Last Saturday, I took an impromptu day trip over to Terre Haute for the Transition Skateshop Skate Jam/Contest/Get Together that they were hosting at Vorhees Park. I say "impromptu", because I didn't really plan on going. Truth is, I hadn't been back there since Jeremy and Liz sold the late (and great) TOC Skateshop to some young buck named Michael Ramsey. And figuring that Jeremy and Liz were pretty much an impossible act to follow, I'd planned on being elsewhere for the day. But either circumstance, or divine intervention (you pick) stepped in and spoiled my original plans, while a couple of the Terre Haute locs kept gently reminding me that this shindig was fast approaching. Finally, the night right before the contest, I decided that maybe it was high time that I went and checked everything out. After all, I'd been hearing some pretty good stuff about the new shop. So maybe this "Mike" kid had it figured out after all.
Because I get so, so sick of listening to myself babble incessantly, I decided to tell take a little departure from "the norm", and tell the entire story solely in photos and captions. I think they pretty much say it all, anyway. Ready? Alright! Here we go:
As usual, the turnout for this event was really, really impressive. Terre Haute really has a pretty sizeable skate scene that really turns out for these sorts of events. Everyone comes, because flaking it is strictly verboten... and in any rate, you'd be the ultimate loser in the whole deal for missing out in the first place.
You probably wouldn't imagine that there would even be this many skaters in a small, out-of-the-way town like Terre Haute. But Jeremy and Liz at TOC always somehow understood that their mission in life was to encourage the next generation(s) of up-and-coming skaters, and keep them engaged and on board at all times. Plus, they definitely knew how to throw a killer contest/jam, complete with bands and BBQ, and a more-than-welcoming vibe for anyone and everyone... which always meant that everyone came, even if it meant driving from hours away [like I did]. And much to my happy surprise, the guys at Transition do at least as good of a job as Jeremy and Liz did. Which is really saying a lot, considering the ridiculously high bar that they set.
I wish I'd gotten this guys' name... but as I get older and older, it gets harder and harder for me to actually remember to do basic reporting sometimes. Five-O grind on the tombstone.
Troyt Sweitzer came into town from Champaign, Illinois on Saturday to see some family, and do a little bit of skating. When he heard there was a contest at the park the next day, he decided to stay in town for the night. Lucky for us! Because, he rips. And as a photographer, this is the kind of guy that I just love to work with. We spent the next twenty minutes or so, having a quiet little photo sesh in the far corner of the park. Kickflip back lip.
As Troyt and I were having our private, out-of-the-way photo sesh, this little guy comes booking along, and does a buttery-smooth boardslide right in front of my camera lens. Thinking that it was still Troyt, I snapped a photo off. It was only when I got home, and uploaded my photos to my laptop, that I realized my mistake. If anybody wants to drop me a line and give me this little ripper's name, then maybe I can give him the caption-credit that he fully deserves.
Troyt and I probably shot about twenty killer photos in less less than 10 minutes. The kid's definitely got some super-consistent skills. Bank to bank kickflip over the handrail.
Good advice right there.
The bowl complex is where most of the heavy stuff happens, so I spent a lot of my day camping out there. Saint Nick, Nick Whitaker... whatever you call him, this ollie out of the bowl to backside fifty on the tombstone is pretty damn burly.
The illustrious (and legendary) Miles Keller, and his brand-new swellbow. Ouch.
Transition Skateshop not only hosted, organized, and funded the event... they were even doling out free lunches to everyone that attended. Did I just say "free lunches"...?! Oh, yes I did! This guy right here was my hero of the day. Hey, for reals: Anybody that gives me free hot dogs and cold Cokes is my hero of the day, every day.
It's good to see that the spirit of inclusion is still alive and well in Terre Haute.
As the skies turned gray, Coby Krieg brightened things up a little bit with a layback rollout on the tombstone. Skaters in Terre Haute don't seem at all afraid to borrow tricks and styles from every era of skateboarding.
Swellbow or not, this guy is going to go skating nevertheless. And he does not screw around. He had a grand 'ol time bossing me around, and setting me up for the next photo for like, thirty photos in a row! I'm not even complaining in the least- because if I can respect anything at all, it's a dude with a whole lotta enthusiasm and initiative. He's exactly half all work, and half all play. Miles Keller, aka Marshall Law, defying pain, sanity, and gravity all at the same time to get the shot he wants. Backside disaster on the tombstone.
This article is dedicated to Jeremy and Liz, who will always be fondly remembered for everything that they've done for skateboarding, and skateboarders, in Terre Haute... and to Michael Ramsey, who seems to be doing a damn fine job of carrying the torch.
It was a great time. I'm glad I went.
