How Portland, Ore., Became the Skateboard Capital of the World
The Wall Street Journal want’s you to know that Portland, Oregon is Skateboarding Capital of the World. If only my father were alive to read that. Ruining my life, indeed! As soon as I get home from work tomorrow I’m going to actually read it. I’m up past my bedtime. Holy cow if it isn’t S&A reader and sporadic commenter, Tom Miller in one of the photos. Why can’t we enlarge that one? Where’s that Bush Beater we gave you? And no inside scoop either? Miller, Miller, why have you forsaken us? That’s OK. I’m still voting for you when you run for Mayor.
- Thanks to Greg North for the tip.
Posted by: kilwag on July 31st, 2009
More posts by kilwag
Categories: Media Watch, Newspapers, Skate
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Hey there,
How’s it going? I noticed you carry a lot of cool skate brands, and I like your site. Do you have any pro skaters that ride for Skate and annoy? We are going to sponsor 4 people in about a month, we are just watching the skate videos and trying to decide who to go with.
By the way, I own a skateboard company you can see at http://www.mallardclothing.com.
It would be sweet if you could check it out and tell me what you think. We’re always looking for more dealers to carry our products.
Feel free to apply to become a dealer and to receive free, recurring samples.
Take care,
Jeremy W (JDub)
Mallard Clothing
Jeremy, Ewww… bad form.
Who is Greg North. ;)
“It’s almost like skaters are the cops now,” says Mr. Dickinson, the BMXer.
… no.. just your daddy. And we are pushing you out into the real word. Get a job, build something! We have taught you all we can.
Who’s going pro for skate&annoy!!! WHere is my box…
The site is really cool! DUde!
Ironic that “JDub” decided to use this post for some shameless self promotion. Here’s a couple quotes from a video post on Mallard’s blog: “If anyone is good enough to be sponsored or knows someone that is good enough to be sponsored, let them know we are holding tryouts in a month or two” and one from a video description “Some awesome skateboarding tricks. At the start it almost looks like he’s dancing with the board.”
If Portland is the skate capitol then I wondered just where the hell these guys are from – unfortunately I saw on their site it’s Clearfield, UT. Damn, we have already have a wacky enough rep here, no need to fuel the fire. On behalf of the Utah skate scene (even though can’t really speak for everyone) – sorry.
Tryouts? I can only hope it’s a high school project or something.
says in the article “the ran off the bums and pot smokers…..” someone should do a fact check before these things go to print.
Sorry fellas. This was a sincere request to Skate and Annoy, but I accidentally posted it here on the blog instead of emailing them directly. Noob, I know. Peace.
HI! Hello, how are you skateboarders doing today. I want to be a professional skate dude. I can jump on a bump. I can also slide the rail thingies. Or maybe I’m just talking about sliding the bump 2 bump rail @ newberg. Whatever, good enough for a team shirt and a one liner one the team magazine? Just kidding bro. That is just what happens when you mess with the skateboard capitol of the world. ( wait a second, am I excluded as a Vancouverite?!, Washenstonian?!)
kookalicious.
I appreciate Greg N.’s point- bikes have had free access to ride anywhere they wanted for a long,long time.When skaters started getting banned from downtowns nationwide, bikes continued to have no restrictions, unless possibly they were copying skaters and destroying the infrastructure.We pioneered pool riding,the building of halfpipes and fake pools etc., and every step of the way they’ve been following. What they can do is awesome,but it’s past time they do for themselves. We call them skateparks for reason.(Keep your snowmobile off my golf course)
“Keep your snowmobile off my golf course”
WINNER: skaterhusseindave!
Look man bilers are mans toys. engines, gasoline, noise, camo, deer.
if i saw a ramp with kids on it in the snow i would run it over with my biler. a little throttle and it would be a like WHHHaaaaaaaaaaaaHHHHHH, WhaaaH
Conahan is right: if we don’t kick it in the ass, we ain’t gonna get anything else built.
As far as BMX bikes go – out of the 5 parks we have, they are allowed in 4 of them, and fucking poach the other anyway (and try to fight me when I call them out). Sounds like those fucking paperboys are REAL shut out to me.
Get your own shit built, buddy.
One of their boards says “Pound it like a mallard” on the bottom. I’ve never heard of mallard pounding. What does it all mean? It’s such a goofy line I almost want one.
All I want is Free Re-occuring samples! No sponsorship, no photos etc..
ANyone or any company with FREE RE-OCCURING samples, I can get them out, Please email me for addy.
LOL
people still cry about bikes in skateparks?
golf courses and skateparks are pretty offensive use of public and/ or natural space in the scheme of things. use them however you see fit, i say. bikes, scooters, grafitti canvas, bbq venue, breakdance circles, skate around the party or move on.
if you want something ‘exclusive,’ build it yourself in your own special sterile environment.
I disagree. I think Skate parks are a great use of public space. I dont want to bore everyone with a list of why.
I also like to bike, and think bike paths are a great use of public space. Portland is famous as bike friendly city and for skate boarding parks. Seems like a bike park would be a no-brainer to someone with a little motivation.
for the next skatepark, i’d like to see a tennis court with some nice Berkley style quarters complete with middle class families playing tennis.
or a legit plaza that employs homeless people to sit on the ledges so skateboarders can negotiate them moving on, complete with private security guards that give out tickets that you can pay off with monopoly money…
or a replica of a foreclosed home- with a backyard pool, guard dog and razor wire, nosey neighbors, optional police chase/ trespass charge etc.
maybe a designated BMX park, that is really a skatepark in disguise. that skateboarders can ‘poach’ and be chased, bitched at and complained about by BMXers who are really city employees in disguise- paid to make your skate session more ‘real.’
c’mon portland- step it up. skateboarders deserve an authentic experience for their tax dollars.
I don’t cry about it, I also don’t put up with it at one particular park. Would you allow a bunch of dudes on Jetskis in a public swimming pool, if they were polite and waited their turn? “Authentic” is ancient history and action sports are only one big happy family on TV.I can show you plenty of examples of “exclusive” use in public parks that’s completely self-regulated. Come to Flint MI and try to barge a b-ball court on the city’s north side, I’d like to get video of that.
dave 1 Dbag 0…
Hell yes, I’d put up with polite dudes on PWCs. Show up at the park and ride my mom for all I care. Just ride her well, don’t act like a tough guy if we accidently run into each other. Iit’s pointless to think you’re special because we’re not riding the same things. After all, I’ll be skating and you’ll be on my mom (who looks like Robert Plant) and despite that, we can still be friends because this whole thing is as serious as we make it.
And if you ask me, it’s a joke. I’d quit tomorrow, but I’ve been skating for freaking decades and oh man, is it ever important, and besides, golf, knitting, and jai-alai are like, soooooo blown-out you know?
try skating Brixton Beach and crying about grafitti, bladers, raggamuffin kids throwing shit at you… go to Livingston and tell the hooligans to keep their bikes out- its all part of the public skatepark experience in most of the world. we are very spoiled here in portland and its useful to view things from a wider perspective once in awhile. in other words- i’m glad to share public space with anyone who is respectful. b/c exclusivity is bollox when public funding is involved.
For the record, I’m never too serious about anything…life is short, politeness is my normal state – it’s less stressful.
i’m trying also. not that it matters ut we passed on a skate deck and some wheels to a young razor scoot kid this morning… so hopefully next time we share the park with him, he’ll be engaged in the far more sensible activity of skateboarding.
I hear you Pete.The one park I ask bikes not to use was funded by skaters who raised 200 grand over a painful three years AFTER the BMXers bailed from the project, went behind our backs and asked the city for all the available seed money (got it) and built a dirt track…I’m currently willing to help get another built that everyone could ride anything in. My bluster is really just so much noise…
That does blow- you should barge the dirt track on some big softies to prove a point.
“Spoiled” is when someone just gives you something that you don’t work for. The Skaters of Portland have spent the last 20 plus years creating this scene. It didn’t just happen. Its why we have nice parks. Its hard riding a skateboard and its hard getting skate parks built. Skating deserves respect. Unfortunately most people around the world think Biking and skating are the same thing… thus you have BMXers in Brixton Beach. While Football (soccer)is way more respected… try holding a monster truck rally in Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium. Not gonna happen.
are the “raggamuffin kids” kids into Dancehall? ha ha ha.