Lately we've been getting a lot of letters from pissed-off soccer moms threatening to run us over with their SUVs. Something about unsportsman-like letter conduct blah blah blah ... blah. So this month we decided to let the readers of TransWorld SKATEboarding pick and answer the letters. A big thanks goes out to Jared, Alex, Iain, and Chris for helping us out (just be sure to look out for those SUVs, fellas). Send stuff to TransWorld SKATEboarding, 353 Airport Road, Oceanside, California 92054. Or just e-mail us at skatemag@twsnet.com.¿Shad
DEAR SEAN SHEFFEY, PLEASE BEAT ME UP I often daydream about how nice it would be to be sponsored. Unfortunately, I possess neither the talent nor the style necessary. My image of a pro is somebody like Jeremy Wray or Ronnie Creager¿bursting with talent and style. But what's up with Sean Sheffey? I watched him skate in the videos Mouse, Virtual Reality, and Genie Of The Lamp and laughed out loud. He is horrible, not even worthy of being in the same videos as Pat Duffy, Rick Howard, and Chad Muska. In Genie Of The Lamp, he approaches a sidewalk going switch. It appears he will do something good, like a switch frontside-flip, but no. Sheffey does a "mind-boggling" switch ollie off the curb. How could he have signature decks with a good company like Girl, and his own shoe (crappy as it is) for DVS? I guess he found his own genie in a lamp and wished for these sponsors, but he forgot to wish for the ability required to be a pro. Anyone who doubts that he is as horrible as I am saying, watch a video with him in it, you will either laugh out loud or be digusted that he is pro and you aren't even an amateur.¿Ben Taylor, Peterborough, Ontario
Ben, you're a jealous little punk. When the Girl tour comes through your town, don't be surprised when your spine is ripped out by the Sheffinator. Being that you started skating yesterday, you have absolutely no clue as to how much of influence Sean has had on skateboarding. Not to mention how most people think his style is one the most original and fun to watch. If you're that obsessed with being sponsored, go buy some Rollerblades¿it takes about two weeks to become a pro fruitbooter.¿Jared Hastings ONE TWO I'm just writing you to let you know that: 1. You should put more Birdhouse ads in the mag because if you rub them against your fingers really fast for about a minute, they'll turn silver.2. You should send me the Anthology video, because while you're having fun with your "silver fingers," I'm going to be doing jack shit.
P.S. After your fingers turn pink again, can you please send me an e-mail asking for my address to send me the video?¿Joe from Canada
1. So?2. Hmmmm? Let me think about that one. Uhhhh, No.¿Jared Hastings
EVERYONE SKATES Tony Hawk Pro Skater has changed skating so much. Kids who used to make fun of me for skating now skate and walk around with their Muska shoes. Everyone in my town skates now because of this game, and they think anyone can land 540 flips and 900s. It's such bullshit. I used to think that it would be better if more people started skating, but now that everyone is actually skating, it sucks.¿SLiMsHAdY701 via e-mail
Hey Slim, you're stupid. If Tony Hawk has changed skating forever, why would it be a downfall? Thanks to him, skaters don't have to work two jobs and can now make a decent living.¿Iain a.k.a. "Pein"
SWITCH NOLLIE I was wondering if there is a such thing as a switch nollie. If so, what is it? And what do you call it when you ride switch but pop off your nose? It would be great if you could help me out with this one.¿Mike via e-mail
Mike, sounds like you've been chillin' with Slimshady up there. There is no such thing as a switch nollie, it's a fakie ollie.¿Pein
PRODI PUNKS I think it's so stupid how kids who see pros skating ask them to give them shit, all because they get it for free. They don't get it free! It's like, you d't see average people going up to other average people and saying, "Hey, give me money." Skaters get paid with decks and clothes, just like average people get paid with money. Skating is their job, and if you're a fireman, or anything else, that's your job. So why the hell should you give your money away?¿Remo, Bayonne, New Jersey
Hell yeah, man, I agree. Pros work hard to get board and shoe deals, so the kids should have to work hard to get their own. Another thing that pisses me off is when a bunch of kids at a demo are yelling at a pro to do a trick that he did in a video part or something. They get all pissed at the pro because he can't land it, but it's some trick that's just hella hard.¿Alex Shook
TOO OLD? I have a quick question. I am 23 and have just started getting into skateboarding. My friends tell me I am too old for this sport, but I disagree. I really want to get good but my balance is terrible, and I don't have much of a chance to practice due to the harsh cold weather coming up because I live in Minnesota. How in the world do skateboarders do it in the towns that they live in where its really cold in the winter.¿Ronald Dixson, Minnesota
I'm getting the impression that you don't really like skateboarding. If you really wanted to get better you would just go and skate. I live in Seattle and the weather is crappy up here, too, but it doesn't stop me. Balance will come to you with practice, and bitching about the weather isn't going to make you better.¿Alex Shook
BUTTWIPE Every month I get the new TransWorld at a local bookstore. I skate down, get my mag, go to work, eat a lot of sandwiches, and go home. Because I eat a lot of sandwiches at work, I always have to crap really bad when I get home. Well, after getting the October issue I ran into a little problem, I reached for some toilet paper and realized that I was all out. I frantically looked for something to wipe my butt, but then ... what do I find? My TWS opened to an X-Games ad, so I gladly ripped it out and wiped away. I continued this trend by wiping with a Quiksilver and a Skateboarding.com ad. So when others complain about these ads, I say thank you, and so does my butt.
Don't forget about those Jolly Rancher ads.¿Chris Anderson
GROWING PAINS I would like to say something to the guy working at the skate shop and complaining about all these "new" skaters. You remind me of these people who always complain about their "favorite" band getting too "popular" and too "famous." Does this make the music sound less good? Is your favorite album of any given group suddenly a piece of crap simply because your fourteen-year-old neighbor enjoys it? Personally, I don't think so, and I would be happy for the group to make some extra bucks. Do you enjoy skateboarding less because your shop is selling so many of Hawk's boards? No. Does it allow you to make some money at your job and live your life? Yes. To stop skateboarding from growing is like refusing to make new friends, simply because you are happy with your old ones. Of course you meet some false ones who think their shiny new deck impresses the girls, but you're likely to miss dozens of people who might inspire you to reach out for new things you thought were impossible.¿Patrick Banken, Cologne, Germany
Dude, your letter was really boring.¿Chris Anderson
EVERYONE IS BETTER THAN ME I was wondering if you know that Jamie Thomas kicks ass. What about all those little kids who skate like pros and better? I suck pretty bad at skateboarding, and I see these little kids bust out tricks that shouldn't be possible. That's not right. I am waiting for a skateboarding apocalypse to wipe all the good people out so it can go back to old-school complies and when ollies meant something. I can ollie good (I think), but people switch flip stuff I couldn't even ollie. Is it supposed to be that way?¿Sean "Buddy" Smith
Yes, it is supposed to be that way. The truth is that as long as Arto Saari is still alive, there will always be somebody better than you, me, and your bucktooth grandma.¿Chris Anderson
that as long as Arto Saari is still alive, there will always be somebody better than you, me, and your bucktooth grandma.¿Chris Anderson
