Mike was a squid-in-training in the times of Apple. Now he is co-owner of Alien Workshop and lives on a farm near Dayton, Ohio. Interview conducted via email in December 2001.
How often did you go to Apple?
Not that often—maybe four times, total. I was about twelve-fourteen years old during Apple's heyday and had no transportation. Apple was like going to a mythical place.
Which areas of the park were your favorite? Why?
Probably the L-bowl, halfpipe and the little clam bowl back by the halfpipe. The L-bowl was nothing like we had ever skated. All of our ramps were big Rampage-type halfpipes and the L-bowl was something you could learn tricks in—that would have never happened on our huge U-pipes with four feet of vert. The halfpipe was perfect, the width of it was unheard of at the time—seemed huge. The little clam bowl was like the L-bowl without the hip. I learned axle stalls and rock 'n' rolls in it. Nobody skated it, so it was never a snake session.
Did you see any pros skate there?
I saw Ray "Bones" Rodriguez skate Apple. It was amazing. He took to the egg bowl like he lived there. Also saw Bobby Reeves (Powell am at the time).
What tricks did the pros do and in which areas of the park?
Ray Bones had the best style and did all the basic airs in the egg bowl and huge frontside airs out of the three-quarter pipe into the halfpipe. Bobby Reeves ruled the halfpipe and the most memorable thing I saw him do was a frontside ollie layback grind. He would launch out like a frontside ollie about two-and-a-half feet, but he would be in the layback rollout position in the air. He would grab the lip layback grind style and then land his back truck on the lip and grind a bit before sliding it all back down the tranny. Never saw anyone do that trick ever again. Brett Martin—rock 'n' roll boardsides in the kidney with the coping blocks clicking away and his rock 'n' rolls in the three-quarter pipe.
What tricks did you do and in which areas of the park?
Not many—basic carves, rock 'n' rolls, grinds in the L-bowl and little frontside airs in the halfpipe.
What is the raddest thing you saw happen at Apple?
Bobby Reeves, layback ollies. All the locals who had it dialed.
How did Apple rate as a skatepark? What were its strong points and weak points? Did you ever skate a park that was better?
I was a young kid, it was an epic adventure to even go. It was the best park I had ever ridden at the time. The pools had pretty quick trannies. We always thought Cherry Hill's pools looked mellower in the pictures. Apple's egg bowl and the kidney were imtimidating to us—deep, steep and big, fat coping. The keyhole was great. We heard a rumor that Wally Hollyday—after building Cherry Hill—wanted to try to make the pools "faster" and that is why the pools at Apple had quicker trannies. Looking back now, we were just a bunch of little pussies.
Please describe any vivid memories you have of Apple.
The first trip to Apple we had about six of us from Dayton. My brother and all of the older skaters and I charged straight to the halfpipe. It was the closest thing to our rampage ramp so we all got in the bottom of the pipe and started skating a little section to ourselves. We didn't understand that you were not supposed to have six guys skating the thing at once. It was so wide, we figured each of us would skate a sixteen-foot width of it and that was eight feet wider than we were used to. Some skate patrol guy came over and set us straight. We must have looked like morons. I remember going to Apple after Steve Olson or Duane Peters had been there. All the locals had the pro's deck and started running punk kits. Chris Phillips was this little kid that ripped the place so hard and he took on DP's persona, so he became mini-DP. Dave Bush also adapted DP's kit and I will remember Apple being associated with the beginning of punk rock for me. Lots of flourescent orange, checkerboard Steve Olson decks and dyed white flat tops. The sight of seeing—in person—all of the new skate equipment and the smell of new wheels. Hanging out in the pro shop and watching all of the locals in their Molly shorts trying so hard to be Duane Peters. We felt like we were so far behind in our little wooden ramp world.
Please describe anything funny or strange (skating or non) that happened there.
First time I saw skaters getting their heads shaved in a bathroom by another skater. It was like everything you read in Skateboarder Mag in real life.
Were you bummed when Apple was destroyed?
Yes and No. I didn't get to go much to Apple. My freshman year in high school, I got a call from Brett Martin—who was from my area but he went to Apple all the time. He was on the team and rode for Sims. He somehow got my number and called to see if I wanted to go see Cab and Mcgill. I had just broke my thumb and somehow didn't end up going. The next spring, I built my ramp in my parent's backyard and called Brett up to come skate and he told me that Apple closed. I was bummed, but since I just built my ramp, Brett started coming over alot and I was just stoked to have someone to skate with. I got to hear alot of Apple stories from Brett. I wished that I could have hooked up with him earlier and experienced more of Apple, but it's closing actually helped me to hook up with some of the best friends in my life. Everyone took control of their skating's destiny—relying on commercial skateparks for terrain was never considered again. Skateboarding tightened up.
Please add any other memories, info or comments that you wish.
I have had dreams fairly recently of Brett, Kevin Dickmann and I going to the UPS warehouse where Apple used to be and finding people jack-hammering the floor and digging out the pools.