New Page 1

From Aug. 30 to Sept. 6, the Black Rock Desert in northeastern Nevada will be the place to be as over 30,000 people flock to the 2004 Burning Man Festival. I made my first trek to this unique expression of art, technology and survival in August of 2000. Now I am going to try to express to you what this is and why you should join in with us as we bring the Sunday Golden Gate Park skate scene to the Playa with the BLACK ROCK ROLLER DISCO.

WHAT IS BURNING MAN?

That's the big question everyone asks. The answer is not simple at all. Anyone who has been there already knows that explaining what is BM is not possible. I believe that every individual that has been there will tell you something different. The only way to find that out is to go there and see for yourself.

For me, Burning Man is where we go out to the desert and create paradise for a week We participate by sharing our paradise with others while others share their version of paradise with us. You see, for 24 years now, I have tried to create a little piece of paradise in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park every Sunday. Our little patch of skating paradise at 6^th Ave. and Kennedy Drive sees skaters from all over the Bay Area come together to share fun, friendship and good times with people they may have nothing else in common with. Anyone is welcome. Everyone participates in some way. Here are no rules except to respect each other, participate,clean up what you mess up and have a fantastic time.

The Burning Man experience is the same communal energy of our skate community in the park or any functional, loving and sharing community only multiplied by about 25,000. There is a of the kind of freedom there that you won't experience anywhere else on the planet. You can be what you want to be, go where you want to go, do what you want to do and it's great. The responsibilities you do have are the ones you signed up for. It's your participation in Burning Man.

Burning Man oozes with artistic expression. I think it is the most fascinating aspect of the festival. The lengths people go through to express their artistic ideas will blow you away. Think of the words "sensory overload". The air is filled with music of every kind all day and all night - under the hot, hot sun and through the cool evenings and all night long. There is no selling or concept of money. Anyone who can will help you. They're interested in you and what you are doing.

Camp Roller Disco

Camp Roller Disco has been a part of Burning Man since BM 2000. Benjamin James, Paul Schiessl and Dan Filner created "Camp Roller Disco". The floor was approximately 40' X 64', with a special offshoot just for dancin'. It was constructed of many sheets of oriented strand board with groovy Cool Neon polka dots routed into the floor right on the playa, courtesy of Rebecca Bleau!

THE DESERT NOSE

There are several camps at Burning Man that are set up by skaters. Camp Sunscreen is one, Camp Playfish is another (its evolved)

Camp Roller Disco was also a part of skater Howard Cohen's "Buckminster Fuller's Nose", or "The Desert Nose" as it is listed today. It is truly the coolest chill space of BM. Howard has set the standard on how to organize a camp for Burning Man and I am following his direction in organizing our camp.

THE TOM JONES PANTY HUT

This is another.skater camp. Mike Bjorklin drove the Partridge Family bus loaded with all the gear in 2001. The Tom Jones Panty Hut is more like a neighborhood bar in Black Rock City. There are plenty of bars throughout BM, but this one is different. "It's Not Unusual" can be heard at 4:00 A.M. while people sing ever so slightly out of tune. Women have been known to leave their panties at the bar where they are mounted on the wall. See all the panties?

We are going to have a fantastic time. Please remember that participation is a requirement. We want you to participate with us as a member of our camp. There is a lot of work involved in running a camp, but it is also great fun. We will have the Tom Jones Panty Hut combining with the Roller Disco.

Thanks to Benny, Dan and Rebecca from the Funhouse and Cool Neon, Paul from Skate Pro and Howard from the Desert Nose. They are the ones allowing me to undertake this mission after they have worked so hard to make it one of the most enjoyable experiences for thousands of BM participants over the years. I will do my best to continue with the Roller Disco and showcase skating and I need your help to do it.

In 2004, our camp will be the Black Rock Roller Disco. Yes, we are already planning. Send me an e-mail if you want to be in our camp or call me at 415-752-1967 anytime. .

Keep Rollin',

D. Miles Jr.

The GodFather of Skating

Back to the CORA Main Page

Watch Skatin' Place - Skate TV on the Web