a frozen season

Pennsylvania. January 1978. The furnace kicked over. It murmured away in a dark corner of the basement. I could see it there in my mind’s eye as it struggled through the long, bleak winter, trying to keep heat in the drafty old farmhouse. I tossed under the covers and listened as a snow plow slowly clanked its way up the country road by our house. The yellow revolving light on top sent cautionary light fingers through my curtains. It was cold. I felt like I was on Mars and also felt about as far removed from humanity as I had ever been. In a world full of people, I was a black hole. A cipher. Nothing. I reached over and quietly read the numbers on the alarm clock. 3:07 am. I felt for the small bedside lamp and turned it on. Reaching down, I picked up a copy of Skateboard World Magazine. I sat back and opened the cover. There was an article on the Oxnard Skate Park. Jerry Valdez was ripping tail taps and basically destroying the thing.

Sometimes, I rode my rickety plywood halfpipe and would imagine that I was standing beside Jerry in some awesome backyard pool in the San Fernando Valley having a session… I turned the page and saw Kent Senatore and Dave Ferry. Kent was laying down some serious edgers in the Corral pool. In one photograph, he was hanging a micro edger over the loveseat…

I couldn’t believe it.  I told myself that the next day, I would bundle up and go clean off my splintered wooden ramp and try micro edgers. After a time, I began to feel sleepy again. I had read through the magazine cover-to-cover while the icy world turned and slept. The cold stars glimmered away. Uncaring. Distant. They reminded me of most people. I put the magazine back onto the floor and pulled the covers up over me. I had felt isolated  in my world… yet after seeing the photographs of Jerry, Dave, Kent, Marc Smith, TA and others, I no longer felt so alone. I was one with them. Sleep soon took me and  my dreams were of  sunny California, pools, palm trees and happiness. Thanks to Jerry Valdez, Kent Senatore, Tony Alva, Dave Ferry, Marc Smith, Steve Alba and all the others for getting me to where I am today. Thanks to William Sharp for the images. Skate- Ozzie