Natas Kaupas - 1986 and 2000

In the summer of 1986 my mother dropped me and my friend off to go watch the premiere of "Amazing Surf Stories"by Scott Dittrich at the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art. The line was long and filled with all the local hero's, burnouts, bastards and groms from the PB and La Jolla area. After buying the tickets we walked to the back of the line. I remember hearing insults, funny laughter, shit talk and there was an ever present cloud of smoke. I was 14 that summer night and had just started to immerse myself in the world of surfing and skateboarding the year prior. Tom Curren and Archie were the reasons we came out to see the movie. Their surfing was everything I loved at that time. Curren had perfect style and Archie surfed like he was pissed. We were ready to watch shit go down.

As the line began to move, someone offered us a joint and a beer. No thanks. I was happy with my huge soda and stash of candy that we got from the AM/PM by Windansea. Inside the theatre it was starting to get packed. It was hot and the thick, dank smell of dirt weed filled the theatre. As at any premiere, there were some clashes of cool guys and I remember some dudes in the back heckling some guys they didn't like, yelling "Go back to Clairemont Faggots"! I remained silent in the back, figuring it best to fly under the radar. I knew we were the prime demographic of abuse. Gangley groms who didn't surf that good and weren't quick enough to defend ourselves with our slow wit. Eyes forward, laugh along and follow the crowd. Check.

After what seemed like an eternity, the lights finally dimmed. 20-30 beers cracked simultaneously. The movie started and we all were treated to Archie surfing Costa Rica at 100 miles an hour and the Curren footage was solid but as a whole the video was sucking. There was some older footage and stuff in there that, we as kids, couldnt yet appreciate. We were ready to write it off until the sound of fire crackling and one word appeared on the screen. Natas.

We watched in amazement as this rad guy with a weird name ripped on his skateboard. He was doing shit I had never seen before and by the sounds of everyone going bananas, nobody had ever seen before.Watch his part starting at 2:20...this got us on our feet! His last trick was a boardslide on a dumpster and the whole crowd erupted. Beer cans flew at the screen and people were cheering. For me, it made me look at skateboarding in an entirely different way. After the movie let out, all I really remembered liking was Natas.

Natas Photo: J.Grant Brittain

Many years later I owned a Skateboard shop in San Diego called Hanger 18. My joy was to have pros come in for autograph signings. I loved to give the local kids a chance to meet their heros as I know it mattered to me when I was a kid. I feel like thats missing nowadays from the typical surf and skateboard shops. The big mall stores are more about image than substance, but thats a different story for another day. I was doing good business with element skateboards at the time and I told my rep Travis that I wanted to get Natas to my shop for a signing. Natas was recently back into skateboarding after a stint as an Art Director for an upscale porn magazine called "Rage". Travis hooked it up and we had a date set for Natas and Mike V to come for a signing. I was very pleased.

Natas and Mike V

Here I was almost 20 years later in my own skate shop. I basically look at it like I owe him for this part of my life. If i didn't see that part, I would have never fallen in love with skating. Its funny how some things you come across in life are so powerful it changes your direction. That video part was one of those things.

Natas, MikeV, Gonz Photo: J.Grant Brittain

So the day arrives and my friend Junior came down to cook his famous Carne Asada. I forgot the grill so he dumps the coals on the sidewalk and tips over a nearby shopping cart and cooks it up super ghetto style! We brought a little soul back right there! At the end I approach Natas and we talk for a few minutes about that old surf movie and his video part. He was real humble and said thanks and we had another taco. As a parting gift I gave him an old license plate that I bought off Ebay the week prior. It was a California issued plate with his name on it. He mentioned that he was bidding on it as well and was bummed he didn't win the auction... I won the auction with a bid of $9.50.  I never did tell Natas the full extent of his impact on me, but standing next to him for a photo I felt as though I had come full circle. I was standing with the reason I got into skateboarding... Mr. Natas Kaupas.

Me and Natas in my shop - 2000