Mid-Eastern Skateboard Series

Chip Jones

Hometown: Indianapolis, IN (Now: Boston, MA)
Still skating? Last skated vert in '95.
Occupation: Teach and research musical instrument engineering at Tufts University.
Favorite MESS memory: Along with so many others, the Middletown contests were great, as was having McGill, Gator, Jim Goodrich, and Mofo come to the J-City contest. To have some of our heros come see us??? It was just too bizarre. But just the idea of loading up the Swamp-mobile with as many friends as would fit (about 8), drive to a contest, hang with more friends, make even more friends, skate....what could be better?
Influence of MESS: Personal Influence: Aside from teaching me how to fall down (which comes in handy for the odd lay-out in my bi-weekly Ultimate games), I learned the concept of making something out of essentially nothing just by wishing it so. Most importantly, it also taught me that being competitive meant trying to be the best that I can be, rather than trying to beat someone else.
National Influence: I think it definitely made the skating world a smaller one, in that it bridged the gap between us and the coasts. Before MESS we didn't exist in the eyes of California, and they held the position of super-heroes in ours. The 2 worlds were totally separate. MESS showed the world that you didn't have to live next to the ocean to skate well, and made all skaters feel like part of one big scene.