honors because it has tile coping. But that's pure cynicism. This is one of the best pools I have ever skated in my life -- the trannies are amazing, the shape is killer, the scene is cool as fuck, the lines are mind blowing. So as a result, we decided "Fuck Dixon, it's 2010, we haven't skated any pools better than this during this millenium, so it's Pool of the Millenium." We later got silly and started calling pools Pool of the Trimester, Pool of the Day, Pool of the Week, Pool of the Minute, Pool of the Fiscal Year, etc., etc. And this one has a couple other names from the guys who rejected the POTM label: Hobbit Hole (because of the small door you get through when we used to go through the arroyo to get there), Pockets, and a few others. We hit this thing hard last year, two or three times a week for a month or two, then it cooled off. Then for Thrasher's King of the Road, I was tasked with taking the Nike team to 4 pools in one day. POTM was third. Marissa del Santos was their mystery guest, and one of her challenges was to grind a pool frontside. We went there with about 40 minutes of light, sessioned, and then she went for the grind in the butter pocket. Granted, she was hurt, but this was the easiest pool in the universe. Some people don't got tranny skills (but she can jump down stairs, etc.). The sun was going down, so they wanted to set up lights and really blow it out. I said "fuck it" and also told Rhino, their photographer, that I was gonna jump the fence should a cop show up. 20 minutes later, no grind, and a cop showed up, walked right up to me so I had no time to escape. I tried to explain we were just skating, but he cuffed me. He took everyone's IDs, then realized that people were from Boston, LA, Portland, San Diego, wherever, so long story short he let us go (and didn't write anyone's names down). I let it cool for a while, but went back, but hew close to the 20-minute rule. Others don't and others have been busted (that's what you get for sessioning for 1.5 hours, I guess). Nobody's been arrested, but if they take your name once, and you get caught again, you go down. I avoided a bullet, and still count on getting my one warning if so happens. But I'll stick to the 20-minutes and out rule to make sure it doesn't. Haven't skated there in about 5 months, but Hoss, Jesse and me hit tonight -- for 20 minutes. I almost don't want to post it -- enough people know about it that I don't want to remind them -- but I ain't telling anyone where it's at. It's on the market for $800,000, but you gotta tear down the house and rebuild...

More motoladies!

Evidence XVII: Back for more

Tucson Sean came and did the light/nipple.

Shrine to football?

Shrine detail.

Musta been a prime shitter in its day. All paradise 'n' shit...

Evidence XVI: Back for More

Andrew brings some style to the f-side Grrr.

We knew the light-death would be Jesse's.

Hoss cracks one in a tight spot.

Grinded through to the axle during this session, always a good feeling.

The sun sets on another sesh. No bust, we'll be back.

For the Ladies!

I once asked Meg if given the chance, would she make out with Lemmy. Same question for you: would you make out with Lemmy if given the chance?

Seen the Motorhead documentary movie? Amazing, even if it is fluffing Lemmy for 2 hours.

Lemmy has earned a good fluffing.

Gary Glitter

Dunno what it is, but I've been listening to some Gary Glitter lately. Yes, I know he's a creepy and disgusting pedophile, kicked out of Cambodia, jailed in Vietnam and England, and currently not allowed to leave England. Yes I know he is weird and creepy looking. But there is something amazing about his early 1970s stuff (the costumes, the hair, the fact that every song has syncopated clapping (or so it seems). He had 11 top ten hits in the UK from 1972-1975 (all of his singles in that period hit the top ten!). His career faltered a couple times, he made a few comebacks, he was in an ad campaing for British Rail, he had opened a snack restaurant (Glitter's Snack Bar -- "The Leader of the Snack"), he did some duets (Girlschool!). He's a freak, for sure. So many people have covered his stuff: Joan Jett's debut record featured two Gary Glitter covers, and her version of "Do You Want to Touch Me" went to #20 in the US); The Undertones did "Rock 'n' Roll Part II" -- D.I. did too, and I'm sure a ton of other folks have; Turbonegro does "Hello Hello It's Good to be Back;" Girlschool did "I'm the Leader of the Gang" with Glitter, Joan Jett's other cover was "Doing Alright with the Boys"). Enjoy, but it's OK to be creeped out too. By the way, I am going to be playing some of these out...

Love the crowds in the videos, stoned out of their minds and dancing all slow. And the band? From outer space... Up to you to look up some of the covers -- Joan Jett's are more rockin' and pretty damn good.

EDIT: How could I forget the Devil Dogs' version of Shakey Sue? Welp, I did, so here it is:

be a manwolf today!

Tip o' the hat to Blood Falcons for this 'un...

Evidence XV: The ol' in-n-out!

Hoss, killer slash, second run. Most of his weight is below his board, 4-5 feet of vert.

Hoss got his first frontside death box.

Andrew sweeps it up, while Barney takes off the diving board.

Ladies and germs, the evidence keeps mounting. We scoped this one yesterday, and knew we had to go back. There was clearly nobody living there, but it was also clear that someone was working on the house -- there were tile cutting tools on the back patio, and a compressor was visible in the window. Whoever was working on it didn't seem to worry much about his shit getting stolen. Lucky for him, we were only after his pool.

We went back today with Andrew and the proper tools. We parked at the end of the alley, but we were spotted by a suspicious mook who stared us down. We relented, putting our tools back in my car and scooting out of there with our tails between our legs. We live for stealth.

We park at the other entrance to the alley, nearer to the house. The back gate was unlocked -- we checked the day before after hopping the fence to get in -- and we walked right in. Hoss and Andrew started sweeping, I iced the beers and looked for a way to remove the diving board. I found a screwdriver, and since there was only one bolt holding the board in the back and the other was rusted but barely hanging on, I chipped away at the fiberglass to try to work it out. I heard rustling on the other side of the alley -- I heard someone taking out the trash a few minutes before. this time he was on to us: John Q. Public. He asked what we were doing, and I told him we were cleaning out the pool. "Do you know the guy who just bought this?" he asked. No, just got a call from our boss, who got a call from the city. We check out dirty pools and drain and clean them to prevent mosquito infection and the spread of West Nile. "So you don't know the guy who bought it?" Nope, but do you have crescent wrench we could borrow? I need to take off the diving board. It's unsafe, if a little kid tried to stand on it he'd fall in and break his neck. John Q. Public was suspicious, but how could you argue with safety? He kept looking over the fence, and must have seen our boards, so I said that sometimes when we're done we get to skate them; perks of the job. He went to get the wrench.

I got the diving board free, Hoss and Andrew got it clean, and it had been five minutes and the guy hadn't returned. We decided to shred for five minutes and bail, and just as we started skating he showed up with the wrench. "Ever skate pools when you were a kid?" Hoss asks. The guy mutters an answer and retreats -- he seems like he doesn't care, but John Q Public can quickly turn into John Q. Vigilante. We decide on a few more minutes, just to get some grinds. The facewall was nice and round, big tile coping, but about 4-5 feet of pure vert. There was a killer bonus pocket on the right hand side that you could pump for speed. It was mildly cancerous and threw up a lot of dust, with numerous jets, but all in all a go. We cracked our beers, took a few more runs, then made our escape. Will the new owner realize that someone cleaned his pool for him? Will he care? Will he be stoked? We will skate this one again, but I hope those questions remain unanswered and we never see him face to face. What we do is not for (John Q.) Public consumption.

Another South Mountain Ride!

Another successful early AM ride up South Mountain, but this time our numbers have doubled! Kevin Daly (of Grave Danger and Chicken and Waffles infamy) and Charlie joined us for the ride up, on a Harley and a '77 CB550F that was all chopped up. Breakfast at Rosita's (the good one, on 24th ST and Thomas, not the shitty place ("Where alcoholics go because they just need something to eat with the booze" -- Kevin) on University and Hardy in Tempe. Full all day from Huevos Divorciados.

Have a look at Charlie's CB550.

Crazy home fabricated frame and whatnot, suicide shifter on the other side.

Guess I should also mention that Ryan plays in Grave Danger too! Kevin's got oodles of tales from decades of the punk rock 'n' roll life.

Came home to a motorbike clusterfuck! Chris dropped off Cindy's CB360 for some final wiring and other touches. Works space is full...

Left to right: Cowtown's Suzuki X-5 200 Hustler; Cindy's CB360 Brat Bike; My new CB350F Cafe Project; Meg's SR250 bobber; My 1969 CB160 Cafe Bike; and in front, my (mostly) stock CB350F.

Evidence XIV: back to shred, more to scope...

Dickbird and Courtman came to the East Side to check our ride.

Inviting love seat.

Scope #1 today, we will ride this one.

Scope #2, sometimes they make it hard.

Scope #3, a bit of cancer.

Scope #4, a lot of water...

Scope #5, people live here?

Scope #6, former halfway house.

Scope #7, why not another?

Scope #8, another wet one.

Scope #9, one more. All in one day.

This guy came out of a black widow net -- lizard eating spider!

CB350F gettin' there

CB350F is gettin' there... Got a seat bump and pan mocked up (it'll get some foam and a proper cover). Seat bump and tank are going to get chromed (or coppered?). Speedo is from a 1965 CB160, tach is aftermarket and will be affixed to the other side when I get some mounts grinded off the triple tree. White plastic thing behind the tank is where the gas is for now -- tank needs to be relined. Clip ons are tight, shaved a little off the fork ears to fit them under the triple tree. CB400F pegs and linkage for 6" further back pegs. Gonna keep the 4-into-4 exhaust, extend it past the pegs and put some megaphone tips on them. Wiring is mocked up with zip ties under the seat. Gotta sort that out, get some more stuff grinded off, powder coat frame... Rode it around today, it's got a nice rumble, and good to know the tach and speedo are both working. This is gonna be a ripper.

Got Maaike's CB200 running today too. Bad condensor = some frustration. Got her front brake sorted too. She needs some new rubber, and we'll get it dialed in. Recovered Ryan's CB550 seat, but the exhaust we had picked out didn't work out. Bob's gave us a refund.

Sweet weekend!

I've been diggin' some Sweet lately, and so have some others it seems. Been playin' Blockbuster out a bunch. Have a Sweet weekend.

Evidence XIII: 4 Pools, 1 Day

Hoss, B-side.

Barney, F-side.

Evidence.

Barney, F-side, Pool #2.

Da Blink has a homeless resident.

"For Those Who Want the Nicer Things"

Scoped this piece of doo doo.

Evidence XII: Work now, play later

High profile, we decided to bucket today and skate later. I snapped photos while Hoss did all the work.

Dear Vans: I need some new slip ons, please. Or do I? These are still pretty good.

Light

Plate.

Hoss is trying to capture my image knowing that I am going to blog the fuck outta this shit.

The beatles are dead.