Skatepunk

After Joe Lopes died last Spring, I was able to put on a contest that benefited his family, and in the course of the planning for that event I got a lot of letters and notes about Joe, about his influence on people. As I've been going through them again recently, this one again stuck out as especially poignant. Perhaps even now more so as I go through personal things which make me feel my age.

On Saturday, April 20th, we hosted a contest and barbeque in Joe Lopes' honor. About 280 people came to skate, eat, drink, and enjoy. There were a lot of people who had bought Joe's board when they were young, and we all traded Joe stories if we had 'em. Paul Schmitt told me that one time Joe was interviewed and was asked "What's your favorite part of all of this, the skateboarding, the barbequing, the traveling?" and Joe simply responded "Life." Pretty poignant, now.