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Actually, real OG’s would remember how fast that name(Lionel Drake) was spontaneously invented by Johnnie Del Valle (more commonly known as JD or Professionally as John Steele….
The guys asked JD to give a Demo freestyle at the Redondo Beach Pier YoYo Contest, many years ago.
He had NO problem saying yes…. But didn’t want to be announced as himself, lol
several other high level players deliberately sat down on the ground, directly in front of the staging area, so they could provide the ‘colorful commentary you hear as they scream in disbelief at what they are witnessingg, lol.
I think the most amazing deal about the whole thing was that JD kept that hitman composure through the whole freestyle without busting into laughter because of the clowns in the front kept screaming at him.
At the moment, I honestly don’t remember exactly who was sitting there screaming. But I do remember Spencer Berry and Seth Peterson… Possibly Augie Fash… And another guy that escapes me at the moment. They went a little over the top trying to outscream each other with > I can’t believe he did this> I can’t believe he did that trick > I can’t believe what I’m seeing, etc..
And JD just kept knocking out the tricks and keeping that straight poker face. You just had to be there. There are a couple videos showing different angles, including one taken from that overhead staircase that shows the other players in the front screaming away.
I’m pretty sure that on that busy pier that day a lot of people that weren’t aware of the inside joke that was going on, must’ve been quite fascinated by the antics of the guy during that freestyle.
…. Thanks for posting up that video. After all these years JD still plays and he’s still pretty darn good. Some of his videos are pretty much timeless… Like the GrindSlave video. I think JD was one of the pioneers of producing well planned and well executed videos.