Che Games memories from Mathias Kuo

(A long-time reader puts out the call for then-and-now matchups!)

Detail: Aubrey Doolittle, Dean Fisher, Mathias Kuo, Keith Thiltgen; Casbah, May 29, 2009 (collection Mathias Kuo)With the advent and conclusion of the Che Games this May, we are reminded of our youth and the path that brought us to the world we exist in today.

Some are still active in the scene and lifestyle; others, such as myself, have taken the experiences and philosophies of that time and melded them into the child-rearing, career-focused, mortgage- and bill-paying reality of the new millennium and the harsh realization that I am a 40-something now and “damn old.”

Detail: Mystery mod, Presidio Park (photo by Cyndie Jaynes)I discovered the Che Underground last summer, and it has been on my browser ever since. The articles and especially the pictures have allowed me to connect with old friends as well as reminisce about “the formative years” and how that small slice of time has helped me to cope with the world we live in today.

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More mod match-ups from Elker deMello

Detail: Steve Medico’s Lambretta (collection Elker deMello)Dancing Skeleton scooter club co-founder- turned- Che Underground benefactor Elker deMello’s generous bequest of mod-themed photography continues to enrich our understanding of early-’80s San Diego’s scootering classes.

While the pictures are there in abundance — many of them shot at Ski Beach or Seaport Village — details are sketchy on some of them. Can you help fill in the blanks?

Detail: Cheap Hotel on to Superscoot 82-83 (collection Elker deMello)Detail: PB Dennys Dancing Skeletons SC Chula Vista and Mira Mesa crew Superscoot (Collection Elker deMello)Detail: RR tracks of PCH (collection Elker deMello)Detail: PCH Del Mar-Encinitas (collection Elker deMello)Detail: ’80s mods 01 (collection Elker deMello)Superscoot (collection Elker deMello)
Superscoot (collection Elker deMello)Detail: Seaport Village (collection Elker deMello)Detail: Seaport Village (collection Elker deMello)Detail: Seaport Village (collection Elker deMello)Detail: Eric “Captain Freedom” with dove on overcoat (collection Elker deMello)Detail: Conrad Macy with English Beat girl on Parka (collection Elker deMello)

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Mods at Mount Soledad, Ski Beach

Detail: Mods at Ski Beach (Elker, Erik) (collection Elker deMello)Veteran scooterist Elker deMello has answered Mike McCarthy’s recent contribution of scooter-rally cheesecake with his own trove of photographs from outdoor gatherings of the San Diego mod tribes, including his own Dancing Skeletons.

Detail: Mods at Mount Soledad (collection Elker deMello)This batch from the Elker deMello Archives comprises photography from the very same Mount Soledad rally Mike documented along with some great shots of our mod friends congregating alongside the volleyball players at Ski Beach.

Detail: Mods at Ski Beach (Andy’s Lambretta) (collection Elker deMello)Detail: Mods at Ski Beach (Charly) (collection Elker deMello)Detail: Mods at Ski Beach (Elker, Mark, Erik) (collection Elker deMello)Detail: Mods at Ski Beach (collection Elker deMello)Detail: Mods at Mount Soledad (collection Elker deMello)
Detail: Mods at Mount Soledad (collection Elker deMello)Detail: Mods at Ski Beach (John, Mathias, Aubrey, Erik) (collection Elker deMello)Detail: Mods at Ski Beach (Keith, Aubrey) (collection Elker deMello)Detail: Mods at Ski Beach (scooters) (collection Elker deMello)Detail: Mods at Ski Beach (collection Elker deMello)
Detail: Mods at Ski Beach (collection Elker deMello)Detail: Mods at Ski Beach (collection Elker deMello)Detail: Mods at Ski Beach (Steve and Andy) (collection Elker deMello)

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