364: Tom Groholski’s Ramp Contest Day NJ 80’s

Tom Groholski’s Ramp Contest Day NJ Circa the 80’s

Gonna be away till next week which means (I miss out on using my Bouncing Souls backstage passes for London…aaaarrrgh..Thanks for getting them for me WIG!) everyone will have to wait to see some serious pics from Tom’s backyard. For those of you who have had an idea of what this abstraction of ramp reality looked like, wait no longer! (or at least till next week) All secrets will be revealed in these Dietz Brutha pics! Also thanks and cheers to all the people who have hit me up over here:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jason-Oliva/88479491316

Means a ton!

359:The House of Steam in The Smithsonian!..Everyone say thank you Jim Murphy…..Thank you Jim Murphy.Ramp it up Opens June 12th at The National Museum of the American Indian, Washington D.C.

Members of the 4 Wheel Warpony skate team (White Mountain Apache). Photo courtesy of Dustinn Craig (White Mountain Apache/Navajo), 2008.

 

Smithsonian

National Museum of the American Indian

“Ramp It Up: Skateboard Culture in Native America” Opens at the National

Museum of the American Indian

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian will open “Ramp It Up:

Skateboard Culture in Native America” Friday, June 12, in the Sealaska Gallery. One of the most

popular sports on Indian reservations, skateboarding has inspired and influenced American Indian and

Native Hawaiian communities since the 1960s. The exhibition celebrates the vibrancy, creativity and

controversy of American Indian skate culture and will be on view through Sept. 13.

The exhibition includes 28 objects and 45 images, including rare archival photographs, film of

Native skaters and skate decks from Native companies and contemporary artists. Highlights include a

never-before-seen 1969 photograph taken by skateboarding icon, Craig R. Stecyk III, of a skate deck

depicting traditional Native imagery and 1973 home-movie footage of Zephyr surf team members

Ricky and Jimmy Tavarez (Gabrielino-Tongva).

“The museum is eager to show how Indian Country has embraced and changed skateboard

culture in America. The exhibition honors tribal communities’ efforts to connect with their young

people through a positive activity like skateboarding,” said Kevin Gover (Pawnee/Comanche) director

of the National Museum of the American Indian. “It is a vibrant visual documentation of an emerging

culture unique to Native American youth.”

The exhibition features the work of visual artists Bunky Echo-Hawk (Yakama/Pawnee), Joe

Yazzie (Navajo), Traci Rabbit (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma) and Dustinn Craig (White Mountain

Apache/Navajo) and highlights young Native skaters such as 20-year-old Bryant Chapo (Navajo) and

10-year-old Augustin and 7-year-old Armondo Lerma (Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians).

As skateboarding continues to rise in popularity in Indian Country, Native skaters and

entrepreneurs have combined core lessons learned from the sport: strength, balance and tenacity with

traditional tribal iconography and contemporary art to engage Native youth in their history and

culture. “Ramp It Up” examines the role of indigenous peoples in skateboarding culture, its roots in

ancient Hawaiian surfing techniques and the visionary achievements of contemporary Native skaters.

Skateboarding combines demanding physical exertion, design, graphic art, filmmaking and music to

produce a unique and dynamic culture. “Ramp It Up” illustrates how indigenous people and tribal

communities have used skateboarding to express themselves and educate their youth.

 

 

So how cool is this! Not only a first for American Indian skate culture but a first for skate culture in general being recognized by The Smithsonian. Jim Murphy will be a big part of this due to his years of activities with  American Indians and his Wounded Knee skate company.  In addition who do the major museums call when they need a “rare archival photograph”  of Jim Murphy for a world class exhibit? Well they call the ultimate online skate Museum…The House of Steam! That’s right folks (thanks Jim & Betsey!) we have contributed to the 45 images that comprise the exhibit…A fine hour for the THOS community, a fine hour indeed. Whether or not I will be donning a Tux and attending the shindig in July remains to be seen but if anyone in the D.C. area does head out to see the exhibit please email me some pictures. Hopefully they found a great place to Honor Team Steam member Jim Murphy with this gem….

 

proud to be involved,

 

Jim Murphy 1986 Edgewood

Photo by Jason Oliva

349: Rocky Vertone Air to Axle at The Barn, long time ago…Yo!

Rocky Vertone Air to Axle at The Barn NJ

Judging by the hair, earrings and outfit on the girl I think we can date this one around 85-86.
This is the first of many new gems from the Ken & Steven Deitz collection. You will be blown away when you see them all everything from The Barn, to Toms and Even Jay Henry’s old ramp…which eventually became the Barn Ramp.
Sorry I have been slack lately, its time to pic up the pace again.

Jason

343: The Barn’s History:First picture ever taken at The Barn, NJ…Birth of a legend Jay Henry

JAY HENRY 1st Barn picture, NJ

 

BIRTH OF A LEGEND (or Jay Henry is a slave driver)

Being as this is The House of Steam site, I thought I would tell the story of the Origins of the Barn Ramp, complete with the first ever photo. This was taken at the first session, before we even put the coping on this side, still running on the original 2 layers of used wood. The wood came from my crappy 8′ wide backyard ramp that had to come down. This ramp was so kinked that we had continued to add layers to it over the years in an attempted to smooth it out a little. When I had to move it I realized that this of course was usable wood, so I went about the daunting task of removing one piece of plywood at a time salvaging whatever I could. I was thinking of working with Dave to add on to the Girl ramp, but Jimmy and Dennis said “to heck with that, we should build a ramp at our house!” I was weary due to the hassles my neighbors had given me so I asked what was the backyard setup like. Jimmy Kane said “Oh, we’ve got a huge backyard, and we can build it on the cement left behind from the chicken coops”. I thought that sounded pretty good and asked how far from the other houses the cement platform was and Jimmy said “way back from the houses, back by the barn”. OK, this is the point where my heart pauses, “Come again, did you say “barn?” I asked Jimmy. He immediately knew what I was thinking and told me it was full of junk. And it was; we pulled 2 kitchen sinks out of it, as well as used tires, golf clubs and other junk, not to mention almost all of the 2 X 4’s that we would need to build the ramp. I wanted to make it 9 foot transitions, a foot and a half of vert, with a 12 foot flat. After I measured though I found that there wasn’t enough room, so I had to go with the 8, 1 and 10 that made this tight little bastard the ramp that it was. Jimmy, Dennis and Stevie D were my crew, but they had jobs. Everyday I showed up early, started measuring, cutting and planning. When my crew got home, they would come back to the Barn to have me bark orders at them for hours on end, putting all of my pre cut pieces into position. Those guys were great, and I now realize just how much of an ass I could be, but they dealt with me and we got it done. Mrs. Kane at first was in shock, she had thought it was going to be maybe 4 feet tall! At the same time she was so astonished at my construction skills and thought, hell if these guys want to make it, let them do it. She was really the champion of that whole thing, I’m not sure I ever thank her appropriately for letting us have that ramp, and all the people there. Mrs. Kane, if you’re reading this, THANK YOU!!!! So it’s no shock that I was the first one that got to ride it, here I am doing a….yeah, you guess it, a handplant.

Jay Henry 2009

Well this is pretty darn cool. I wont add much except enjoy a little more oral history of The Barn…and feel free to send me more like this. As always Jay Henry is out front setting an example for us all to follow. Fricken cutting edge!

Jay, thanks for thinking of me… Those are memories that neither you nor I will ever forget…You are right.. I was in awe of your talent. Not every guy your age would have been able to build a structure of that magnitude.. I am so thrilled that those few years are embedded in all your memories and that it allowed you a time in your life that most of you will never forget..  I tried to keep you safe. Seems you all will never forget “The Warden”  LOL  I wish you all love, happines and success…

Hugs to you all,  

Nancy (Jim &; Dennis’s Mom)

321: Dan Tag Interview by Jim Murphy in Juice issue 65, 2009

This months Juice has an interview with Dan Tag by Jim Murphy…a must read!!
If you want the rest of the interview you will have to go out and buy a copy (hell! get a subscription) of Juice number 65…then call me on skype and read it into my answer machine please.

 

Photos by Grant Brittain

Dan’s no stranger to frontside invert skate mag fame…this mag (Transworld I think) highlights his win at OC Maryland…Somethings never change.

How about Tom “The Rock” Boyle in that inset photo…

 

Jason

317: Team Steam 1987 Photo Annual

Team Steam 1987 Photo Annual created by Ben Cornish

Music Raging Lamos

Photos by:

Ben Cornish

Jason Oliva

Video by Jason Oliva

Try out:

311: and it was all probably just another random Wednesday night at the Barn: Part 4 Jim Murphy circa 1986

Jim Murphy The Barn NJ 1986

Photo by Padulo

 

No pads or a helmet I am sure Mrs. Kane was away on vacation that night! Great picture Padulos!! Good Shot of how close the front door was to the flat bottom of the ramp and the battle scarred tape player.

Jason Oliva

298: A young Jim Murphy…God knows where. I know when! 83-84

Jim Murphy circa 83-84 Where abouts yet to be determined.

Photo: To be announced

 

I have received a wealth of  early N-Jay(NJ) pics. Here we have a young Jim Murphy (fakie ollie?) It is up to the collective consciousness of The House of Steam to determine where this is…how insane a pic this is needs no determining.  As to our contributor I say hats off and keep them flowing, welcome on board.

Jason Oliva

281: The Captain John Ballon and Jim Murphy. Captured by Ben Cornish

The Captain John Ballon and Jim Murphy The Barn

Photo by Benjamin Cornish

A true classic from the Ben Cornish vault. This image does more to transport one to The Barn then almost any other I have archived here. Its the coolest skate picture and yet no one is skating. Check out The Captains shorts and sneaker. Too cool. Great one Ben.

Tom Groholski, Jim Murphy…Then and Now: Juice Magazine

Tom Groholski:Then and Now

Jim Murphy Then and Now

Greg Taylor emailed me these pictures from a recent Juice Magazine article about our two favorite New Jersey Team Steam legends, Murph and Tom. Taylor thought it would be cool if I dug up some earlier and similar photos and put them together. Well Taylor you were right, its cool. Nice one!!

Go buy a copy of Juice!!

Photos by: Jason Oliva, Wendy Groholski/Squindo, Ben Cornish, and Ted Terrebonne

Wow, two posts in one day, I’m beat see you next week.