If you’ve ever owned or frequented a backyard ramp you’ve probably seen the attempts to ride the neighborhood gas powered scooter or small cc dirt bike on a half pipe before. It usually ends in a lot of pain or hole in the ramp. Somewhere there’s a guy in a cube getting paid to send emails to sites like this one in hopes of instigating a buzz about a product. It’s called viral marketing and it’s either ingenious or insidious, depending on how you look at it. In any case, it’s kind of fun to imagine the possibility that there are guys out there somewhere taking Extreme!™ to the next level by freestyle car driving on half pipes. Who knows, maybe some day someone will do something like this on a really basic level. Most of the videos are really well done. The screen captures are difficult cause the car is only is barely ever in frame with the ramp, which is why it sometimes works. When it doesn’t work it looks like crap. The official site is still being coy about what they are really advertising. Captain Obvious says it’s an upcoming video game. You guys owe me a copy when it comes out. [Update: This turned out to be viral advertising for the Nissan Qashqai ]

Motorola is the latest consumer electronics company to use skateboarding to help market it’s products. In this case, a cell phone. I’m not sure which object in the picture they are trying to fetish-ize. Poached from Engadget who poached it from Phonearena.com. Not quite as impressive as a 24K Gold TV huh?

God Skates! Not to be confused with the seminal skate rock band McWilson’s tune of the same name. Skate churches are nothing new. Here’s a roundup of Christians and skatebording in the news.

Skateboard Champions. Flying is in style. Fun Colors and designs that let your kids show off their own personal look (as long as someone else has already pre-manufactured it.) That kid looks like a sassy Ryan Sheckler, and the little girl holding the skateboard has a head start on a beer gut.

The October 13, 2006 Seattle Post Intelligencer reports in an article titled “Artists bring a fresh expression to skateboarding in ‘Pushin’ 5′ exhibit”:

There was a time when Charles Peterson wasn’t afraid to send himself sailing down the sidewalk, four small wheels and a wooden plank beneath his feet… But these days, at 42, the renowned Seattle photographer no longer slips the skateboard beneath his feet. After all, the body doesn’t bounce like it used to. And when bones break, it means something — especially for a man who relies on unscathed arms and wrists and hands and fingers to go about making his art… “Practicing yoga is more my speed these days,” he said.

In the immortal words of Squirrel Bait, I don’t need no pig stomping on my buzz.

Libraries sure aren’t what they used to be. Nowadays you can go tot the internet and look at questionable materials on the interwebs. In my day you had to check out the old issues of National Geographic featuring savages, but I digress. The Shawnee Sun reports an upcoming program at the Shawnee library where you can learn about skateboarding.

The program will include movie clips from Thrasher magazine’s movie, “King of the Road 2005,” information about the history of skateboarding, the benefits of the sport, skate parks, and how to buy and maintain your skateboards. Live demonstrations and an open discussion will be part of the activities.

Seriously, WTF? And why the picture of the saucy librarian?

Somebody actually reads this site. Unfortunately for me, it’s someone whom I just slagged off. Brett, the proprietor of MyCitySkates.com got back to SnA less than an our after the post was made. Maybe I need to look into those cheap press releases. Read what Brett had to say and decide if I was too cynical.

As seen in the Miami Herald: Skateboarder Ryan Sheckler: millionaire and icon at 16. I’m sooooo happy for you. No, really. What’s there to be jealous about, youth, talent, absurd disposable income? At least I have this crappy web site.

TV ratings are down in the Dew Action Sports Tour’s second season, but attendance and sponsorship are up and officials are optimistic.

Ok. Not as clever as Do the Dude. Attendance up? That doesn’t mean squat if the ratings are down. Corporate America will pull the plug if you can’t bring home the bacon. They’ve done it before.