This is Jeff Hartsel-Alva Bro, Rad Skater, Surfer, Artist, Designer.
Its funny how life turns out. When I was a teenager, my brother Bob was the best skater in town and for miles around. He rode a Jef Hartsel. Bob always new what was up and was usually the first to learn every trick. One of the main tricks he did that never fails to blow my memory was his backside 360 method to indy nosebone tweak the 270 degree point. He would blast airs so high. Anyway Bob and I used to spend summers in Santa Monica at my aunt's house and she would drop us off at Venice Beach almost every afternoon where we would skate with the Alva and Dogtown Boyz: Hartsel, John Thomas, Chris Cook, Little Man Eric, Eric Dressen, Julien.... Anyone remember the Sea Hag? The sun would beat down so hard it made everyone squint and look mean.
They were bad ass times. Everyday there seemed to be some type of skater confrontation, either a fight or getting thrown out of stores literally, and wall ride or jump ramp sessions with big crowds of tourists watching.
To this day I've never seen so many wall ride variations done as what used to go down on the Venice wall. One can write plenty on Venice Beach Wall Rides alone.
Back in 89 and 90, skating was mostly all about curb slappys, wall rides and jump ramps.
I remember Jeff slappying a gnarly curb near this fire hydrant with his big dreads and no shirt. I didn't really talk about it much, but inside I was always stoked to see him skating. I later skated the same curb fell hard into the hydrant with my hip. I don't suggest it. That shit hurt so bad I got shook to the core. That was the last time I ever let myself slam into a fire hydrant.
Anyway about Hart. Now that I live in Hawaii, I have been lucky to have Jeff is in my circle of friends. We skate the nearby park, talk about fatherhood, art, and how we haven't surfed together yet.
There hasn't been a skate session yet that hasn't been "Good Times". I enter this time warp where I am 17 again accept with more wisdom to appreciate the moment and my surroundings.
One of the biggest mistakes as a teen was thinking I was So Cool. Maybe even the Best! when I really wasn't. I was a little too self centered. That's another story I'll get back to.
Last Monday I saw Jeff at the park with a few other bros. Larry, Sean, and ?Bro. It started raining so we ended up skating this little bank under the bridge covered area of the park. 360s, Bonelesses... Skating with you Jef encapsulates everything I love about skateboarding-Good times, pushing yourself, and getting a little gnarly when can.
To this day one of my favorite sessions was skating cruisers barefoot in the hills of Kaimuki, the same area he skates in the vid.
Anyway he told me to post this video to let people know that he is riding a Roll Deck in his street skating video part so here it is.
Check out his skate creation colab with Jay Adams.
Ez Ryder Originalz
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