I can’t find much about Simon Woodstock on the web. There are a couple of reviews of his religious tract disguised as a zine, but other than that, just this video clip, Skim the Fat doesn’t have a single listing of him, even if IMDB lists him as appearing in Boob. STF lists 154 skaters in that video, but no Simon Woodstock. It’s like he’s been blacklisted. Simon was in the limelight at a time when I wasn’t following the industry rags, not that I am now, but through the Interweb™ I sometimes find out about things whether I want to or not. I remember reading about some legendary shenanigans and talented skating in the past tense. What I get from this video is a heavy CKY vibe. Just as some people can’t stand Bam, there are lot of Woodstock bashers out there. You’d have to be blind to say he had no talent. Watch him ride both a skimboard and snowboard set up as skateboards while wearing appropriate attire and shredding as effortlessly as if he was riding a short board. Then there’s the clown suit. Funny stuff, but I can imagine it wears thin after a while. So someone fill in the blanks. Who did he ride for and what video is this from? Watch the vid and more after the jump.
Simon Woodstock video
Here it is. It’s damn funny and the skating is good. The user who is propagating it claims not to know where it is from. (UPDATE: Original video has disappeared, but it appears it was from a 1993 Thrasher title called Need for Speed. Watch this one while you can.)
This clip has the year 1993 attached to it. I don’t know if that’s accurate since IMDB says Simon was in Boob in 1999. No matter, cut to the year 2005. Madrid Skatebaords releases the El Cochino complete deck. The story as I remember it from Concrete Disciples is that Mark “Sumdumsurfer” Kessenich, a Madrid employee at the time, pressed a giant skateboard out of some birch plys that Madrid had stocked for their line of skimboards. This one had a kicktail and upturned nose. He outfitted it with some 13″ wide Gullwing trucks (for mountain boards), and brought it to a local skatepark as a goof. The locals reacted strongly in favor and demanded their own, so Madrid actually put them into a limited production. I don’t know if they had a bulletin board meltdown over at Concrete Disciple or what, because I can’t find the original “El Cochino” thread, but I did find this picture of it in action.
Nowhere Fast
Pretty much the only substantial information on Simon I could find was in this Jason Adams interview in Transworld. It’s like the all too familiar bipolar disorder. People tend to go from one extreme to the other. At some point in time Simon found God, and is now trying to make sure others find him too. He put out a publication called Nowhere Fast that, according to reviews, was not much more than a Chic tract disguised as a zine.
Here’s the January 2003 review of Nowhere Fast in Zine Thing, from Thrasher Magazine.
This is the work of former pro skater Simon Woodstock–you know, the guy who used to ride boogie boards or bowling balls with trucks at contests. Urifortunately, that’s where the good part ends. This is essentially a religious tract, in the same vein as those cheesy “You’re going to hell unless you repent now” comics from Chick Publications. Simon feels that his life was spiralling out of control, and he was “carousing” a bit too much, egged on by peer pressure and bad influences. Now the Lord is his latest in a string of influences, I guess. It’s funny and appropriate that the God squad now has a skateboarding clown on their team. Why can’t people just keep their beliefs to themselves? Remember this Biblical paradox when people try to pawn this stuff off on you. Only sheep need a shephard, and sheep are led to the slaughter. If you’re a glutton fur punishment or want a good chuckle, write the Calvary Chapel of San Jose, 1175 Hillsdale Ave, San Jose, CA 95118, or write to Simon directly: simon@calvarychapel.ch
Here’s another review on the Media Diet site.
This full-color pamphlet was written by Simon Woodstock, a former professional skateboarder who was active for seven years in the ’90s. Now he’s found God and a new calling — evangelizing to the youth set. This eight-page almost-zine, which was largely dismissed by the mainstream skateboarding magazines, outlines Woodstock’s self-realization. For the most part, his religious growth stemmed from falling prey to the party lifestyle he engaged in while a pro skateboarder, which caused him to lose focus with his skating. While the pamphlet is full of photos of Woodstock skating, complete with dyed hair and clown suit, it’s unclear whether he kept up his skating — although it seems he couldn’t regain and maintain focus without giving up his skating career. While I’m glad Woodstock found renewed meaning in his life, I’m not sure his work with the chapel or this skater-oriented pamphlet will have the evangelical effect he’s hoping for. One, very few people in the skateboarding industry will take this seriously. Two, people interested in skateboarding in general will not know who Woodstock is. Now, if Tony Hawk were to come out as a vocal Christian, the church might have something to work with. Regardless, this is an interesting outgrowth of church culture and skateboarding fandom — and an intriguing parallel to Christian punk rock. It’s just a shame that stuff like this always starts with religion and then culture instead of the other way around. Following that path almost always results in watered-down culture. Free from Simon Woodstock, Calvary Chapel, 1175 Hillsdale Ave., San Jose, CA 95118.
Simon Woodstock, TrendPimp
I originally came across this video via a feed from a rediculous web site called TrendPimp. It was titled “The Worlds First Skateboard Skimboarding” which made me think it was recent until I realized who it was. Trend Pimp is so bad, like Details for the mentally impaired. Their tagline is “Defining Style.” Puh-lease. Defining style for retarded robots and adolescent fashion parrots is more like it. The only thing they have going for them is that their video compression is better than YouTube, and they let you vote on whether not the video is good, like that means a damn thing. It just encourages vanity and a false sense of self importance. Much like Skate and Annoy does for it’s contributors, actually, so look for that feature to be added here soon.
(UPDATE: Video and entire web site for TrendPimp.com seems to have disappeared as well.)
If you are going to comment on this post, please refrain from saying something dumb like “Bam Margera has no talent either” because besides being ludicrous, it’s just not interesting enough to read again.
UPDATE: Simon Woodstock on Vans trading card
Thanks to reader Jan who pointed out this Vans trading card from 1997. Check out how they list his ranking from 1996. Click to enlarge.
113 comments
Andre
Who was the guy around 1990-91 that was riding the super skinny board? I think he rode for blockhead but I might be wrong?
Amanda
I still have my Simon Woodstock Devil’s Knockout deck I got from Cali4nia Skatexpress as a high school grad gift in ’97. Prized possession for many years, I really wish I had gotten a photo before I started grinding it. I don’t skate anymore but I like to trip kids out by borrowing with their board and nailing a kick flip.
\m/
Rebax
He also skated for “new school” skateboards if I’m not mistaken, no ones mentioned that. Also I recall a weird letter to the editor about him in “lowlife” zine, which was Powell’s come lately attempt to do a big brother type thing. This was probably 94. Pearce.
Bluefishkiller
He sure did. Jim Duhamel was on the team at that time as well.
http://skately.com/library/ads/new-school-skateboards-simon-woodstock-1993
Sippio
I was 3 years behind Simon. So when I was 16 and at my absolute prime I remember looking up to the World camp before LoveChild. When it 1st started, When it was Jessie Matinez blahblah.
-For the Record- The dude DID rip. This dude was nailing kickflips and tre flips on par with Jason Lee and Kareem.
-WHat happened was being serious was BORING. I saw it in almost every skater back then. And it was th etotal opposite of todays poster boy Dyrdek sellout contest. They are almost too painful to watch. Esp considering that Koston and Chris Cole had sooo much rep in the 90’s.
–Woodstock was easily top 5 with board control. Not Rodney Mullen but nobody is Mullen. But I bet he was on par with Dawan Song before Daewan passed him bye with all the pop shuv-it variations..Tre flips and pressure flips/impossibles were different in 1990 because only the 1% we’re doing them, and then only a few we’re able to do them into other things like tail slides etc.i remember kickflipping to railslide being the coolest move because you had to commit yourselve and would eat it hard.((im talking little 5 step hubba)
–I respect guys who didn’t want to be serious under 25-30 years old.. wtf man the dude was young… we all we’re..
–I think theres a huuuuge underground part of this Rocco story then we’ll never know. There would have been SOOO MANY small companies that would have signed him.. the dude fell off as if there we’re a death threat… sucks because we needed a Rodney Mullen who wasn’t so stiff & corny.
ps: I hated those vans btw. That suicidal dude always got on my nerves. I only skated to punk and still do,,but he seemed to complain a lot. reminds of Stain Aaron Lewis..wheh wheh wheh. someone give the baby a pepsi already 😀
brixton
I agree with Beetlejuice. Simon made skating crazy fun! Back when we were all rocking tiny wheels, big jeans and we were all just a bunch of clowns trying to have fun on our useless wooden toys! 🙂 How freaking cool is it that he actually comes here to answer some of us!? You know, I never understood calling skateboarding a “sport” as it’s more of an art form than a sport. Creativity is everything! Simon was definitely highly creative and it was Simon, Mike V and Lance Mountain that were my three favs of all time. Keep skating and doing your thing man! Happy to hear your still riding.
SimonWoodstock
Thanks mang! Skateing at the Taco Bell parking lot with some crew next week. Roll on!
OhYeah
Random. Don’t know if you’re the real SW, but thanks for this love skate ballad from back when.
https://vimeo.com/178317
Beetlejuice
Hi Simon! You made skating fun and it was always great to see what you were riding next! Wish you the best and keep shredding!
SimonWoodstock
Yeah, always gotta let the good times roll. Shred it up!
deadkidz
Simon do you know who did the artwork on al those sonic decks with the clown and circus im trying to get some prints of those and its been tough hunting.
SimonWoodstock
It was a Kevin Marburg/Mike Prosenko collaboration. I have no idea how to get the orig artwork as most of the stuff is buried in people’s garages and attics with no real desire to dig any of it out yet.
manny
SimOn WooDstOck
RobbJ
Hey Simon. Any chance of re-releasing some Winchester Skateshop T-shirts?
SimonWoodstock
I’ve definitely thought about it but time and money are keeping it from happening. Keep an eye out though as we may have a shop reunion next year in Campbell, CA and might make some shirts.
manny
sounds like a plan again thanks for my inspiration back then and now! peace and one love
manny
first skater i seen getting in to skateboarding was simon woodstock never seen skateboarding before my friends gave me a complete i had idea what to do! i was watch i forgot watch station it was i think it was 1998 and this guy was skating for these kids all rad and gnarly i was like damn thats skateboarding. then he stops gives all the kids stickers and chilled and thats when i knew skateboarding bring everyone together against all odds. i dont skte anymore but im sure if i didnt i would have never got into puck rock witch led to hardcore and metalcore and im sure id be somebody i wouldnt like so hats off to Simon the Gnarly Clown Woodstock
SimonWoodstock
Thanks manny. Dust off that skate and ride again. I have plenty of stickers left!
Jesus' Dear Old Mum
You know Simon it is just not fair. I’m a virgin but you got to have all that sex and you were still saved. God must hate us women.
Jesus' Dear Old Mum
We can skate and then afterwards you can help me get shagged. Been dying for a good screw for quiet some time. My poonanie is a tad itchy.
SimonWoodstock
Hey, I’m not dead or anything. All of you should come to SJ and lets skate.
RobbA
Hey Simon. I have many fun memories of skating out in front of Winchester Skateshop.
SimonWoodstock
Those were fun sessions. The fallen down light post was sick to skate.. good curbs there too.
shamus
Yup, it’s true, Simar (Simon) turned to the religified side of things. We went out with him to one of the first Flogging Molly shows at the Usual. He was wearing the teddy bear suit that night. He disappeared shortly after that. The chick he was roommates with used to work at NC boardshop told us the news of the religion thing. Very strange. He also played in a band called Sketch. He rode for Sonic with Crabtree, the Kid and the Wee-Tang (what up Acuna!!??). He was a sick skater. I rode for Winchester skate shop when he/his parents owned that. His parents ruled!!! Not another skater that will come close to how funny the dude was or how creative he was. Great guy, miss him these days….
NAMELESS
DOES ANYONE HAVE A COPY OF THE ROCCO AD??? never saw it back in the day but knew of the ruckus it caused. sounds worthy of a post for infamy’s sake!
mezmer
For everyone on here that acts like they know every move that Simon has made over the years…he IS skating again. He is a team rider for Assault. http://assaultskates.com/blog/
RH
And the important thing is, God didn’t ask him to bury anyone in a board bag.
mark
Simon ended his career by saying something about steve rocco (world industries) and was banned banned from media …Steve rocco blackmailed him..Any way its good he found God.
We are all going to die any way..How long will you be remembered? Stick you finger in a bucket of water and see how long the impression lasts…Your only hope is to bring some people with you to heaven..
Mary Cushing
I met and worked with Simon back in 96 – 97, when I worked for Van’s shoes. I traveled to Minnesota with him and Tom Boyle and Steve Caballero and we broke into a skate park around 2 in the morning so they could skate. He was doing a signing at the new Van’s store and he wore his “jolly Green Giant” suit. Another night there when we went out he bought a complete “cowboy outfit” to try and “fit in”. He was great. We went clubbing and he never even drank anything but 7up. He was very down to earth and we always had a blast with him wherever we were. The last time I saw him was on the Vans warped tour in Tahoe back in 1998 (or 99) and he was in a band that was playing that day. He was a great skater and a great person.
Tony
I knew him from a few places. Skatechurch, as well as around at local spots. I eventually went to West Valley college and he was there too. I remember that we shared a studio with a band who was friends with him and they put up a Sketch poster in our room. Somebody drew all over the bands faces and they got pissed at us about it.
Simon was always really nice to me, and I know that he is working in the church now and that is his path, and I wish him well in it.
jimmi
Didn’t know who this guy was back in the day, but I used to have a pair of Vans simon woodstock signature shoes. Kinda blue with a white heel, and hologram US flag vans logo on the tounge. must have kept those shoes for years, comfiest pair ever, finally let them go earlier this year after 14 years of service!
SimonWoodstock
I have 2 pairs 🙂
WOEuntoJOO
I got in trouble in elementary school for having a copy of Thrasher with Simon Woodstocks bare pecker in it. Happened to be the first page my teacher opened up to. Thanks to that fag my Thrasher and Samhain tape got confiscated in the same day. It was devastating for a 12 year old.
Ear ache
I remember the battle of the clowns… Simon Woodstock vs. Shawn Palmer it was suppose to be this big deal had ads and stuff then Palmer bailed out and I thought that he fought Mike from Suicidal…
SimonWoodstock
Yeah, that’s exactly what happened. pretty scary for a minute then no prob..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTZ2n5Xa8v8
Cecil Campbell
Don’t quit your (former) day job. Or, join UFC, since you can probably still box better than a lot of THOSE guys… but, that’s not sayin much. Either boxing skill is harder to come by than skating skill, (which it may be, since there are fewer that excell at boxing), or, it just hardly ever gets near the time put into it by candidates as skateboarding does. Who knows, maybe the new vert kids will spearhead a generational desire for something ballsier than Ultimate Groping, though. Cuz look, boxers hardly ever get more Charlie Browned than that old skateboarder Jake Brown did, ma, and Billy’s parents let him skateboard the megaramp… and Jake still does… so please can I get K the F O?
Sk8 D
I skated with Simon Woodstock, Nanda Zipp, and Weeman Jason Acuna back in 1994 at a demo in San Antonio Texas. Im pretty sure Simon was skating a normal board during this demo, and i remember him tail dropping off of a 4′ tall wall over a 4′ wide deck into a really steep 5′ quarter pipe…shit was crazy. We had Lone Stars that night and learned that Wee Man had been kicked out of Austin the night before for getting drunk offensive and naked at a bar somewhere on 6th street….needless to say they were all super nice, down to earth and all talented skaters. I’d say the following year or maybe that year is when the big brother crap took off…..
SimonWoodstock
We were kind of bummed because we looked all over Austin for a mechanical bull and couldn’t find one anywhere. After about 3 hours we realized that it was primarily a college town with now cowboys, at least the region where we were that night.
tweeds
Steve Rocco is a total d-bag. He got his start making fun of the big 3 and then he got a taste of his own medicine. He could dish it out but he couldn’t take. Like when Girl split off from him. Ever since that fate full summer when Carroll and the boys went around the country on Rocco’s dime all the while promoting their new company “GIRL”. And where is world industries now? Kids buy that crap in sporting good stores. They are the now comparable to Nash of Rocco’s era. Rocco became the thing he originally hated.
johnny risko
On the surface it seems like some of your early ads were attack ads. Then recently there was the Woodstock ad that featured a likeness of you, and you went after Simon Woodstock and Rich Metiver for that. Again, on the surface it seems kind of hypocritical, like,
johnnyr risko
I am pretty sure Rocco ran simon out of the skate industry after he put an add in with a clown butt railing rocco. I think they settled out of court but part of the deal was that Simon was never to return to the skate industry
boy
oh, he’s the first under “5 most love-starved skaters”
boy
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0JSE/is_290/ai_n8689737/
scroll down to simon woodstock…..
LP
simon today: Facebook
boy
simon was a total jerk. he was all about attention for himself. there was a huge backlash against him and he became a total joke to almost everyone. thrasher magazine listed him in its top 5 most hated skaters of all time. he crashed hard and became a hardcore christian, a total self-righteous preacher. where else could he go? christians will accept anyone if you lip their lines correctly, which he became very good at, out of necessity, no doubt.
SimonWoodstock
Great post actually. Let free media ride!!
Garrett
You’re problem isn’t with Simon(you’ve got no evidence to show that you even know or knew the guy) or with christians (sheesh those egotistical jerks who accept people and love them) it’s your own conscience you wrestle with. Truth is the only one I think is a jerk after reading your post is YOU!!! Was that the point you were trying to make?
SimonWoodstock
thanks for the support, though, buddy.
a company of wolves
the shoe on shoe off kick flip was kinda a signiture thing of his, as were skating milk crates, having a board flipped by a 3rd party while he was in mid ollie…blah blah blah….he actually had a signiture shoe on vans for a while. i’m sure he thought he was doing skating a huge favour by making it more “accessable”. personally, i just thought he was a bit of a jerk. but then again, i was only just out of Blind oversized peach coloured jeans, so who am i to talk….
Steve
I actually went to Bible College with him. He’s a class act. What’s amazing about him now is that he rarely talks skating. In fact, he’s very reluctant to talk about it at all. I got to know him pretty good and he never brought up the fact that he was once a world class skater. He’s very humble with that part of his life. It was refreshing to see that. He now does missions trips and helps folks out. Real good guy.
SimonWoodstock
Thanks Steve. Lets go skate. Peace!
Theodor
I must say that simon is sort of a role model for me. his style of kateboarding and his creativety is devine!
anyone knows how old he is and stuff like that? someone should make a wikipedia site about him!
SimonWoodstock
Just turned 43. Someone please tell Bryce Kanights!
me
For the record, Steve Rocco was a complete hypocritcal prick for that lawsuit BS- what a total baby.
I just watched the man who souled the world- I remember Rocco from the 80’s.. he was a pudgy 3rd rate freestyler that none of us teens at the time really cared about. Obviously, he’s a huge dick and the lawsuit thing proved it to everyone.
The funny thing is, now when I think about Rocco (and I had practically forgotten about the dude) I just think about what a dick he obviously is- and not his has-been freestyling, and definitely not his “contribution” to skateboarding. If anything, he just ushered in an era of dickiness in skating.
Simon should come back- he sounds alot cooler than Rocco.
Patrick
I remember Simon Woodstock from some gory but funny “hand in the mixer” ad (I forgot from which company) and from the Laban Pheidias’ skateboard /juggling video from 1996. I guess it was called “Caught Clean” where Simon also got a small part.
bill
simon woodstock was one of my favorite skaters he had a company called woodstock skateboards and he also spent time skating for vans and airalk and sonic skateboards and anarchy eyewear
Brad aka handstandman!!
If I remember correctly, they used to have boxing matches at the Vans Warped Tour. Pound for pound no one could touch him.
I think he cleaned the singer from Pennywise’s clock.
The Clown deserves respect.
Kevin
I was a good friend of Simons for quite a long time. After the Winchester days he got a job working at another local Skate Shop called Gremic. Gremic was our local hang out and for a long time we hung out with Simon daily. Actually after he got a DUI, I was his ride everywhere for a while.
Let me tell you all about Simon as a person:
first things first, all he ever did was to love to make people laugh. He was always laughing himself and would constantly play jokes on people. He was a real genuine guy. I remember when he fucked up his knee bad. It took a toll on him but never brought him down.
His whole skating deal was this. He had the best style ever and would pull of anything he tried. It was crazy. But his mark was to be different. So while other people were progressing and pulling new tricks, he’d invent insane shit from old tricks. He loved doing back-side lip- slides and jumping around on the board or pretending to be surfing. He’d always show up to a session with a big smile on his face and would catch the eye of the even most insane skaters.
Simon loved his Iron Maiden, Ozzy, and punk. In my 6 years of skating, he was a genuine guy and I am glad to call him a friend. Last time I saw him was about 10 years ago. I was producing a TV show in SF and saw him at the Bammies. He of course was wearing his Penny suit. We talked a lot about skating and life in general.
Simon Woodstock is an original.
Robert Hunter
Wow, a Simon Woodstock thread. What a trip. I was about 4 years behind Simon, but I totally remember Winchester Skate Shop and all the antics that went down there. His mom was great- just a sweetheart of a lady, who really wanted to hook us neighborhood kids up with the best deal. Simon was kind of a nut. He was always doing some wierd shit in front of the shop. Or coaxing one of the groms to do something stupid for a laugh. One of my sustaining memories of him was him rolling around sportin’ a mohawk and smoking a cigar. But shit, it’s been 20 years or so since then. I think I saw him at the “Skate Church” (as we called it) in ’91 or 2, but that was the last time I think I ever saw him. I guess he’s heavy into preaching now. Shit, I guess one of us was actually paying attention during the mandatory sermons….
Bryan
I ended up here courtesy of the Google looking for any info on Simon. I used to work for a skateboard wheel manufacturer and worked with Simon on his ill fated wheel company which was being bankrolled by Rich Metiver, who used to run Speed Wheels and Slimeballs and made crazy money on that. Metiver dropped out of it for awhile but started up a new company ( I want to say it was called Union but can’t remember for sure ) and they were just getting started with Woodstock Wheel Co. when Simon did the ad about Rocco (mentioned above) and they both got their butts sued, big time. It was Simon’s deal but Metiver was the only one with any money and that’s who ended up paying. I don’t remember the part about Simon having to leave the industry for good, but that would explain his disappearance.
Simon was a really cool guy who didn’t take himself too seriously, but no mistake, the guy could fucking skate. It was a different era, that’s for sure. Today is so image conscious do one thing that is perceived as being kooky and you’re pretty much hosed for life in today’s skate industry, damaged goods.
LP
Jason Biggs, WTF? I didnt know your lame ass skated…you actually got breaks from filming another crappy american pie sequel or ripoff? did you actually fuck shannon elizabeth or did you get fucked by eugene levy?
Skully
Simon and i both grew up skateboarding in San Jose, so i spied him a lot. Hed was cocky and i was withdrawn, so i can’t say i ever said more than the occasional “what’s up”, but dammit was he impressive on the 4 wheeler. One of the special ones, for sure. He had a head start, as his mom owned winchester skate shop and let him run it, basically as a toy. It bellied up by the late 80’s, can’t remember if it was hitched to the old winchester skatepark that caballero honed many of his chops at. But yeah, rich kid in trouble syndrome is a common one and he was a poster child from what i could see. Always liked him for being punk rock in an ever mtv/hip-hop threatened subculture, my subculture. Then he became mtv material & we see how that goes. Saw him once, late 80’s, at a contest in santa cruz with a wicked metal hinged knee brace & cane, hobbling around, and it remains my most vivid mental picture of him. But he went deep into some terrible music territory with a canned mtv fake metal rap band for a spell. Then one day he walked into streetlight records, where i worked, sold all his satanic image bearing music stuff and walked off to what i recall being a seminary, to become a cleryman. He was, after all, part of the north SJ Church-ramp crew, which required skaters to sit patiently thru a sermon before partaking in their awesome wooden structures… pretty tempting at a time when skaters were still criminals, not supermodels, and skateparks were a distant memory. I think Jason Adams, & maybe Salman rode that Church scene for a while too. Smart move. Several of those kooks went on to turn pro and expand their talents in a way some of the rest of us were left to only dream about. I hope you’re happy, Simon… and still rolling around once in awhile. -Jason Biggs
me
I guarantee you will be seeing some stuff of Simon soon enough.
SKATEANDAHOY,MATEY
This baggy purple pants wearing, low flip tricks bouncing off the ground, Fresh jive/ Raw vibes/ SMP/ era in early 90’s did produce alot of sillyness. It was also a really pivitol time in skateboarding. I remember Woodstock(and Wiess,Bill)were both very CKY before there was CKY. Woodstock boxed “Stickyfingaz” (of Onyx fame)on MTV, not so sure about beating up anyone from Suicidal Tendencies. He did ride for Sonic,Vans, Grindking and Blockhead is the only board company I can recall. I wanna say he was at 1 point on a Rocco co….Blind? I dunno but he would pop up frequently in Big Brother which was a Rocco mag in the begining. He did rip tho,the shit he was doing cracked me up but it was creative, and he had skills. Since we are on it, we need a “where are they now” on the following of that era: Wade Speyer, Jonas Wray, Ocean Howell, Lance Conklin and Andy Roy…tho Birdo told me a few months ago Roy just got outta jail so you can probably guess where he’s at now.
woodz
I remember buying a pair of simon woodstock signature vans shoes on a family trip to florida around 97.
I was just getting into skating and bmx at the time and had no idea who he was, the shoes were a little bit like the tnt II vans that are out now but with a less defined stripe on the side, they also featured a stars and stripes hologram on the top of the tongue padding. possibly the best pair of skate shoes i’ve ever had!
SimonWoodstock
I still have a pair that I skate in. The best thing about having a pro shoe is you get to design it exactly how you like it. cheers.
Kilwag
Shawn F tells me there are two guys working on kickflips on surfboards.
SimonWoodstock
A guy named Zoltan from my area did it a while ago. Pretty sick! I goaded Fletcher to do it for years but he always made excuses..
kEITHrOUTON
‘Zoltan’ the artist? LOVE that guys work. DUDE, Simon,, We went to Hazelwood Elementary together until like 5th grade. In fact I stayed the night a couple of times when you lived on the corner of Sunnyoaks by 7-11.. I seem to remember stealing some beers out of a mini-fridge in the garage or a workshop…ring any bells?
kEITHrOUTON
Also sent you a message at D2LREV
Arch Stanton
I remember the 411 tape that Fernando mentioned above. I wanted to put an extra set of trucks on the other side of my board at the time, but it seems like I didn’t have bolts long enough or something…
I think it was him that did a Backflip Kickflip on flat ground. He basically did a normal kickflip, except when he jumped up while his feet were off the board, he did a blackflip in midair and landed it. It was a 8 or 10 photo sequence in Thrasher, I believe, it must have been between 93 and 96, because I got out of skating around 96. I’ve looked everywhere on the net, but I’ve never found anyone else who has done that trick.
SimonWoodstock
As much as I wish I did a trick like that, I actually never did… sounds sick though!
CannibalKyle
I remember an add for GrindKing with Simon,Sad, and Daewon. The first skate mag I ever bought about 15 years ago had a feature interview with him. I was always impressed with his style, riding everything from fishtanks to fender strats, Archery targets to basketball nets. I used to know of a website with a huge photo gallery of him. It’s to bad to find out he’s “in the fold” He was anything but talentless
Kilwag
Lance is still popular in my book, and my book aint the “Good Book.”
deez nizzles
I met the dude in 93′ or so and he was cool as shit, approachable and not ego vibing like most of the pro skaters of the time.
But does anyone even care if he was a nice guy?
Simon Woodstock was an original for sure, but at the same time you could place him somewhere in the pro-skater / clown tradition, a highly rare subspecies that includes lance mountain, harold hunter, mike york and the most recent incarnation, Louie Barletta amongst their own.
Interestingly enough he was a san jose-area skater, at least i think so, just like two other skaters on the short list above.
All pro skaters who turn christian instantly become unpopular, unless they ride for zero. And simon definitely never rode for zero.
SimonWoodstock
I would like to ride for Zero.. can you hook it up??