Sean West R.I.P.
Sean West passed away and is being laid to rest on Tuesday. Bob Pribble sent in this old shot of Sean on the cover of his “Very Sketchy” zine. People are leaving comments about Sean here, and here. There’s another site called Musical Family Tree that has discussion here and photos here. Rich over at EPM said if you look at Kendall’s first deck you’ll see “SWEST” amongst the graffiti.
SWEST is on the Graffiti deck along with many of Jeff’s friends from back-in-the-day. Sorry to hear about Sean’s passing. Now go try a frontside layback on a curb in memory of SWEST. R.I.P.
Swest was the epitomy of a skatepunk…he walked the walk and talked the talk that other people copied…he was the anti-poser…there was more skateboarder in his big toe that I’ll ever have in my whole body if I’m still getting grinds in my eighties…Swest was also a good artist and he inked the masthead of my Very Sketchy skatezine that is featured above…although Swest was a hellraiser extraordinaire, the dude wasn’t a fighter or a mean person at all…he just raged and wanted to have a good time skating and partying…my bottom line about Swest is that he was fun to be around and brought people together, something he continues to do to this day…RIP my friend
I have been so sad I can hardly focus my thoughts. I loved Sean and looked up to him as the big brother I never had, and the hero I wished I could be. Sean answered to no one! He personified punk rock skateboarder, and after I met him that is the only thing I wanted to be. Sean helped me to become the person I am now. I thought of him when I was standing on the podium receiving my X-Games medal 10 years ago. I was lucky enough to tell him in person, ironically enough on 62nd st right in front of Cafe Espresso 3 years ago at the Zero Boys show at the Vogue. I wish I could be there at the funeral on Illinois St Tuesday morning with every one else who loved Sean. The completely different spectrum of people that magnetized to Sean shared only one thing in common, awe of Sean’s ability to care nothing about what other people thought. He was a true visionary, individual, with a since of style that permeated from his dress, and transcended through his skateboarding. I know in the end some felt sorry for Sean for never living a normal life, but I remained just as envious of him as the day I met him. I wish I had the courage to be as punk Swest. I wish I had the ability to be as kind as Swest. I wish as many people cared about me, as cared about Swest, and I wish I was loved as much as everyone loved Sean West. Sean will always be my hero, and is a Legend. I hope he has finally found what he so desperately sought. I will miss him.
Eric Lee
PRBL and Eric pretty much covered it, but Sean was one of kind…He demanded to live life to its fullest and wouldn’t accept anything less. He touched and changed a lot of lives, leaving a legacy that will live on for a long, long time.
Swest was a total Skate Punk. He will be missed and never forgotten. A quick funny story about Swest , After a contest in Dayton Ohio I gave him a ride to I-75 And I-70 so he could hitch a ride home. When I dropped him off he asked me for $5.00 so I gave it to him, he said I will get it back to you some time. Years later I ran into him at Del Mar and the 1st thing he did was give me $6.00. He called it interest. I will miss you friend.
bill danforth? if it realy is you, just wanted to say what an icon you were to us in california. alva team ripped and you were among the tops. had your skull model and loved it.
Last time I saw Sean was at a M.E.S.S. contest at Brett Martin’s ramp.A guy you couldn’t forget.It was good to have skated with you. god speed to your soul brother.
I will never forget swest! The man stayed true to what he believed in. He will be badly missed. R.I.P. sean. A friend forever, joe voigt
hey eric lee! how are you doing? If you see this e-mail me at partyvoigts@aol.com. i,d like to hear how you have been. joe
Just heard this sad news. I had the pleasure of being homeless with Swest in 85, we would skate all day and then at night try to find cover. remember one night we were sleeping in Solana Beach on some guys front yard and around 3 a.m. the sprinklers kicked on. The there was the time we broke into a jockey’s room at the delmar fairgrounds and set up camp for a month or so. Then there was the time his girl came out to visit from Indy, and he didn’t mention he was homeless. So many stories. RIP Sean
Just heard the news today. WOW!!! life is short. Leone Dr. R.I.P. when I was a kid interested in sk8ing he let me hang with him, Jeff, and Corn. Not just the skating. Dude could ride a wheelie the entire block on his green California bike. Tossing the Frisbee in front of the West
I remember Sean showing up at my house as a kid when we had a quarter pipe out front. I was maybe 13. He was a grown man all leather-jacketed, with spiked hair and my neighbor’s mom ran him off saying she didn’t want anyone skating and getting hurt so she would be sued. I knew him for the rest of his life in and throughout Broad Ripple. Nose wheelies a mile long. All style. A lot of people don’t know but he was a gym rat. He worked out a lot and was in fact pretty ripped I recall when I used to work out a lot as well when I was younger. Super Humble and super kind.