Co-founder of Thrasher magazine kills himself in front of SF police station

[Newsjock]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

Eric Swenson, an icon in the skateboarding culture and a co-founder of Thrasher magazine, died Monday in San Francisco. He was 64.

Mr. Swenson shot and killed himself in front of the Mission police station, according to police.

Mr. Swenson helped reinvigorate the skateboarding scene after it languished in the late 1970s. Along with his friend Fausto Vitello, Mr. Swenson opened Independent Trucks manufacturing company in San Francisco in 1978, which makes skateboard equipment, clothes and accessories. Three years later, they and Kevin Thatcher co-founded trendsetting Thrasher magazine.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/06/22/BA3F1K1953.DTL&tsp=1

[Electric Monk]

1. I wonder why this got moved out of GD? It's not like California is the only place people skateboard.

I don't even skate and I knew what Thrasher magazine was before opening the thread.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Electric Monk]

5. EarlG moved it back to GD, so here's a kick as well

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=437&topic_id=3358&mesg_id=3375

[Gregorian]

2. What a distressing article.

As someone who was skateboarding in Santa Cruz in the early 70's, and as someone who was an avid cyclist in the Woodside hills, this is just a very distressing thing to read. Like my generation is vaporizing.

I wonder what lead up to his death. Very sad.

[mackerel]

4. RIP Eric