Mid-Eastern Skateboard Series
John Wittpenn
Hometown: Huntington, WV (Now: Monterey Peninsula, CA)
Still skating? Yes.
Occupation: Software developer, musician
Favorite MESS memory: It was the Middletown contest where
Sarge dropped in and just slammed into the facing wall. I remember him getting
up, screaming loud four letter words, and just running back up onto the deck,
and dropping back in. I remember tents everywhere, and once again, great skating
with great skaters. I was so stoked just to skate with all of these strangers.
Everyone was great to talk to and just hang out with.
Influence of MESS: MESS and people like Ridge were huge influences.
Skating was dead as far as the general public felt. Ridge and I were skating
in my parent's basement, when he said "we have to build a ramp". And so we
did. No "what abouts....", just build a damn ramp.
I really don't remember the first time I heard about the MESS series starting,
but Ridge was on it, and we hopped on, too. Think about thi—a whole contest
series is planned and implemented by a group of skaters who are geographically
separated, but share a common interest. The contests (to me at least) were
like a jam format, where everyone was a winner, and everyone was pushing everyone
else. It was a great time in my life, and it helped in forming my attitude
that anything is possible, if you believe in it.
John keeping sharp at the Hollister Skatepark in Northern California.
