"skateboards... I almost made them respectable"- from Joe Jackson I'm the Man
www.youtube.com
www.youtube.com
me... I skated, but not really
I dabbled in the whole skateboard thing
I dabbled in the whole skateboard thing
a little ramp, a little street, a little ditch, but my level of interest\intensity was slight in comparison to my skateboarding peers and others that fell under the moniker of "skater"
in hindsight... I wish I had skated more
so much energy wasted on trying to be conventional
so much time wasted trying to please my dad
skating was counter culter
parents work hard to keep their children main stream
there were those that were immersed in skateboarding
skateboarding was more than a lifestyle
skateboarding was their lives
more than a hobby... more than a sport...
a passion... an obsession
skateboarding was on the fringe of Punk Rock
I was on the fringe of skateboarding and the fringe of punk rock
I hung with the B-Town skaters a bit
my paths in my teen years and beyond would overlap with the local skaters and the skaters from the region
a cluster of skaters a tad older than myself who called themselves "The Toke Team"
The Toke Team? Yes, The Toke Team
the Toke Team always had a mystic about them
their energy was frenetic
they were wild in each and every step they took
as a teen I may have been in a car with Dave Tobin once
he drove that car like he rode his skateboard
SKETCHY
I do not lie... he did some grinds on the curb while driving
Dave Tobin was just one of the many members of a DC area skate team called The Toke Team
DAVE TOBIN RIPPING IT UP!
Dave Tobin whose middle name "sketchy" may well be on his birth certificate
he truly has lived up to that name
both in his skate style and his approach to life
THE TOKE TEAM
a decadent cast of characters that pushed the limits of skateboarding in the DC area
representing the East Coast as a whole
these guys were beyond "rad"
GBJ PhotoWorks has amazing documentation of The Toke Team and East Coast skating as a whole
GBJ Photoworks on FACEBOOK
amazing photos... fantastic documentation of an energy that must be so hard to capture on "film"
Bob Blair and then Dan Heyman
Who was on The Toke Team?
Who is on this list?
What is the team roster?
WHO WAS ON THE TOKE TEAM?
WHO WAS ON THE TOKE TEAM?
anyone... anyone... Bueller? Bueller?
The Toke Team.. REBELS FOR SURE!
sadly living up to the LIVE FAST - DIE YOUNG motto
who has passed too soon?
recently John Aires died... a few years ago Tony "Thaiman" died...
I am not sure of the list... but I dare say that there may have been more
of the remaining "Tokers" a percentage of them are sober
of the remaining "Tokers" a percentage of them are sober
a documentary on Tim "Puker" Whistler
random Bob Blair video
Adrenlin Junky wiht Bob Blair
sick.... totally sick...
these guys were like Olympic gymnasts on skateboards
then they were like Hell's Angels with their ethics and their passion for the party
the Cedar Crest skate jams were LEGENDARY
although I never attended... I have heard the stories
innocence lost
as I got older my intersection with various members of the Toke Team increased
we went to the same parties... the same punk shows
we all chased after the same girls
a number of the Toke Team worked as bicycle messengers
I got to witness their antics first hand
currently there is a documentary film project call BLOOD AND STEEL: Cedar Crest Country Club
but really...
the Toke Team would be a great topic alone
or better yet... a feature film
enough on this... just thought I would share some links and maybe spawn some conversation
enough on this... just thought I would share some links and maybe spawn some conversation
Toke Team
Cedar Crest
Skateboard