TPATLiens

Words and captions by Adam Burgess
Photos by Rob Meronek

Straight off the plane and into the streets, Dodge keeps it grimy with this beast of a bs180

Reppin’ Florida SoN! Sad ollies up and out

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Atlanta, Georgia for installing a mass amount of marble and granite throughout the city. This would be a Sad snap yo!

Rob Meronek shreds the streets with some ill kicks on his feet. I don’t know about the rest of you people, but I’m feelin’ my photography skills

Beer and wallrides. Dodge and Sadam skirt doubles

Mark Huff contemplates Ryan and Andrea’s dance moves while I sit at the bar alone, farting and hating on lactose

Three hours before our departure from ATL, we kept it mellow with Osha and she explained to us that ATL loc dogs like to floss black T’s

Three pirates with the witch’s brew aboard the Pacifica

Is that a snake lodged in my left sleeve? Oh wait, that’s my crooked ass arm. How soon I forgot. Adam Burgess bean plants with no rave in site

Summer camp at Andrea’s crib. Thanks for the roof

At this point in time Rob was remembering his Asian heritage by wasting the remaining 10 minutes of his camera’s battery in spite of my cravings for sleep. The Ghost of Atlanta’s past. You will know him as Sadam

Dodge catches another glance while Pete levitates under my other crooked arm

Yo Pete! Happy Father’s Day brother! Pete Kelly with a backside crail tickler after and before threading the needle

Dodge 50’s on a canoe-like bar

This would be a wall jam to fakie, and that would be Sadam

Skating with your friends is the best way to thrash. Dodge snaps an ollie while the rest of us wait to do the same strictly for kicks

Pete ollies back to back with the homies

Rob has got it like that. Monster pop and a decent photo by yours truly

Adam ollies with the posse

These are actually venomous snakes wearing Mexican wrestling masks, minus those random toes

Frontal noseslide by Sadam

Dodge carves this frontside wallride before threading the needle

Pretty soon skaters will be arming themselves with portable welders

Strickly cruisin’

Threading the needle for me was a bit intimidating because I have big feet. After not catching my heels I skirted this wall ride nollie out. Sadam

Dodge Kong stormed the Eiffel Tower with no hesitation. Primates are interesting creatures

These ladies were watching and clapping for us while we skated the Gnar Banks. They wanted a photo with the posse and the three amigos knew what that sneaky Asian was up to. Does this remind anyone of Georgia’s red clay?

Dodge jams the hell out that pole right after I turned green and man handled it into proper position

Part squirrel, part kung fu master, part primate. Sad creates while Pete contemplates

Chattahoochee dreaming

The day I’ve been waiting for, my first Take a Poop. I look constipated while trying this staple gun to hand plant

There’s that snake again. You see it coming out of my right sleeve? Someone is going to get bit. Adam wallies at the Gnar Banks

Dodge has hot foot on walls? Frontside wallride ollie off

I’m down for wallies, wallrides, and ollies. I’m so down I feel like tickling myself. That’s the benefit of being crooked with a “c”

I always wondered what it would be like to drive a kiwi. Homie in the fore front is charming Atlanta’s cobra population

Rob is under the influence and Damiana is night dreaming

Ryan Dodge is packing some power. Flat ground nollie

I’m not as gnarly as I seem. Gnar Banks Yo!

“This just in, three TPATLiens were spotted cruisin’ those dirty souf’ streets from Friday, June 16 to Sunday the 18th, 2006. They were led by a walking, talking, breathing skateboard dictionary that resembles the form of man. This group of four human-like beings range from 5’3” to 6’3”, weighing in at a total of 600 lbs. and are potentially dangerous to the surrounding cities comprised of concrete, marble, and the remaining masonry materials. If you have any information regarding the where-abouts of this group of missionaries please contact Superman. You can find Clark Kent on Peachtree by Carnegie Park.

This four man crew was comprised of Ryan Dodge, Adam Burgess, Rob Meronek and Pete Kelly. The first three fellas broke out of Florida for the weekend and met up with P. Kelly from the Surf Expo camp. Pete was kind enough to provide a shelter, bathing facilities, and directions to the local watering holes as well as some damn good skate spots. I had always heard rumors about Atlanta’s scene from locals like Cory Hainline, Sean Stockton, Graham Bickerstaff, etc. and this was the first time I got a solid taste of the city. And a healthy taste it was.

Our first night in town we pushed through the Roswell/Buckhead area and then headed downtown to that spot no one has ever heard of, known as ‘Black Box.’ We sessioned ‘til 2am and promptly purchased talls for the ride to Pete’s crib. Oh how I love 24oz Newcastle. The rest of the night was comprised of a healthy hour or so of reasoning before the lights went out. Saturday morning we arose to domestic Pete preparing some chicken embryos, soyasauge, and toast. After digestion took place we sailed in the grand Pacifica (this is not a Omar plug, we be riding dirty in them Chevies) on the 404 and the 85 south, and were later pushing from spot to spot for what felt like a day divided by four; 24/4=6 hours. Many maneuvers were documented and the session ended at The Local for quick refreshments. The Local was later revisited by our crew for mas cervesas. I actually refrained from boozing due to a pound of fettuccini and lactose in my bowels, but it was fun to watch the rest of the crew act and dance like fools. After bar hopping with Ryan’s Melbourne homie Mark and Ian from Ruin Skateshop, we all were lucky enough to witness Dodge climb the Eiffel Tower. Dodge Kong can scale a building like no other primate and on a skateboard his feet be mad hot yo! After leaving Paris, France we ended up at Andrea and Damiana’s dwelling where Rob captured photos of the not-so-local Ghostbuster Sadam.

Sunday was welcomed with three hours of sleep and some kosher views of the Chattahoochee River. After Rob and his laptop recharged, he, Dodge, and I were off to downtown again only to find a few more top 10 spots. Pete and company, Osha and Christin, met the three amigos and led the expedition to the Gnar Banks. We thrashed for an hour, were bootlegged by some passer-byes, and departed to the Blood-n-Fire bowl for an ill backyard-like gathering. The bowl has been worked on for the past three years by Nick Hersey, a humble ATL resident whose vision is going in the right direction: unity through skateboarding. For a second I thought I was witnessing Tampa’s Old Man Bowl Jam, but the session included some local youths as well. After our schralping had commenced, Sunday quickly morphed into Monday and we were right back where we started; from TPA International into Schaefer’s whip, and back to work. In the back of my mind I keep hearing and feeling faint noises and vibrations and I have come to recognize these moments of relapses as brain farts from the lack of sleep and overloads of good times. Big ups to Pete from Surf Expo, Nick at Blood-n-Fire, and the rest of the friends revisited and created along the journey.