  |
|
|
FIRE and ICE
Twas five days before Christmas. A
photo shoot had been arranged at the Chaumpa Ramp with Derek
Krasauskas and Gordon Eckler for a traveling photographer from
the sunny sides of California. Winter had just been declared by
the calendar and to show its face the first East Coast snow
shower had hit us the day before the shoot. Now East Coast snow
showers ain't like no other. They are usually a fine wintry mix
of ice, sleet, and snow. We had gotten a good quarter inch of
sleet before any powder fell. The camera crew man shows up the
next day to a ramp full of ice. Hopeless to a Californian,
trivial for East Coast skaters, we were not going to let a
little bit of ice stop this bit from going down. Santa came
early. Oh yeah, delivering 5 gallons of gasoline with them
reindeer. Spread it as evenly as you can over the ice covered
flat land and BOOM instant melt down. Biggest ramp fire I have
ever seen. We had to work quickly to sweep the burning water
off the ramp before it refroze as the sun was quickly setting
and temperatures dropping. Next came the towels. It was a
battle fighting the ice, only half of the ramp had been thawed,
leaving the extended side in black ice. With no more gas left,
and half a ramp to skate, the photo shoot went on. And as the
Christmas story goes.... to all a good night.... a crazy one to
remember that's for sure.
 
 
 
Happy Holidays!
|
|
|
|
|
