1966

......It all started when my brother Jim taught me to stand up skateboard at a neighborhood school when I was 8, in 1966. When I was 10, my folks got a trailer at El Morro, north of Laguna Beach, as a second home. There I was exposed, on most weekends and vacations, to the ocean and SURF!

Summer 1972

A little kid at the park who couldn't say his R's started calling me Ick, and the nickname stuck. That summer, amidst patching locals' surfboards, I cut the stringer/core out of a "totaled" surfboard, re-glassed it skateboard size with "The Ick Stick" written on the foam.

Fall 1972

I screwed some skateboard trucks on the Ick Stick, and went up to my old Elementary school to see if I could ride it. There I met Steve Evans. He laughed at me when the trucks immediately pulled off the board. He was one of the last of a group who "surfed" (skated) Magnolia school a couple of years earlier. We soon were close friends and were tracing boards from Surfer Magazine and cutting the templates into skateboards. We used a squeegee technique to lay out glass cloth over oak planks for traction and cut out lightning bolts completely through and filled with transparent resin for looks.

1973

A new "crew" frequented Magnolia and we "surfed" away. We kept making boards. When we tried them thinner, we discovered flex—this made the skating feel way more like surfing! The plywood flex boards were working well and we did a lot of decoration. Down at the beach, I got a hold of a set of Metaflex urethane wheels (still "freeballs" bearings), and I believe they were the first set of urethane skateboard wheels brought to the Badlands.

1974

We rode the Baldy Pipeline. We were shocked to see Skateboarder magazine come out. We got into slalom. Our Baldy ski buddies got us into camber. I made an accidental "flat top" slalom board and the rest is history.

1976

Showing up to the race at La Costa, we found team Ick was a force to be reckoned with.

1978

I was one of the opening crew of the Pipeline Skate Park, turned attention to vertical as well as slalom, and followed the Hester Bowl Series sponsoring Lee Gahimer.

1979

I opened a shop on 9th street in Upland with Curt Kimbel. Curt, Steve Evans, and Charlie Ransom all raced Icks in the A.R.A. Series in Colorado, with Steve taking 2nd overall.

1980

Many cool sticks came out of the shop, but I couldn't hold on to it as the industry slumped.

1981

We were still racing; I went up and took the Canadian National Championship for slalom and took 2nd in downhill. We also kicked some butt in Portland racing the N.W. contingent.

1984

The sport became too political for me and lacked slalom promotions. I walked away.

2001

Last fall, Charlie Ransom got the family to attend the Henry Hester event in La Costa. It was a real eye opener to see the strenght of the event.

2002

Charlie Ransom and Steve Evans decided to run the FCR Series and requested some fresh Ick Skate Decks to maximize their abilities. Responding to their requests and needs, we have developed an awesome line of skate decks. With the support of my wife, Carin, and our girls, we have traveled to the Catalina and Tahoe races and have had the time of our lives. We love everything about the Slalom industry. The people are great and we want to share the stoke with everyone.

Back Row
Brian Judge, Steve Evans, Maggie Ahearn, Charlie Ransom, Anne Sullivan, Doug Jopes, Linda Simpson

Front Row
Dale Johnson, Rick Howell, Blake Beeman, Rat, Harpo, Scott Jopes, Sue Lacey