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Lars Teton Skateboards visits ZZ TOP
Here's a study in the sublime and the ridiculous. But then...that's a regular occurance when ZZ TOP is livin' in the landscape. 'Sublime' when ya mutter, "Who say nay" over to the other end of the spectrum, ridiculous when ya' utter, "Who say yea"....! In other words, it's all happenin'... come what may! Bring on th' boards and let's carve some 'crete! And that's just what we caught in a mid-fly handrail slide in...(yes)...you guessed it...(!)...in the dead of winter, way upstate in the tip top of New York. Now, didn't I tell ya' this was the sublime and the ridiculous? There's more....
GrandMaster god of the Goodboard and guru of the Goodgear for guys and gals, Mr. 'Lars Teton', appeared as special guest during the ZZ TOP show, this week.
And, this was the week being the, 'January/February' no-you-ain't going-skateboarding-in-the-snow week, too!
Yet, there's what made this sight worth seeing. Record breaking cold snaps over the entire USA and nothing leaving this New England portion of the ZZ tour out in a 'warm'! Out in the ice, yes....but skateboards?
So who is Lars Teton, and what's he got to do with frozen boarding at a ZZ date, anyway? Check it out. He's just a guy with a catalogue of fine skategear and garments, for the sidewalk occasion, not to mention a cache of special blend, import cigars to touch things up. Seen in the ads for all top rate thrashin' rags is the understatement for Lars T. He's the most.
Anyway, we did the righteous 'gate crunch and crash' at the last minute to get into ZZ's sold-out show waiting to get the full wham of the TOP slam which indeed provided the right-on rockin' good time we came for.
Good news for us especially, after a drive up the turnpike out from Manhatten! Following the encore number and closer for the night's show, ZZ, being the right-on, rave up guys they are, sent an invitation to attend what was to be one of the more interesting backstage after-parties that we've ever seen. But wait...there's still more...
The refreshments were flowing and reflowing and near overflowing and hard to beat ...but wait...we had to ask about a certain dude decked out in a flattened cowboy hat, black curly velvet waistcoat, Italian movie dark-glasses, and the stogie from hell holding a runway female skyscraper on each arm. Dude. This was some kind of sight. But as we were to discover, it's all in a days work for our fearless fly guy, Lars Teton. But wait....there's more.
No sooner did we catch onto this scene of scathing tabloid-like scenes did we see the mysterious inner lair door to the dressing rooms, reserved for the 'members only' crowd, open up like the gates at the queen's castle. And enter Mr. Lars into this unlikely scenario. What's more, he was wagging a weird skate-rider's shaped slab of swiss-cheesed aluminum in hand. But wait...there's still more.
T-6. "T-6", said he. "What's T-6 ?", said we. "Aircraft-grade shaping metal", say the man, Mr. T. " Light and right for sculpting the boing board for the skilled skater of tomorrow". "Is that so?" we said. "'Tis quite", grinned our man, "L", as he flashed his backstage pass and led us past the security guards and into the sanctity of the wardrobe landing. Lead on, bro.
Once inside, all reality vanished. Balanced between a pair of chairs made for saddling into a game of poker was another of Lars' latest twists on an update of the "T-6" subject ...
...the "Metal Head Express". One, gnarly-looking piece of flatiron. Ready to be tucked up with trucks and a willing slide rider. A sight for sunshot eyes . But the real item of unexpected illustration into the lofty heights of showmanship was the flip-board antics going on from a pony riding position, surfin' between the twin folding chairs.
It's not...
It is....
It's...
It's...
It's Gibbons and Elwood.
"No way".
"Yes way", we managed to say. Un unreal. And Frank and Dusty, trusty onlookers to this savory sight...and fairly accustomed to such visual antics...even they were mildly amazed to witness the guitarist and guitar-tech high on a pair of Lars' boards up in outer-space, ...make that, 'outer boardsville'.
So what's the fuss all about? Carefully, we slid over to ask of the illustrious Mr. Lars, "What's to be made of this new creation?"
"Who knows?" he smiled, with sizable cigar squeezed between front teeth. "Looks like fun from down here!"
Rock it on, bruhzz.
...Or would that be..."Rocket on!".....?!?!?
Only a "Metal Head Express" expert knows for sure.
More, later. Back to the party! And there's still more...
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Filed by: Katie MacPherson , engenue and sometime contributor for Grind Gear, Unltd. Miss MacPherson is our correspondent expertress, on both 'before' and 'after' party scenes and our excellent expertress and California consultant residing in Manhatten on coastal subjects from So-Cal to Nor-Cal.
Digital transcriptions by Lolly Wrightenhouse
Hair by Sasha Von Ernst
Gowns by Lars Teton
Copyright, 2-2000, Grind Gear, Unltd. All rights reserved.
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WEBMASTERS NOTE: Reprinted by permission.
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