591: Andy Kessler B-Day Celebration

560: Asbury Park Pool Classic photo by Charles Samuels 1999: Andy Kessler, Bill Rogers, Tony ALva, Bud Baum, Tom Martyn, Bryan Lathrop

Asbury Park Pool

TOP: Andy Kessler, Bill Rogers, Tony Alva
BOTTOM: Bud Baum, Tom Martyn, Bryan Lathrop

Photograph by Charles Samuels

Here at THOS we are in the JPG delivery business(tip of the hat to the Penny-Arcade business model joke) and when a JPG like this comes your way, well…business is good! This is what we call in the JPG trade…..Badass , Classic or a Gem. A big thanks to Charles Samuels for taking such a killer pic  and also Bryan Karl Lathrop (more on how BKL is changing the face of skate photography a little later on in THOS) for helping bring this to THOS archive.

Nice One!

Jason
Spring of 1999. The Asbury pool had just gotten started, thanks to yeoman’s efforts by Tom Martyn (I recall him telling me that he left the pump running all night long, which spill many thousands of gallons of water out through the parking lot into the street. T.A. was in town because he was in philly frequently to visit his kid, Zephyr, who lived with his ex in Chestnut Hill. Philly crew hooked up w/ TA at FDR and set up a road trip from philly. Photo wouldn’t have happened if TA hadn’t been contacted by Charlie Samuels, who wanted to interview him for a documentary he was doing. Session lasted 4+ hours. Damn I miss that pool.

Bryan Karl lathrop

 

An amazing session that was! We shot video, 8mm film and stills for my documentary on the Wizard Skateboard Team (from Rockland County NY) due out this year. I not only met, skated with, cleaned out the pool with and interviewed one of my childhood heroes, Tony Alva, but I also photographed him pulling airs and I found myself in the same position Skateboarder magazine photographer Warren Bolster was in. Seeing T.A. through my lens brought me back to the days of combing through Skateboarder magazine — my bible in the late ’70’s.

Charlie Samuels

451: Andy Kessler Memorial Foundation Benefit Art Show December 12th NYC

440: Andy Kessler on the cover of September’s Juice Magazine

The new issue of Juice Magazine Issue 66 – begins shipping on Sept. 10, 2009 and features Andy Kessler on the cover with photo by Ivory Serra. www.juicemagazine.com

Well Terri has knocked the cover off the ball with this … An iconic image of an iconic person. I think everyone will want a copy of this one. Well done!

Jason

435: Andy Kessler: GRANDMASTER of 108, Leave your thoughts and comments below.

Feel free to express yourself , drop some memories or condolences in the comment section. If there is anything you would like to add do not hesitate to email me.

Peace-

Here is a great video sent over by Juice Magazine there is a great segment were Andy talks about his work with Jim Murphy and Wounded Knee.

Celebrating the Life of Andy Kessler
Ditch Plains Beach, Montauk
August 14, 2009

Photo Michael Rovnyack, MJRPhoto.net

Special thanks to Irene Ching for this.

Andy Kessler Riverside Park, NYC 1979

Tom Groholski, Glenn E. Freidman, and Any Kessler NYC 2008

Photo by Tony Squindo

Andy Kessler Deathbowl to Downtown

Andy Kessler Deathbowl to Downtown

The Kings of NY: Harry Jumonji, Rodney Smith and Andy Kessler

Photo Derek Rinaldi

243: It was always Papo, Pup and Jeremy…..Irene Ching

It was always Papo, Pup and Jeremy or some combination of the 3, adding in sometimes Andy (Kess) and James Minor.
These were the NYC heads riding vert ramps then, covering the tri-state area (NJ, PA, CT). Most times, I was just lucky enough to score a seat in the car going wherever, it didn’t matter, we were gonna skate there. They always knew where some vert was stashed and how to get to it. So many backyard ramps around then, now they seem pretty scarce, nothing taller than a six foot. I’m glad my son got to skateboard and travel with me on some of these adventures. It was the real deal that most young skaters miss out on today. I’ve gotta get some pics and vids next time we get together and skate. We might get a kick out of it 20 years from now when it appears on The House of Steam.

Irene

Jaime Affoumado “PUPPETHEAD” Washington Square Park 70’s

Catalino Cappiello “Papo” Fort Lee NJ

James Minor Fort Lee NJ

Jeremy Henderson Staten Island? Circa, Hmmmm?

Irene Ching Staten Island SkatePark 1978<==== Yar!!!

Thanks Irene!!!

I cant believe I used all these pics for one post. I could have made months worth of posts out of them, but thats not how we roll at THOS. These pics and your(Irene’s) words tell a story now..and thats the point, really. My recollection of all these people were through Tom Groholski brining them out to NJ, and meeting them in NY with Weep (My first Tofu Chilli dog with Papo) Its crazy to look back on how much skating you did in so many places. The ambassadors of NY SKATE, so much more then just Tom’s friends from NY now. What you said about traveling is true it was about road tripping back then an meeting people, not so much getting dropped off at skate camp for the summer.

Well anyway we have more pics from these Horsmen of the Skate Apocalypse Im gonna post this week so lets hear some comments and send some pics an writings in!!!

P.S.Puppets pic was a bit old school so here is one of him ripping!!!!

PuppetHead “Jaime Affoumado” 1987 Girl Ramp NJ

Photo Jason Oliva

Also The House of Steam encourages you to go to Puppets Jazz bar

They are in the process of changing venues and will reopen between Nov and Dec (2007) but there are tons of shows still being held locally so go hang with the scene,checkout the website, get on the mailing list. Also if you mention The House of Steam you will get a quizzical response such as “What’s that?”, or” Huh?” so that could be fun too.

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