Mid-Eastern Skateboard Series
Mike Hill
Hometown: Dayton, OH (Now:
Farmersville, OH)
Still skating? I have a good line to the coffee pot.
Occupation: Co-Owner of Wormtrap Inc.
Moved to CA: 1988, worked for G&S, quickly left to start Alien Workshop in 1990.
Favorite MESS memory: Middletown contest was fun, lots of energy and
a diverse group for sure. I was stoked to travel anywhere with Kevin
and Brett; they had a huge impact on me as a young teen. Meeting all the
skaters who put their zines together: the Knoxville and Nashville crew, the
Ridge and his hand written zine (the Shredder), the Indy guys, and the
Michigan group were always fun to hang out with. Everyone skated so good.
Looking back I had no business skating in the sponsored class. The West
Virgina trips were always unforgettable. Skaters and true pecks coexisting
in perfect harmony. Hosting a contest was an experience for me at 17. I
quickly realized how bad my ramp sucked, and speed bumps in the flat bottom
were not considered normal.
Influence of MESS: At the moment, you're just doing it for the sake of doing it. It definitely had
an impact as far as mideast skaters later working at the
magazines/companies and the dedication they brought to it from the MESS
days. There was competition but it was more based on camaraderie and a
reason to meet up with people. For me personally, it was my source for
friendship with people who had the same obsession and probably kept me from
going insane. The memories of those years are still quite vivid and probably
the best times I've had in skateboarding.
