East side story

Thrasher Magazine, Jan, 2004 by Eric Eggers

Back in the day (1985), skating was my life. There wasn't a minute that went by where I did not have my board in hand. I progressed to the point that I had my own board out on Dead Industries, the company owned by the East Coast's Vinny Raffa. I got to go over to London and Paris. I also was the creator of Pimp Clothing, my very own subdivision of Dead End. Things couldn't be any better ... until I was introduced to the club scene. After going to the Limelight in NYC for the first time, I was hooked. This was because of the excess of girls, but with that scene comes the drugs. The first time I did cocaine I was instantly in love. Now I was not only addicted to the scene and the girls, but the drugs too. It got to the point where I then hung up my skateboard to become a stupid club kid. By 1995 I was on my third overdose (the last one nearly killing me). They actually had to shoot adrenaline in my heart twice to get me going again. They had to teach me how to walk again. Now the scene was pretty much dead because of the Alig murder that happened and the DEA making numerous busts. So with this I now resorted to just doing heroin. I'm now in Riker's Island jail for the fourth time this year, and have now been arrested 15 times total--all because of drugs. I have now proceeded to waste 10 years of my life to this bullshit and I have finally woken up. I'm tired of this shitty life and want to get that one natural high I used to get only from skating. So, when I get out of here I am going to put all of that effort I used in hustling, stealing and lying into skating again. I am just writing this to let kids know out there who are thinking about trying something as far as any drugs--don't even waste your time. If this could at least help one kid to say no, I'll be happy.

Eric Eggers

New York, New York