First of all, I asked MB, Malakai and EBasil in a PM first before starting a thread. MB and MK did not know so now I'm asking here (at MB's suggestion, I might add.)
I know Blaize died in '99 but why? Does anyone know what happened?
I had met him a few times in the mid '80s when his Rasta Ramp in Charleston was like the convergeance of just about anyone who skated in the Southeast. He was still in high school then but I think even then he had his deal with G&S or Walker, can't remember.
Anyway, back in '99 when he died I saw some memorials and "he was a great guy" kind of stories but back then I didn't know anyone to ask about what really happened.
He died in a car accident on a really dark tree lined road in Charleston (specifically, Johns Island, I believe). I don't know the circumstances, like if he was drinking or fell asleep or what, but in Charleston, those big old oak trees will jump out in front of you when you're driving late at night. Since I don't know for sure I won't speculate. I never saw Blaize drinking though, but he was really young when I was hanging out at the ramp in 1985.
His sister had commited suicide just a few years before he died too, so double tragedy for his family. Very sad.
If you were there in '85 we MAY have met. Like I said, I lived in Columbia then and came down a few times that summer and fall.
I didn't hang out too, too much. I was dating Keith Durden at the time (and, no, I'm not Mary Chris) so I'd go hang with him and watch him skate and be his little groupie. It was a good time. Blaize's mom was so nice. I remember it was the first summer that I remember it hitting 100 degrees when I was hanging out in that back yard, smoking cloves and watching the guys skate. Good times.
I didn't hang out too, too much. I was dating Keith Durden at the time (and, no, I'm not Mary Chris) so I'd go hang with him and watch him skate and be his little groupie. It was a good time. Blaize's mom was so nice. I remember it was the first summer that I remember it hitting 100 degrees when I was hanging out in that back yard, smoking cloves and watching the guys skate. Good times.
Christ.
Keith and I marched together for three years in the Summerville band. He was a year older ('78, I was '79). We skated together all through high school. What's funny is there are TWO hills in Summerville. One is Rose Hill where Keith lived and the other is Ashborough Avenue where I lived. (My dad still does.) There was a thread in the SOUTHEAST forum not too long ago talking about the old George Street swimming pool. Keith was the guy who showed the rest of us where it was back in '75. Keith's dad took a car load of us in the summer of '76 on a road trip to Myrtle Beach to ride the Red, White and Blue park. Last time I saw him was in the early '80s down on King Street. He was loafing around and was heavily into the punk/safety pins thing.
I was out at the Hangar Bowl a few years ago and asked Hank and some other guys if they knew Keith and what became of them. They said at the time they thought he was working at Metal Trades on Yongue's Island. That's the last I heard of him.
By the way, I'm Wesley Tucker. Like I said, me, Keith, Marshall Delesseline, Dubby Thompson and John Johnson were pretty much THE Summerville skate crew in the '70s. I left for Carolina in '79 and stayed in Columbia for 10 years except in '83 after graduation when I worked for the Summerville Newspaper. I moved back to Summerville five months before "the storm" in '89 and I've been here ever since. So I was in Columbia when the Rasta Ramp was in all its glory.
By the way, I run cones at the Gahagan baseball complex in Summerville. Not hardly any hill but just enough of a grade to get some speed. I used to run cones at the Bus Depot but haven't been down there since Mullins became police chief. I've just heard too many weird things about cops and skaters since he took over. Not like the good ol' days when we had one of our own in Reuben Greenberg in charge.
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Last edited by Parallel Man; 07-29-2008 at 09:47 AM.
Are you kidding me? I thought it was pretty obvious.
By the way, you've been to John's Island where Jessamine says Blaize died. I can't remember if it was you or Gilmour who rode with me that Sunday over to the Hangar Bowl at Hank's house. I taxied a lot of people around that weekend. I do remember, though, you at that session,
Anyway, the Hangar Bowl is in the middle of John's Island and as you may recall there are some of the "tree tunnel" roads where the big oaks are right up to the road's edge and cover the highway for miles on end.
Keith and I marched together for three years in the Summerville band. He was a year older ('78, I was '79). We skated together all through high school. What's funny is there are TWO hills in Summerville. One is Rose Hill where Keith lived and the other is Ashborough Avenue where I lived. (My dad still does.) There was a thread in the SOUTHEAST forum not too long ago talking about the old George Street swimming pool. Keith was the guy who showed the rest of us where it was back in '75. Keith's dad took a car load of us in the summer of '76 on a road trip to Myrtle Beach to ride the Red, White and Blue park. Last time I saw him was in the early '80s down on King Street. He was loafing around and was heavily into the punk/safety pins thing.
I was out at the Hangar Bowl a few years ago and asked Hank and some other guys if they knew Keith and what became of them. They said at the time they thought he was working at Metal Trades on Yongue's Island. That's the last I heard of him.
By the way, I'm Wesley Tucker. Like I said, me, Keith, Marshall Delesseline, Dubby Thompson and John Johnson were pretty much THE Summerville skate crew in the '70s. I left for Carolina in '79 and stayed in Columbia for 10 years except in '83 after graduation when I worked for the Summerville Newspaper. I moved back to Summerville five months before "the storm" in '89 and I've been here ever since. So I was in Columbia when the Rasta Ramp was in all its glory.
By the way, I run cones at the Gahagan baseball complex in Summerville. Not hardly any hill but just enough of a grade to get some speed. I used to run cones at the Bus Depot but haven't been down there since Mullins became police chief. I've just heard too many weird things about cops and skaters since he took over. Not like the good ol' days when we had one of our own in Reuben Greenberg in charge.
Ah, Keith just hung out with the punks. He wasn't in the black-motorcycle-jacket-with-spikes group. He was always skater-Keith. I actually met him when he lived on King Street in a studio apartment with 2 other guys and a brindle great dane named Auschwitz. One of the guys lived in the closet. It was a pretty funny scene. A guy I dated was one of his roommates.
Keith was always a sweetie and a really good guy. I haven't heard from him in a while. My ex-husband keeps in touch with him. He was married for a bit but his wife ran off with some guy name, funny enough, Wes. He certainly didn't deserve that. I think he's like the rest of us geezers though, just making a living.
Keith was friends with Nancy and her husband Rich who owned the Hanger before Hank got custody of the bowl. Did you ever see this article:
What Happened To Blaize Blouin?
It was a good time. Blaize's mom was so nice. I remember it was the first summer that I remember it hitting 100 degrees when I was hanging out in that back yard, smoking cloves and watching the guys skate. Good times. 
