Grifters, BMXs and Sweet Jumps
The summer of 1983. BMX mania had swept the world. Hence, all I had dreamed of all year for Christmas was a BMX. Imagine my excitement (or lack of) when I got a Grifter.
Grifter: Children’s bicycle manufactured and marketed from 1976 and until early 1983 by the Raleigh Bicycle Company of Nottingham, England.
Grifter Pros:
- The gear shift (which was incorporated in to the handle grips and was controlled with a twisting motion).
- Looked like a BMX.
Grifter Cons:
- Chunky, heavy and cumbersome (felt more like a motorbike than a bicycle).
- Not a BMX.
Don’t get me wrong – Grifters were cool … until BMXs were invented, then they became insult magnets for BMX riders.
One thing categorized the Standard-4 boys of Owairaka Primary… those who rode BMXs and those who rode Grifters who were constantly picked on by those who had BMXs… all 3 of us. The Grifter Gang years began.
I grew to love my Grifter and spent most of my school holidays and after school riding it all over west Auckland with the other two members of the GG. Needless to say we pulled many a sweet jump on the things. (which nowadays i might add, are highly collectible to retro buffs).
The Summer of 2009.
My eldest son received a bona-fide BMX for Christmas from his very over-generous grandparents. I don’t know who was more excited, him or me.
Yesterday I introduced him to the art of backyard sweet jump pulling. Life is good.
My evolution of musical taste
Being a child of the 70′s my taste in music was influenced by my older siblings – Disco Europop.
Abba
The 80′s started with a bang, and like most kids my age I whittled away many a Saturday cradling my poor-man’s ‘Ghetto Blaster’ listening to Casey Kasem’s American Top 40.
Too many classics to mention but one band pretty much sums it up:
A-Ha
The 90′s began, and so did my guitar playing. Overnight it seemed my taste in music matured from cheesy pop to Christian heavy metal…
King’s X
King’s X would still be one of my favourite bands if it weren’t for their public turning away from the Christian faith.
Someone must have been praying for me during this time because folk music started to be played on my system more and more…
Keith Green
During the 90′s and early 2000′s because of my loathing of ‘artificial music’, I simply refused to listen to, let alone buy any band that featured a keyboardist. One band caused me to repent of my syth-descrimination…
Delirious
The early 2000′s showcased some simply amazing New Zealand guitar driven worship – which I might add, has shaped my music style permanently. Props to Dean Rush (Form), Bruce Conlon (Eight), Brian Platt (Solace), and Mark Bourgeois (Elephant). Amazingly, all of the above attended the same church in Auckland.
Eight
One band has dominated my stereo in recent years: David Crowder Band (which genuine Christian isn’t a fan of him?)
David Crowder Band
2010 is just around the corner, and where is my taste in music heading? I’m not too sure, but thanks to a good friend of mine, my latest musical purchase is reminiscent 80′s disco synthpop.
Owl City
And so, my life defined by music genres…
1970′s – Disco
1980′s – Pop
1990′s – Christian Heavy Metal
2000′s – Guitar Driven Worship
2010′s – Reminiscent 80s disco synthpop???
Full circle it seems. (I don’t know whether to laugh or cry 
Mary Poppins. Hide your children
I’ve never seen Mary Poppins in its entirety. Parts of it have always given me the creeps.
Perhaps it’s is because of the not so subtle (down right scary) imagery hidden throughout the movie. Don’t be deceived by it’s cute Disney musical facade with the ever so innocent Mary (fresh from singing in the Swiss alps).
Pure evil I say.
You doubt me? Watch the original trailer if you dare.
*Shudder*
Giant devil fish, rays and panic attacks
She remembers an obviously doctored photo in an old local surf shop of an areal view of a dingy dwarfed by the shadow of a giant manta swimming beneath it. The imagery that fuels nightmares.
In our early years of marriage we had a couple of too-close-for-comfort encounters with rays.
We were having a leisurely snorkel one afternoon at a picture-perfect inlet and I came across one rather large ray basking beside a rocky outcrop. I pointed it out to PJ and couldn’t believe her courage as she she swam right up to it. It wasn’t until it started looking very threatening, did PJ then proceed to have a panic attack. Courage didn’t motivate her to get close up and personal with the ray that day… her mask was so fogged up that she couldn’t see it, until she was almost kissing it.
On another fateful Monday morning, we had only just started a classic surf session when I noticed that the sandy floor a couple of meters below us was quite literally covered with rays. What they were doing I cannot say… basking, spawning? But it was a little unnerving. Why oh why did I point them out to an oblivious PJ? Panic attack no.2.
Alright, so we all know that rays are harmless beautiful creatures. A reassuring fact sure enough, until its believability is shattered when Google reveals pieces of trivia like…
“Simon Pierce of Queensland University’s School of Biological Sciences said there were no accurate records of stingray deaths, but estimated there had been about 30 worldwide in recent years.”
And of course we can’t forget the late great Hunter of Crocodiles… by crikey.
Ever wanted to know how big these suckers get?
The Hawaii Association for Marine Education and Research, Inc. website claims that the largest manta species ‘Manta Birostris’ can have a wingspan of 9.1 meters.
Maybe the photo in the surf shop was real after all.
The Goonies and the illusive Giant Octopus
Back in the day (1985 to be precise), Goonies paraphernalia came out months before the release date here in NZ. The ever popular (at the time) Goonies Bubblegum Cards contained a couple of shots of the Giant Octopus scene. So, if you were anything like I was in ’85 (and still am), I couldn’t contain my excitement as I awaited the movie to start. The movie started and ended, there was no sign of the awesome giant octopus, I was gutted and it tarnished my view of the movie forever.
To rub salt in my wounds, at the film’s conclusion, when Data (the same kid who was in Temple of Doom) is talking to the reporters, he says: “…Yeah, and the part with the octopus was really scary!”
I could have cried.
And now, thanks to the magic of Youtube, let me reveal to you, the deleted Giant Octopus scene in all it’s glory. 29 years later all I have to say (once again) is… “Meh.”
Flashback Friday
Anyway. The above pic was taken in early-mid 80s. and there are several things very wrong with it.
1. The stubbies
2. The shirt tucked into the stubbies
3. The bowl cut
4. The buck teeth
5. The bike bell
Can you spot anymore?
Symon.
Over and out.
Treat your mother right… fool!
Anyone growing up in the 80′s loved Mr. T. He was an icon of a bygone and fondly reminisced era. My wife even had a crush on him back in the day (married me because we look so similar;-) But I digress.
What I bet most of us Gen X’s don’t know (or anyone else for that matter) is that Mr. T had a brief stint as a singer/songwriter. I kid you not… and video proof follows.
Kinda catchy if you ask me…
Hip Chess for retro kidults
Imagine my delight when my 7 year old son came home from school last week and said, “Dad… can you teach me how to play chess?”
Parental bliss.
And so, having a re-kindled desire to go out and buy a Chess set which oozes awesomeness, I’ve been doing some research… and it seems that Chess for retro kidults is now very, very cool indeed. The problem is, you need a lot of money to be that cool. Looks like I’m gonna have to start saving
Spider-Man Deluxe Pewter Chess Set: $499 (USD)
Aliens Deluxe Pewter Chess Set: $374.99 (USD)
Lord Of The Rings Collectors Chess Set: $649.99 (USD)
Lego Ultimate Castle Chess Set: $300 (USD)
Star Wars Collectors Chess Set: $599 (USD)
