Pete Thompson Ten Years Captions
Pat Duffy • 2002
There'll never be another Pat Duffy and here's why. In the beginning of the 90s, a video called Questionable was released. It opened with an amateur nobody had seen or heard of who ended up redefining the way people looked at street skating—as an amateur. Not only was he virtually unknown, most people had no idea how to follow the new path he was carving out. As a result, it took years, and perhaps even two more video parts to get people to comprehend what he was all about. Today, you can't look at a magazine and not see a new face jumping down the coolest gap. But Pat literally came out of nowhere just like the video says, "Pat's an alien from another planet." Few people have impacted skateboarding as you know it like Pat Duffy. You could argue that there'll never be another Questionable, and here's why—Pat Duffy.
Group Photo • Third And Army • 2000
Beautiful days in SF are few and far between. On this particular day, a good chunk of the SF skate scene, accompanied by a healthy share of out-of towners, came out to enjoy a warm, windless day.
Jamie Thomas • Nosegrind • Atlanta, Georgia • 1994
Many people don't know that J.T.'s from the Dirty South. And there're some who probably don't know he ever rode for Etnies or Toy Machine. Nevertheless, rails are the thing that people most associate with Jamie. The Southern Bell building in Atlanta was merely a statistic in what was to come in the years ahead.
Cairo Foster • Frontside Noseslide • San Francisco, California • 1999
There're four or five things I've seen Cairo do that to this day, I still can't believe he did. The switch frontside flip at the pier gap (ollieing up switch at full speed), the backside tail just a little ways down at Pier 17 (on top of the block), and this frontside noseslide at the Presidio (now defunct) just to name a few. When we went there, he said he wanted to do it, but I thought to myself, "He must be kidding." It was about six-inches taller than a board standing on end to get on—and over a rail—and about eight inches wide on top. Where you come off was over head-high. It had never been skated before, so I had to take a brick and grind down the ridges on the face of it where your wheels slide, and nobody was filming. A month or so later, he frontside boardslid it to fakie, which is probably even gnarlier. No one else skated it before it was demolished.
Phil Shao • Backside Disaster • Jim's Ramp, Oakland, California • 1997
One of the greatest things Phil ever did was make anyone who saw him skate witness the essence of talent in its rawest
form. He was the perfect combination of power and finesse, a cross
between Penny and Holmes, and a sorely missed key
member of the NorCal skate scene.
Lance Mountain • Rail Hop • Los Angeles, California • 2001
How can you not love Lance Mountain? Arguably the first skater to be able to skate street and vat on equal levels, he's kept his ideas real and built The Firm into what it is today the old-fashioned way. Bottom line—he loves skateboarding more than we may ever know.
Bob Reynolds • Backside Disaster • FDR • 1998
Notorious B.O.B is a homey from way back. Me, Bob, Chet Childress, Kenny Hughes, Will Harmon, and Scott Bourne, along with a few others, held down the North Carolina skate scene back in the early 90s. Bob still lives in Kakka and manages Endless Grind Skate Shop. On a trip to Philly, I got this shot with the sun and a silhouette. Tranny skills were the standard for anyone from Kakka.
Stefan Janoski • Switch Crooks • Yokohama, Japan • 2001
Whenever Stefan and I hook up, we always have a good laugh. The crazy thing is he progresses so quickly it's visually noticeable.
Andrew Reynolds • Frontside Grab • Copenhagen, Denmark • 1995
Justin Strubing Shifty • Barcelona • 2001
Sometimes the photos you see in the mag have second angles that allow you to see more of what's going on. This photo that appeared on the cover of August 2002 was of a shifty transfer over a steep hip that most people can't even ollie off.
Tom Penny • Nollie 360 • Santa Rosa Skatepark • 1995
This sequence of Penny was one of those times when you shoot something, and although its sick, you don't realize how good it is until years later. Just go to the Santa Rosa park someday, maybe then you'll understand.
Tom Penny/Andrew Reynolds • Copenhagen, Denmark • 1995
I'd have to say Tom had a big influence on Andrew as far back as '95. Although Tom proved his seniority in this doubles photo, in the coming years Andrew went on to do things I never could have
imagined.
Rob Gonzalez • 2000
Panama Dan • 1996Arto Saari/Fred Mortagne • Rotterdam, Netherlands • 1999
Filming for Menikmati.
Tom Boyle • 1994
Tom was such a good guy. He was probably one of the nicest dudes I've ever met. At times he was completely bonkers, but that's what made him a great person to hang out with.
Danny Gonzales/Ty Evans • 1999Mikey Taylor • 2002Jim Greco • Frontside Blunt • New Haven Connecticut • 1997
All I remember about this photo of Grecs is that after it was shot, we hung out with a couple of Grecs' hometown friends. I don't think Reynolds and I ever laughed harder. Shouts out to Abraham Bathgate.
Paul Zitzer • Sugarcane • Woodward • 1998
I've never heard Paul swear. The combination of Paul and Mike Sinclair's comedy is potent enough to make Woodward a fun place to be. And he's the only person to personally refer to Tony
Hawk as "The Birdman." He's killed himself shooting photos with me, and on top of all that, trusted me to shoot his wedding. Paul's also a good writer and a good friend.
Rob Welsh • San Francisco • 2003Rene Mattheyson/Stevie Williams • Raleigh, North Carolina • 1994
Back when Stevie was just getting started, people called him Lil' Stevie. He rode for Element—back then known as Underworld Element—and he got picked on 'cause he was small and was always causing hijinks. If retired New Deal pro Rene Mattheyson tried this little stunt today, my guess is he probably would've caught a fierce beat down.
Dennis Miller And Kids • X-Games • 2000Palo Alto Skatepark • 1996Charlie Wilkins • Kickflip Indy Fakie • San Jose • 1997Colt Cannon • Silhouette • 2002Danny Gonzales/Greg Hunt/Cairo Foster/Tony Miorana • 1998Cairo Foster/Brian Childers/Dave Rosenberg • 1998Colt Cannon • Kickflip Over Rail • San Francisco •2000Brandon Biebel • Nollie Heelflip • Sacramento • 2000Joey Bast • Backside Nollie Switch Frontside Crooks • Bay Blocks, San Francisco • 1996
Joey Bast isn't a name too many people can recall, but back in the 90s he was a major component of the Real team. I don't think he ever went pro, but he was definitely one of the top ams at the time. He had a wide range of skills and great style, but I don't think he had the stomach for the side effects of being pro.
Sergie Ventura • Method • Newport Beach • 1995
Sergie Ventura was this little dude with helium in his veins. Hosoi was the father of the big air, which makes this photo cool because he's in the background with the black helmet.
Kenny Reed • Barcelona • 2000Kenny Reed • Boardslide Fakie • San Francisco • 1998Justin Strubing/Jaya Bonderov • Santa Cruz • 1998
Doubles photos were big back in the late 80s. I remember a photo way back of Gonz doing a stalefish over Lance Mountain, I think, and it was one of the sickest photos ever shot. Getting nostalgic at Justin and Jaya's old stomping ground at Derby skatepark in Santa Cruz.
Neal Hendrix • Woodward • 1999Felix Arguelles/Eric Koston • Venice Beach • 1993Cairo Foster • Wallenberg Four • Kickflip Attempt
Cairo and I went to Wallenberg three times to try to shoot the coveted kickflip down the four. He probably landed on five or six of 'em, and broke three or four boards over the course of those three visits. Bruised heels got the best of him the first time, the second time he slammed super hard, and the third time he probably would've rolled away if it wasn't for a broken kingpin. I think Cairo has taken more abuse with me behind the lens than anyone else I've shot with.
Swing • Barcelona • 2003Little Girl • Barcelona • 2003Arto Saari • 2000Group Shot • Venice Beach • 1993Kenny Hughes • 1994Pepe Martinez • Heelflip Backside Tail • Pulaski Park, D.C.
