Inouye's Pool Service
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Tom "Wally" Inouye
In the beginning there was only surfing.
For the surfers that became the first generation of vertical skateboarders, there was no such thing as skate influence. We simply emulated the surfing maneuvers the best surfers were doing on waves. So for that fleeting period of time in skateboarding history, inspiration or influence flowed only from surfing. Tom Inouye,
a.k.a.,Wally was in that elite class of first generation bowl riders who actually inspired and influenced other skate boarders. Now fast forward three years to circa 1977, 42 years ago. The late renowned surf photographer Warren Bolster tells me that Wally was a photographers dream come true. About 2 years earlier the late Tom Sims had said the exact same thing to me. Well I grew up just around the corner from Wally so this was old news to me.
I already knew he was unique.
A natural, his skating appeared to be effortless, a poise and grace that translates into a beautiful style. His innate ability to, envision, innovate, and apply, is uncanny. Wallys prowess on a skateboard has landed him, 4 in depth magazine interviews, 7 magazine covers, 3 posters, 2 center-spreads. As well as a estimated 150 additional photos published in various magazines and newspapers.For a period of time in the mid to late 70s Tom was the most photographed skate boarder on earth.
He was a phenomenon, an inspiration to skaters around the world. While his dynamic and stylish images were being captured by our fledgling industries photographers. They chronicled through illustration surfing’s influence on skateboarding roots.
Then Wally ushered us into the future when his captured images introduced us to the aerial, this altered the destiny of surfing as well as skateboarding.
I am truly fortunate and humbled to have witnessed the mile stones and participated in the creation of the lifestyle profession of skateboarding.
From a pivotal time in skateboarding’s infancy through its progression to a Olympic sport. All of this made possible by just skating in the draft of my friends immense coattails. Thanks for the ride Wally and congratulations to you my brother, for the long overdue recognition of just one of your many inspirational contributions to the surf skate and snow, board riders brotherhood.
A true grandmaster of all three disciplines.
For over 40 years Tom has been revered in our industry for his many accomplishments. Not the least of which, being a kind respectful and dignified ambassador for our sport.
Tom Wally Inouye is to skateboarding. What Gerry Lopez was to pipeline, and Larry Bertlemann was to surf maneuvers. For those who may not understand the surf analogy. Simply stated it means, Wally’s influence on skateboarding has been unequivocally profound.
Peace.
BSD
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Chris Strople
Chris Strople is widely recognized as one of the primary vert skateboarders of the late 1970s, inventing such basic moves as the alley-oop, and rock ’n’ roll boardslide. Chris was also among the first to pioneer bionic aerials. Born on February 5, 1960, in Pasadena, California, Chris started skating in ’66, when he would secretly borrow his neighbor’s Vita Pak skateboard. “He caught me borrowing it and kicked my ass, but I kept at it and learned how to roll pretty good. He caught me several more times over the next couple years and exacted justice each time. I loved to skate,” Chris commented. The first stick Strople could call his very own was an old used ’60s stringer Hobie with white composite wheels. “I think that I traded some baseball cards for it,” Chris recalls.
Turning pro in 1975 for Sims, Strople was also sponsored by Tracker, Robinak, and SIO. Soon after, he found himself on Caster, who gave him a pro model, along with a move to Gull Wing, Hang Ten, Nike and Gyro. Unbeknownst to many, Chris stayed pro all the way until 1993. In the contest arena of the ’70s, Strople rode all the municipal events, including freestyle, slalom, downhill, banks and pools. At the end of that decade, he placed second in the first Hester Series contest at the Upland Pipeline. In addition to a Who’s Hot! and an interview in Skateboarder magazine, Strople also scored the cover of Modern Photography, and was featured in the Silver 25 Year Anniversary Edition of Wide World of Sports. In February 1981, he was also the first human to appear on the cover of Thrasher. On the commercial front, he even did spots for Perrier and Wrigley’s.
Strople’s best skate buddies over the decades have included local Sierra Madre skaters, Waldo, Brad Strandlund, Wally, all the early Badlanders, Worm, the early San Diego crew, including the Kona Boys, Sonny, Murray, Gunnar and Bill. Continuing to skate today but at a far reduced rate, Strople still feels the same stoke as when he was younger. Living in the hills of Monrovia on the front end of the San Gabriels, Strople rides his mountain bike and works in Pasadena as a commercial insurance broker.
