BY KARL NESS
11/7/01

Red Ted in a 1991 Thrasher. Click Here to read the entire Minneapolis Thrasher coverage from 1991. PHOTO BY DAN CORRIGAN

What I knew of P.I.S.S. before going there myself was that there was a warehouse in Minneapolis that housed a few mini-ramps, a killer vert ramp, and a host of skaters that held sessions that sometimes went all night. I was fortunate enough to know someone who had a "membership" to P.I.S.S. This was my opportunity to go on the inside and experience the legends first hand. I was told by Chris Gaspard (aka "Pardo") that P.I.S.S. was an acronym that stood for Private Indoor Skate Spot. It was run by skaters who had a vested interest in getting better and gave skaters a place where they weren't being hassled by the cops (which was rampant at the time), and was accessible 24/7. Also, having an INDOOR facility was great in Minnesota, because it gave skaters the opportunity to skate year round. The idea was that skaters would pay a monthly "fee" and then would be given a key to the place for easy access 24/7. With as little as 30 skaters paying around $40 a month, the place thrived. It was unique, a place for skaters, supported by skaters.

Out of the legendary 30, came an entire generation of skaters that put Minnesota on the map. Previously, the best skaters could only be found on the west coast. Now, P.I.S.S. became a factory that forged some of the most famous names to date in Minnesota skateboarding history. Eric Frolan (aka "Woody" or "The Flying Squirrel"), Dave LeRoux, Justin Lynch, John Muldoon (aka dooner), Nate Shageby, Adam Efferts (aka "Scissors) and Mike Kovarik (aka Chippie"). This became the place to accelerate your skating to unprecedented levels. You can't imagine how fast you got better when you were involved in a 4-hour non-stop session that had the best skaters in the country snaking you at every turn. As soon as someone left their board, someone else had already dropped in and busted three tricks before you could get your tail over the coping.

P.I.S.S. went through many changes. When I joined, the warehouse had one vert ramp. It was funny because you could only get 7' feet of air, due to the low ceilings. I still have pictures of Woody pasting his wheels on the ceiling with a backside air. There was also an 8' elevator mini ramp. Shortly after I joined, plans were made for a new vert ramp and a killer spine ramp with a shallow end and a wall ride wall. Because of the space, the spine would have to have like 7' transitions, 8' feet of flat and would stand 6'. After we covered it with masonite, it was the fastest ramp I have EVER rode, even today. As for the vert ramp Ð we ran into a few "logistical" problems. We had all the wood we needed Ð but no coping. Having a warehouse near a steel scrap yard became a blessing in disguise. During a late night summer session, Nate, Woody, Gaspard, LeRoux and a few others creeped over to the scrap yard under the darkness and lifted out a piece of steel coping that was close to 2" in diameter and about 40 feet long!! They ran down the block with it and heaved through a huge side door located on the side of the warehouse that opened up directly behind the existing vert ramp. Several days later, we had a new vert ramp as well as a killer spine.

Of course, what a great skate spot be without some of the best skaters coming through to skate? P.I.S.S. saw many sessions with the likes of Gator, Jeff Grosso, Steve Nash, Lance Mountain & various members of the Bones Brigade. Having the opportunity to talk with and skate with these guys was an amazing rush. To see the guys you skate with on a regular basis, ripping during an intense session with established pros like Lance Mountain and Gator was incredible. When you see Dooner just gliding across the ramp to the amazement of the pros Ð then hearing them cheer him on, just put a huge smile on your face.

In its heyday, P.I.S.S. was the place to be and be seen if you were a skater. Everything that came out the place and the people that rode there was positive. It was a community of skaters that wanted to get to the next level TOGETHER. We all pushed each other and in turn, we all got better as a group. If you know anybody that skated there Ð consider it an honor to hear the stories of P.I.S.S. In a time when skating was nothing, this place was a safe harbor for the storied few who made their home for the few years it existed.

The warehouse that housed P.I.S.S. is still there. I currently work downtown and pass by the building every day. I can't help to think about the endless summer nights spent tearing down and re-building ramps, having sessions that ran well into the early morning hours and spending time with my best friends.

So what's the morale of the story? Take these words to heart. In a time when skateboarding was largely underground, a bunch of guys came together to support each other and push the sport to the next level. Without them, who knows where skateboarding would be in Minnesota. My point is to enjoy what you have, and take every opportunity to pick the brains of the guys that came before you. Everyone who skates is part of a very unique community. Be supportive to your fellow skaters and before you start yelling at guys pumping around in the flats, take a minute to remind yourself that everyone had to start somewhere. The next generation of skate hounds is responsible for the proliferation of the next. You will have stories of your own and you will write the next chapter in the book of our history. Let's make the next 10 years the best we've seen yet.