Renaissance & Rebellion - Flipbook - Page 13
– DAVE TOURJÉ, FOUNDER
CALIFORNIA LOCOS
y skateboarding “career” ended just before
graduating high school in 1978 and at
the same time and place my art “career”
began—in the bottom of an empty
swimming pool, smashed up and halfconscious after a 15’ slam directly onto
my left side and head.
We had extended a very deep bowl using a sheet of plywood after chipping
the coping back in an abandoned pool we found in Northeast L.A. The idea
was to do a kick turn with three wheels out, but I couldn't reach the top of the
plywood without an extra push—risky due to center of gravity issues after a last
push deep in the bowl.
The last thing I remembered about the ride was being off center, launching up
the vertical bowl, unable to regain control and blasting off the top of the plywood.
Then it went to slow motion and I saw everything: The board spinning off into
space. My legs and feet rising against the late afternoon sky. My friends standing
around the pool looking at me, unable to help and with body language that
signaled bad things were about to happen. Then a slow turn and a stop mid-air,
with that split second before the bottom of the pool rushes at you at 100 miles per
hour. Thoughts flashed through my mind in that slowed moment—“Why do I do
this?”...“Where am I going with my life?”… Then...BLAMMM!!
I’m going to art school!!
What do you do with the focus, energy and discipline from years of serious
skateboarding once you hang it up in order to chase a new, supposedly “legit”
pursuit? In my case, whatever work ethic I developed as a skateboarder, I shifted
it and went off to college to study fine art. After that, these same habits led me to
bands, music school, construction work and a solo art career.
RENAISSANCE
13
REBELLION
