TOM SIMS R.I.P.

Tom Sims was one of the originals of this whole thing (skateboarding) we all love. He was always positive and always supportive and inspirational, as well as serious. Before I was even accepted at the magazine as someone serious Tom encouraged me and let me know that i was doing something special that others were'nt. That meant a lot at 15 years old. He was a real photo buff too! And remember all the early blood he had riding his boards once urethane was being made by people other than Nasworthy and Roller Sports, with precision.


Before the twin style robots, of Bowman and (his miniature) Lamar, there was the outrageous Lonnie Toft, Steve Monahan, just after Zephyr, Biniak, Wentzle, and Muir, Arthur Lake, Tom "Wally" Inoyue, Doug DeMontmorency, Mike Folmer (sorry for the poor spellings) and many more incredibly original riders.... Tom was a real dude, no one else like him in this field, one of the good ones, an innovator and a passionate leader of this whole deal. I haven't seen him in many many years, and most have never even met him, but if you're reading this, he has certainly touched your life as well. RIP

GEF


P.S. Did i mention he pretty much invented Long board skateboarding, at least dominated it in the mid-seventies, and oh yeah, ever hear of SNOW BOARDING? He pretty much invented that too!