Johnny carcinogen.

I am writing you to express my views on the current state of skating (yes, skateboarding is a organism not an activity). I have decided to write to Thrasher rather than Transworld, SLAP, The Skateboard Mag, Skateboarder or anyone else because frankly, you are the best. You are made by skaters for skaters featuring skaters and mostly advertised in by skaters. I also feel you of all mags will feel where I am coming from and publish this in Mail Drop. I am not going to say whether I'm some young buck who has no idea what he's talking about or some geezer who thinks everything was better back in the day, because my age will distract from the real point of this letter. Lots of skateboarders have been talking trash lately on the trend of tight pants. Weil, it is just a trend that people feel makes tricks look good. In my opinion, a back Smith looks a little more stylish in tight pants the same way a back tail shove or shove revert looks better with sweat pants and some new era hat. Fads come and go in skateboarding. How many people do you see skating around with tons of denim on and 30 mm wheels? I saw many complaints in your magazine regarding a certain Wal-Mart ad. I understand you guys need to make money and that place is a bottomless pit of cash, but think of skateboarding's common good. Little kids pick up your magazine and think that what is inside is cool; they eat that stuff right up. If you throw an ad like that in, you are doing a disservice to all of those legit skateshops and companies. If the money is tight, just remember that going down in dignity like Big Brother did is way better than being on the top and advertising Andy Mac's pogo stick or some shit. Which brings me to the next point of this letter. Something that is always controversial when skateboarding is at its high points is selling out. The way I see it is that pros have a responsibility when they want to make that step to the ranks of a pro skateboarder. They have the responsibility to put the welfare of skateboarding before their own, a kind of civic virtue if you will. They say stuff like, "If Nike offered you a million dollars, you would take it," and, "If I only had three seconds to think about it, then yes, I probably would." But there are much more important things than you getting money; it is whether the mother (skateboarding) who made it possible for you to get offered that million dollars is getting paid back for all she has done for you. If you are going to ride for DGK, it's like having a Jewish mother and getting a job as a Nazi You are just killing skateboarding when you sell out, For many it is too late and their face has been auctioned off to McDonald's and Bagel Bites, but for the other ones, like P-Rod and Stevie, they have got long careers ahead of them to reverse this. Not only does it kill skateboarding, but also it makes it less fun to be a skater I get joy when I talk about skating to a poser and drop names that are legends in the skateboard world but unknown on the outside, like Hosoi, Ladd, or Cole. Don't go mainstream, it gives you cancer.

Dylan Press

Hamilton, Massachusetts

Tight pants do not a stylish back Smith make. T-ed