Ranking out|Vision Psycho Stick

I still remember it vividly, that Mini Vision psycho Stick.

When I started skating I would admire all the kids at The elementary and their skating of the school, I was happy just skating....no tricks needed.

But this was in the 80's were we were transitioning from old style skating to street skating and during this time launch ramps were very popular, everyone was just learning how to ollie.

They were about 2 1/2 feet tall and 4 feet x 8 feet...cause that is the size of a sheet plywood and most of the time these ramps were built with whatever scraps of wood could be found and then everyone would pitch in and buy a sheet of plywood for the top to make a smooth transition.

On this day I took my brand new Vision Psycho stick with awesome neon color cut up grip tape, tracker trucks,sawblade wheels, Rib bone, tail bone , coppers and side rails... that my mom bought for me after I taught myself how to skate (see sk8 label for that story) I rode on up to the school by the kindergarden area that had an incline that they would roll down then launch of the ramp into the grass.

I completely stood out...I did not look like any of the skaters...with my cords and irregular converse....I was also riding a brand new board which meant I was new, while everyone else was riding Powell and G & S skateboards that were well worn from constant use.

Superchicken, (which I have written about before just click on the superchicken tab for those stories) anyways, superchicken and I were not friends yet and he was really good at launching of the launch ramp and so were all his friends(Doing method airs and landing on the grass)...they were all older that me and the younger kids like me were just looking which is still the case when you are around someone that skates better than you.

It was an initiation of sorts...if you skated down the incline you were o.k. cause at the bottom of the incline right before the ramp was a 3 inch seam in the concrete that if you could survive and still keep going on meant you could skate around at least, if you made it past the bump and at least rolled fakie onto the ramp of turned on the middle of top of the ramp then you were really good and if you were really brave and went past the bump onto the ramp and then jumped off the board as you were in the air...then you would be considered part of them....and you could ride with them.

I rolled down the incline and fell , but tried it again and made it and to me that was a great achivement....Supechicken saw that I was scared to do the ramp and in an effort to encourage me to no be afraid made me bet that If I did not try the ramp then I had to give him my new Vision Psycho stick.....

I said I would do it , to be cool and fit in....hoping that I would have the huevos to do it and not lose my board....after trying to get over my fears and rolling down the incline several times and jumping off my board right before the ramp....I finally had to admit to being defeated......I could not give my board up.

I did the most cowardly thing that my 12 year old mind felt was the best way to salvage my reputation as a man of my word and not have to give up skating which was the most important thing in my life (Until I started dating :)

I gave Superchicken my brothers brand new Vision Mini Psycho stick with thunder trucks and powell wheels and cut up neon grip tape, set up was pretty much like mine except for the trucks and wheels...I did !!, I felt bad for what I did to my little brother and have carried that shame with me until recently.

My little brother would always bring it up when he wanted to hurt me and I had recently I started skating again and bought a second board of Ebay for myself....it was an awesome board, great deal on Ebay.

Brand new Steve Caballero Orange Dragon reissue with custom grip tape (Has a 1964 Lincoln cut into the grip tape) that I did because I have a 64 Lincoln, Independent Trucks and sector Nine wheels with Swiss Powell bearings.....and I gave it to him for Christmas...It was the perfect setup and I loved that board. What happened was that one day, when I was skating on it thinking about how awesome my new set up was...it struck me...this board needs to go to my brother....it is what I have to do.

He was very grateful , when I gave it to him....we drove over there to visit ( He lives in San Jose Ca. and I live in Phoenix Arizona)....He instantly got on it and started skating down the street around the block and did not come back until after a while......he still uses it everyday.

It is never to late to mend the wrongs ...sometimes it takes a little bit longer( It took me more that 20 years!!) for some of us to understand the impact that our actions cause..



Evilchavo Out.

(This video below kinda shows what that enviroment was like (FOund it on Youtube, pink border cause neon colors were in! :)