Since 1963… with a few blackouts here and there. This started out as just lame quickie because I wanted to post a picture of this wacky old plastic Makaha skateboard that I’ve always loved. In the beginning, just as with Nash, Makaha was a real company. Makaha was one of the first skateboard companies, and the first one to use clay wheels. Owner Larry Stevenson has an actual patent on the kicktail! Their web site claims to have made the first production longboard as well. Also like Nash, unfortunately, at some point in the 70’s Makaha started turning plastic toys. After the jump there are some more examples of Makaha’s past and present. (more…)

Springfield Nuclear Power Plant anyone? Thanks to some recent dry spells it looks like there’s been quite a bit of pouring going on in Battle Ground Washington. It’s no longer just some framed holes filled with muddy water. Of course the surroundings are one big bog fest. Hit the jump to see more pictures of construction than you’ll ever really need. New to this layout is a corresponding reference shot showing the approximate location and field of view that each shot was taken. Tedious? Yes, but I bleed for you, man. Designed by Grindline but built by Dreamland. Check it out.

In case you haven’t been paying attention. We’ve got two new contributors on the site with a couple more waiting in the wings. It’s not Devo, even though those silhouettes may suggest otherwise. First there is Egbert, who has been here for a while actually. Today saw the debut of Chompy, who is going to be scouring the Interweb for video. While we don’t encourage an outside life, Egbert also has his own thing here, as Chompy has his own thing here.

Big plans for Skate and Annoy. Yes siree. We’ve got ‘em. Just you wait and see mister.

This video follows the Four Star team on a two week tour of Tokyo, Japan. Four Star has some of the best skaters, and of course the Gonz is there, which makes the video that much better. Throughout the entire video he is riding that land barge of a board.

This is definitely one of the better videos to come out during 2005. It gets the fire burning below to get out and skate.

Featured Skaters: Brian Anderson, Mike Carroll, Mark Gonzales, Rick Howard, Eric Koston, P.J. Ladd, Guy Mariano, and Max Schaaf.

Run time: 36 min 59 sec – Check it out.

It depends on where you find it, this is either called GR8 TaT2 Maker or I-Tattoo There’s nothing like pretending to be an adult. If you’ve got a toy skateboard, you might as well have a toy tattoo gun. Next in line is the Lil’ Addict Heroin Kit™. Seriously, these kids look like little meatheads already. The kid on the right looks like he’s wearing a hair helmet. As soon as they get done with the fake tattoos they are going out to the back yard to off road in their battery powered mini Jeeps.

Get Inked!! Vibrating Electronic Pen! Safe and Easy! Uses Washable Markers! Contains: 30 Stencils 3 Markers

No, there’s no skateboard in the actual product, just in the advertising. I like how the copped the SK8 spelling for GR8. Tip of the keyboard to Gizmodo.com where I poached this from.

I was going to make this kid the annoying kid of the month, but I dug his attitude and homemade board with an 80’s fish shape and no kicktail whatsoever. Completely flat. He rolled into the mouse hole and rode around doing those weird turning airs that come with the skyhooks territory, except he had the home made kind made from an innertube. That’s one of the oldest tricks in the book, and it made me smile. When I looked at pictures I noticed that due to the layout of the park, I almost caught a nice kickflip picture in the background by accident. Check it out after the jump. (more…)

All those earlier injury and death posts got you bummed out? It’s never funny when someone get’s hurt. Unless they are rollerbladers or skateboarders climbing on electric trains.

Where are the video cameras when you need them? This would have been perfect for the Grover’s Video Korner opener. Thanks to Earth Patrol for the shout out. Right back at ya. There are also a few good straight skate shots in the link, so check it out.

Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy! I’ve been asking for this for months now. This is the holy grail of 70’s wacky commercial skateboard exploitation. They actually advertised these in Skateboarder. I’ve never seen one in person but I remember seeing them in ads. Even though they looked completely ridiculous, I always wanted one for their sheer absurd nature, just to prove they exist. Thanks to Thor for locating and scanning the advert. See the full ad in all it’s 70’s glory after the jump. (more…)

Doing business in communist China is easier than in Santa Cruz, said a local surfboard, snowboard and skateboard maker.

Coupled with the first sentence of “Local skateboard maker toys with leaving S.C.,” you’d be left with the impression that Novak is contemplating moving (all) Santa Cruz Skateboards production to China. After all, the over regulation and complaints from gentrifying neighbors are some of the same alleged reasons that Clark Foam, the world’s largest manufacturer of surfboard blanks shut down. However, according to the interviews, Novak is only considering moving to an adjacent town. Do you believe him? (more…)