The Vancouver Sun reports that a civil suit against a guy who spray painted at a skatepark has resulted in an award of $6400 to the city.

Apparently, four insecure jackasses felt the need to hassle someone they knew, repeatedly taunting and eventually beating up a kid and stealing his skateboard. The kid finally pulled out a knife and fought back. One of the attackers suffered some non life threatening injuries, and all four were arrested after the cop took everyone’s story, including onlookers (non-skaters) using the surrounding park. The upshot? If you watch the postage size video reminiscent of the internet circa 1998, you’ll see the commotion has scared off some younger kids from visiting the park again. Hooray! More skatepark for me! But seriously folks… It’s too bad that happened. Gabriel Park is one of the last places in Portland I would have expected that. Hey douchebags ands bullies, keep your quarrels and your lame asses out of the skateparks. Skatepark users, don’t stand for this crap. - Thanks to Welsh Pete and Troy Sliter for the tip.

[Source - KGW NewsChannel 8, Portland]

Wrapping up some longboard-centric items. First up is fashion designer Adam Kimmel’s promo film Claremont consisting of a couple of beardos screaming downhill in suits we can only assume were designed by Adam Kimmel. I’m not exactly sure how the tie in works, but it seems to be getting people talking. The right people? I can’t make that call. I thought it was a hoax at first, as far as Adam Kimmel being in the fashion industry, but it would have to be an elaborate one. The downhill action looks insanely fast. These guys even pass a car as well as passing the camera between themselves and shooting backwards. I don’t know how they do it, but my helmet is off to them. They make a certain German downhiller look like a wuss in comparison. Supposedly, German police are on the lookout for a man assumed to be “a professional stuntman” in full leathers who reached 62 MPH on a two mile stretch of the Autobahn after getting a tow in by a motorcycle. Pfffft! Talk to me when you do it in light blue polyester. Lastly, there’s the L.A. Times article titled More skaters switching to longboards, from the Health section no less. Because it’s the internet, you can watch both videos in the same place.

- Thanks to sk8norcal, Jake, Colin and Micheal for the tips.

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“I think that we should be men first, and subjects afterward.  It is not so desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right.” -Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience, 1849

On August 29th, Derek Anderson (Mark Conahan’s age) committed a breach of peace when he scaled a 300-foot crane located in the beer garden of the Doghouse Public House.  This act of civil disobedience was an aim to shed some light on a particular subject: the Dudhope Skatepark, pictured above courtesy of Google Maps user ihatetechnology,  in Westport, Dundee, UK.

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“Only a fool has a pool and keeps it full. Only a traitor doesn’t drain his pool.” US Bombs, “Jaks”

Ryan Lochte recently obtained two gold and two bronze medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics for his swimming. He even set a world record for the 200 meter backstroke.  However, the Olympic trials in July were in question for him due to an injured ankle acquired while (skateboarding) dropping from the deck of his house, as noted by the folks at Yahoo!Sports.

-Thanks Sarib for the tip

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A good friend of mine once came to visit with a guy she was dating who turned out the be the Choir Boy Robber. After a quick change of clothes, he would make his getaway on a fancy track bike. The way they caught him was simple really. He had to ditch his bike once cause he got spooked. The bike was a tricked out custom job, not a Trek or Specialized that could be bought anywhere. The fuzz canvassed bike shops and one of them ID’ed him as Tom Justice. So he’s in jail now, gets out in about 4 more years I heard. He was kind of a dick to my friend. On the surface he was personable and interesting to talk to, but something about him always seemed suspect. We thought he was a dealer, actually. There were no bank robberies during his stay with us in Portland. Want to learn more about the Choir Boy Robber? There supposedly was an article written about him in Details magazine, and he’s got a page on Friendster. Holy cow, is Friendster still around? What’s the point of this? Oh yeah, some guys have been robbing banks and making getaways on skateboards. This and other unusual skateboard crimes after the jump.

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From CBC News in New Brunswick, Canada

Skateboarder jailed after refusing to pay fine

A Fredericton man who refused to pay a fine for skateboarding on city streets has been taken into custody and will be sent to jail. Lee Breen, 25, was fined in the summer of 2007 after receiving several warnings. After not paying the initial $50 fine, it was increased to $100. A judge then ordered him in April to pay the fine or be sent to jail for five days.

But he’s not doing it because he’s too broke to pay the fine, he’s actually trying to make a point! He’s challenging the nuisance law under the grounds that skateboarding is not inherently dangerous and provides a environmentally friendly means of travel. About 80 people rallied outside the courthouse as he was taken into custody. Skateboarding is a crime!

- Thanks to Michael Brooke for the tip

More useless odds and ends. These guys in Massachusetts do touchy-feely performance art called “Zend” on skateboards inspired by stained glass. And speaking of hippies, the Seattle Times wants you to believe that longboarders have a higher calling. Ryan Sheckler gets nominated for a world wide sportmanship award in the action sports category, but loses to Shaun White. I guess there was no category for crying. An interesting note, a guy with the actual name of “Dick Pound” won the “Spirit of Sport” award for his work with the World Anti-Doping Agency. Sounds like spirit alright. According to the North County Times, Andy Macdonald is not a rebel, and he does have a cause. Do you need money? Why not fake getting hit by a car on your skateboard so your buddies can steal a purse while the driver makes sure you are OK? These kids in Vancouver, Washington did. What’s the next Xtreme!™ sport raging in Orange County? Racing Dodge Chargers on electric skateboards. The article “Not Just Any Old Token” does not refer to Dave Chappelle’s race, even if he is the only non-honky in the photo. Some skateboarders in Queens, New York found some humane remains and called 911, further laying to rest the teenage satanic skateboard worshipers theory. Some people don’t need to read a study to know that hurting yourself skateboarding can cost a lot of money, but some do.

There. I’ve wasted enough of my time, so go waste some of yours.

[Assorted tips - Mark Ward, Mike Estes, Poor Richard]

From the San Jose Mercury News

The five suspects, who are ages 18 to 22, burst into the store on their skateboards and began to ride around in the aisles, according to police… …”They did it for the thrill of it,” Pleasanton police Sgt. Jim Knox said. “They were trying to videotape themselves.”

OK, so you’re trying to make your own Jackass tapes. That’s fine, just don’t beat up the store manager when he asks you to leave.

That’s when one of the suspects, who police believe is a juvenile, walked up to the manager, picked up his skateboard and struck the manager in the face with it. The manager suffered minor injuries that included cuts and bruises to his face, wrist and hand.

Now you are officially a dick, and not a very bright one, since they managed to get your buddy’s license plate as you drove away. More skateboarding dicks after the jump. Photos (Unrelated and with no editorial comment intended) are from Rebel Skates, although seems like I’ve seen the slogan on the left shirt somewhere, sometime… Oh yeah, Cow Skates in the 80’s.

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