Back in the summer of 1987 I was shipped off to French Polynesia for spontaneous skate demo in Papeete, Tahiti. My clothing sponsor at the time, Billabong wanted to seed the Tahitian surf culture with modern skateboarding and I was put to the task literally.
While some street spots were discovered and skated during my visit, there were no skateparks or suitable skate areas for a demo. As a result, I worked with Tahiti's Ministry of Sport, pulled together a lumber list, drew up some quick plans and got dirty with the local carpenters. In one afternoon we built a narrow half pipe, a manual box/ledge and two jump ramps for the previously announced and arranged skate demo. I mean, it was promoted in the local newspaper and on the local TV stations so the pressure was on.
The photo above depicts this solo skate demonstration in the South Pacific where all eyes were definitely fixed on me. Fun, but not fun.
1 comment:
What an amazing shot. Now THAT's a real demo. Unreal.
And uou can't beat the 'pre-skate shoe' shoe, Air Jordans. Truly the first street skating kicks. I wish I could have convinced my parents to buy me a pair at the time.
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