Chris Miller - Guest Post

Chris Miller

“This Glen Friedman shot is from the original combi pool at the Pipeline skatepark in 1984. It was most certainly shot during practice for a contest. I know this because Tony Hawk’s Dad, Frank is standing in the background. Frank Hawk organized and ran most of the contests of that era. I was a sophomore in high school and didn’t have a driver’s license yet. I used to keep my stuff at the park in a locker and often would ride my bike to the park after school… I think it was a ten-speed Nishiki.”

“When I think about riding it with my board on the rack, I can imagine the rattling of the board over bumps and how the rack would scratch up my grip tape. I also imagine riding past the rock quarry on Arrow highway, temperatures above 90° and stage 2 smog alerts. Besides that, I imagine Malba playing Asteroids, the smell of pizzas from the snack bar, and Chris Robison complaining about being, or not being, sponsored. I love it all. I am amazed at the strange and wonderful sensory stuff that is stored in the mind and oddly how one recalls the moment when looking at certain photographs. It makes me really appreciate good photography.”

Here are a couple of other observations from this photo:

1-The yellow helmet- first of all, I have to say that I am impressed with my sticker job. Now I know where Zach get’s it from as he is currently obsessed with proper sticker placement. G&S and Thrasher.

2- Long sleeve shirt- I used to always like long sleeves… I think it was for comfort under the pads and a little extra protection. Might have to bring this one back.

3- G&S surf trunks- please note the length and graphics. Pretty funny that I wore these in the combi!

4- White Gullwings- coper in the front and raw in the back. They didn’t even turn, but I rode them because they looked amazing and I was friends with everyone on the team.

“This is one of my favorite shots from that era and I don’t recall it ever being published before. It’s an unusual angle with great shadows. People always talk about how gnarly and vertical the combi was but very few photos really capture that.  I think Glen nailed it here. It’s a great shot of the pool that makes it look like a landscape and conveys how the terrain dictated the skateboarding, not the other way around. Glen gave me a signed and framed print of this. It’s one of my all-time favorite photos and was a really cool surprise gift. Thank you, Glen!” - Chris Miller

Thank you to Glen E. Friedman for the awesome image and thank you to Chris Miller for the memories. Skate- Ozzie

For more on Glen E. Friedman  and his images : Glen E. Friedman/ Burning Flags Press