I was riding my bike home from work the other day and sped by the usual detritus in the street, but my brain recognized a brief glimpse of something archetypal, so I doubled back to check on it. It was a children’s book titled Albert’s Gift for Grandma, and there was a skateboard on the back. On the pages inside, Homer does some scary tricks.

“Look at me!” Shouted Homer. “I’m doing scary tricks!”
“Oh my!” wailed Grandma.
“Your tricks are too scary!” shouted Albert.

Selected page from the 2006 publication of Albert’s Gift for Grandma, by Barbara Williams, illustrated by Doug Cushman, after the jump.

Thrasher t-shirt spotted in the stands during yesterday’s broadcast of the Portland Timbers at the San Jose Earthquakes. Soccer! Rodney Wallace!

Yet another student design project turned into a Kickstarter. Bjorn van den Hout’s Chargeboard uses two dynamos in the rear axle to generate electricity and store it in the battery box attached to the bottom of the board. The battery box doubles as an iPhone dock with speakers, while the usb port can be used to charge a phone or other device. Goofy lifestyle shots aside, I actually think this is a good idea for those who use their skateboards primarily for transportation, campus cruisers, even campers and the like. However, there are two glaring problems with this. Chargeboard could use removable covers for the speakers, or the first pebble that kicks up or pudddle you run through is going to wreak havoc. Also, How to account for different size phones without a janky adapter that would be prone to rattling loose? I’d really like to see this concept adapted to a bike, although I’m sure it has been already.

[Source: Daily Mail]

When my kids were of a certain age, I watched a metric tonne of Yo Gabba Gabba, but somehow we missed this 2009 Story Time episode of Seymour the Skateboard, a little skateboard who didn’t know any tricks and had to go to skate school to learn them from an old school teacher. Seymour had a good posse, all encouragement an no heckling. Animation by Jake Armstrong.

– Thanks to David Leclerc for the tip.

The Atlantic asks “What Happens When We All Live to 100?” in the cover story of the September, 2014 issue dedicated to the science of aging.

– Thanks to Old Man Burly Caps for the tip.

If you like skateboarding, then you just might be ready for an Evinrude boat motor, later on in life, when you grow up. You know Evinrude owners are born, not made. Right? It’s not like a choice. When you get to college, it’s OK if you experiment a little. Nobody is going to judge you if you try riding a Razor scooter. If you’re worried, just keep it on the DL. 1989 advertisement for Evinrude motors, complete with Gonz skateboard after the jump.

Hobby King wants to sell you a Quanum Nova RC helicopter so you can shoot skate videos and other Extreme™! footage. They’ve got a demo video, but curiously, the skate footage appears to be mostly stable shots with little tracking.

– Thanks to Rich for the tip.

This is the cover of Education Update – Volume 56, Number 9, published in September, 2014:

With practical optimism and guidance, teachers can turn teens’ risk-taking behaviors into cognitive assets.

I was really into the band Cognitive Assets when I was in my straight edge phase. the cover illustration really does an excellent job of capturing the true essence of skateboarding, which is to be simultaneously alarmed, inspired, and confused.

– Thanks to Burly Caps for the tip.

I’m so excited, I’m about to wet myself. Mom, can I go on it? CAN I, CAN I, CAN I, CAN I, CAN I???? This gently used “Huge Commercial Inflatable Skate Slide~Bouncer~Halfpipe~Skateboard Ollie Kid!!!!” can be yours at a buy it now price of $3,249.99. Now’s your chance to get the halfpipe you’ve always wanted Grover! Is that an early Street League logo on the side of the ramp? What kind maneuver is that anyway?

– Thanks to Josh at BPA for the tip.

Marissa Tomei on skateboard. Too bad we can’t see Marissa Tomei on a Marissa Tomei skateboard. This comes from Alltimers, although for the life of me I can’t find a web presence for them. Marissa appeared on the Conan O’Brien show, where his staff set the board up upside down so the trucks wouldn’t cover her face.

– Thanks to Matthijs for the tip.