After a really rocky month and many false starts, Skate and Annoy has been back up for over a week now. It seems like we’ve lost about 40 -50% of our traffic, but the trend is creeping upward. Do me a favor and spread the word that we’re here, (we’re queer- or mongo? goofy?) get used to it. In order to distract you (and me) from my failures, here’s a video of my good friend House of Neil skating in below freezing weather with a hangover on January 1st, 2003. And also, it smelled like sewage. Enjoy!

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I went to the grand opening of the Toxic Skate shop last weekend to check out the new bowl. It’s really fun, but not without a few flaws. The corners can be unpredictable and the decks are miniscule, but the bowl is fun as hell to ride. The giant wall ride on one half of the long side really makes this bigger than just the sum of it’s parts. The shop is in a small industrial park in Vancouver. lack of traditional neighbors made it easier to get the go ahead to have all ages shows there. It could be a cool little scene. Rich from EPM has some shots from early in the day before it got crowded.

You know how we hate controversy at Skate and Annoy. That’s why I am reinstating Daddy Yo… Just kidding! (maybe not…) Steve Berra launched an online directory of skateshops. He’s got a video about explaining how it’s just core shops, etc… He neglects to mention you have to pay to be on the listing, something like 5k a year. I guess the controversy is in the fact that the site is pitched as an independent and unbiased resource when in fact it’s nothing more than paid advertising, like the Yellow Pages. There has been some bickering back and forth on Twitter and the Slap boards, it’s real Interwebs skateboarding drama that brings to mind this picture, as seen at the Gay Ocean. You can get a more detailed accounting over at Haveaboard.com. They’ve got all the pertinent links too.

Need more bitchy gossip? Ryan Scheckler’s business manager reportedly embezzled 365 grand. Perez Hilton has the skinny.

- Thanks to Bobcat for the tip.

The Economists has an article talking about the greed and selfishness of today’s youth, and their lack of involvement in public service sector. I’m not sure about the public service record, but I’m pretty sure the previous generation’s greed is a huge part of the reason we’re in this mess. What’s the point? The illustrator used a skateboard to portray the folly of youth. You could be upset if you cared, but if you think about it, skateboard media itself does a good job of perpetuating the stereotype. Not all of it, but a sizable portion. I was talking with an industry insider this summer who expressed some regret over that, while fully copping to perpetuating negative stereotypes in skateboarding through his own product and actions. Ah… What are you going to do? Do as I say, not as I do? Skate and Destroy or Skate and Create? Does anyone care?

- Thanks to Seth Levy for the tip.

Rumor has it that Rip City Skate’s indoor facility will be opening as soon as this weekend. MC saw some progress being made. Built in accordance with legendary Portland miniramp zoning ordinances, this picture doesn’t quite let you know how tight this spot is. It’s going to be challenging, but fun. I still haven’t made to Epic yet. I need to check both of these out. Enlarge-o-rama.

Wow. I can’t believe this one flew under my radar for so long, but it was released a mere year after Thrashin’. I’m not sure what this movie is about, but it’s got two Playboy Playmates and a skateboarding goon who meets a spectacular untimely demise. Is it because he’s doing handstands down the middle of a highway, or because he’s spinning 360’s with an inflatable doll? Both valid reasons, to be sure, but not there are other extenuating circumstances. Playmates are well known for their acting chops, so you know this clip is… not going to feature them.

- Thanks to Skate D for the tip.

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We’ve featured the ramp handywork of Tim Kulas here a few times. His latest ongoing project is something called the Goat Ramp. It’s a sectional miniramp made from vacuum-formed laminates… I think. The sections are sturdy, but hollow and comparatively lightweight, so it can be transported and set up at a place like this beach. Slide show with gratuitous bikini shots after the jump.

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Hey everyone, quit reading this blog and head on over to Disposable: random essays on skateboard art. Take this extra on the passing of Bernie Tostenson. Bernie did some great graphics for Sims before starting Brand X. Brand X had a crappy wood shop, but the the screen printing was second to none. For instance, I have a Brand X Weirdo hanging on my wall in my living room. I’ve looked at it thousand times, and tried to dissect the print work that went into it. I figured it was 6-8 colors with a few blends in it, because when I contemplated the larger possibilities, it gave me a headache. I couldn’t handle the truth. Twelve colors? Holy cow. I learned that on Cliver’s Disposable blog. Add him to your bookmarks. The Disposable blog makes a great companion to the book that is a great companion to the first book.

So stick with me here… Some Kentucky-based friends of the site known as the Concretins live in the Louisville area and sometimes session with a BMX rider named Zach. Still following? So Zach’s dad sent the Concretins some pictures of skateboard graffiti in Lexington, Kentucky, and now they are up on Skate and Annoy. I guess the paint crews are Powell fans in KY.

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Skaters for Eugene Skateparks has posted three video fly-throughs of revised design concepts, as well as some still renders. There’s also a feedback form which is accepting comments until November 22nd. They want this to be a destination park, so… feel free to comment, but maybe you could tip them off if you’re not a resident. The videos really help give you a better feel for the design. For instance, I was more likely to vote in favor of the weird flower bowl until I saw the way the outer walls were considerably higher than the inner ones. The video really helped see how it might ride out better than just viewing the overhead view. Fly-throughs should be mandatory for all skatepark proposals. I imagine in the not too distant feature we will be embedding the models in web pages directly, allowing users to drag the point of view wherever they want. Check it out..

- Thanks to Sarib Khalsa for the tip.