A good crowd of old-school skater buds congregated at the Tin Roof in West Ashley the night after Christmas for the SK843 reunion gig. Organized by artist and musician Kevin Taylor — a Mt. Pleasant native currently based in San Francisco — the event featured several sets of loud ‘n’ fast punk rock on the main stage. The scene in the bar and on the deck included two or three mini-generations of skaters from every region of Charleston.

“We started a group called SK843, which led to a huge collective of folks getting back in touch,” Taylor told City Paper earlier this month. “Skateboarding for us was, and still is, a way of life and not merely a passing hobby. Most of the kids I grew up skating with in Charleston are still skating, whether they live there or not. In fact, a few of the skaters who still live in Charleston are the most die-hard breed I know. I say that as I’m living in San Francisco, which is considered to be the promised land to skateboarding.”

City Paper web editor Joshua Curry and intern Imee Cuison documented much of the show on video and interviewed Taylor and some of the core crew outside the club. They snagged some cool footage of skaters in the drained pool at Shannon Smith’s house (from Pour It Now), too.

According to Curry, all the friendly rivalries and camaraderie seemed intact, and old friends had a blast hanging out, drinking beer, and watching the bands. Taylor said that it was a requirement that at least one member of each band be a veteran of Charleston skateboarding. Motormouth Mabel was originally on the bill, but they didn’t perform. John Wilkes Telephone Booth and The Paper Cuts did their thing mid-way through the event, but Taylor’s old band F.L.K. (a.k.a. Funny Looking Kids) blasted the best set of the night, handling a handful of originals a slew of old-school punk and garage standards — from the Sex Pistols to Bad Brains.

Thanks to Angela Colyer for the pool footage.

Help keep the City Paper free.

No paywalls.
No newspaper subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations from downtown to North Charleston to Johns Island to Summerville to Mount Pleasant.

Help support independent journalism by donating today.