12.21.2012

chrome ball incident x transworld skateboarding #5

Number 5 on the list: Jim Greco Hammertime, March 01.


 “I figured out that my technique was mob-just like Gonz’s.”

Armed with backside noseblunts down Wilshire and a dictionary of slang rivaling your favorite rapper, Greco’s Piss Drunk ballyhoo brought about a punk-inspired paradigm shift that spit directly in the face of a yo’d-out status quo. Hammertime had officially begun.

Steady Mobbin' (late pass)

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

if you don't read the text and don't mind the dramatic photography then this is a pretty decent 'pro spotlight'. i, however, think that this is right around the time of skateboarding journalism's demise into the crappy formula that it's composed of today. i hate this interview. 15yr. old douchbags smoking weed at the local skatepark probably loved it though.

chops said...

My inclusion of this interview in the list is that it, like your comment, represents a different point of view. An alternate perspective with substance.

The fact that you "hate" this interview must mean it is at least somewhat memorable to you... unless you're in the habit of "hating"

Anonymous, I find it strange that you keep leaving these labored comments without a name as it seems you and your opinions very much wish to be heard. Maybe you should acquire a blog of your own. Perhaps you already have one. I would very much like to read it. You could even attempt your own "Top 10 Spotlight" lists. Sure you could. It's all opinion.

Anonymous said...

i was hyped on this when it came out!! that back noseblunt cover is one of my all time favorites...i thought this interview at the time was refreshing, as well as baker 2g...nowadays this seems to be the mainstream/ acceptable/normal attitude and dress for the average skateboarder(which is somewhat disturbing and sad)...it just proves that from neon hip pouches, berets and spandex to blind jeans to highwaters and colored socks that fashion is way lame and the skateboarding is all that matters...always loved greco and that glossary rules...i hope he has a full part in the deathwish videoxxo

Steve M said...

I was never much into the whole Piss Drunx thing, but Grecs decidedly ripped. Best nollie backside flips ever. That switch kickflip boardslide is pretty juicy too.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, but I had this mag at the time and that interview sucked... The reality is that skateboard journalism went downhill years ago. But that's the problem today, come up with any criticism and you're labelled a "hater", as if everything has to be "nice" or "positive" all the time.

Furthermore, today's mags lack independence/impartiality, so really it's just "sell/sell/sell" on part of the magazines. So there's a real lack of critical thinking on the part of these so-called journalists. I remember a Big Brother article where they labelled Transworld "the whore that works both villages", haha, sadly quite true.

Also, it probably explains why skateboarding today is so dumbed-down and boring, I mean how are young kids going to know any different if they are brought up on a constant diet of Street League / X Games / Nike / Monster Energy and scumbag pros who are milking it for all it's worth....

Thoughts???

Anonymous said...

I dont think too many people writing articles working for skate mags are legit journalists. How many kids are reading the articles anyways? The kids these days dont read magazines. Why would you? Its a diffrent world. Im just glad i started when i did(@1989) the magazines were my only connection to sunny california and the industry...it was amazing to watch the progression through magazines and the handful of videos released every year...its out of control and the kids are completely saturated in footage and jaded...these days, olling up a curb for my generation is like kickflipping a double set for the new kids...I cant wait to see what its gonna be like in the next 20years!

chops said...

Skateboard magazines have never been impartial. Every single one of the major US publications of the 80s and 90s were born out of companies selling things.

"Skateboard Journalism" has always, for the most part, been predominantly awful. There have always been good writers within it but there has never been some "golden age". Each magazine has had high-tide periods of excellence but that relates to that operation specifically and not the craft as a whole. In my opinion.

As far today's skateboarding being "dumbed down" and all that, this same complaint has been lodged at skateboarding by skateboarders since it started with different, albeit similar, factors: Sunny D, Fruitopia, Mountain Dew, Frank Hawk, the NSA, Dogtown, Tony Alva, Tony Hawk, the X-Games, the Gravity Games, the MTV Games, Bam Margera, Jackass, Baker, Steve Berra, Steve Rocco, Stacy Peralta, Animal Chin, Sk8-TV, Skate... the list goes on and on. Skateboarding is always changing and the only constant is old dudes wishing it didn't. Whether it is improving and failing is, again, entirely a matter of opinion.

How's your blog coming?

Anonymous said...

Right...if your asking about my blog its not easy and in the fetus stage...i have way too many ideas and i just dont want to throw garbage out there... Got some interviews and coverage in the works and hopefully i can make the cbi links someday...after all chrome ball was the inspiration... Merry christmas and happy new year to you and yoursxxo

Fro said...

I remember getting this issue in the mail and being hyped on it, Jim's glossary was pretty funny and a LOT of kids I knew started using majority of the terms and listening to Johnny Thunders and dressing like their favorite piss drunk...the downside (or downer-side) was the jocks at school claiming "piss drunx"...that's a whole other tangent though,that interview brings me back to when skateboarding was changing, fashion-wise and trick-wise. This was right when Baker was coming out as a major company and not everyone was happy. I knew/know people that read the mags from cover to cover like I do and plenty others that just look at the photos, the internet and all the social media has kids hungry for more material every hour, with what they just saw getting lost in bandwith. I see skateboarding only getting bigger and crazier with progression, with more dudes coming up cashing big checks and just as many falling off with fame going to their heads.

Maurice said...

You know you're old when you think, "It's not as good as it used to be."

chops said...

haha, the blog comment was more in reference to the anonymous commenter before you Ruenone78 but I'd love to check it out. Post up a link!

Anonymous said...

How embarassing... http://ruenone78.blogspot.com/?m=1

DTZ said...

I love what Chops is doing with CBI.... it's too bad that a blog dedicated to fondly remembering some of skateboarding's most interesting moments/images still falls victim to anonymous haters. C'mon Anonymous - if you hide behind anonymity so that you feel free of consequence when you post negative comments about someone/thing in particular, no one will take you seriously. We just think you're a 15 year old kid who's grounded, and venting online.

DTZ said...

http://www.red-tel.blogspot.ca/2012/12/ocd-8-heat-in-streets.html

^^^ BTW Chops, not sure if you're into records, but I've been doing posts related(mostly) to classic skateboard video sountracks on vinyl.... check it out ?

Anonymous said...

"Skateboard magazines have never been impartial. Every single one of the major US publications of the 80s and 90s were born out of companies selling things.

"Skateboard Journalism" has always, for the most part, been predominantly awful. There have always been good writers within it but there has never been some "golden age". Each magazine has had high-tide periods of excellence but that relates to that operation specifically and not the craft as a whole. In my opinion.

As far today's skateboarding being "dumbed down" and all that, this same complaint has been lodged at skateboarding by skateboarders since it started with different, albeit similar, factors: Sunny D, Fruitopia, Mountain Dew, Frank Hawk, the NSA, Dogtown, Tony Alva, Tony Hawk, the X-Games, the Gravity Games, the MTV Games, Bam Margera, Jackass, Baker, Steve Berra, Steve Rocco, Stacy Peralta, Animal Chin, Sk8-TV, Skate... the list goes on and on. Skateboarding is always changing and the only constant is old dudes wishing it didn't. Whether it is improving and failing is, again, entirely a matter of opinion".

Well, I can safely say that I've read some crap in my time, but this clearly takes the biscuit. We all KNOW that marketing has played a huge role in skateboarding since its inception. Despite what you say, I mentioned LACK OF IMPARTIALITY meaning that the current crop of mags are being pretty misleading when it comes to the workings of the industry. For example, pro's keeping their careers going when they should have retired years before (yet they keep selling their boards), sponsoring and turning people pro too early or not up to par, too much emphasis on a certain demographic (i.e 8-12 yr old market) etc etc. Yes, it's worse today, and I'm gonna stand by what I said...

What does "having a blog" have to do with anything, for some of us who have been a bit disappointed with the way the industry has gone, that's just an irrelevant comment.

chops said...

Dear Anonymous Sir or Madam,

Everything you have mentioned as a "current ill" of modern skateboarding has been going on for 30 years. Pros "milking it" in addition to the industry catering to a younger demographic is hardly anything new.

But regardless, good for you. Stick to your point, whatever that is. Maybe you'll figure out what it is one day and when you do, I hope you'll let us know... as I'm sure you will.

My desire for you to get a blog of your own is because I genuinely feel awful that your wisdom has to be presented in such a lowly place as this. You deserve better than this dump! Strike out on your own, slugger! Imagine a place of your very own where you can write about biscuits and being wrong all you want. It can happen, if you let it!

Austin said...

LOL, Chops. Stay killing it.

nick zee said...

Damnit I have to say that I am not this same anonymous posting here, but I did hide behind the anonymous tag in the Marcovich interview comment. My bad, I suck I know. Awkward...

Anonymous said...

I liked when Greco straight up said he couldn't pop out in the middle of a ledge when he was backside nose blunting.

What do you want from a skate magazine? What do you expect from a skate magazine. One could argue that all mainstream publications are victims of their own budgets, but come on. It's fucking skating. You need to have dynamic interviews???? C'mon man.

Adrian

Crippling Doubt said...

I liked this interview when I bought the mag and I still dig it now. Cool post chops. This interview is one of the better PD moments in mag history, and like em or hate em they did take the skate world by storm for a minute.