Chapter Four

Bahne-Cadillac Nationals; Dell Mar, California; April, 1975

Tony and I climbed into Skip's car.

Sid turned around and yelled at us, "Son of a bitch!"

I smiled as I realized what song was playing. It was Hair of the Dog by Nazareth.

Tony, me and everyone- including Skip- was singing along (well, shouting) with the song.

"Now you're messin' with a song of a bitch!" We all said. We smiled and bobbed our heads to the beat.

Soon, Skip turned the radio off.

"Whoa!" Tony said. "Why'd you turn the music off?"

Skip didn't answer him. He turned around for a moment, looking at us sitting in the back seat- even though we weren't really sitting. More along the lines of kneeling.

"Now, I want you little maggots to make me proud. All right?" He didn't smile. Skip turned around and looked back to the road.

"You can found on us, Skip!" I answered for the others.

"Good," Skip said.

10 Minutes Later…

"Go, go, go, go, go!" I said, shoving Tony out the car door.

He stumbled out and looked back at me, eyes narrowed. I returned the glare in a silly way.

I rushed back to the trunk of the car, wanting to get my skateboard.

Skip walked back to wear we all stood. "Hey, hey, wait, wait, wait! Come on. Hey."

We pounded on the car, telling Skip we wanted him to open it.

"Hey, one at a time. One at a time, all right?" Skip ordered.

Of course, we didn't obey. We all just grabbed our skateboards and walked towards the long line of skaters and their teams.

I looked back seeing Skip mutter something to Tony. I wondered what it was, but pushed the thought away.

Skip walked to the front of us and began pushing people out of our way, Jay helping him.

"Yeah, sorry. Yeah, sorry about that. Sorry. Yeah," Skip said, excusing himself from his rudeness. "It's an emergency. Yeah, hi."

I smiled at Skip. He was being rude, but as long as we got to the front of the line, I guess. I laughed a bit as people scolded us for pushing through.

We began to push through a team of skaters wearing bright yellow shirts.

"Oh, nice socks, man. Nice socks," Skip said sarcastically. He began to chuckle, "Nice socks…"

When we reached the front of the line, Skip put his hands on the table, bending over a bit. "Yeah, this is Skip Engblom and the Zephyr Skateboard Team," he said to the lady sitting at the table. He lifted his shirt a bit and pulled out a check. He placed it on the table. Here's our entry fees. Now, where's our trophies?" He smiled and we all smiled with him, cheering.

Right then and there, the lady got up in disgust, only for a security guard to come over. We watched as Skip handled the situation.

"Excuse me," the man said. "Go to the end of the line!"

Skip stuttered for a moment, but then said strongly, yet a bit quietly, "Yeah… I thought this was the end of the line, man. Is it not?"

"Go to the end of the line," the security guard repeated.

We all narrowed our eyes at him and mumbled amongst ourselves.

"Hey, man, listen. I'm, uh-" Skip stopped and thought for a brief second. "Yeah? I'm sure we could, uh…work something out here." He took out his wallet and showed the man a one-hundred dollar bill.

"Yeah…"

"Is that good?" Skip put a bill in the man's hand.

"All right. You and your boys are okay. All right, have a good day," he said. Who said a man couldn't be bribed, right?

Skip nodded a bit and smiled, mischievously.

"You right there are okay!" The security guard pointed at us.

"Yeah? Have a good day, man," Skip said back and he rushed off to join us.

We had all gotten on our skateboards and skated to the crowd around the skating area. "Where's the course?"

We gathered with them and watched the other skaters.

"There's a nice L-Sit by Russ Howell," we heard the announcer say. "He's gonna press up now into a handstand…"

We saw a skater do a handstand on the moving board and we shook our heads.

I tapped Jay lightly on the arm and muttered to him, "We can do so much better…"

Jay nodded and chuckled a bit, but kept watching.

"What are we supposed to do with this tabletop?" Biniak said, staring at it.

I looked at the skating area. It was practically flat! How were we supposed to skate on it? I sighed.

The skater did some 360s and I scoffed.

Skip motioned towards the skater with a smile on his face, saying to us "can you believe that?"

"Next up, Ty Page, riding for Unity Skateboards," the announcer said.

Most of us didn't watch the skater, only talked amongst ourselves. But when the skater went into a handstand we all watched.

"Next up, Jay Adams, riding for Zephyr Skateboards."

We all began to cheer and yell happily as Jay walked onto the platform with his board.

Skip walked over to the judges and soon some rock music was playing- Jay's favorite.

Everyone, and I mean everyone, watched as Jay did some low-driving turns and a low 180 with Royal Christie. Jay started to hop into the air on his skateboard and we cheered, until he skated right off the ramp!

He was back on his feet in no time, though and then finished quickly!

I patted him on the back as he joined us. "Yeah, Jay-boy."

Jay smiled and Skip complimented him.

Then Jay's score was announced. "Looks like two 7s and an 8 for Jay Adams."

My jaw dropped and I cursed a bit. "What?"

"Oh, come on!" Skip said behind me, definitely not happy with the score.

Soon a girl came up behind Jay and we turned around.

"Hey, you blew me away," she said.

Jay smiled and said humorously, "What? You want to blow me?"

I chuckled and the girl walked away saying, "Maybe!"

"Next up, Heather Shepherd, riding for Zephyr Skateboards," the announcer said.

I felt my stomach knot up. I swallowed and Skip nudged me to the platform.

I got on quickly and immediately began skating. I started with some S turns, and then went into some low-driving turns. As I skated in a quickly circle around the platform, my hand grazed the wood. Then I went into a Frontside 180 power slide. People cheered and I smiled, but paid close attention to what I was doing. I then did maybe about two or three 360s and then a walking spinner. Then, ending in front of the judges, I finished with a low-driving 360.

The cheering got louder and I got up, walking back over to the rest of my team. They patted me on the back and smiled, saying things like, "Nice, Heat!" or "That was awesome!"

My score was announced and I got two 10s and a 9.

"Yeah!" Skip said behind us, gloating to the other teams.

When Tony's name was announced he went up and did some awesome skating! He ended up tying with me and we smiled at him.

"Up next from Mar Vista, California, an independent skater, Stacy Peralta."

We all looked up at the sound of Stacy's name and sure enough we saw his long blonde hair on the edge of the platform.

As Stacy started to skate we cheered a bit and clapped. When he did five 360s, most of us gasped, but others just cheered him on.

When he finished he was tied with me. I clapped for him. "Two 10s and a 9 bring him into a first-place tie with Heather Shepherd!"

Stacy walked over to us and Sid jumped up, immediately greeting him. Tony and I got up next. I looked at him and smiled. "Nice, Stace!"

He smiled back. "Thanks, man."

I patted him on the shoulder and then he rushed over, giving a hug to his girlfriend, Kathy.

Then a man in a red shirt walked over to Tony and Stacy. "You're disqualified," he informed Stacy.

"What are you talking about?" Stacy questioned.

"You touched the course with your hands."

"Everyone touched the course-"

"Read the rules. You're disqualified!"

Tony then pushed Stacy aside to fight the fight. "Hey, man. Hey, man. Look. Look! The dude tied us!" He motioned to me.

"Can your dirty ass even read?" the man sneered.

And that's when Tony lost it, punching the man right in the face. He fell to the ground and we pulled Tony back.

"My dirty ass, right?" Tony said.

"Hey, ease up. Ease up, man!" Skip said to him.

"You saw that-"

"Yeah, ease up!"

"Hey, hey!" Another man approached us. "Off the fairgrounds!"

Skip pushed him away. "Cut these kids some slack, man!"

"Slack?"

"Yeah."

"You do you think you are, coming to our contest and pulling this shit?"

"Pulling what shit, man? My boys are kicking your girls' asses!" Skip retorted. And, no, I wasn't offended by the comment. According Skip, most of the time, I wasn't even female… Did I care? Not really…

"I mean, every judge on the panel is on your payroll," he kept going. "What kind of shit is that, huh?" Skip shoved the man back and people booed and went "Whoa!"

Skip was shoved back and we caught him, pushing him back up.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah!" The man progressed towards Skip.

Then Skip unhooked his belt and whipped it off, curling it around his fist threateningly.

"Well, step up to the plate, man," Skip said angrily. "One at a time! You want it? Come on, will it be all of you?"

My eyes widened as Skip stepped towards them, holding his fist up. "Dude…"

"Come on! Yeah?" Skip looked at the man, his mind racing.

The man stepped back, actually scared of Skip- our Skip. Some other people watched fearfully too.

"Hey, look. All right." Skip dropped the belt from his hand. "It's gone, all right?" He held up his hands, proving it. Then he got closer in to the man in the peach-colored shirt. "Look, man. These kids are at a tender age. They tense easily, okay?"

"Your boy who punched my official is out!" the man said.

Tony looked on, jaw hanging a bit. "What?"

"Oh, come on!" Skip was suddenly angry again.

"Tony Alva's been disqualified!" the announcer informed us.

Tony walked away from us, not very happy and Skip followed him soon.

Jay and I watched and waited for him.

"Dude, he was disqualified… He's pissed…" Jay said.

I nodded and the awards were given out, Stacy taking first and Jay taking third.

I sighed, because I was hoping I would at least get second.

Skip came up behind me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "It's okay, girlie…"

"Yeah, whatever…" I muttered and walked away from him.

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Author's Note: 'Kay, so there's Chapter Four… Hoped you liked it… I'll be slower with the next chapters because of school. But I'll try my best.