Miscellaneous
Episode 036 Jim Fitzpatrick, IASC Founder, Early World Skate Traveler, Bones Brigade Intelligence Operative In 1964, Jim hopped on a plane, equipped with 12 MAKAHA skateboards, his surf stuff, and headed to Europe, being one of the first to expose much of Europe to the sight of an American Production Skateboard. The Makaha Exhibition Team, which he was a part of did just that, random exhibitions to promote this new activity. Competition Teams came later as this was before skateboard competitions had emerged.From his early skate days, we discuss the crazy yet incredible story of how he was hired by Powell, sight unseen, picked up and flown to a skate contest in Savannah, Georgia, and ended up being part of the Powell Bones Brigade crew with such duties as it's intelligence report. The story is very interesting and funny.After his Powell days, Jim formed IASC, the International Association of Skateboard Companies, of which I was a proud board member of, and the first official meeting was held in my conference room. Jim went on to be the early spark for public skateboard parks, culminating in the adoption in 1997 of SB 1296 (California State Senate Bill 1296) which gave cities the liability protection that allowed them to build skateboard parks. I sat in the California Senate Judicial Committee 6-7 years later to promote and push the vote to make that law permanent in 2006 which was made via SB 1179. These bills and laws set the precedent for the nation and the world to begin the massive growth of public skateparks.Jim also is the one who suggested they include language stating the parks should be unattended (no pad nannies), and skateboarders should all thank him greatly for this one, as it has avoiding millions of hours of harassment at skateparks. This show is a good listen for anyone who appreciates knowing how their skate history came to be and the players that were involved. Jim definitely did his share to benefit skateboarding, and I am thankful for his hard work that I've got to enjoy for a couple decades now.