eighties, ramps, and flatland

My years in Falls Church as a freestyler and bmx guy were fun. Aside from a broken arm from going over the backside of an eight ft. quarter pipe at Randy fugates ( the ramp was painted in the black and white checkered pattern of original vans)no not vans as in a vehicle: shoes. My first quality bmx bike was a Skyway (chrome) with acs graphite hoops (red) with GT hubs. Could not afford three piece profile cranks but something decent is on it. The trick with me in the blue jacket is not that special. I got better though and sorta gained skill. The halfpipe was more intense so that was the direction I moved towards and away from the trails and jumps. More sustained hang time on the pipe. Int the picture where I was catching air I was wearing my favorite shorts: Birdwells. ( cool nylon Swim trunks at the time ) Note confidence as far as no top where some might have been decked out in armpads and full sleeve. Lame..the sign on the top reads troopers beware.. Rusty on the lookout. ( a harmless dog that was owned by the ramp owner my good friend Rob H.; ( wanna say Hartford ) I cant remember his last name now ...it will appear as the cloud drifts away ) The one that prohibits my historic recall. ( troopers was an insult to guys that sucked on the ramp and occupied too much of our privacy and ramp time )
Anyway ,..we had a trick team that would perform shows at various events like fairs, parades, and any event they would allow us to set up up the mobile quarter pipe ( towed on rear of station wagon ) as well as the trick ramp which is not curved just a 35 degree short ramp ..we would perform not for money but to meet the ladies. Fame also.
The freestyle bike I moved to beyond the Skyway was a Hutch Trick Star which was a lavender frame ( cool then I swear: eighties color ) red skyway 2 mags and white GT trick bars. Yes the cables had the potts modification so bars could rotate multiple times without winding around headtube. I met Mr. Hutch at a trick show sponsored by Rockville Bmx...the big shop everyone in the know went to. Those guys were paid and they rocked.
High school daze and the bike gathered dust eventually. Eventually took too much space in closet and lost to history. A shame they are pretty prized these days.
The first year at FCHS was not stellar. I passed one class barely with a D and that was Home Economics ( again Chics and possible snacks ) Shop did not appeal to me...call me a fag..I will live. Soo yeah one D and five fantastic F s. Nice. Off to summer school. Fuck that sucked. Oakton was to be my summer school for four more glamorous years. Price of hangin out. Serious dazed and confused or just absent.
I showed up around third period, the day of photos for the year book, and went to the auditorium to get it over with. The scene for yearbook photos in the auditorium is funny. Everyone is all dressed up like they are going to court; and I am totally clueless in raggedy clothes. The photographer could not let me be shot like I was. They had a cardboard sorta facade which looks like a tie and white shirt and they lent me a black coat. That is why I was smiling so authentically because I was probably baked and just laughing.
I could not believe I was voted best hair. I think no guys are seriously gonna ponder who they think should get voted best hair so they just put down what makes them laugh or nothing at all and maybe the ladies loved my curly locks. Ozzy, Metallica, Panterra, Dio, ...you get the idea. I liked it loud. Broader interests now. Moving forward in time.
The photo of the Burritto bunch is shot outside Jays Jersey house where across the street there was a golf course. Jay was a young up and coming golf pro in high school who lost interest thank god. We were there for a race in Point Pleasant, NJ and it was a fast pro race. That town is very nice with a decent shore and huge victorians. Jersey nightlife is soo different then here with the Italians sporting the big gold necklaces and open hairy chest (on the gents mostly) ...and the big hair of the women and glossy lipstick bright red. This was not the eighties but the nineties. Anyway...Jason Stevenson is the tall guy who was recently injured in a bike/car interface in the district so I thought I would dig up a shot with him in it.
Also Shane Greg and Sandra and another photo of Zache "DOO DOO" Browne and Sandras jeep. ( Sandra and I were married for eight months thankfully it was not death do us part )