Built to Grind book signing, Jan. 15, '05

Thrasher Magazine, April, 2005

INDEPENDENT'S FOUNDERS Fausto Vitelio, Richard Novak, and Eric Swenson led the melee in the San Diego Convention Center banquet hall. The fire marshals and building management wanted to bust the Built to Grind book-signing party immediately since there were over a thousand people more than the room could hold but somehow settlement was reached.

Fitzpatrick and Denike were observed lobbying that this near riot was in fact a charity event. The kegs of free beer and loud music were sacrificed, for a time. Then the proto punks squared off in a head up with the pride of Samoans and you can pretty much guess the result. Everyone was smiling in the end and a few were crawling. The line for signatures was over four hours long. With people like the following doing glyphs, you know why: James O'Mahoney, Doug Haut, Mofo, Rick Blackhart, Steve Olson, Tony Alva, Lance Mountain, Steve Alba, Duane Peters, Detters, Christian Hosoi, Tommy Guerrero, Ray Barbee, Eric Dressen, Mark Gonzales, Andrew Reynolds, Tony Trujillo, Joel Tudor, John Cardiel, Geoff Rowley, Bucky Lasek, Colin McKay, and Danny Way. At the zenith, over 40 persons were diligently sitting and signing at the longest presentation table anyone had ever seen. A portion of the proceeds went to the IASC Youth Scholarships, which provides funding to skate camps for underprivileged youth. The convention authority is still attempting to determine whom to bill for some aggressively vandalized surfaces. At the event's conclusion Novak pleaded for saner heads to prevail. Then he personally hosted a two-grander of a dinner at a white tablecloth dive in the Gaslamp called Lou and Mickeys. Tommy Guerrero served as the wine steward as Meeks and Erin Kilpatrick agitated. Dickvak pulled out a knife while Mo Noll and Mic-E Reyes pondered the madness. Haut convinced a couple of Wahines into taking surf lessons on the spot on the table. Fausto threw 100-dollar bills at the waitresses and Swenson tossed the change ups. Bad went to worse and TV Hubba, Coons, Jim Thiebaud, Tommy G, Mofo and King V then ran up another $1,600 bar tab in under 30 minutes, which prompted the establishment to close it down.--Lowboy