Photographers don't usually get in front of the camera, and skate photogs rarely get photos of themselves skating. Here's me at an Intensity demo, Beltsville, MD., 1995. I think it was on a Mad Circle/Element tour. And check the socks. Wu-Tang. We had just come from NY, had a demo in Staten Island, and heard that the Wu store was opening that day. Mic-e Reyes and the Real team were with us, and we were the first ones in the store when they opened. I bought socks.

Choppy Omega singing with Tim Payne's brothers band, Intoxicated, at a hotel bar in Lake Havasu. This was during one of, if not THE first Mega Jump contests. Danny Way took it. '99?

'96 was a time in skating when everyone was real snotty about how someone else skated. If you weren't doing the coolest, most up-to-date tricks, people dis'ed you. I wrote an Intro in Slap about Tim Brauch and how he did blunts and every variation and it was cool how he stuck to his guns and didn't give a shit what people thought. Nice run on sentence, huh? I didn't know Tim all that well but he always came off as a genuinely nice guy. He wrote me this post card from Hawaii after the mag was printed.

Mike Kepper. 1988? This mini ramp was in Brian Connelly's back yard in Virginia. These were prime Shut days. There was an unofficial ollie grab battle on the East Coast between Kepper and Mike V. Though they were friends, they were the East Coasts best skaters, along with the rest of the Shut team. I always thought Kepper had him beat, but Mike V. was too gnarly all around. Brian Connelly went on to be a production assistant for Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit editions.

Melton Skatepark. '70's? New Zealand? If anyone out there knows, let me know.

Jesse Neuhaus. 2000?

Mom and Dad at prom. 1969. I could only dream of being this cool.