2.07.2010

chrome ball incident #423: angel dust









1. O.K. first of all, you pretend it's a cliff and you gotta make it over to the other side.

2. Approach the hole, channel, curb, bench, car or obstacle with moderate speed.

3. Lift up your front wheels before you come to the edge.

4. Pop your tail and kind of kick your front foot. Try to get the side of your shoe to touch the griptape.

5. Push down on the nose and prepare to land. If you do not plan on going straight, turn your body before you pop the board.

"Frontside Ollie" by Mark Gonzales. 1985.

18 comments:

smorales said...

I remember seeing a reprint of his old ollie tricktip in a transworld in the early 00's. I've been waiting for another gonz post, and this one is gold.

Hamza A said...

In the Edward Devera post in that last picture is that the movie director Martin Scorcese? and how do they know each other.

ps. I probably coudnt get through school with out this website.

Anonymous said...

Gonz is always a fun viewing. The jailbird picture always stuck out to me, it brought back some memories from H.S.
I love checking this site every morning before I go to class, I've spread the word to a few old dudes who are Sunday skateboarders as well, they'll catch on soon enough.
Mr. Chrome ball, I know you are a huge Gino fan, as am I, as is the whole world, (if they have any brains at all), I read this today and damn, I love the mystery.

48 Blocks: With the Chocolate video in progress right now - can you give us any details on a release date or title? I'm sure everyone wants to know if Gino will have a full part?

Aaron: It’s still going to be a while. Definitely no title right now. As far as Gino goes, he’s meant to be a mystery.

hairfarmer said...

Shifty pic is quintessentially 90's in the best way possible and timeless all at once. Besides Video Days the absolute best era of Gonz has to be the Sixty-Forty/Early Real incarnation. I love every scrap of Gonz footage without a doubt, but to me this stuff is somehow purer, less inundated with hero worship. Could be that my vision is heavily clouded by nostalgia though. Someone with more free time than me should compile the 411 and Thrasher clips from those days; it would make for choice Youtube stokage. That Ft. Miley photo is pretty unbelieveable as well. Great post Chops.

ereygers said...

I agree with hairfarmer above. Like video days to the early real days has to be my favorite gonz period as far as footage goes. The picture of the shifty in eugene is an absolute gem...

Also hairfarmer mentioned a comp of old 411 and thrahser video clips and I think thats a great idea.

Any idea as to who shot the photo in eugene?

ereygers said...

was also curious if anyone can remember a clip of gonz at burnside. I saw it years ago but I have no idea as to where... Any help?

grimcity said...

I'm stoked that the same Gonz who ollied that insane "channel" during a Y-shaped mini competition (12 feet I think?) in Hawaii during the 80's has the opening sequence of the Krooked catalog... popping down a pretty decent set into a brick embankment. Gotta love Gonz.

Giles said...

been waiting to see the 666 interview since gonz referred to it in his 1986 thrasher interview! he's been rocking those hats he's wearing in the sequence for a long time and now i think i know where he got the inspiration: tony alva always wore them and at this time mark was riding for him. could just be my imagination, but...

i'm with hairfarmer and eric: the comeback stage was sick. not that i have anything against his subsequent incarnations but he was still pushing the envelope in skating at that time, kickflipping the gonz gap etc.

peel said...

Special peel request...scan in that Gonz photo from your fridge. I love that thing!

Anonymous said...

"I charged him fifteen dollars. I got a flat tire."

Stoked!

Keith said...

wow... there are some oldies in there!

Footplant on the tree is super good and that first pic is pretty bonkers.

dedleg said...

That shifty is a thing of beauty.

Anonymous said...

i seriously had that trick tip taped to my wall for like 2 years. his front leg in that sequence pretty much defines style. totally agree with everybody about the 60/40 era being less coloured by hype but for me the early brittain/kanights photos will always be the best. in those days that was all we saw of him and sometimes you couldn't even tell what the fuck he was doing in the photo. that sense of mystery, like shit being so new you barely understood it stands out to me. great post. (again)

Anonymous said...

THE GONZ that mo fuckas the BOMB!
Just did what ever felt right didn't care about preconceptions he made people say "thats the gonz he can do what ever he wants"
THANKS AGAIN LOVER BOY!!!

previous anon said...

what am i ON!!! did!! did! he's stil doing that shit!!
does and makes

Cheaps said...

There's only one Gonz.

Anonymous said...

Gonz... What can you say??? I was hooked from the first photo I saw (rode Venture's for years cuz of Gonz). Video Days... Are you kidding me (ups to Spike for making the greatest skateboard film of all time)...

Anyone remember the search for Gonz tour? Rocco(as a pro), johnnie kopp and Mike V (baby Mike V, think he was 15 or so?). That ish was sick... i remember Rocco offering anyone a pack of stickers if they broke my buddy's nose cuz he was rolling around mocking Steve...

Best Gonz memory.... Living in SF when Jerry Garcia died and had to go to FTC to get some grip that day... What a fucking sight... Hippies had the whole damn street shut down, crying an carryin' on... as we walked we saw the cops coming down the sidewalk with someone in cuffs.... Yeah it was Gonz.. and I couldn't help but wonder... 'what the hell did he do to get arrested in all this chaos?' Must have been something crazy for sure...

Or it could have been...
The first time going to EMB and seeing the gap in person.... OMFG... The photos were always sick but... only in person could you know how crazy that shit was.

Gonz changed my life for sure... Much respect...

jamesinger said...

I am still looking for the picture of GONZ in Hawaii at the contest where he hit the gap between the 2 big quarterpipes. That was really epic!