Unbeatable Banzuke is a physical obstacle course Japanese game show (Kinniku Banzuke) that airs in reruns on the G4 network in the US. Apparently the original show was cancelled in 2002 after two contestants suffered serious spinal cord (OK, cervical vertebrae) injuries. The “Skeboarder” episode features a skateboard obstacle course that looks like Grover’s wet dream. An enterprising individual has captured some of it in the time honored fashion of pointing a video camera at the TV. Check it out after the jump. G4’s site has some footage but they don’t do anything to make it easy for you to find out when a particular episode will be on. “TV that’s plugged in?” Hardly. The course looks really fun, actually. One of the contestants has his occupation listed as “Skateboard Salesman.” I wonder if he goes door to door. - Thanks to Rich for the tip.

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Flipping through the first few pages of Concussion #37 makes it clear that Concussion is new Concrete Wave. Page 13 - Full page advert for Foundation re-issues, no big deal. Page 23 - full page Art and Steve Godoy advert for Bones Wheels. I don’t know what’s more shocking, the Godoys on a Powell brand or the Godoys in any advert. Where was the hype back when I needed it? Actually, I think they’ve always been on good terms, but they didn’t fit the squeaky clean image of Powell back in the day. Those are Factory 13 boards they are sporting. Then on page 26 there’s a full page Circle-A advert. Oh yeah, Full page OJ’s and and a full page Lester Kasai ad for S One Helmets too.

And I’m just kidding about that Concrete Wave comparison Davoud. Sorry, couldn’t resist.

Another huge moneymaking plan that someone else beat me to the punch on. I guess I’d better get moving on my 900 phone-skating number. Secrets of Skateboarding wants your email address, which they swear will not be sold or misused, and you gotta believe them. If you cough up your email (or any email) you can get access to the page where you get the scoop on Tony Waters’ success plan (He studied Tony Robbins!) for becoming a kickass skater. Revealed… An effective technique to improve at skateboarding without actually skating. Although the secrets apparently fit in a software box, if you buy now you’ll also get a chance to download for free, How to Shoot a Killer Skate Video. Here’s a free tip from me - Step one: Ditch the VHS camera. Then there’s what looks like the wheelchair access version of Professional Ramp Plans. How much will all this bounty cost you? Only $27, and they’ve got an affiliate program too! I need to get signed up for that. Who is Tony Waters? One Clue: “Underground Skater Finally Comes Out!” He’s still a little shy, as he only appears in one small photo wearing sunglasses in front of his mom’s garage in the suburbs. Speaking of techniques for improving your skateboarding without actually skating, some crazy fool is giving away his tips for success! Check out the video for How to be awesome at skateboarding after the jump. - Thanks to Griptape Flip and others for the tip.

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Granted, the site is named Hypebeast, but they are reporting that the Disney corporation has Christian Hosoi to design some limited edition skate decks and apparel. No actual confirmations yet, so maybe it was just an excuse to make that cool graphic. Old Walt must be (rock and) rolling in his grave, except for his cryogenically frozen head. - Thanks to JF for the tip.

Tony Hawk’s Big Spin has been open for a while now. It’s got to be surreal having your own amusement park ride. There’s no Michael Jordan’s Big Dunk ride out there, but you would think he would have been able to sign the contract if he wanted. Here’s two YouTube videos with two different takes on the ride. One is a guy who obsesses on amusement park rides and the other is a couple of snotty kids who just like to hear themselves say “I hate Tony Hawk.” Check ‘em both out after the jump.

- Thanks to Tito for the tip.

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Stop the presses! The days of slipping, banana peel-style off the top of your deck are over. Ferrari has made an important advance in friction technology. Apparently, the grip tape on this Ferrari branded skateboard is also coated with some sort of magical anti-slip material, which would make it even gripier than regular old grip tape. I hope they didn’t use spray-tack on griptape, otherwise my patent dreams are over.

The Ferrari skateboard features a seven-layer Canadian maple board and stretches 79 cm by 20 cm. The Grip Tape on the upper surface (with Ferrari logo) is coated in an anti-slip material to improve grip. A stunning Ferrari red finish, the Italian tricolour and the Prancing Horse logo adorn the underside. The skateboard also has black 54 x 36 mm polyurethane wheels custom moulded with a red stripe. The Ferrari skateboard comes in a stylish red nylon carry bag too.

Ferrari has been slapping their logo and PMS color matched red paint on host of mediocre non-automotive devices such as laptop computers for several years now. Further diluting the brand name with a mediocre skateboard must have seemed like a good idea to them as well. Who makes those trucks and how hard are those wheels? Who cares, because it comes with a stylish red nylon carry bag! Count me in. I’m sure this $169 bargain will be available from the Ferrari Store for a long, long time, but just in case it isn’t, there are pictures after the jump. Seriously, who is this aimed at? I guess this would be the skateboard James Spader would have ridden in Pretty in Pink.

[Source: Be Sportier]

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Yes folks, it’s the same people that bring you modern day cannibals, a woman who had 69 babies and the 200 pound tumor. The 9th wonder of the world appears to be something known as the “Urban Jib Park.” Witness the wonder and the horror of The Ripley’s Urban Rail Park - an urban rider’s dream, according to the folks at Polson Pier in Toronto, where it is located. Although open since December 21st, pictures of the actual park appear to be as rare as ostrich-footed Africans. Apparently, they built some rails at the bottom of a pile of snow for the snowboarders and put up a big heated tent with some ramps for the skaters. Things must be bleak in Toronto, because you can even buy a season pass for all this awesomeness:

20ft wide 4 foot mini-ramp
4 stair with hand rail
60 ft wide bank with grind box at the top
5 ft ¼ pipe
6 ft ¼ pipe
Fun box with rail

They will have unspecified rock concerts, pro demos and contests. I predict that this park sucks - BELIEVE IT OR NOT!!

[Source: PR-Inside]

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I love it when science fiction type technology becomes real, and so do you. A cheeky brit (uses the F-word in interviews!) has invented a polymer foam that is flexible until the molecules are excited, and then it get harder faster than a 13 year old boy slow dancing. So far it’s already in use in some sports equipment like shin guards and goalie gloves for soccer. Quiksilver has reportedly made a beanie with the material, called 3do foam, although a web search of the site reveals nothing. (Update: Here’s a buy link, but 6500 Euro is $9,595. That can’t be right. ) Globe shoes has an exclusive action sports footwear license for the material, and is said to be using it for absorbing heal impact without sacrificing flexibility. It sounds like an amazing breakthrough fro street skaters, and even bowl riders who have been known to get a bruised heal. Suddenly, knee and hip pads can be totally unobtrusive as well. The foam only works where it is up against a somewhat rigid surface, so it won’t protect you against getting a board to the nuts. Now if they can just get this technology into trucker hats and hoodies, maybe you’ll finally see fashionable helmets at skateparks. You can watch a video of a reporter whacking the inventor on the head with a shovel after the jump. - Thanks to Grumpy Joe for the tip.

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The beginning of the feature to be known as “I was sick for a week and now I’m recycling all kinds of things seen first on Skatedaily.net” Here’s an interview of Tony Hawk perfomed by (because they are performers, right?) ECW female wrestling star Lalya. She was either uninterested or phoning the whole thing in. Most of here responses are “Wow, that sounds amazing” or “Wow, that’s awesome.” Other than that it’s mostly the routine questions about the video game, Tony Hawk Foundation, and his roller coaster ride. Also mildly amusing: Tony trying to explain how fans of the WWE would most likely also be interested in his video game,and the photograph of Lalya that makes her look like Rita Moreno on steroids. And the hair on Tony’s chest? That’s costume and makeup for an upcoming Proving Ground commercial designed to make him look like a pigeon. There are more shots of Rodney Mullen and Ryan Sheckler getting dressed up as flying rats on Tony Hawk’s Road Journal. What was the point of this post? Oh yeah, Layla gets Extreme with Tony Hawk.

[Source: Skate Daily]

OK, it’s a bit of a stretch, but from India comes the movie Kranti that features an action scene with very Back-to-the-Future-esque stunt skateboarding. You can watch a clip of a policeman using a skateboard to capture a criminal on the run over at Nanarland. Best pause it and let it all download before playing.

[Source: Boyington on Flickr]