So being the normal day that it is, I go check to see what Platinum Seagulls has on the table for updates. I see they have a link to one of my video clips, via a link from Dudes with Tudes. The circle is complete. The midwest triumvirate has been created. I shortly wondered if a Illinois site was needed for this collaboration (skatemag.com??? That dude only “updates” with three year old articles!), but I threw that idea away quickly. Who the hell wants a quadumvirate(?). It is ready, it is now. The clip that brought us together – Ben Vance’s Kickflip 50-50 at Clemente School in Chicago.
It was a hot day, possibly June, maybe August, the details aren’t important. Ben eyed up the ledge with a gleam in his eye. He could’ve been thinking about narwhals or ferrets wrapped up in toliet paper to look like a mummy, but I doubt it. He was looking pretty serious. “Thunder In My Heart”, “Break the Ice” both from Rad, and the “You’re the Best Around” song from Karate Kid all played simultaneously in his head. It didn’t come easy, mistakes, failures, and close calls were plentiful. The end of the tape is nearing, yet he tries again and again. It was almost like Glass Joe vs. Little Mac. No one ever expects Glass Joe to win. Yet this time he’s victorious. The waist high ledge lays in ruins. Victory!
Little did he know the implications of his victory at the time….