Like a slug on the wet coast, or the stench of cow shit east of the ski slopes, we were kicked to the curbs. Chased by coppers. Threatened by jocks. Rumbled with rockers. And in most cases, Mom and Pops couldn’t understand why you took to this damn “toy”. In the ’70s there were very shallow pockets of skateboarders spread across the vast Great Northwest. You’d be STOKED to find any like-minded brethren within a 60-mile pre-internet radius. And that took fuckin’ WORK! Opportunities were slim. Location and climate (global warming had not yet set in) severely hindered the availability of pools or cement ditches. Skateboarders would search and destroy anything with a transition or a smooth parking block. Build and destroy ramps of “borrowed” wood. Or roll the dice and travel, hoping an ounce of what you remembered in those plastered late night ramblings about that epic spot from some knowing outta-towner was true.

Real stories give to real history. To each his or her own. These interviews tell of struggles and achievements from those who fought hard for it when no one else gave a shit. These personal histories provide tales of true friendships, love, debauchery, blood and guts, addiction, and death. Real Life. So, enjoy all these hard-earned moments that took to build Northwest skateboarding’s under-appreciated, misunderstood, wild and entertaining past… to its colorful present… and powerful future.

… like sand in the cement mixer, THESE are the Days Of Our Grinds

This podcast is dedicated to all the pioneers and unsung patriots of Northwest Skateboarding.

interviews: TIM HAYES, music: TOM SIMPSON