Flip had some amazing ads back then. Tom on the bicycle was one of my favorites, along with the "hard day's night" and Ali Boulala's "absolut amateur" ad. Great post.
i used to love tsa...so thats like kr3w now? right?...weird...
its kinda funny when you think about it compared to today, but most of pennys dope shit back in the day was just kickflips...switch fronside flip carlsbad, that big booming straight kickflip over the handrail (fuck that was rad)...just kickflips...
its weird lookin back on it now, i mean its not like its not as rad, but at the time i was really blown away...seriously
The best thing about Penny? He didn't care. I remember when he dipped to the South of France and you'd always hear stories of him popping up in Marseille or Aix-En Provence. Let it be known that this man made a killing off those Cheech and Chong boards. I had a friend who just kept buying them over and over again.
The only Flip board I ever owned was the gold brand team model that he's riding in the 3rd pic. Back then, I swear Flip boards were pressed by Prime. Concave was the same, stained top plies x 2.
Penny definitely should be top 5 on everyone's list for best: style, fs flips, smooth/effortless skating.
I think I may have mentioned this in an earlier post, but at one point I was The TM for Experience Skateboards. Well, one day the owner comes to me and says he wants to have a European rider. He said one of the distributors had a couple of people in mind. One was Simon Evans and the other was some kid that I have never heard of named Tom Penny. This was way before anybody had even seen footage of him and it'd be a few more years 'til Flip came to the states. So for me it was a no brainer, because Simon was a friend of mine and I knew he was a good skater. For those of you who never saw Simon skate, think of an English Pappalardo. He used to get pretty tech and sport the baggy gear, but in the later years he tightended up his kit and just did what he felt good doing.
That said, it would've been an interesting ride if we had gone with Tom Penny instead of Simon. I don't regret it though. Not at all. Things turned out pretty well for Penny too. I wonder if he ever even knew about that whole situation?
Yes Yes YES! Etnies High 5 was, hands down, the most slept on video of the 90s. The music editing and talent roster will never be matched. Penny, Muska, Thomas (Jamie and Chet), Kalis, Drehobl, Senn, Koston, Marc Johnson... all so good. This video is one of the main reason I still own a VCR. The Tom Penny part was just epic. That guy just brought skating to a whole new level. Too bad he dropped out.
jaycee - Rad story. Simon Evans had my favorite "Good Stuff" section in transworld ever. Switch 360 flip the bay blocks gap and 180 no comply down stairs. I think he was wearing a sweater vest. Very unique at the time.
hairfarmer, i remember that "good stuff" with simon evans. so sick, and yes, a sweater vest was rocked in the no comply photo. i wanna say he no complied the greyhound bus station stairs in SF, but i might be wrong.
anyone ever see the photo of simon evans switch nosegrinding the bay blocks in the middle of the ledge? i remember him wearing the etnies MC rap shoes (some of the tightest kicks ever)
There used to be this warehouse in SD that disributed human skateboards, but they had a vert ramp and a little street course, would see all the Wash. St. Locals there skating the vert. I skated the street course with Tom and he would murder it, switch backside lipslides the entire box in the midnineties, that switch-flip revert on command. He rolled around the street course and then started skating the vert ramp, pushing from the bottom, pissing off Navarette, Moffat, and those guys. He made his way to coping and frontside flipped and then cab backside lipped the entire ramp and then rolled off back into the street section completely padless leaving all those guys on the deck with their pads looking retarded. Tom couldn't have cared less and just rolled around, the vert dinosaurs were stumped though, they would piss on the street skaters, and one of them just destroyed their 'turf;. IT was awesome.
Saw him few days ago in Tallin, Estonia. But he was drunk like all the time, for 3 days in a row. And than, in a best trick he'd tryed a fakie 360 flip down a huge double set. With no warm up at all. I think he fucked up his foot.
Flip had some amazing ads back then. Tom on the bicycle was one of my favorites, along with the "hard day's night" and Ali Boulala's "absolut amateur" ad. Great post.
ReplyDeletehadn't seen the first one before, nice work.
ReplyDeleteDavid Bowie always works in skate vids.
ReplyDeleteSUCH A LAIDBACK STYLE DOING AMAZING TRICKS!
ReplyDeleteRESUME : AMAZING STYLE!
TOM 4 PRESIDENT
another sik post...
ReplyDeletei used to love tsa...so thats like kr3w now? right?...weird...
its kinda funny when you think about it compared to today, but most of pennys dope shit back in the day was just kickflips...switch fronside flip carlsbad, that big booming straight kickflip over the handrail (fuck that was rad)...just kickflips...
its weird lookin back on it now, i mean its not like its not as rad, but at the time i was really blown away...seriously
The best thing about Penny? He didn't care. I remember when he dipped to the South of France and you'd always hear stories of him popping up in Marseille or Aix-En Provence. Let it be known that this man made a killing off those Cheech and Chong boards. I had a friend who just kept buying them over and over again.
ReplyDeleteThe only Flip board I ever owned was the gold brand team model that he's riding in the 3rd pic. Back then, I swear Flip boards were pressed by Prime. Concave was the same, stained top plies x 2.
ReplyDeletePenny definitely should be top 5 on everyone's list for best: style, fs flips, smooth/effortless skating.
I think I may have mentioned this in an earlier post, but at one point I was The TM for Experience Skateboards. Well, one day the owner comes to me and says he wants to have a European rider. He said one of the distributors had a couple of people in mind. One was Simon Evans and the other was some kid that I have never heard of named Tom Penny. This was way before anybody had even seen footage of him and it'd be a few more years 'til Flip came to the states. So for me it was a no brainer, because Simon was a friend of mine and I knew he was a good skater. For those of you who never saw Simon skate, think of an English Pappalardo. He used to get pretty tech and sport the baggy gear, but in the later years he tightended up his kit and just did what he felt good doing.
ReplyDeleteThat said, it would've been an interesting ride if we had gone with Tom Penny instead of Simon. I don't regret it though. Not at all. Things turned out pretty well for Penny too. I wonder if he ever even knew about that whole situation?
btw, this video is amazing!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di9c3odrJ3c
Yes Yes YES! Etnies High 5 was, hands down, the most slept on video of the 90s. The music editing and talent roster will never be matched. Penny, Muska, Thomas (Jamie and Chet), Kalis, Drehobl, Senn, Koston, Marc Johnson... all so good. This video is one of the main reason I still own a VCR.
ReplyDeleteThe Tom Penny part was just epic. That guy just brought skating to a whole new level. Too bad he dropped out.
Nice collection here:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=731H77cJOg8&NR=1
"Dude just made everything look too easy. Maybe it was."
ReplyDeleteSpot on, I really think it was easy for him - which probably only contributed to his growing disinterest in the whole industry here in the states.
gotta agree with Oakland Pete, but you forggot about JB Gillet, :) .
ReplyDeletebtw, skate shoes were much cooler back tehn, imo.
skateboarding was also much cooler, tricks were more simple but they were much more stylish.
i dont like skateboarding nowdays to be honest.
peace!
jaycee - Rad story. Simon Evans had my favorite "Good Stuff" section in transworld ever. Switch 360 flip the bay blocks gap and 180 no comply down stairs. I think he was wearing a sweater vest. Very unique at the time.
ReplyDeletecomplaining that skateboarding is all bad today is lazy and just shows you are out of touch. The bad has always made the good look better.
ReplyDeletehairfarmer, i remember that "good stuff" with simon evans. so sick, and yes, a sweater vest was rocked in the no comply photo. i wanna say he no complied the greyhound bus station stairs in SF, but i might be wrong.
ReplyDeleteanyone ever see the photo of simon evans switch nosegrinding the bay blocks in the middle of the ledge? i remember him wearing the etnies MC rap shoes (some of the tightest kicks ever)
GOD DAM I LOVE THIS WEBSITE!!!
There used to be this warehouse in SD that disributed human skateboards, but they had a vert ramp and a little street course, would see all the Wash. St. Locals there skating the vert. I skated the street course with Tom and he would murder it, switch backside lipslides the entire box in the midnineties, that switch-flip revert on command. He rolled around the street course and then started skating the vert ramp, pushing from the bottom, pissing off Navarette, Moffat, and those guys. He made his way to coping and frontside flipped and then cab backside lipped the entire ramp and then rolled off back into the street section completely padless leaving all those guys on the deck with their pads looking retarded. Tom couldn't have cared less and just rolled around, the vert dinosaurs were stumped though, they would piss on the street skaters, and one of them just destroyed their 'turf;. IT was awesome.
ReplyDeleteHe's sick!
ReplyDeleteSaw him few days ago in Tallin, Estonia.
But he was drunk like all the time, for 3 days in a row.
And than, in a best trick he'd tryed a fakie 360 flip down a huge double set. With no warm up at all. I think he fucked up his foot.
http://doskimag.ru/system/images/4019/article/Vit.jpg
just got this thing, stocked.