Spot check in NE Portland

Spotted on a bike ride over the weekend. Pretty good unintentional driveway spot. Another view after the jump.

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Austin storm water management

Two photos of a spot that amazingly enough was not built for skateboarding. Storm water management done the right way, somewhere in Austin, Texas.

- Thanks to Brianna Vance for the photos.

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Tillamook spot check

I went to Pacific City, Oregon towards the end of the summer. Remember summer? Fer sure dude. I had to get some radical sandboarding action in. On the way home through Tillamook I spotted these banks on a building that was a real estate agency, if my memory serves me correctly. Tillamook is a bit of a ghost town. At least it is at 8:00 on a Sunday night. I recently switched from eating Tillamook yogurt to Chobani. I “ate locally” for long time but I wanted to ditch some of that sugar.

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Spin the Iceman

Portland skateboarders foiled a possibly deadly assault on a woman, knocking out the ice pick wielding assailant with a skateboard and holding him until police arrived. Good job citizens. Were these skaters the PDX equivalent of the Red Angels of Dragnet City? (Noprize anyone?) Nope, they were skating a recently built concrete ramp outside of River City Bicycles, where the owner of the shop had the ramps built specifically “for learning tricks on.” While he doesn’t specify whether it was built for skateboards or bicycles, he credits the “quarter pipe” with saving the woman’s life. OK, we can give him that. There’s room for bikes and skaters to get along in Portland (BIke lane! Bike Lane!) especially if you keep building spots for us… As long as you look up the definition of quarter pipe. Is it just me, or does that look like banks and not tranny?

- Thanks to Shawn F and Sam for the tip. [Source: BikePortland]

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Go skate a sidewalk

Mother nature wants you to skate launch ramps. Don’t ask me where it is, because it’s within a five block radius of my house.

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Stop skating here

Not enough to put a raised ridge in the middle of the bank, they had to put a fence up too. Tennis courts next to Grant High School in Portland. The TMR crew wuz there.

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Brooklyn Street progress

Status report. The pedestrian bridge in the background is slated for removal. Something to do with a new bridge going up somewhere nearby tied into mass transit expansion. I’m not sure why you have to tear one down to build another one somewhere else, but it works out to our favor. Tearing down the bridge somehow equates to nobody caring what happens there. It’s kind of a no-mans land, not really owned by anyone. If the park doesn’t interfere with bridge demolition then Trimet is cool with it. Heck, the construction company in charge has indicated an interest in donating some concrete. Pretty much the only speed bump left is getting the spot added under the neighborhood development committee’s insurance. I guess since the property isn’t Portland Parks, it’s not covered like the rest of the skateparks. Great story so far. We’ll keep you posted on any progress. In the mean time, enjoy this Merde (Sponsor Luv!) footage from last week’s benefit. That still looks familiar.

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B.S.S.S.S

It stands for Brooklyn Street Skate Spot Shots, what else? Super funs spot. Easy to ride, but the tech guys can get all techy if they want. There is no drama with opposing build crews, just a miscommunication is all. On Saturday they raised over $150 bucks. I’m lobbying for a runway on the other side of the volcano so goofy footers can hit it frontside easier. Fun for all ages. Way to go guys.

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Brooklyn St Skate Spot benefit

Meanwhile, closer to home. There’s a benefit BBQ this Saturday the 7th for the Brooklyn Street Skate Spot in Portland. I have to admit I chuckled when I first heard there was a benefit for this tiny spot. This picture is old, actually, but I just heard they’ve hit a snag. The original organizers were engaging the community, taking it somewhat slow. Apparently some individuals decided to kick it into overdrive without scoping out the situation, allegedly tearing up sidewalks (?) and as a result the cops (who were already in the loop) shut it down and the whole thing needs permits now. Pretty much all of the neighbors are on board except for one business owner, who appears to prefer broken glass, garbage and the occasional syringe to pastoral scenes like a mother reading a book on the steps while her son skates, nearly a week after the spot first appeared. True story.

Flyer after the jump. No alcohol please, they’re trying to present a positive image to the neighbors and the city.

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Lucky Fellows

As found on the Fellows page of the Civitella Ranieri Foundation, whose mission is to “bring together visual artists, writers and musicians from around the world who demonstrate exceptional talent and an enduring commitment to their disciplines.” There is no accompanying information about the location. The foundation’s headquarters is in New York, but the residency is located in Italy. It almost looks like you can see some wheel marks on those transitions. Too bad they are sitting on grass. Stupid art…

- Thanks to Skate D for the tip.

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