Posse rides again: Counter-culture icon Caballero maintains his edge with a mainstream twist

By: SCOTT BAIR - Staff Writer | Monday, March 5, 2007 11:12 PM PST ∞

Frequent-flyer miles are starting to pile up.

A half-dozen round-trip flights have served as Steve Caballero's shuttle to and from work these days. By the end of Caballero's six-week, 12-stop Andale Posse skatepark tour, he should have enough for an excursion that's no work and all play.

The 42-year old soon-to-be father of two jets home to the San Jose suburb of Campbell each weekend after each contest stint to be with his wife, Rachel, who's almost eight months pregnant.

"It's important for me to be there for my wife," Caballero said. "We've got a boy on the way, so I've decided to fly home each weekend and stay with my family as opposed to following the tour."

Doting father is not an image naturally associated with Caballero, a rough-and-tumble former member of the Bones Brigade and avid punk-rock musician. A fearless, risk taker comes to mind, one who travels from skatepark to skatepark in a rusty El Camino.

While time has added gray to his whiskers and family demands have added responsibility, that innovator and counter-culture icon of skateboarding lore lives to this day.

Caballero still competes professionally with the fervor of his younger years, but much like his beloved three-chord punk riffs, skateboarding has since gone mainstream.

He's currently touring on Warner Bros.' dime, holding amateur contests and demos across the southern U.S.

His final flight is destined for Southern California, where he'll hold a local contest at the Krause Family Skatepark in San Diego on March 17.

At stake for the winner is a feature segment in an upcoming Andale Posse DVD. Groms throughout the Southeast have been lining up for the opportunity, and the San Diego skaters should offer some of the best talent in the country.

"I wish I had opportunities like this when I was growing up," Caballero said. "There was no such thing as DVD when I got into this business almost 30 years ago."

Most competitors weren't even born during Caballero's heyday, but the Northern California native still finds a way to identify with many of them.

"Some kids really know their history," Caballero said. "Others have heard of me but have never seen me live, and a few don't know who I am. But all of them see me as someone who's been around the block and can show them something."

Experience demands respect to each generation.

Caballero started at age 12 and was sponsored as an amateur by Powell skateboards, a famous skate company that continues to sponsor him. He became a living legend during his days with the Bones Brigade, a team that also featured Tony Hawk and Mike McGill. He laid the foundation for future innovation, inventing the Caballerial and the rock-and-roll slide, tricks that are commonly used today.

He wasn't getting paid six figures like many of today's skaters, instead scratching by for the love of the sport.

"We sure weren't doing it for the money," Caballero said. "We simply had a passion for skating that outweighed everything else. The marketing back then made us famous, which wasn't something we planned on. It was just something that happened."

Caballero used to skate from morning to night, but these days a two-hour session is all his aching joints can take.

"I can't skate as long as I used to," Caballero said. "My body can't handle hour after hour in the pool or the park, but my passion for skateboarding is as strong as ever. That's why I'm so excited about the prospect of passing my knowledge and experience to the next generation."

-- The Action Sports Column runs every Tuesday. To suggest story ideas, report local events or offer general comments, contact staff writer Scott Bair at (760) 739-6642 or sbair@nctimes.com.

Different name, same result

Former world surfing title holder Chelsea Hedges, known as Chelsea Georgeson before getting married in the offseason, won the Roxy Pro Gold Coast in her native Australia. Hedges defeated 14-year old event wildcard Carissa Moore in the final with 11.33 points. Moore became the youngest athlete to reach a final during an elite-tour event during the World Championship Tour event, which ended Monday.

Irons ousted early

Three-time world surfing champion Andy Irons, a championship contender again this year, suffered a major setback at the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast in Australia. Irons was eliminated in just the second round of the WCT's season opener. Event wild card Jake Patterson, an experienced veteran with 17 years on tour, knocked Irons out with 16.00 points.

Local events

Saturday: Sun Diego AM Surf Series event No. 6, San Fernando Place, Mission Beach

Pro contests

Today-Sunday: Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast, Men's World Championship Tour, Snapper Rocks, Australia

Today-March 16: Cholos Women's Pipeline Pro, Women's World Qualifying Series, Hawaii

Friday-Sunday: World Superpipe Championships, snowboarding, Park City, Utah

Monday-March 18: Maitland Toyota Open, Men's World Qualifying Series, Merewether, Newcastle, Australia

Monday-March 17: Midori Pro, Women's World Qualifying Series, Merewether, Newcastle, Australia

Results

Interscholastic Surfing Federation

San Diego Middle Schools Event No. 4

Sunday

At Moonlight Beach, Encinitas

Boys Shortboard

1. Lucas Dierkse, Muirlands

2. Zane Norman, Oak Crest

3. Lucas Johnson, Valley

4. Jack Buckley, Carmel Valley

5. Cody Sherman, Correia

6. Emmet Bartlett, Correia

Boys Longboard

1. David Arganda, Valley

2. Lucas Dierkse, Muirlands

3. Jason Schechtor, Carmel Valley

4. Santiago Gonzales, Correia

5. Richard Garcia, Correia

6. Cole Magro, Calavera Hills

Girls Shortboard

1. Lauren Humann, Earl Warren

2. Marisa Peterson, St. Patricks

3. Cara Connor, Oak Crest

4. Ilea Harrington, Oak Crest

5. Sienna Buccigrossi, Carmel Valley

6. Skye Gamble, Valley

Girls Longboard

1. Mikala Saili, Muirlands

2. Lauren Humann, Earl Warren

3. Sienna Buccigrossi, Carmel Valley

4. Marisa Peterson, St. Patricks

5. Brynn Lutz, Valley

6. Cara Connor, Oak Crest

Bodyboard

1. Graham Scribner, Correia

2. Max McGee, Aviara Oaks

3. Chris Wang, Valley

4. Roel Grootenhuis, Carmel Valley

5. Ramsay Sutton, Earl Warren

6. Cody Sherman, Correia

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