Concrete Wave Articles

Considering its Pacific coast location and latitudes south of the Equator, it is not surprising that little is seen or heard about the skateboard scene in Chile. Invisible, maybe, but Chile is no different than most places and has seen it all—from banana board to popsicle stick, from clay to urethane and the rise and fall of giant skateparks in ‘80s.

In the mid seventies, I remember reading about Lonnie Toft. One of the first skaters to be seen riding a wider board and also the creator of the 8- wheeler. One of my all-time favorite skate photos was from that same era. The one of Lonnie cruising outside City Hall in Toronto, Ontario on his 8-wheeler, wearing a tuxedo, top-hat, and red Vans deck shoes while holding a cane on the deck. To this day, that photo is timeless and a classic. I was honored and lucky enough to be able to catch up with Lonnie.

Michael Brooke: What was it like being a part of the ‘70s skate scene? Chris Carmichael: Living in southern California in the early ‘70s was the epicenter for surfing and skateboarding. I was 14 years old when my grandfather gave me my first movie camera. I started surfing and entering contests and became No. 1 in 1969, in the boys division in the US. This also continued the following year in the Junior Men’s division. I was No. 1 in 1970 and 1971.

Retirement, wow! It has been a very hard thing for me to do, not race that is. I got hurt at a Red Bull race and messed up my neck and broke my leg. Then a few years later, I went down hard again twisting my neck. I had it xrayed and the doc told me my neck could not take many more hard hits or blows. He went on to say that I needed to stop racing skateboards, and it’s kind of funny, he told me I was already too old to ride skateboards… so I retired then for the first time. I was feeling great and riding again within 3 weeks. I raced again the next year and had a ball but the crashes where again taking their toll on my body. I had real pain to contend with. I started a new job that couldn’t give me time off to go to races, and hell… I just turn 42 so I figured it’s time to stop for sure.

Where was that dream that Original was building anyway? The fluid carving flow of one moment into the next, the gratifying sound of urethane wheels wearing down ever so slightly, and a touch of wind in the hair. Ditch the hassles of work. Past escapes had led to a chance encounter with Acadia National Park in Maine. Investigation yielded Cadillac Mountain a sweet dream of 1,532 vertical feet of pregnant pavement. The time was right.