Steve Alba.

Steve Alba has been a very influential person in my life. I remember seeing him in the magazines & being stoked on him back in the late 70’s. I rode a Salba Kryptonics K-Beam in 79. While at Woodward one hot August day in 93 or 94, I was hanging out with Andy Macdonald, as he was my assistant there. He told me that Rhino, Preston, Bacon , 540 Slide, and himself,  all would drive from San Diego to ride Baldy with Salba. Salba then took the crew to some backyard pools to finish off the day!

I was stoked. I really wanted to go to Baldy & it looked like this was my chance…finally! I had dreams of going to Baldy throughout my youth. So, the next ASR tradeshow in September of that year, I flew out from Woodward. Andy phoned Salba & they took me to Baldy for my first time ever! I had waited nearly 20 years to ride  that thing. There is so much history there. It felt like church or Mecca for me. We rode backyards as well & I still have a photo album of memories from that day.

I am a vert guy & I remember at one pool, I kickturned over the light & ran into the plastic drain cover…breaking it. Muck flew all over me & the pool. Salba bitterly told me to “ clean that shit up, you Pennsylvania pussy.” Chastised thoroughly, I was humbled & recall being absolutely dumbfounded as he pulled  FS  5-0 grinds in the shallow end of this pool we went to.

Amazed! I was truly amazed. He did the box both ways, shallow stairs & pulled rock n rolls & airs. I am forever indebted to him for the inspiration. He makes me want to be a better skateboarder…. Thanks to Jim Goodrich, Brian Walnum & Bryce Kanights for the stellar images. Skate Long/Skate Strong-Ozzie