It’s old news, but it’s good news. Tony Hawk was in South Africa skating with the locals, and I mean the Zulu locals, which was coincidentally an early name for the Ramp Locals in a working version of the Thrashin’ script. Tony was there in conjunction with Laureus World Sports Academy in order to attend a launch for an Indigo Youth Movement project, whose goal is to “to help young people in rural communities develop life skills and confidence through skateboarding.” Who started the IYM? Why, our old friend Dallas Oberholzer. This isn’t Tony’s first involvement with youth skateboarding in Africa. Birdhouse and the Tony Hawk Foundation have sent boxes of product to the Uganda Skateboard Union, including skateboards and shoes. It’s true. I’ve seen the pictures on the Interwebs™. I just can’t find them. [Photo: Patrick Royal for Laureus]

The BCSA CIP proposal presentation to the City’s Parks, Natural Areas, & Recreation board (PNARB) is going down tonight at the Downtown Fire Department @ 6:30. The PNARB will be voting on whether the BCSA’s skate park improvement project should be on the Corvallis’ Capital Improvement Program list (the City’s “do” list for projects). Its an important night. If we get voted in, we still have to be voted in by the CIP commission and City Counsel. Show up tonight if you can to support the BCSA.

Skateistan has been making the rounds in the mainstream media again lately. CNN is just getting to it. Come on guys, you’re months behind schedule! BAck in the USA, there are a couple individuals actively engaged in helping out the cause. MapleXO has some autographed Corey Duffel earrings made from recycled skateboards. All proceeds from the auction benefit Skateistan, as do 100% of the proceeds from these Skateistan t-shirts. That’s proceeds folks, nut just profits. Best part is, you don’t have to pay for postage from Afghanistan!

The Wall Street Journal recently called Portland the Skateboarding Capital of the World and a lot of hoopla surrounds the 19 Skatepark System Plan. Five skateparks parks in the ground, posted skateboard route, skateboarders in City Hall, we’ve got it made right? Not so. City officials will stop taking their bows and soon will forget all about us as all the other things they have to deal with compete for their attention. Get over to Skaters for Portland Skateparks to weigh in on how we need to continue building the system, better yet, contact Parks Commissioner Nick Fish and Portland Parks and Rec. Remember to be polite, thank them for the work they’ve done so far but remind them that they aren’t done and you still want the promised skatespot in your neighborhood.

Did you know there was an organization called the Action Sports Environmental Coalition (ASEC)? Me either, until Brian Baade (…that name sounds familiar) told me they were on hand at the X-Games, watching over such green initiatives as fact that all the concession utensils, cups and plates are compostable. What the purpose of ASEC? It’s damn near impossible to find it on their website, since it’s set up more like a social networking site than something informative. OK, I did find it. It’s on the front page past all the videos and user photos: ASEC works to inspire the action sports industry and its participants to value and take action toward social and environmental responsibility. That’s an excellent idea. Their first task ought to be convincing the X-Games (and Maloof brothers) not to build disposable semi-recyclable concrete over wood skateparks. Spend the money and carbon credits on a permanent skate structure that gets donated to the community. I know there will be logistical hurdles in providing the spectacle for spectators, but figure it out instead of just paying lip service towards supporting skateboarding and a green environment. Put that in your Birkenstocks and smoke it. It’s hard to tell what…

A small chain of actions sports clothing shops called Munition was in some way instrumental in forcing a small skateshop, called Plan Z, out of the mall it is currently located, in Kelso, Washington. Depending on who you believe, Munition threatened to leave unless Plan Z was evicted, or The mall owners came up with the idea on their own. Plan Z was on a quarterly lease. The owner of Munition says it’s just a small mom and pop operation (with seven locations…) Hey, Zumiez started out that way too! Anyway, local kids protested, and Plan Z is trying to figure out what to do and where to go. All of this information was poached from TDN.com, as was the photo. – Thanks to Colin for the tip.

It’s a far cry from doing demos in the paring lot at Six Flags for a couple hundred bucks! That’s right, you can have your own private session with BONES BRIGADE members Steve Caballero, Mike McGill, Lance Mountain, Tommy Guerrero, and of course, Tony Hawk. It will cost you $75,000, but the money goes to the Tony Hawk Foundation, I assume after all the expenses are paid. That’s a buttload of cash for a vanity session, but if someone rich kid’s parents or middle aged lottery winner wants to shell out that kind of money to benefit skateparks, so much the better. They have cheaper packages at Tony Hawk Experience. Actually , it will cost you more to spend a day with Tony’s family (100k) than it will to skate with the Bones Brigade. Sure, it’s absurd, but I have to say I’m all for it, considering the the benefit. However, the prices make it seem like many of these packages may go unclaimed. They hired a special firm to set this up, so maybe they know what they are doing. For $2,000 you get a phone call from (Limit, 10 packages). So if our readers want to pony up…

Vision Street Wear (through Select Distribution) is pimping a limited release of the Vision “Tribute Series” including, for immediate delivery the “Gator Ramp (with his actual name on the boards)” I pressed the sales rep for information on who gets those royalties, and after a few elusive, vague responses I ultimately received the answer that Select somehow owned the Gator name from the get go, and so they don’t need to pay any royalties. I don’t know how that pans out for the boards “with his actual name on it.” My guess is Mark failed to trademark “Gator” and didn’t think about it since it was already his nickname. He probably figured he didn’t need to. Remember When He started going by a different name? Mark Gator Anthony or something… What does Mark “Gator” Rogowski have to say about the re-issues? He spoke up about it in Sean Cliver’s (great) new book, Disposable The Skateboard Bible. One redeeming (and useful) gesture would be for companies that still sell decks with the old Gator graphics (with or without the name) to please direct what would have been royalties to organizations devoted to ending violence and promoting understanding. That could be really…

Colin Walsh (rules) took his camera to the BCSA contest at Harrisburg, Oregon on the 4th of July. Check out the shots. Colin, looks like you’ve got some intermittent problems with the image sensor on your camera. It may be related to shooting into the sun. I know my D-70 gives me some weird green streaks in similar situations sometimes.

Jim Murphy has organized a Native Skate Jam on a six-foot high half pipe at the the Smithsonian Institution (Potomac Atrium National Museum of the American Indian). The session is on Friday, July 3 through Sunday, July 5 at 12 and 2 p.m. daily. The skate jam is in support of “Ramp It Up: Skateboard Culture in Native America” that is open through Sept. 13, 2009. Speaking of Ramp it Up, Betsy Gordon sent in some snaps from the exhibit.