InSide Shots

JT & MOM

JT & GIRLFRIEND

Deck Art

                                     The first DEEP END deck, Art by: Greg Fountain & J Tatum

COLOR

                                                                  I saw this in a dream

                                                                  Snow Home in the Hills. By: JT

PALA SK8park San Diego CA USA

PALA Sk8park is one of my most favorite SK8 spots in paradise. The cement is perfect, It's very uncrowded & the bowls are killer. You gotta go.

There's a fake pool steps set up there that's killer for learning to go over steps, that's where I learned.
The kidney pool is SIC, it's half park half backyard with good coaping and a nice shallow end.

SK8 ART SCRAPS by: Tatum

Classic BERT Slide

                                                                    THE CLASSIC BERT SLIDE

                                                                        By: Jeff (JT) Tatum

The BERT slide is named after a famous Hawaiian surfer Larry Bertlemen. Larry first did the move on waves then brought it to the pavement in the mid 70s. The BERT slide was probably the first real SK8 trick. I like well shaped fairly steep round top banks for a good BERT. It’s fun to get as stretched out as possible and then pull out of it smooth enough to ride away with speed. ** JT Bert Slide, 8 Sequence.PiCs,bY: Michael Ray

IT’S EAZY:

#1: Approach the bank with plenty of speed.

#2: Crouch down while riding up the bank then put your inside hand down just before your slide.

#3: Lighten up your back foot, Swing and slide only the back wheels around until you are pointing back into the bowl.

#3: Swing the slide and your whole body around your planted arm using your hand as a pivot, Everything should move but your hand after it’s been planted.

#5: Then center all your weight back on the deck and ride back in.

#6: Then DO IT AGAIN

Classic FRONT SIDE AIR

                                                                    Classic Front side Air

                                                                     By: Jeff (JT) Tatum

                                                JT FSA, Jan 1978, Vista bowl, Vista CA USA.

JT while on the SIMS team 1979 Del Mar, Kona Bowl

It would be hard to say what my favorite Sk8 move would be. If it happens on a sk8 I like it. I’m an old school Sk8er I’m not really into fancy tricks and variations I’m more into good old traditional Sk8 moves like: Lines, Carves, Grinds and Slides. But when it comes to an infamous Sk8 move that has universally defined core Sk8ing since Sk8 tricks began is the FRONT SIDE AIR. Front Side Air is the icon for RAD Sk8ing. The FSA is the easiest and most realistic Sk8 air that most levels of Sk8er can learn. Unlike other types of Sk8 Air you can see everything, You have a solid grip, your foot placement and stance are well set and centered witch all makes for easier and less risky landings. If you are at all familiar with FSA you also know the FSA Hang up is deadly. Most my injuries are from FSA Hang ups. There’s nothing like the peak of a Front Side Air when time stops and you’re looking down, Floating, Totally defying gravity. Your hart and breathing stop for just that moment, your mind totally clears of everything but that moment. Everything is in slow motion, Sound and surroundings don’t exist and then just like anything truly good in life it’s quickly over and you’re riding away. Then the rush hits and you can’t wait to do it again. I was grabbing rail front side and jumping gaps and holes in drainage ditches on clay wheels 40 some years ago so when I got into bowls on urethane wheels  in the mid 70s serious aerials on vertical walls were a natural progression I guess.

*JT Clairmont pool, Nov 2011, PiC: Dan Sparagna*

MY WAY: I do traditional old school early grab early release Front Side Air’s. I like to grab just before bouncing off the coaping and leaving the bowl with a good tight grab. Then let go just before or right at the peak for a handless air turn and drop.

THE DROP: My favorite thing to do is to go as strait up as possible then do a quick swinging turn in the air and then come straight in. The opposite of long arching air’s. The feeling when you drop and stomp an air clean and easy is KILLER SIC.

THE ONLY THING in my mind during an Air is: How high can I smack this one?, I sure hope this go’s well?. Everything else is totally focused and tuned into making it. The rush from SK8 Air is the best I’ve ever experienced ,Clean, Real, True, Proud, Rad and cleverly insane. :: March 2012 JT

                                   JT March 2010, Etnies, CA USA. 5 sequence* PicsBy: Michael Ray
                                                                       Bing Bang Boom

  

Some old Mag Ad shots from the 70s

                                           above: I was on the tracker team for more than 30 years

                                                           above: I was the UFO poster boy

                                           above: I got credit for inventing the JT Air/ Backside ollie

                                        above: JT, How to do front and back side Air 1979, By the Master

THE NUKE LAND PIPES

                                                         

    JT 1979, 3 shot sequence by: Joel Broida.  10 foot gap jump. Sunny Miller watching. Nuke land USA

Another Etnies Sesh, JT by: Michael Ray

             M Ray and I got together a few weeks ago for some flying photo FUN. I like SK8ing at nite.
Here's a little 5 shot Air sequence for ya JT style. JT did the first front side Air almost 40 years ago

                                                              Still flyin at 55, March 2010

Artist Michael Ray- Photo master

  Artist Michael Ray-Photo master

Sk8in on the moon

Skin in Paradise

                                                                       By: Tatum

I was at Etnies sk8park riding the new black clover pool ( It’s Killer) and I noticed a father and son duo having some big fun Sk8ing together. I struck up a conversation with the dad, Michael Ray and it turns out he’s a killer pro photographer that dose weddings and stuff. He said he shoots his son, Kenny Ray sk8ing a lot but wanted to get into some more hard core sk8 photos. So I rounded him and the kid up that next week end for a session at Etnies and the results were Sic wicked,

history in the making, Culture Art. This guy is a natural Sk8 PhoDograffer, That paints with his camera using colors like they come out of a can. He’s not out of the box he crushes it. What’s cool about shooting with M Ray is his lack of technical sk8 knowledge like the sweet part of the trick or typical sk8 mag angles witch give his shooting approach no taboo’s. There is no bad angel, bad light, bad sk8er or wrong way for M Ray he has too much fun shooting to even worry about it much. He shoots his way and some how it works out Way Killer.

 M Ray’s Son, Kenny is a typical  Rad Cali Down South American Sk8er boy That’s very lucky to have such a cool Sk8er Dad that hauls his but around to the parks. From what I can tell there’s nothing much else M Ray would rather be doing than rollin with his kid, Any where. Mom says good grades good sk8 bad grades on sk8 so they do the after school book slam together in the quest for knowledge, cement  and coaping. I’ve been around sk8 photography for almost 40 years and have never seen as much raw photo talent as M Ray has in his trigger finger. Shoot on M Ray shoot on. JT

To book Michael Ray for a Sk8 or Any photo shoot, Contact:949-574-1277

***Photos to follow: JT at Etnies and Pala, From:  Colors of Jeff Tatum by Michael Ray photo series  X10                                                    Artist Michael Ray-Photo master

      SK8 ZOMBIE