Saturday, February 29, 2020

kick flip on vert

  the first person i saw ever do a kick flip on a vert ramp was mic-e reyes...... it was about halfway
up the ramp. That was the late 80's maybe almost 90. It was a typical friday night session at the widow maker ramp, one that jake had let a handful of the SF street skaters come for the session. Lot's of amping during those sessions. Mostly grinds, ollie, disasters, some backside airs. I don't think Mic-e rolled into the ramp to get to skate, but from time to time Jake would turn a blind eye.  He hopped one the ramp, did a few turns and then BAM did a quick kickflip halfway up, then took a seat.
  I was really tripping on it, for weeks I thought WHAT IF? you cold do that at the top, or even out.
So i tried it every so often, sometimes it would flip so perfect and be on my feet but I'd kick it away thinking it was too good to be true. Then I had heard rumors of others trying it and i really wanted to stick it. When you haven't seen something done, you put this mystique around it, its less tangible, but seeing mic-e do that one halfway up kinda made more real, that thought lingering in my subconscious.
  I'm not saying I was the first to do it, but one of the early few. I always thought the division between street and very should be more grey. I guess more like they are in modern times.

So here's one years after those ones when i was a little more comfortable with the flip. Over the channel and into the woods. Gabe took the photo and it was still film, Im sure there was a pile
of 400 speed black and white film of bails laying next to his camera bag.




4 comments:

eastbaysubaru said...

Awesome story Max. Hearing Mic-E stories is always a good thing!

The Castle said...

Oh... You'er back.... How utterly delightful .....

max schaaf said...

thanks guys!!

Jeff Thorburn said...

Always dug this sequence. Nice to hear the story. Hope you are well, Max. Sorry to hear about Bud.