Back in 2007 I wrote a short piece about Simon Woodstock, and it ended up being one of the more heavily trafficked posts on the site. Simon got in touch a couple of years later. Originally he wasn’t too keen on having his skateboarding past brought to the limelight again, but he’s since come to terms with it. I asked if he had anything he wanted to say to our readers and to my surprise he actually did.
[Left: Reprinted from The Skatebook. Right: Recent shot of Simon and his dog Scooter.]
The whole thing started when he asked why people think Rocco made him leave skateboarding. I guess he hadn’t seen The Man Who Souled The World.
While getting sued by Rocco sucked, he and his lawyers were actually pretty cool about the whole thing. Steve was just bummed that we attacked the WI brand and wanted to kind of send a message out to others not to mess with him. Everything ended on a handshake.
Although Rocco offered to let my then business partner, Rich Metiver, off for free if *he* would leave the industry, we wound up settling for a $50,000 payment without clause of either of us having to leave the industry
Rocco’s lawyers would attest to this and if you look at the history you will find that I dissolved my partnership with Metiver shortly after the lawsuit and rejoined with a reconfigured version of Sonic Skateboards under the umbrella of NHS manufacturing and distribution. It was under this Sonic/NHS partnership that I had my last 2 pro models and then that cooperate relationship dissolved and I subsequently retired on my own shortly after. (I don’t think Rocco was lying in his documentary, he probably just remembered things differently due to time lapsing)
I basically quit on my own (in mutual agreement with my remaining sponsors) in 1998 because recurring injuries rendered me incapable of skating at a competitive/demonstration level any longer and I could no longer hold up my end of the contractual agreements that I had left. After a short meeting with Steve Van Doren and two short phone calls with other remaining sponsors, fair exit strategies were agreed upon and my career was basically over at that point.
It’s not like I am really worried about what people think of my exit from skateboarding. I just felt like telling the story tonight so there you have it 🙂
A couple more quick things:
People often say that I quit skating for religious reasons. I didn’t quit skating professionally because I “found God” and then felt I needed to quit. I quit in 1998 and didn’t become a dedicated Christian until early 2000. I believe that people from all faiths can still skate pro and stay true to their beliefs. I quit for the most part due to injuries like I said previously.
Do I still skate? I guess I grab a board and try to every now and then. I played a pretty memorable game of SKATE with one of my friends sons a while back and tried to noseslide a curb after Church the other day. Nothing really serious anymore, though.
What am I doing these days? Other than horsing around on a few social networking sites looking up old friends, I lead a pretty low key life taking care of my Mom full time, doing a graduate degree in Christian Theology via correspondence, and doing as much ministry in the Church as I can.
Some of my old best friends are still in Hollywood doing a show, I think it’s called Donkey Butt or something, and they are rich and famous now. I make 80 dollars a week and watch Seinfeld re-runs on my couch with my dog, Scooter. I often wonder out of the old crew who is the happiest out of us now a days. It’s probably hard to tell when you think about it a little…
34 comments
Dubkid420
Who is happier? Really? I think we all know the answer to that. Holy shit! Jesus can make the coolest most punk-rock shit lame as all hell. Woodstock, you used to stand for something good and creative. Now you are nothing but a lame-ass sheep. Wtf man!?! Religion is a crutch for the weak, plain and simple fact. Truth hurts bud. Have fun with your 80 bux a week and your stank ads old mutt. Kook!
SimonWoodstock
Thanks for your input, Dubkid420. Sorry you feel that way but good on ya. Peace.
Guy Man
well this is what you find when you search “what happened to simon woodstock?”. great to see he is doing well, and the blood between him and rocco wasn’t so harsh after all. simon was a HUGE inspiration to all us skaters in my town. he basically spread the message that it was okay to be a goofball- better yet, it should be encouraged. skating is about having fun, and when that stops, you should stop skating. its funny nowadays, hearing that some skaters didn’t respect him for being himself, like jason jessee was saying in that rocco doc. look back on their former personalities now and tell me who seems less “cool”. there will be another simon woodstock someday, but sadly he will prob have to be told that it was already done before. woodstocks legacy should not be lost as it seems it will be.
SimonWoodstock
Hey Guy Man! I’m skating again and having a blast! I have a short interview in the the Skateboarder Magazine. It’s the new one with a dude doing a sick nose blunt slide on the cover. Should be on the newstands this week. Peace!
mary cushing
Simon, Im glad to hear from you today. After that I went online and read these posts. I’m sure everyone misses your humor and smile from the skating days I’m just glad to know your happy and that’s all that really matters.
You will always be remembered.
Mary
wretchedballstench
Love Simon….Always did. Glad you are a happy man!
SonicSuperstars
Hey Simon ive read all your Big Brother Tour nonsense from the old days and you have nothing to be ashamed off we all drink and party too much sometimes. Your my all time favorite pro I was in touch with Gavin O Brien for a while working on a tribute website. My question is what do you think Rich M did with all the leftover woodstock wheels and decks. Do you think their sitting in a storage garage somewhere in Cali peace and respect
gnobbs
on’ya simon! i was kinda pissed that you didn’t just pop rocco with a left jab or two going by his version of events.. but i’m stoked to hear your side of the story. thank for sharing.
Jaymeer
Simon glad to see u didnt totally dissappear off the face of the earth! S & A is the Shiznit mahn..
I was Allways stoked to see the new crazy skateboard set ups you were riding & solid style!
I remember one time on Mt. Hood at Windells mid 90’s prob 95 you had a board with 2 decks seamed together & trucks in the middle of them.. You were ripping & did the double drop triple level staircase fs 50/50 grind down the ramp.. tight..
I just remembered I was actually in the background of a video frame grab of that in Big Brother or something.. but of course I was totally unregocnizable & really you were also… not that anyone knew who I was anyway.
Pick up a skate & make a new crazy set up.. maby a cross board if thats what your into! 🙂 Ride on Brother..
mike
hey Jaymeer the “did the double drop triple level staircase fs 50/50 grind down the ramp” you are talking about is in 411vm issue 9 during the Sonic Industry section
Michael
Really great to hear that story from Simon
Simon
Just to add a little somehting to my last comment in the blog about who’s happier now, the Jack A** crew or me. I guess no one could actually tell for certain, but I can say this; living a life outside of the limelight and not having everything I do be so public domain has been wonderful. Being free from all of the preasures of pro skating and pop culture noteriaty has actually been a huge blessing. As if life’s regular stresses are not enough :p It’s cool that I’ve been there and done that, but I’ll take the peaceful life over it anyday..
Bevilacqua
Enjoy it fully, then, Simon – As it has been said before, Laughing is certainly not a crime, except among those who are soooo seriouuuuuus … Pros, wankers, posers, ayattollahs, trend setters, money makers – so many people seem to have lost their humour with their hair !
Skating is seriously fun – you proved it. Thank you for this lesson of humility !
TimmyTomato
Growin up in the south bay would not have been the same without Simon. Whenever I see a grown man skateboarding in a bikini it makes me think of him. I often wonder what happened to him. Its great to see that SNA got the scoop. Its good to hear that your happy and doing well Simon.
Tomato
Simon
Right on, Timmy!! Great to see you on here. Those were some good ol days for sure!
its me...god
oh by the way… i alomost orgasmed when you beat the piss out of sticky fingaz from onyx…good work SKATE OR DIE!!!!!
its me...god
simon…pleeze revert back to your old heathen ways. you can still be a good christian while downing a bottle of jack and lighting your genitles on fire…jack ass needs you badly you were the heavy hitter we wanted to see…not that spoiled brat from westchester that sponges off his parents…
PIG CITY
Good to hear Simon’s side of the story rather than the dubious tired old Rocco tales. Good luck with everything in the future. Theres still a place for Woodstock in skating today
john
please start skating again. we need your humor ++
Chad Balcom
anyone remember the last (or close to it) Big Brother where Carnie wrote a piece about how they interviewed all the ‘kooks’ because that’s what skateboarding is about: being individuals, and not bandwagon riders?
It was a good piece, and this dude reminds me of that.
lucianop
nice read, very nice to hear stuff from the other side. you’ve got some fans here in BRASIL simon. Life is simple, peace.
aaron
Thanks Simon! I met you once at the Basic in ’97 and you were easy to talk to and approachable, which can be rare with pros. Glad to here you’re doing well. I still enjoy some good circus tricks…
puke
Simon…Its good to hear you are still doin something positive with your life. you always told told us GoSkate kids to keep a positive State of Mind and not take shit to seriously. Its weird being grown up and trying to pass that on. thanks Simon!
bobcat
short, sweet and to the point. Great read!
Devilman
Journalism is alive at S&A, be still my heart.
Sheabones
Some of my all time favorite memories of growing up skating in the South Bay Area involve Simon and his parents’ old store, Winchester Skate Shop. I still appreciate how he kept skateboarding both fun and funny during a time when dudes were jocking out on it pretty hard.
Simon
Crazy to think that my family started the shop almost 25 years ago! (it closed in 1990) I still have the drill press and ladder from the shop out in the garage with slime balls and Gator stickers on them etc. Definitely a great time in those days with you and everyone else who localized the shop.
Simon
Oh, and thanks for the other nice comments, too, guys! The only skate media that I support now a days is Skate and Annoy!!
Bevilacqua
Here’s to you Simon … you gave the inspiration to make it for my elder son:
http://longskate.typepad.com/paris/2008/01/dedicace-to-sim.html
Simon
No way! I saw this before on the net. Soo cool! Yeah, any kind of oversized skate-a-majiggy is always fun. Peace!
Bevilacqua
You are welcome !
JakeAndAnnoy
Holy crap, Randy-this was a good read and cements your reputation as a “skate-journalist”.
Simon’s candor and gracious interview are appreciated.
Journey well, Simon, thanks for your words and general contributions to this crazy thing that is skateboarding.
SimonWoodstock
I am over here reading this again as I was just discussing some of this with an old friend this week and sent him the link. This was posted about 4 years ago and I was hardly skating at all back then, but have come around to hitting the street and/or parks more regularly these days. Thanks Skate and Annoy for being a part of the process in getting me back on board. And, oh yeah, go punch yourself in the face, too. JK, but really not JK cause this is Skate and Annoy so I must try in some way to an annoyance… nevertheless, I digress..
mezmer
That is rad to hear Simon’s side of the story. I have these odd memories of him skating barefoot on a carpeted deck & some strange stuffed animal pants way before Flea had a pair. I also remember him ripping back in the day! Cool to hear he is doing ok these days.