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Brett Martin

Brett was an Apple local who built his own backyard halfpipe, went on to participate in the MESS Series, traveled all over to skate in the lean years, etc. and he never even moved away from Ohio. Roots! Interview conducted via the U.S. Postal Service.
Brett Martin, Backside Air In The Egg Pool • Unknown Photo
How often did you skate Apple?

Two or three days a week, when possible.

Which were your favorite parts of the park?

The egg pool and the halfpipe. The halfpipe was fast and it was fun to fly out of the two-thirds pipe into the half, nice and smooth. The egg pool was probably my favorite, because it was so fun to carve the deep-end and shallow alike. Even though the tranny was tight, the pool was nice and big enough to do a trick and have a fair amount of time to set-up for the next. The L-bowl was perfect for learning new tricks and jammin'.

Did you see any pros skate at Apple?

I was lucky enough to see most—if not all—of the pros there. Unfortunately, I didn't get to "hang" with any of them. I remember El Gato blowing my mind with axle stalls and rock 'n' rolls in the two-thirds pipe, David Andrecht doing high backside airs and boardsliding halfway across the deep-end of all of the pools, Steve Caballero and Mike McGill doing a lot of doubles—they were so smooth and stylish. Duane Peters was so fun to watch—he showed us how to "skate like a man". Steve Olson brought us that "punk-rock" style—great skater!

What tricks did you like to do at Apple?

I liked doing rock 'n'rolls, axle stalls and fly-outs in the halfpipe; endless speed-carves in the L-bowl; Andrechts, double axle-grinds and doubles with Kevin Dickmann in the egg pool and eating lunch in the "dining area" in front of the big window that overlooked the park (so I wouldn't miss anything).

What was the raddest trick you saw happen at Apple?

Probably the first time I saw El gato axle-stall the two-thirds pipe.

How do you think Apple rated compared to other skateparks?

I think Apple was one of the best parks in the world at the time. Apple's strong points: the finish on the surfaces was so smooth and there was not a kink anywhere. Weak points: the trannies were a little quicker than I liked, but it wasn't that hard to get used to. I wish Apple would've had a keyhole like the dog bowl at Marina Del Rey, and maybe some flat bottom in the halfpipe.

Did you attend any of the special functions at Apple (contests, all night sessions)?

I entered most—if not all—of the am contests and got to skate some of the late night sessions, but never stayed all night.

Describe any vivid memories you have of Apple.
Brett Martin, Rock 'n' Roll Slide In The Egg Pool • Unknown Photo
What I remember the most was the sheer fun I had each and every time (unless I slammed), hanging with friends (most of my very best friends skated at Apple at one time or another), progressing from trick to trick, the great feeling of being stoked after learning a trick or skating well afterward, as well as other "odd" things such as the smell of the concrete in the skating area and the smell of urethane in the pro-shop, changing into my Mad Rats shorts in the bathroom in the dead of winter, freezing my ass off until I got warmed-up—only to be completely wet with sweat on the way home. I remember the trips to the park were usually parties in themselves. Most of all, I remember the group of locals and employees that were always 100% dedicated skaters.

Do you have any strange or funny stories from Apple?

We had a local halfpipe [ramp] contest that I won—first place was a free one-year membership to a new skateboard park called Apple. I didn't know how valuable that first place was at the time. On our very first trip there, about five of us were in my friend's "hot rod" (I think it was a Ford Mustang). We were blazing and partying all the way to Columbus and, when we saw how close to the exit we were, our friend that was driving floored it. At the same time, a cop had someone else pulled over. By the time we got to our exit, we were all hooting and hollering—until we heard the sirens. We just freaked out. Our friend had to sit in the back of the cop car, and the cop asked him where he was going in such a hurry. When he told the cop the new Apple Skatepark, the cop said, "Oh, can't wait to hit that coping, eh?" It turned out that the cop had a son who skated and he let us off with just a warning.

Were you bummed when Apple was destroyed?

I was totally bummed, but looking back on it now, it was cool to be a part of the underground scene that grew afterward—the MESS Series, traveling a lot more, meeting new friends, etc. I'm not sure any of that would have happened otherwise.

Do you have any other comments?

I am totally honored to say that I was lucky enough to have skated one of the best skateparks in the world. I will never forget when I entered an ASPO contest in Colton, California. As I dropped in the channel of the Hollyday bowl, they announced my name, said I was from Apple Skatepark in Columbus, and the crowd went nuts cheering. I was so amped by their energy. I didn't do very well, but I was very proud to be from Apple Skatepark.

What have you been up to lately?

I have been enjoying all the new skateparks going up lately and I have been helping some of them out by getting them started. I still love to skate—even vert when it's available. I hope to skate as long as my body will let me. I would love to teach young kids how to skate vertical so it won't die out. I have two kids myself—Michael, eight, and Samantha, twelve—and have been married to my wife Deb for fifteen years. Time flies.

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