Lance- rock-n-roll

Last spring, Lance, Samwise and I - drove to the desert to ride this slatetop.It was on a sprawling property near the country clubs. The house was huge and beautifully built. It was a great example of an old California home from a more elegant time. Now, it was in complete disrepair. Everything was broken and the shrubbery overgrown. Windows were boarded over. The pool stretched out in the back of the property. It was a strange shape with many little pockets and hips. The surface was crumbling fast. Lance set his sights --immediately--on a fastplant over the ladder. I gulped as I noted that the ladder was in a slight cup that came up onto a hip. He'd be landing on the front of a hip going into the deep end. It looked like a pretty gnarly landing. We rode and Lance was triumphant. When he pulled it, we were all stoked. It was something to see. The photograph was published in the magazines as an advertisement. I want to say it was a Bones Swiss Bearings ad....  We had a blast that day.

I had heard that the property was once--famously--owned by one of the stars of the TV show Hogan's Heroes. He was known to entertain and have lavish parties at the place. I crawled up a tree and sat on the roof. I do this from time to time. As a writer, I like to see things differently. Breakdown my perspective. I tried to envision the place filled with glamorous stars. Music would be playing, there would be champagne, beautiful girls, tiki torches lighting the pools edges, the smell of fine food and good cigars. Old money. I then thought that I liked the current version much better. Viva Emptiness. Thanks to Samwise for the images. Skate- Ozzie

Lance getting some...