Alrighty. The next stop on the Pro Impact Stunt Team world tour took us to a great little city near Progresso, Mexico called Weslaco Texas! The call for this event came in less then a month before event day, so I quickly assembled an eager team and we were set for the road.

The team line up was myself (Jeff Ferris)- Skateboard, Jason Richard- Inline Skating, Billy Gawrych- Flatland BMX, Jason Davies-BMX and Bill Robertson (Dr. Skateboard)- Skateboard.. The two Jason’s and Billy made the drive from Phoenix with the ramps in tow, while Bill and myself hopped a plane and found ourselves flying into a small but friendly airport in Harlingen, Texas.

The AZ boys were slightly delayed on there start due to some new tires being put on the trailer, but better safe than sorry! Texas is almost 1,000 miles from tip to tip, so they had a long haul ahead of them. There 24 hour straight drive got them in town around 8:00pm Friday night, just in time to set up for the fun following day!

This event was for a grand opening of a new park, not a skate park, but a regular ol’ city park. Bill and I decided on a nice piece of smooth white concrete, over the asphalt parking lot. It was a perfect riding surface and right next to the free hot dog booth, so how can ya’ gone wrong?!

We had 3 shows on Saturday. After a little warm up and a few hundred people in the bleachers, we were good to go. We started out taking turns on the spine ramp, hitting lip trick variations, to 360’s to air walk lein to tails. Bill and Billy got busy with the flatland as the crowd cheered to the Dr. as he spun one footed 360’s, 540 shuvits and an entire arsenal of flatland science. Billy hopped in as well on the tag team flat landing and busted long rolling whiplashes to showing off his balance with surfer stances and then, my favorite, the ‘enticing flamingo spin’ , a move Billy coined in the early 80’s. (not really).

Other trick highlights were near miss doubles tricks with a triples stunt thrown in for good measure. We ended the show with one run hits on the 8 ½ foot tall ¼ pipe that left the audience with smiles.

After our last show, we hung out and skated with some of the locals. There was even a break dance session that went on, with quite a bit of local talent showing there moves.

The next morning we parted, saying our goodbyes to the guys who had to make the drive back. So far everything went smooth as silk…I made it home that evening, eager to lay in my own bed and hug my doggie Shelby..until….the phone rang at 5am the next morning. It was Jason Richard. Apparently, they made it just past Tucson, AZ, when a disaster occurred. One of the wheel bearings froze up, causing the wheel to break off, cracking the axel in half. The sparks from the tire, or what was left, caused a brush fire and before they knew it, there was 6 foot high flames in the desert!

The fire department came and told them they were lucky it had rained the past few days. So with the fire out, the ramps had to be ditched on the side of the freeway and they made there merry way home.

As I am typing this, the ramps are being towed back to Tempe, AZ where they are stored, after being held ransom by the towing company for almost a week. Turns out it took then 11 hours and 2 trucks to get them and the original price that I was quoted and paid ($300.00) was doubled by a gentleman named "Butch". They even wanted more on top of that, but I bickered with them and agreed to the $600. I think it was somewhat unethical of the tow company, who was recommended to me, but to all that reads this, boycott Arizona Towing Co.!

None the less, the ramps will be fixed and probably better than ever, but that incident didn’t spoil our fun, as we look forward to returning to Weslaco next year! A big thanks to Julie Majors, Rachel Padilla and the Weslaco Independent School District for making this day happen!

Thanks and see ya’ next time!

Jeff Ferris