The Real Bonzer Skate Trip
The first skate adventure I had in the 80's was when my friend Franco Francia took our friend Phillip Dodd and myself down in his MkII Toyota Corona. Hard to remember the details too well, except that the rap played long and loud. The second trip I drove in my Holden TA Torana with Franco and Steve Atherton. This time we bought a roll of film and lent a skaters camera to take some snaps; so this has become the more memorable trip. We split up the photos after we developed them and Franco probably last had the negatives as the above photo was developed at his at home darkroom a few years after the event. Taken by me; It features Franco wearing a cap and Steve returning to the top of the run and also my car; "the Bonzer Mobile".
Here we are for a group shot / run taking on "the wave". Michael Rule (left) Steve Atherton (middle) Franco Francia (right)
We wanted to skate all day on Sunday and decided to drive back at night. It was an eventful trip as there was a problem with car headlight and as there were no service stations open we eventually ran out of petrol. After we bummed some fuel we finally made it back to Steve's house only to be pulled over by the cops. I almost copped a yellow sticker because I remember I had a Powell Peralta sticker on hand to put on the cop's car in exchange. I recently had alook at a break down of my traffic offences and it was not there. My first offence was riding an unregistered vehicle (my G&S skateboard). It was a close one and I think it is testimony to my repentance that I no longer own or drive a car. It was a constant source of misadventure. I catch the bus down these days on my trips down south. The Bonzer mobile eventually succumb to mechanical problems leaking petrol tank. It ended up on a Osborne Park wrecking heap in a "still roofed" state. A needed a better ending than this, so I think in this I found the motivation to write and draw the continuing Earwigo Comics.
by Michael Rule
Below: Franco skates Albany
