Posts tagged app

Point 86: From the Editors – Kendra Jane B.

“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future. Because unless you believe that the future can be better, you are unlikely to step up and take responsibility for making it so.”

—Noam Chomsky

Kendra Jane B. & Marina Pecorino, 2017 APP Conference

I am a glass half full, the sun will come out tomorrow kind of person; a believer that everyone deserves a second chance and that humans are innately good beings. I’m an eternal optimist if you will.

When I started piercing almost a decade ago it was amazing; piercing became an overnight passion I didn’t know I had. I wanted to learn everything I could about every aspect of our industry. I dove in head first. I have had the privilege of being chosen as an Al D. Scholar, and have now become a longtime conference volunteer. I have been a contributing writer and an Editor for The Point for several years. The culmination of all this hard work and diligence has been the opportunity to serve as this organization’s Vice President.  Looking back, it honestly seems so surreal. I have met soulmates, best friends, and my chosen family. Being a part of this industry has allowed me to be the change I wanted to see. I wanted to make a difference and this industry gave me the chance to do that.

Kendra Jane B. 2016 APP Conference

Although I may be a glass half full kinda of girl, I would be lying if I led you to believe that my time in the piercing industry has been all sunshine and lollipops. It is very easy to let piercing throw off a work life balance, as it seems piercers like to eat, breathe, and sleep piercing. In my case it allowed me to indulge in my first choice for self harmful behaviour, being a workaholic. I used my career as an excuse to miss family gatherings, maintain toxic relationships, and to define myself as a person through my career alone. This sadly means that I, like so many piercers I know, have spent the past few years teetering ever so cautiously on the precipice of complete burnout.

Badur Ramji & Kendra Jane B., 2016 APP Conference
Photo by Autumn Swisher

After almost a decade in this industry it was a strange reality for me to have worked so hard for so long to get exactly where I wanted to be, only to realize that place was not at all like I had envisioned it. I am so very proud to say that I feel I have made real changes within the piercing industry, but I am now realizing the changes I’ve  made  in myself during my involvement in the industry are the real prize. I have said it before and I will say it again, this industry has taught me self worth, the ability to set boundaries, and to stand up for what I believe in. The piercing industry has also shown me that it is ok to step aside when you are no longer the best person for the task at hand, and the time has come for me to step aside and let the next shepherds of our industry take the lead.

Kendra Jane B. & Caitlin McDiarmid, 2018 APP Conference
Photo by Shanna Hutchins

I believe that this industry and this publication deserve a new voice, the voice of the next generation of piercers. The time has come for me to say goodbye to The Point and my  role as Managing Editor. I would like to thank James Weber, Elayne Angel, Kim Zapata, Jim Ward, Caitlin McDiarmid and Marina Pecorino; whether they know it or not, each of them played an integral part in my editorial journey with this publication.

Kendra’s desk

The Point – Issue 86

Point 85: RuAPP

by Arseniy Andersson

Left to Right: Brian Skellie (USA), Dmitry Sizov (Russia), Sergi Tinault (Spain)

While things have come a long way in the United States, in many places all over the world the professional piercing industry is only at the beginning. Russia is one of them. Traditionally, Russians are kept away from American community. Why? Well, it is not a big secret that there is political tension between the United States and Russia, so for common citizens it isn’t easy to get a visa to travel to the US.

I think in the whole history of the APP, only two or three piercers from Russia have attended an APP Conference, this is likely due to a combination of low Russian economy, language barriers, expensive flights, and poor industry standards (in Russia) that all play a part. So, this year we are so excited that we were able to hold the first and second of what we hope to be many of our own conferences, read on to find out more about the RuAPP and our Conference!

Russian Piercers Ofelia (left) and Zhanna (right)

I would like to give credit to fellow piercer Ruben Lew, and his article about LBP as I used it as a template for my article. .

RuAPP was officially established in November of 2017, but was conceived long before that date. We currently stand at 24 members. Requirements are significantly different than for the APP, but RuAPP has a 3-year member requirement rising plan (like the UKAPP has hi, fellows!), which is going to bring RuAPP to APP standards (slow and steady wins the race).

Our first RuAPP conference was held in Moscow in January of 2018, where 60 Russian-speaking piercers gathered from all over Europe. The second RuAPP conference was held only 7 months later due to overwhelming interest form local piercers so eager to learn. Hosted once again in Moscow, attendance nearly doubled to 110 people, 95 of which were piercers, including APP Board Members, Cody Vaughn and Brian Skellie, APP Business Members, Sergi Tinaut from Spain and Javier Retamal from Chile, who all taught 2-3 classes at our Conference. Overall, 25 classes and several live demonstrations were taught over the three day period of RuAPP #2. Eight vendors were present in the conference expo area, including companies such as Industrial Strength and Auris Jewellery. Also there we saw other crucial things as Katana Needles and even Statims!

We would like to show thankfulness to the APP for all of their help in ensuring we had a successful Conference.

Andrey Neurozis from Ukraine (left) and Valeriya Chigovanina from Czech Republic (right) making fun and preparing for the raffle!

Both conferences to date have been predominantly Russian-speaking, and lectures have had translations, but the next one is to become international in a fuller sense and have at least half of the classes taught in English with no translation. From now on we plan to have annual conferences and you can visit RuAPP #3 from June 18-22th, 2019 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. So save the date!

From the very beginning of the first conference, I realised that we had changed the game in Russia. Lots of old piercers who were “enemies” before were sitting at one table together right in front of me with no drama, no fights, no insults. Lots of new piercers who were unknown before the Conference  and  a  bit  shy to come out from the shadows showed themselves. I had no idea we have so many piercers interested learning! At that moment I understood that we’re doing  our  work  correctly. There is no better motivation in this world than seeing a result that was supposed to be impossible!

I was really happy to have our first foreign speakers it was a totally new organizing experience to me! I think you all understand that for many of us, conference is not only a temple of Forever Learning, but a social hub full of friends and dedicated inspiring people! Lots of attendees found a huge source of motivation and inspiration and I could read it on their faces!

Mario Santana and Javier Fingazz, owners of Shangri-La Body Arts in Chile

My personal view on our industry is that piercers are the kind of people who are not just making holes in a safe manner; we are more than that. What I intend to do within my piercing career is to solve clients’ troubles, and inspire them to change their lives for the better! The feeling of thankfulness I receive back is an unbelievable source of my inner motivation. During the conference, I think of all the piercers as my clients who I want to inspire. What we did gives me inspirational feedback and huge motivation to do it even better. After conference I have no post-conference depression, I’m running around full of projects and ideas along with energy as do a lot of other piercers and RuAPP organizers!

High-end jewelry on the expo floor
Arseniy Andersson makes marking on Andrey Safonov before freehand microdermal live demonstration
Industrial Strength Russia and their beautiful Marta Vagner
Did you already buy all the raffle tickets? If not, you have the last chance!
Sergi Tinaut (Spain) gives his class about anatomy together with Dmitry Sizov (Russia), who helps with translation

Of course, not everything goes according to plan and we make mistakes. There were issues with translations, issues with sound system; but no critical mistakes happened. We can analyse and improve our event planning to make the next one even better, same as we all analyse and learn how to do each piercing better.

I can’t as we start preparing the third RuAPP. For now I will have to do with the warm feelings I get while thinking of all those friends I met at APP, GEP, LBP, BMXNet, YouModify and UKAPP, who wished us luck and who want to come to Russia in 2019!

As know my opinions about the success of our Conference are likely biased so please read what some of our attendees had to say;

Vlad Bodmodov gives his class about microdermals

Cody Vaughn: Having the opportunity to attend and teach at RuAPP this year was an absolute pleasure and an honor.

The attendees and other speakers were incredibly nice and very eager to learn. The classes I attended were very insightful and it was great to see where Russia was at with their current piercing techniques and practices. Seeing and hearing so many similarities to what I have  encountered at conferences such  as APP and LBP popping up at RuAPP really made me proud to see how far and wide the piercing industry has become.

I sincerely thank everybody I got to meet and interact with. The RuAPP attendees and speakers were a pleasure to spend the week with, both teaching and learning. I wish you many more successful conferences in the future.

Brian Skellie: Thanks to the RuAPP for an enthusiastic and curious experience as a speaker and participant. I would be pleased to return in 2019 if you’ll have me. Overall, the conference seemed well put together with a balance of educational and social interaction. I arrived to the St. Scalpelburg shop in Moscow to the lovely view of Yuri Gagarin’s golden statue who welcomed me along with the smiles of friendly fellow speakers, organizers, and participants. The uncertainty that preceded about my visa, my travel arrangements, and my unfamiliarity with the language faded quickly. By the time we got to the event location, many productive conversations were started, and the group was dynamic and involved.

The presentations were a high quality and seemed well received despite a few complexities with translation. The questions and feedback addressed felt useful and impactful on many levels, towards a shiny future.

The vendors brought an impressive quantity of attractive jewelry designs, quite aware of the industry trends in precious metals and minerals. Their generosity to the raffle was greatly appreciated. APP Board Members, Cody Vaughn and I, were able to donate two of our full conference passes for 2019 in Las Vegas for two fortunate piercers Lala and Yuliana.

Russians without a party?

Javier Retamal: I had the great honor of being invited to do classes in Russia for the first time in my life. I felt completely happy to meet many people with the same passion that I can find every time I go to Brazil or Mexico; people looking to grow as professionals and at the same time as human beings. I always felt very welcome and with certainty RuAPP is going to be one of the best conferences in this part of the world!

Postscriptum: If you ever want to explore a new exotic destination and combine it with shopping or selling jewelry, taking or teaching classes, feel free to contact RuAPP international liaison, Arseniy Andersson, and remember: it is bad manners to keep an adventure waiting!

Point 85: New UKAPP Brochures

The UKAPP has created two new informational brochures addressing female genital piercings and national concerns regarding the same. Please read the previous articles in The Point (Issue 70, Issue 74, and Issue 77) regarding the classification of consensual female genital piercings as mutilation in Europe. These UKAPP brochures were written in full cooperation with the APP and are of interest to anyone concerned about issues of body piercing, female health, and human rights.

Print ready PDFs of these may be downloaded from the organization’s website: https://www.ukapp.org.uk/ Please note that the order of the brochure is formatted to allow for tri-folding when printed, much like the brochures available from the Association of Professional Piercers: https://www.safepiercing.org/brochures.php

Point 85: Camp APP, 2018

A LETTER FROM SHORTY

photos by April Thomas

Shorty is ecstatic about taking home a bottle of
Surrender the Booty hot sauce from the Camp raffle.

Dear Momma Duck,

This week has been a blur! Piercer Camp is so much fun. I’ve met so many new people and had a lot of fun with my friends from last year. Unfortunately most of the “Boat Bois” couldn’t make it this year, but that hasn’t stopped John Robberson and me from recruiting some new ones. I got the same cabin as last year and everything was still set up the way we left it. My cabin-mates were John (of course), Frankie “3 Pens” (aka Frankie Diamonds), Pauly “Slippaz” from Staten Island, Sosa (he’s from Venezuela, but now lives in Ohio), and Barron from Illinois. Barron and Sosa didn’t end up sleeping in our cabin though as they joined Hammock City in the Activity building. Hammock City is comprised of about 30 or 40 hammocks that are hanging from the rafters all over the place. It’s pretty rad! Everyone hangs out in their hammock during class, then hangs out in their hammocks at night until they just fall asleep.

Brian Skellie enthusiastically explaining techniques

The weather has been so all over the place. The week started off hot and humid, then rainy and dreary. Then, overnight, we had Hurricane Michael blow by us about 2 hours south. It wasn’t bad except the power went out at 3 am; I woke up and my air conditioner was off. I know, I know, Momma… you know I’m a bit of a Princess. I need my air conditioning at night or I can’t sleep. It wasn’t all that bad though, the wind blew my window shutters open so I had a constant misty rain blowing across me which kind of kept me cool until the power came back on around 8 am. Beside the rain and some gusty winds, it was pretty much a non-event which lead to the most gorgeous weather for the rest of the week!

I’ve been learning so much great stuff from all these really cool instructors. We had a class all about finances and money stuff. I know, sounds kind of boring right? It really wasn’t! Chrissy Shull, the instructor, had a lot of great tips on how to make credit cards and loans work for you and actually save money while getting lots of free stuff. Pretty cool, I mean who doesn’t like free stuff?

Elayne Angel and Sara Johnson enjoying conversation and engagement in the great outdoors.

Also there was this guy, Rob Hill (funny story: I actually thought he was a shaved sasquatch when I first saw him, because we’re in the middle of the woods and this dude is huge) who talked to us about security. I’m pretty sure he’s a ninja! He actually showed how easy it was to bypass common security protocols by breaking into another camper’s shop right before he got to Camp, with her permission and knowledge of course! He gave us so much good information and so much to think about. Momma, we’ve got to tighten things up a bit more at the shop when I get home.

Cale Belford teaching a class on social media techniques

Cale Belford did a bang up job on her social media class; she’s always so good to listen to. Jef Saunders taught about how to teach. This was especially great and funny at the same time because after his class all the other instructors were instantly questioning their own classes and presentations -even though they were all excellent, it still made them squirm a bit. I definitely enjoyed Ryan Ouellette’s Thunderdome class, it was a buffet of quality information on some wide ranging topics. There was a ton of interaction and it seemed like all the campers really loved this class style and the topics he presented.

Jef Saunders sporting a Camp APP 2015 shirt

Beside classes, there was tons of chill time. Of course you know I spent most of my freetime by the lake fishing. I caught soooo many catfish. John and I have a little fishing contest going and he’s winning with a score of 26 to 22, but I swear he cheated more than once by catching the same fish twice. We also had a rad game of kickball; I got to be pitcher and my team won! Bethrah Szumski also organized a long walk in the pouring rain. Everyone put on bathing suits (or birthday suits) and they hiked all around in the rain. I skipped this to go fishing, but all the campers that went said it was so nice. We had a huge campfire on the last night and told scary piercing stories. We even roasted marshmallows and made s’mores!

Pat Pierce and Matt Bavougian working hard in the kitchen

There was a really terrifying moment at the campfire where we heard some growling from the woods. It started kind of far away and slowly got closer and louder. Everyone was swearing there was an actual sasquatch in the woods watching us so Paul, John and I all ran into the woods to look. Turns out there wasn’t a sasquatch, but there was a European Hornet’s nest that apparently didn’t like us, because all three of us got stung. It was pretty painful, but at least we all can say we got pierced by a hornet at Piercer Camp! There were also very large wolf spiders (some of them looked like baby tarantulas, but were actually like kitties) and this crazy daddy long leg that liked pie and crawling on people randomly. I also saw a cute little millipede in my room that was moving super fast. On the way into Camp, John and I saw a deer run across the road. A few other campers said they saw a sasquatch in the woods just past the Activity building, but I never saw it. We didn’t see any armadillos or scorpions this year though.

Erika Gomez looking fancy in the forest

The food, OMG, Momma, the food is exceptional and there was so much of it! I don’t think I ever eat this much. It seems like all I’ve done is eat. Our Head Chefs, John Johnson and Matt Bavougian, really are talented and did a great job accommodating all of our special diets. A few of the other instructors and campers even jumped in and made some special snacks. Jef made some really yummy pizzas; you know how much I LOVEEEEEEE pizza, so this was extra special!

We had a raffle where everyone is supposed to donate something. It could be anything, a shirt from the shop, a rock from a hike, something silly from back home, something super special, something homemade, pretty much anything. Bethrah put everyone’s names into a bucket and then she pulled names until all the prizes were gone. I won some Professor Phardtpounders Colon Cleaner Hot Sauce and a slingshot! Pat Pierce was the winner of my raffle prize! I was super excited, and apparently he’s a huge fan of it already! Pretty rad.

The main classroom becomes a hammock city during the week as piercers kick back during the learning process.

I’m so sad that everyone will be leaving tomorrow and Camp will be over. This is honestly my favorite trip every year. So much laughing, so much learning, and so much time to just be in the moment. It’s always hard that first day to adjust to “roughing it” with not always being connected, but then it’s actually kind of nice to just be away in the middle of nowhere with a group of really good people. The cool thing though is that I won’t have to wait very long to see everyone again since APP Conference 2019 is in May. We will be doing our closing talks here in a few minutes and then I have to pack up. Tomorrow we clean up our cabins and turn in our bedding and then we’re done. I think we’re driving the Pauls to the airport early in the morning too, so it’ll be an early night for me.

Whelp Momma, I hear the meeting whistle now, so I’ve gotta run! I’ll be seeing you real soon though! — Shorty

Point 85: A Look Inside my Private Library

by Kendra Jane B.


Vale.V., Juno.A. Modern Primitives: An Investigation of Contemporary Adornment & Ritual Volume 12 of Re/Search classics Wilensky-Ritzenhein Gay Book Collection. Re/Search Publications, 1989.
ISBN-10: 094064214X ISBN-13: 9780940642140
Ward, Jim. Running the Gauntlet: An Intimate History of the Modern Body Piercing Movement. Gauntlet Enterprises, 2013.
ISBN-10: 0988851601
ISBN-13: 9780988851603
Angel, Elyane. The Piercing Bible: The Definitive Guide to Safe Body Piercing. Random House Inc May 1, 2009.
ISBN-10: B004U2IGXM
Ward, J., Grey, M. Responsible Body PIercing-putting the pieces together. Gauntlet Enterprises, 2013. (reprint)
ISBN-13: 9780988851610
Mifflin, M. Bodies of Subversion. Juno Books. 1997.
Mifflin, M. Bodies of Subversion: A Secret History of Women and Tattoo. Third Edition Published June 25th 2013 by powerHouse Books
ISBN 1576876667
ISBN13: 9781576876664
Clarke, P., Reilly D. (Illus.), Beyond the Eye of the Needle. Publisher: Piercing World– Feb 25 2000. ISBN-10: 0952817918
ISBN-13: 978-0952817918
Clarke, P., Dale M., Oversby. A. The Eye Of The Needle. Publisher, Pauline Clarke. 1994.
ISBN-10 0952117509
ISBN-13 978-0952117506
Glucklich, Ariel. Sacred Pain: Hurting the Body for the Sake of the Soul. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001.
ISBN-10: 9780195169430
ISBN-13: 978-0195169430
Musafar, F. Thompson, M. Spirit + Flesh. Publisher Arena Editions, 2002.
ISBN-10: 189204157X ISBN-13: 9781892041579
Perlingieri, B. A Brief History of the Evolution of Body Adornment in Western Culture; Ancient Origins and Today. Tribalife Publications, 2003.
ISBN-10: 0867196084
ISBN-13: 9780867196085

Point 85: Meet the BPA

by Paul King

“The mission of the Body Piercing Archive is to select, collect, document, preserve, exhibit, and interpret the personal, social, and material evolving histories of Body Piercing to ensure these artifacts are available to present and successive generations.”

PAUL R. KING—BPA FOUNDER & COMMITTEE CHAIR, APP TREASURER

Let’s start with our founder, Paul King. Paul has been a professional body piercer since 1991 and an enthusiast before that. Paul has a BA in Anthropology from UC Berkeley and has lectured in universities, community groups, and conferences on various aspects of body modification since 1993. In 1999, Paul partnered to create Cold Steel America in San Francisco, CA. He is an active Business Member of the Association of Professional Piercers. In 2005, he successfully completed a three year elected Board position as Treasurer for the APP. In 2007, he received the APP’s President’s Award for contributions to the piercing industry. He has served as a Board-appointed Treasurer and Officer of the APP since 2008. In 2014, with the support of the APP Board, Paul King created the Body Piercing Archive.

BRIAN SKELLIE—BPA COMMITTEE MEMBER, APP MEDICAL LIAISON

Brian founded Piercing Experience in 1992 as a piercer inspired to research and evolve safe body modification and share the results with the community. He is a frequent APP contributor ever since the first Conference, an active Business Member since 1996, an educator who has presented many seminars and workshops at conferences in North and South America and Europe, former Editor of The Point, former chair of the Media Committee, and completed his third term Board Member as President, now serving as Medical Liaison.

BECKY DILL—BPA COMMITTEE MEMBER, INCOMING APP BOARD MEMBER

Becky Dill has been piercing professionally since 2003. She has been a part of the Cold Steel America family since 2009 and the Body Piercing Archive since its inception.

Becky is a Business Member of the Association of Professional Piercers; since becoming a Member she has participated in the APP Mentor Program and led roundtable discussions during the annual Conference & Exposition in Las Vegas. Additionally, she is also a founding member of the Bay Area Piercers Group.

DANNY GREENWOOD—DESIGN GURU, APP ASSOCIATE MEMBER

Danny Greenwood started working counter in 2007, and has been a member of the Cold Steel Piercing family since 2008. Danny is an Associate Member of the Association of Professional Piercers. Danny is the Phantom to our Opera: working behind the scenes on our website and various graphic design needs  (and hiding away from the daylight as much as possible.)

When she isn’t busy handling the ordering and photographing of fancy jewelry for Cold Steel America, you can expect Danny to be watching too much TV with her fat cat and thinking about snacks.

DEVIN RUIZ-ALTAMURA—BPA COMMITTEE MEMBER

Devin began working counter at Cold Steel Piercing in 2014 and is an Associate Member of the Association of Professional Piercers. Devin is the newest addition to the BPA and excited to bring you insights into the inner workings via social media. As  a native San Franciscan, a body piercing enthusiast, and student of the Paul King School of Being a Big ol’ History Nerd, she is honored to be preserving and sharing history that is near and dear to her heart.

When Devin isn’t archiving or obsessing over body jewelry she is probably planting things, reading comics, or telling her dogs how much she loves them. (She is also responsible for the majority of the bios you are currently enjoying originally posted on The Body Piercing Archive Instagram.)

MATTE ERICKSON—BPA COMMITTEE MEMBER, APP BUSINESS MEMBER

Matte began piercing in 1994 in Colorado Springs, Co.and re-located to Fairfield, Ca in 1998 and since then, has become the prevalent piercer in Solano and Napa counties. Since 2002, He has attended the Association of Professional Piercers Conference to continue his education and stay up on the latest advances and techniques.

I am sure there are more for each list, but, I think you get the idea. One of my motto’s is, “just because you can pierce something, doesn’t mean you should”.

Now a committee member for the Body Piercing Archive Committee. History has always been very important to him. He is also a member of the Bay Area and Sacramento piecers groups, The International Suspension Alliance And is also responsible for many of the Photographs The Point uses throughout its publications.

GENE GOWEN—BPA COMMITTEE MEMBER AND FUNDRAISING COORDINATOR

Gene Gowen is owner of and piercer at Cold River Piercing in Albany, NY. He had always wanted to get involved with the APP, but didn’t think he’d be much good at any of the usual ways people volunteer with the organization. Paul started the BPA and needed some help raising funds for the work the archive was doing. So he asked if Gene could be responsible for generating sellable items at Conference, to raise funds for the BPA. Like any other staunch New Englander, Gene has a mother who makes and gives away quilts for everyone’s big life events. So the idea came to him that maybe we could make some quilted projects from old shop shirts, which everyone has in abundance.

That’s really all it came down to. He saw a place where someone needed some help and thought he might be able to be of some use.

OLIVIA THERIAULT—BPA COMMITTEE MEMBER

Olivia began her professional piercing journey in 2012, on the quiet coast of Nova Scotia. She is a permanent fixture at her hometown studio, Skin Decision. When she is home in the woods, you will often find her transcribing audio files for the BPA or outside playing with bugs!

Olivia is a proud Business Member of the Association of Professional Piercers and has attended a variety of seminars, conferences, and retreats to further her understanding of our industry.

Point 85: The APP Board Timeline

As an organization built by volunteers, we feel so fortunate to have had so many people serve our mission. As you can see from this chart, many of our Board Members have been serving the APP for upwards of a decade. We would like to thank not only the people you see listed, but all of our volunteers that have served our committees

Point 85: The Piercer Family Tree

by Mic Rawls & Gene Gowan

Hello piercing community!!!

I had an idea at Camp APP to create a piercing family tree. I started to put it out there and have gotten a great response! With the help of Gene Gowen, we will continue collecting everybody’s history!!

What we need from you:

We would like information about the people that helped bring you into the community. This includes what shops you have worked at (no guest spots please) and anybody you helped get into the industry. If you have worked as a trainer at any education seminars or training groups we would like that as well.

For some of this it can be difficult to list people that also had a negative effect on our fledgling careers, and if there are people you don’t want to list, that is cool. Please remember that we are using this to get a sense of our history and how and through whom this wonderful craft has evolved. This will include some people that we do not care for, but without them we may have not gotten our start!

My vision for this will include an interactive display, so you can find those who came before you. I am hoping to modify this to include a class and video as we move forward. It will be a blast putting all the pieces together and to see how this skill has moved from one community to another.

Please send all submissions tomic4559@hotmail.com

Thanks for everybody’s help. I can’t wait to see how this will bloom!!!

Point 85: Longest Standing Currently Active APP Members

The following is a list of longest standing APP Members who are still currently active. Listed beside their names, you’ll find their original join date. This list reflects consecutive membership; according to current membership policy, original join dates can be reinstated after no more than two years, as long as there has not been a lapse in membership dues.

We’re honored to have these 20 people continuing to support the Association of Professional Piercers and the body piercing industry.

  • Sky Renfro—July 1994
  • David Vidra—October 1995
  • Adam Block—January 1996
  • Allen Falkner—January 1996
  • Patrick McCarthy—February 1996
  • Bink Williams—March 1996
  • Elayne Angel—March 1996
  • Brian Skellie—May 1996
  • Derek Lowe—June 1996
  • Darrin Walters—August 1996
  • Gus Diamond—October 1996
  • Steve Joyner—July 1997
  • Bethrah Szumski—August 1997
  • Marc J. Williams—September 1997
  • Jason King—October 1997
  • David Kelso—January 1999
  • Sarah Wooten—May 1999
  • James Weber—May 1999
  • Luis Garcia—May 1999
  • Shawn Taylor—July 1999