The first issue of Thrasher I bought was the August 1995 one with Phil Shao doing a standup 5-0 in a pool. About a year later he got the Fort Miley 5-0 cover. I never saw him skate in person, but he had a very strong run. Left his mark with the China Banks footage and backside 180 over the Santa Rosa pyramid. He died and then Tim Brauch passed away about a year later. I remember I was using the internet (this was 1999) during break in Spanish high school class and found out that Brauch had died. I can't remember the website (maybe Thrasher or Transworld had one then?) but I clearly remember it. It was shocking, I remember sitting there processing it, considering Phil had just died and an East Coast guy, Mike Cardona, had passed away around that time as well. I had seen Brauch skate at the 1998 Skate Street Contest in Ventura. I have footage of it that Spanky shot. Brauch was relentless. A ball of energy, killing the 4' foot miniramp.
I don't like music very much anymore, but skateboarding, even with the toll it's taken on my body and having lost my friend Van Wastell, I've got nothing but positive memories. I'm still doing it.
