I really enjoyed the GSD interview (https://www.trackerhistory.com/blog/2019/02/02/complete-interview-with-garry-scott-davis-gsd) in the big Tracker book. Larry Balma has generously made the interviews available online as well. I reread this interview this morning, as I am on a GSD deep dive.
The reminiscences of the very early to mid 1980s, when skateboarding was small, are just so great.
Sometimes I wish skateboarding was small like that again. I just realized that if you ignore 99% of the internet it becomes small again. Every local scene is composed of multiple very small groups of skaters. Each of those groups has its own history, language, and style. If you focus on your own thing, and not the entire world, the small becomes more real.
I’m currently reading GSD’s second compilation of his Skate Fate articles, titled Skate Fate: The Best of Skate Fate Too ( https://www.blurb.com/books/12605077-the-best-of-skate-fate-too-softcover ) . The first few articles are about the local scene GSD grew up in out in Ohio. Interviews with his skate buddies — not pros. Sure, there is pro stuff in the book too, but what immediately grabbed me was the _**ordinariness**_ of their skating scene and friendships. It’s what all of us experience. Young skaters, looking for spots, beat to shit board, and more fun than anyone else is having. I found it compelling and rejuvinating. I’d been feeling kind of shitty and sluggish all day yesterday, but when I started reading this stuff something happened. I was plugged into the Source.
Anyway, highly recommend you read both that book and the Tracker Book( https://www.trackertrucks.com/tracker-book ).
