Ain’t Nothin’ Wrong, With a Little Bump and Grind

Comments (0) By Jamie Laughlin Thursday, Oct 22 2009

Pull up to designated outsider haunts (municipal building front steps, sanctioned skate parks, or poorly lit parking lots) this evening, and you’ll feel ill at ease. That comforting sound: the familiar click, rattle, and hum of skateboard trucks, will be absent. No, the culprit isn’t a new city ordinance or a deck-driven zombie apocalypse – it’s GripTape, a giant, friggin’ party showcasing the artwork of world-renown skate gurus, cameos by Lance Mountain and Christian Hosoi, and the anthem-fueled power sounds of local punk act the Shakers, among others.

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The event’s curator is our own Blair Hess. Both a mentor to local youth and catalyst for SoFla’s rapidly growing grind culture, Hess is known for organizing competitions and classes that give budding boarders outlets for athletic creativity. Tonight, however, he will take on a more aesthetic role, displaying his own artwork alongside that of famed grinders Ray Barbee, Steve Caballero, Mark Lake, and Kris Markovich. Take a glance back into our region’s early days of skating with the photo exhibit “Grind Life 1987.” Also enjoy live screen printing by promoter/boarder/Counterpoint Garment’s own Paul Gnu as well as a rapidly evolving mural piece, delicately slathered on by a legion of local talents. It all goes down from 6 to 11 p.m. at the Bubble (810 NE Fourth Ave., Fort Lauderdale.)
Thu., Oct. 22, 6 p.m., 2009