- Message for friends of JT
Murphy
- As some of you asked me,
you can use any of these photos for the memory of JT.
- I'v put some biger pictures
(1024 pixels) that you can print more easely.
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- Trash
- Chinatown
- Bay Bridge
- Portrait
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JT, le Kid de China Town
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 Downtown, Chinatown, California Street,
Ocean Beach... In San-Francisco skaters are everywhere and JT
is the most respected of them all. He is an intrinsic part of
skate culture..
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- Text and photography by Jean-François
Vibert
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- Just as the old "cable
car", heading for Cinatown, reaches the top of the hill
JT jumps off it and on to his board. He then hurtles down California
street zigzaging between buses, cars and bike-messengers... In
Frisco he is known as JT, because he refuses to give his real
name and age. Anyway, when you see him skate Down-town, you can
tell he's no beginner.
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- He rides for pleasure - Some say he was a pro for 10 years, classed
as the fifth best in America but that he suddenly let it all
go. "Fed-up with the bad vibe in the pro circle" he
says. But now-a-days JT doesn't care about all that, he rides
for pleasure. "I feel good on my board in the streets. It's
a good way of getting around town and meeting people".
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- The best spot in the States
- Although JT was born
in a New York suburb he doesn't miss the east coast. "When
I was pro I visited loads of States and hundreds of places...
So I can assure you Frisco is the most beautifull town in America,
there's always a new spot to discover here". And you can
go surfing at Ocean Beach, the beach is just a quarter of an
hour away... You don't take the bus to go to the beach in Paris
right ? And for snowboarding, Lac-Taho is just a three hour drive
away".
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- One day, on Haigt street
- Skating in Frisco is
just the best. The whole town is just a series of steep hills
that are all linked up and make the greatest rides. It's a bit
like snowboarding, you take the bus or cable-car to go up the
hill and then you ride down the other side. Sure you have to
be carefull of cars and pedestrians and not to get your wheels
caught up in the cable car rails.
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  <
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- I heared they found a skater
dead at the botom of
Haight Street, his boared was cut in two... He must have been
going too fast." All the skaters round here have heard of
JT and his classical style. He doesn't much care for the new
school hand-rail or rail-slide styles, he prefers those nice
curves when riding down hill. " I also like to skate upside
down." He means on his hands, an "old school"
trick that not many guys know how to do, and always get's a riot
going in the street.
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- China-town - Even the old-timers
of Cina-town clap as he goes past ! In the last few years JT
hasn't wanted to be sponsored, "I prefere buying my own
gear, I'm free, I don't owe anybody anything". So he takes
care of his boared and doesn't bust it in two on barriers like
they've been doing lately in the videos, "I hate skaters
who think they have to brake everything in sight just to prove
they exist. They'd do better to learn more slick tricks".
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- A real tough guy - JT started
skating ...er, some time ago. "I started when I was 14 on
a plastic boared less than 50 cm long, I used to spend all my
time on it. Eventually I turned pro at the end of the 80's. It
was a funny old job : I sometimes drove ten hours to get to a
contest, I slept in the car and competed the next day".
Being a real fanatic, he dislocated his shoulder during a contest
in 89 in Phoenix Arizona. They wanted to take him to hospital
but he said no and in one violent movement put his shoulder back
himself. "I really wanted to finish that contest. And I
did, I finished 3rd".
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- The sprained ankle - JT explains
quite seriously how your mind you can overcome pain." I
used to have an agent who organised shows. I would turn up in
my jeep loaded with light and sound equipment. One night I badly
sprained my ankle so I was rushed off to hospital where they
gave me some crutches. The next day I had a show, so when I got
there I hid my crutches, put on a big smile and did my show (it
was paid 500$). When I got back to my jeep I yelled my head off
because of the pain.
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- Musique
- Skating isn't the only
thing in JTs'life. At the begining of the 80's he learns to play
the guitare and starts a Punk-rock band with some friends. "I've
recently taken up the base guitare and joined Sunshine Blind,
Caroline and Charlie' band. "We started doing Dark-wave
and gothic music and made an album last year "Love the sky
to death " which was distributed a bit in Europe. Our last
album is ready and coming out in 97, you'll find it in France
this winter".
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- Cyber JT - As well as
playing the base guitare, JT does the lighting and special effects
on computer for the concerts. "We even have a web site with
an interview of the band and all the concert dates ". JT
listens to all types of music "even classical ! And tripy
stuff like Dead Can Dance. Otherwise all the 80's dark-wave bands
: the Chameleons (a bit like the Cure), Red Lorry - Yellow Lorry
(a good old gothic band), Killing Joke (a bit heavier), Leftfield
(more like techno), Misson (like U2), Love & Rockets (new-wave
gothic)". JT is also passionate about science fiction (Dune
and Blade-Runner) and would love to write a Sifi novel. "It's
the story of an astronaut who might of found something interesting
on an asteroid..."JT's crazy !
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- Do the right thing La voie
de son coeur
- A few years ago he found a great
job, he worked hard and earned lot's of money. But one day he
gave it up because he seriously wanted to go back to skating
and do more music. "It wasn't an easy decision but in the
end I changed my life. Now-a-days half my time is spent touring
with Sunshine Blind and the other half is spent riding in the
streets of San-Francisco. My income isn't too hot but I know
I did the right thing. That's not something a lot of people have
the gut's to do.
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- © Jean François
VIBERT - Journalist and photographer - Paris -
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- Specialised in travels, extrems
sports, leisure activities, adventure trips, outdoor sports,
deserts and mountains... Trekking, ski, snowboard, mountain,
bike, sailing, scuba diving, hiking, in line skating... Texts
and pictures for the press and the web, illustration, digital
photography, reportages...
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- Journaliste photographe - Spécialiste
des voyages, des sports de glisse, des loisirs, de l'aventure,
de l'outdoor, des déserts, des montagnes. VTT, trekking,
ski, snowboard, parapente, voile, plongée sous marine,
randonnées, roller in line... Textes et photos pour la
presse et internet, illustrations, photographie numérique,
reportages...
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