Photos by Taylor DeHart
Words by Lenore Sparks
“We did it for Dana. We skateboarded, we tattooed, we partied, we had a moment of silence, a moment of cheer, a moment of overwhelming sadness. We ripped up the bowl, ripped apart flesh, shotgunned beers, stomped on them, did it again. And again. We hugged, we laughed, we cried, we consoled and told stories. Over 200 people screamed, shouted, cheered, and skateboarded. 200 people camped together, drank together, smoked and shroomed together. Sponsors donated, volunteers cleaned, everyone donated what they could. We did it for Dana.
End of summer Bummer was created in 2015 by Dana Falcon Torgersen, Chuck Pontone, and me as a way to kick off fall and get everyone up to the mountains one last time before frost took over. Dana (not to be confused with John ‘Dana’ Allison) has an amazing backyard bowl and two acres of pristine woods in Fairplay, Colorado. Each year since then, he has opened his heart and home to locals hoping to drink, camp, and skate together on the dawn of Fall. This year, however, an unspeakable tragedy shook the community when we lost John Allison a mere week before his son, Roman Legend, was born. Thus, we shifted gears this year to hold a Memorial in his honor and fundraiser for his life partner and new baby….
Ultimately, we raised $2,500 for Dalene and Roman. We gave over 30 tattoos (mostly bad ones, sorry), and handed out boards and clothes to participants in need. This year, rather than a contest format, we had jam formats. Everyone raged for Dana. A giant thanks goes out to Dana F. Torgersen, to our sponsors, and to everyone who joined to celebrate the life of the insanely fun, talented, and beloved John ‘Dana’ Allison. RIP.” – Lenore Sparks
