KONA Skatepark was a huge part of the RaTTown skate development with guys like Mitch and Champ Kaufmann, George Wilson, Dave Swaney and others literally working for the park builders forming the dirt as it was under construction and naturally being first in line waiting for it to open to start skating it. No written word can really tell the story better than Tony Hawk in SPOTS, featured below.
At the first ever United States Skateboarding Championships, the west coast guys got to meet the Rattown surf/skate crew and a lifetime bond was formed. Here, the judging panel of Mitch Kaufmann, Jerry Valdez, Bob Biniak and Hunter Joslin are in position to deliver scores.
Mitch Kaufmann in what possibly was the first week KONA was open.
Again, Mitch catching air in a bowl that didn’t even come close to vertical!Mike Kaufmann catching air in what brother Mitch always refers to as “an act of trespassing” while KONA was out of business!
In a screen grab from film in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 Mike Kaufmann gets extended in a layback at KONA.
Mike had so much speed at KONA that his frontside handplant airs included pushing off to get even more height out of the top of the Tombstone.
Three KONA legends, Mitch & Mike Kaufmann and the vert wall they called the Tombstone.
George Wilson committing an extrem frontside edger on the vert wall.Brad Santora, winner of the amatuer division at the United Staes Skateboarding Championship.
