The Dekline Of Eastern Civilization
I recently got back from a quick 6 day trip to the east coast. Where I crashed the Dekline tour and squeezed myself into their overcrowded van, stow-away style. Look forward to some epic video footage when Rodent's article drops.
Rodent was nice enough to pick me up from the airport. This is only part of the ripping crew that I crashed in on. L to R.. Filmer Brad, Ambassador Gareth, ollie, Rodent, Ball, Melch, Zarosh
This is Zarosh and he sure knows how to cool off in Hotlanta. It took less than 24 hours for me to realize that he was one of my new favorite skateboarders.
Matt Ball has got 99 problems, but a bitch aint one.
i think he had this paragraph memorized, previousely.
Melcher's stache was lookin almost as good as this amazing foundation spot.
The Kid and Adam Dyet were also killing it.
Psycho dudes Patrick Melcher and Skateboard Mag Photographer Rodent.
Gareth got a new hat.
Zarosh took six hours on this griptape job. Here are some detailed close-ups.
Filmer Matt has a respectable spotbook, but it was deffinately lacking some pole-jamage. Rad dood though.
Sneak peek.
Sometimes spot checking involves not checking for spots at all.
7 out of 10 girls give Ollie Todd two thumbs up. .. The other 3 are too smart.
This was minutes before Gareth's life flashed before everybody's eyes.
Zarosh color coded his outfit with our tour vehicle. He also bought a coconut for breakfast.
This guy deffinately looks at spots a bit differently.
Remember this guitar, you might have a chance to win it... shhhh...
Zarosh and Dekline Team Manager Mike, chillin with Kenny the bum/road warrior. Who said that he is wanted in 7 states. he soon after picked up his legpant and pointed to his calf saying, "These things have seen a lot of miles" in his heavy southern accent.
Filmer Brad hooked up a gaggle of Red bull Chicks to come by the hotel room and visit the single doods. They were also nice enough to supply about 10 cases of Red bull. What a deal!
The rest of us were left to hang out and make friends with the locals. Thanks Brad!
Melch soon swooped in, to mark his territory.
Impromptu group shot. Notice Pastras joining the trip, in the bottom left corner.
lamer was here.
ollie, gareth, & matt
We soon got back to our room to find that it had been locked from the inside out. With the safety latch. The motel desk clerk had never seen this happen before and gave us some tools to break in. To our suprise, it only took a few minutes of lound hammering to get in. It was 3:00a.m. and nobody said a single thing. I guesse that's what you get , stayin in a sketchy motel 8.
Locals.
Adam Dyet knows the true meaning of double fisting.
Never deny a high-five from Gareth Stehr, it's bad luck.
Potassium. You know that's one good reason to eat bananas. But why? Just what does potassium do for us?
Well for starters, we wouldn't get much done without potassium. Nerves need it to tell muscles what to do, and muscles need it to do what they're told. It helps keep our body's fluids in balance and regulate our blood pressure.
Jean shorts.
gareth and Rodent are bringin purple back.
gareth still reppin' the squid from coast to coast.
Some interesting grafitti. I would have to agree with it though.
80 poses
for days
Ollie Todd has his poses down.
Rain day equals bar day.
Wishing it was sunny outside.
bros
gareth's impersenation of Chris Pastras.
Ollies impersenation of Matt Daemon
Welcome to america Ollie!
Welcome to america Gareth!
Melch has his vice at the bar too. Candy.
gloriouse
This was our waiter. Steve!
Melch doin his stretches for the dance floor.
melch doin party tricks.
Melch tellin this guy he should grow a mustache
legends
Gareth was busy networking.
This chick would stop taking photos with us. ... not that we minded.
Jason Lee showed up to join the tour.
matt Ball hurt his ankle. teamwork.
Locals.
Zarosh is one with nature.
When do we hit the pole jams Matt?
One of rodent's favorite eat downs, called Eats.
gareth couldn't get enough.
Post eat-down digestion session.
Parallel digestions.
80s digestion.
more spot checking.
Ball had to go to the ER...
Melch loves creepin from coast to coast.
A tight squeeze.
Pastras signed Gareth's guitar.
Dyet takin in some fresh air.
Melch never misses out on a quality mustache photo opp.
Melch bumped into Rob Halford (the lead singer of Judas Priest) at the atm. Somehow gareth and melch got into a heated debate about the residence of Rob. one thing led to another and there was a 300$ bet on the table. A few blackberry google searches later, gareth was 300$ richer. It ends up that he lives in San Diego somewhere, and not Atlanta.
Time to drive to South Carolina.
Matt Ball enjoyin his rest stop.
Zarosh makin himself at home.
O.T. loves his sweets.
his icecream was melting faster than he could eat it.
"Gas is 4$ a gallon now. good thing I traded my car in for some bones swiss."
Melch in his state of pre-demo anxiety.
Melch doesn't mind sitting down wind from certain types of tobacco smoke. "It smells like incense!"
These kids were killing it at the demo. So were Ollie and Melch.
it was my last night in town, Dyet insisted that we hit up the bars, even if it was a tiny little place in the middle of nowhere. This is Ball and Dyet pre-bar...
Within minutes, Adam bought everybody drinks at the bar and was behind the bar doing shots with our bar-tender Rebecca.
If there is a sombrero to be found, Dyet will find it. He will also wear it until he passes out.
This guy told us that the movie Deliverance, was filmed just up the road. Then he started telling us that he got staples in his head from a shovel, when he tried to hitch-hike to the store. And there we were, Me, Matt, and Adam at the bar without any cabs service past 10pm. Thinking about squeeling like pigs.
He also had a sweet home made Bacardi bat tattooed on his arm.
These were our new best friends.
...After the bar. This is our bud Rob, who works at a kayak factory and was telling us about freestyle kayaking.
Luckily Keith the cab driver came from the next town over, to give us a ride. Adam insisted that they get a picture together, while keith was driving down the highway going 70mph.
melcher is a fan of banannas
Matt found some new flair at the truck spot.
So did Gareth
somebody got a number from one of the strippers named Storm, at the strip club. Feel free to call it, wait... don't call it.
It's tough sleepin in the crowded van
Zarosh and Gareth are down for the rest stop photo opps too.
We rolled With The Kid while I was out there.
TM Mike tought us all about hush puppies. deep-fried corn bread.
gareth wouldn't stop bragging about how his beatle bracelet glows in the dark.
Another one of Roden't favorite eats.
The milk shakes were killing it.
Ask Ollie
Ball was starting to sense the nearing of my departure. He was deeply reminiscing about the last few days that we had spent together.
We were finally in Rodent's home town and he took us to this secret volcano at some sort of abandoned assembly factory.
"I am Matt Ball."
Matt was sad that I had to depart and head back to the real world in California.
Time to go to work.
2 months ago e flems said:
Good stuffs Dano. Nice mix, thank you.
1 month ago hunta said:
Did zarosh talk about rasberry sage dolphin tree...or snakebite?