I was reading an article in the Lower Hudson Online about Pioneering Rockland skateboarders still at it in their 40s and I had to chuckle when they got to the part explaining the team’s name.
The Wizards came up with their team’s name to reflect the creative inspiration that came with each move, said Jamaal Bey, the team’s leader. The skateboard was the magic wand, and the skateboarder was the wizard who would perform each new trick.
Now the 70’s sure were a groovy time. Wizards, dragons and unicorns were all very heavy and hip back then. Nowadays the idea of a private skateboard team with a ridiculous name seems laughable, except for the err, uh, Scrotes. I had to laugh again when the article mentioned the team would sneak into empty pools to practice. Practice what? Sneaking into pools? The act of skating the pool is the end reward, not something you practice in anticipation of something else. One of the Wizards has a truly wacky but passionate side business called Bey Boards that err, focuses on things like skate brakes, weird downhill bikes (that I swear I’ve seen before) Nascar-themed downhill boards, lace savers (that take a truly unique approach) and other skateboard related paraphernalia, most of which falls under the conflicting name of Black Sheep Golden Child. Which brings to mind one of my favorite scenes in Repo Man – Did you do a lot of acid back in the 60’s Miller? Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone.
Update: The owner of the copyright on the pictures above wanted to get paid, or couldn’t have a chuckle at himself. He wants to bill us for unauthorized use of his photos, even though we were using them to promote the article about him and his friend’s company. So now it’s gone. This marks the second recent occasion where someone has gone out of their way to take themselves too seriously. Sad thing is, this guy actually skates, or used to at least. Must be kind of hard to skate with that pole lodged up his backside.
15 comments
houseofneil
what’s a webeite?????
bob
this webeite is so tight!!!!! hopefully i can meet so hot babes to have fun with on this thing
KARISSA
I LUV UNICORNS!!!! I WaNT TO PARTY LIKE IT IS HOT WITH UNICORNS AND ONE LEGGED MIGITS!!!
KARISSA
I LOVE WIZARDS AND UNICORNS!!!!! THEY ROCK!! I DREA ONE DAY ABOUT BEING A WIZARD ONE DAY AND MAKING MAGICAl POTIONS
marek
hey, i know for sure that kilwag loves the idea of team. i am being kicked off and getting back on his team all the time.
also i feel that i should elaborate idea of legendary skate team wizards mentioned in that suicidal tendencies song “… and he rips,he skates,he never hesitates,he’s a WIZARD on wheels….”
Kilwag
Kimmble, Norman, I think things are getting off track. The point of this post was to link people the article and take a look at the old pictures and wacky skateboard stuff, and have a good natured chuckle about some of the goofiness, past and present. The tip off should have been when I linked to an article where I kind of make fun of myself. I appreciate skateboarding past and present, cool, and uncool, weird and straight ahead too. The overt negativity is directed towards the fact that one of the Wizards wanted to charge for use of the images that are linked to the two the related sites.
The Scrotes comment was directed at a group of highly talented Oregon skaters, most of whom I know or are at lest acquainted with. I was basically saying that a name like the Wizards probably seemed really cool in the 70’s, but laughable today. I was drawing a parallels to present day kids with a “team” name. Norman asked where was I when the Wizards were doing their thing? About 5-7 years behind them in a them tiny town in Michigan, learning to skateboard on a plastic banana board. My hat’s off to these guys too.
From now on, all posts about everything shall have the tone and reverence of Dogtown and the Z-Boys. I am hiring Sean Penn to narrate every post.
Josh Kimmble
I agree w/ Pete Norman dude and the other guys. Sorry, not clueless ass…………Kilwag. Though Pete comes off as a bit confusing, I think I get him. Regardless, some dudes should remember they are skating on the black top many worked hard to lay down…………………
Pete Norman
The Wizards?? That’s sooooo stupid!! What a dumn fucking name?????!! When I was around 12 years old, My buddies and I too, came up with self proclaimed team names like “The Rockets” team, “The Burning wheeelz” team, “The Z Boys” team (though taken…duuuh), “The Boyz Made Of ZZZZZZ’s” team (not taken) “The Put Me To ZZZZZZ’s” team (also not taken) and a favorite here is, “The We Live On The East Coast And Eat My fucking Ass” team ……..
Oh yeah,,,,”The Team” team…….
Why anyone would trip on shit like this is fucking retarded!
Why give a crap about some kids in the 70’s finding eachother and starting their own skate team? They had no sponsors and said we are “This”…. “This Is Our Name”…….
Where were you when this was happening !!??
These dudes where rich, poor, black, white, hispanic, talented and sick,,,,, ……….
Truth is, they did it for fun. I know…… I was there.
When no one gave a fuck about skateboarding in the “Hudson Valley” (Nyack and all the other shit-hole towns),
These dudes, with no local municipal support and running the risk of a bitch slap by the local jock, where rolling around and doing the same shit we take for granted daily.
Tweaked and different….as it should be…………
My hats off to those dudes….. Find a real bitch to bitch about…….
ssk
“For Free Dragon Scales. Send $5.00 or pay for it with PayPal.
DragonStyle is in. So when you skate good, you’ll skate Great. What’s your Style?. Be The Dragon.”
Hell yes. WTF?
Kilwag
Yeah! What Mike said.
Team photo on left – link
Top right skate brake trucks – link (scroll down)
Middle right Nascar electric skateboard- link (same page, past the brake pics )
Bottom right lace savers and plates for board strength – link
Mike Timble
Randy: What’s up with your website? It seems to be attracting a whole lot of people who are humor disabled or at the very least super-sensitive to even the faintest whiff of critique. I guess that’s why it’s called Skate and ANNOY. C’mon everyone lighten up! America is at war, Islamo-facist extremists are trying convert the rest of the world via terrorism, babies and children are dying in Somalia, the Sudan, Zimbabwe, North Korea and other places. I don’t think everyone should get bent out of shape for a misunderstood comment or even someone’s opinion. Laugh it off, move on and utilize your energy to getting pissed about more important things.
ssk
…follow through in actually making all that weird stuff.
ssk
Black Sheep Golden Child. Sounds like a kung foo movie.
Its so bad its almost good. Still, you definitely have to give the guy an “A” for follow through.
These must be the photos http://beyboards.com/aboutus.html
Cancer Chris
Sure, everyone’s got a right to act like an uptight wad, but why exercise it? Way to reinforce the sterotype of grumpy old man and kill any positive buzz the links might have generated.
Conahan
Well, I suppose people have a right to control their work no matter how ridiculous. That’s the guy