Vans came through with the RV tour on Sunday morning. Probably the hardest time ever to get a crowd together for a free cookout and hanging out with Tony Alva but surprisingly enough, by early afternoon there were about 150 people. The new tour bus looked sick . . . and in need of a Kona sticker that was happily provided. Not sure if they ever noticed but it seemed to blend in nicely. I was really stoked to have Alva at Kona after all these years. The Lords of Dogtown movie has a Kona event mentioned at the end, and I happened to have a picture of TA from that event 30 years ago. I also had a special collectors edition 30th anniversary Kona deck that was an original Alva reissue. Apparently the molds and templates were about to be thrown away when Chuck Hults from Deckcrafters intercepted them. The kona anniversary decks were the only re-issues created from the re-found molds and templates. So armed with a vintage pic and collectable deck I was excited to get with Alva and share some stories and get his signature. Unfortunately, he wasn't as excited as I was. Short one word answers and no eye contact has always registered with me as a "leave me alone" attitude. So I got my signatures and left him alone. So much for reminiscing. I heard him cite an extremely rough previous day that left him unable to skate. Kind of a buzz kill to have such a legendary skater show up at a legendary skatepark and not skate. Overall the day was great. Lots of kona locals showed their support and some faces from back in the day came out and ripped up the pool. Thanks to Vans for the free eats, hospitality and free gear. That's right, anyone here was able to get some free vans merchandise and leave with a full belly. The Vans crew rocked on hospitality and cookout skills. If your lucky, they will be showing up at your local scene sometime soon. Marty
Ramos
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