Robert Palmer (professional skateboarder)

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Robert Palmer is a professional skateboarder from Fontana, California and has been riding for more than 21 years. Palmer currently lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico after moving there in 1997 to live near his father. Palmer's Pool, the infamous pool in the backyard of the house he bought, can be seen in many skateboarding videos and magazines and is a magnet for any travelling skateboarders that happen to be going through town. Many legendary skateboarders have ripped this pool including Dave Hackett, Steve Olson, Chuck Dinkins and more. His sponsors include Sector 9 Skateboards, Black Leather Racing, and Pabst Blue Ribbon. Palmer is a very well-rounded and talented skateboarder but spends most of his energy focusing on skating pools and entering banked slalom contests all over the country. His loves include skateboarding, punk rock music, tattoos, old Mopars, motorcycles, and quality alcoholic beverages (though some pretty nasty things have been consumed in the name of fun).

[edit] The Fontana Years

When he moved back to Fontana, California in 1992 at the age of 18, Robert Palmer had already been skateboarding for 7 years. With his sense of humor and passion for a good time, it didn't take him long to make some lifelong friends, mostly through the wonderful worlds of skateboarding and punk rock. Skateboarding all over the Inland Empire, which includes such illustrious cities as Riverside, Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino, Muscoy, and of course Fontana, Palmer met many people (Bird, Ron Yerman, Tracy Little, Salba, etc.) and was soon easily recognizable by the local police. Among Palmer's early sponsors were Blast Skate Shop (run by Marcus Solomon) and Poker Skateboards. In 1994 Palmer was flown to Russia with Jim Westfall to compete in the summer Goodwill Games in the skateboarding event. The house that Palmer occupied in Fontana was the site of many parties and many interesting events. People were always stopping by and Palmer's house was the place many people started their wild night. Roomates included Big Dave Keil, Jerry Money, Jason Jojoba, and the much-loved Matt McNamara (R.I.P.) Frequent visitors at the time were Richard Monk, Robin Monk, Rene Perez, Jimmy Gonzales, Paul Vine, George Vine, Angel Ripoll, Adam Thompson (R.I.P.), Duane Fredrickson, Gabe, and Karl.

[edit] The Albuquerque Years (present day)

Robert Palmer moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1997 and rented a house in the NE heights with Fontana friend Angel Ripoll, who moved to Albuquerque just for the hell of it. After a couple of years the living situation crapped out, so Palmer moved in with his father until he was able to buy his own house out on the West side, with a pool in the backyard to skateboard in without worrying about getting busted by the police. Soon after meeting longtime skatemaster George McClellan, the two started masterminding such gnarly banked slalom skateboard events as Indian School Ditch Race and Bear Ditch Race.