On board

Thrasher Magazine, April, 2004

FIRING LINE: PETER SMOLIK

Age: Twenty-six

AKA: Alkasmolik, ODS, Rudy the Rudetician

Home: San Diego, CA

Years skating: Twenty-six

Sponsors: Sk8mafla, Independent, Spitfire, Pacific Drive, S-One

First board: Mark Rogowski

Last Paycheck: Today

Vid of all time: Hokus Pokus

Music: Anything and everything

Movie: Scarface

Greatest of all time: T Hawk, Daewon, Lil' B

Biggest Haters: The fucking cops!

Crew: Sk8mafia--Lil' B, K-Nutty, DC24, The Crane, Z-Unit, Tre-Flip, The Juice, Madness, Lo-Lo, Kellen, and anyone else who skates

Greatest gift: My girl, Rudis

Worst vice: Rudis!

Ideal terrain: Got to he boosters--anything and everything. It doesn't even matter!

Advice to the kids: Skate to have fun and never quit

Plan for the future: Domination

MEPHISTO PREDICTS

TWS SUFFERS a second exodus when Shad Lambert, Saba Halder and Sharon Harrison split to start another new magazine. Sadly, Intercontinental Skateboardering lasts only four issues.

ROB DYRDEK'S skate plaza idea catches on so hard that skaters around the country start sneaking into their local parks at night to fill in the bowls with concrete. "My work will be done when planters and manual pads cover the Vans Combi-Pool and even the great parks of the Pacific Northwest!," the tiny technician announces proudly, via e-mail.

TERRY KENNEDY trades his skateboard and acting ambitions for a career as a concert flautist. "Shit's tightly he reports.

THE NUMBER OF PROS with their own TV shows begins to outnumber those without.

PATRICK MELCHER goes underground and refuses to film--claiming the Black Label team is "after me pot of gold!"

AFTER A MONTH on a strict diet of Bob Burnquist's organic food, Tony Mag's fingers grow back.

BOULALA SWITCHES to vert and joins Danny Way on the Super Ramp. True to form, he wears women's knee pads two sizes too small.

JIM GRECO'S BAND The Fuckos sign a six-album deal with Capitol after agreeing to change their name to The Frickos to facilitate easier radio play and Wal-Mart sales. Jim continues to skate, though he brings his Casio keyboard along on the sessions in case the muse strikes.

YOUNG CONCRETE PARK skaters take to padding their shirts with pillows to better imitate their hero, the almighty Salba. Push-ups on the deck also become a common sight.