This edition of Australian pro skateboarders and companies I did not know existed is brought to you by Ken Macleod, who posted a picture of a Ken Gibbons pro model. I tried to find something about it/him (Ken) and that led me to the photography of Chris Stroh, whose portfolio is primarily surfing, but also includes some 80’s era skateboarding. That’s Ken in the photo above, in the bowl at a place called “Five Dock,” circa 1986. Unfortunately, Ken was the victim of a hit-and-run and died in 2006. I scraped the web for more bits and pieces on Ken and Bonzer and managed to find a few items.

Australia’s beloved punk/metal/pop group the Hard-Ons (be careful when you google that kids!) just dumped hundreds of tracks on their Bandcamp page. Singles Collection, EP collections, expanded releases… many previously unpublished or only available on vintage vinyl, like this self titled EP shown in cassette form above. I believe this record (pictured above) was one you once had the option to select with your subscription to Thrasher, which was a thing they used to do. If that’s not how I got my copy, I’m pretty sure I bought it based purely on the cover. The punk purist in me had a hard time getting acclimated to metal aspects, but tracks like Girl in a Sweater and Then I Kissed Her definitely appealed to the Descendents and Simpletones fan in me. UPDATED 2-25-21: There’s a Hard-Ons documentary in the works.

Kevin found this in the wilderness of Canada’s home improvement centers. It looks like ancient stock unearthed in a garage sale, but it’s actually a product you can still buy in a few different sizes. I contacted the one company I thought manufactured this (Perma Products) for bigger photos but they claim it’s a coincidence of names. Strange considering both PermaStik products are available in Australia and New Zealand. Nice nose bone on that death trap. – Thanks to Kevin Live for the pic.

This killer oververt terrain is Wave Rock near Hyden, Australia. Make sure you’ve got some big wheels. If you google images of Wave Rock there’s plenty of people walking and riding bikes, but so far no skateboarding. [Source: Touropia. Photo: Don Pugh] – Thanks to Tallboycan for the tip.

Troy Sliter sent me this picture a long time ago. Very skate-able public art in Melbourne, Australia. I feel like I’ve seen this in a magazine since then. Hm.. Apparently “skateable” is not a word according to my built in spell check. Art is a word. A four letter word. I am just rambling.

Bustyourbuns has the most comprehensive photos of a Skatewing for sale that I’ve ever seen. There’s a reserve still to be met, and hefty $73 shipping charge for this Australian skateboard, even though it ships from California. I’ve got the cheap-o plastic version of this 80’s wacky board, but the wooden one must be a thing to behold. I’m not sure if t’s the same skatewing being passed around or if it was a systematic falling of the manufacturer, but every one I’ve seen pictures of seems to have the same stress fractures covering the entire board. Apparently, the wings were designed by an Australian yacht racer who designed the first winged keel, and so this was some sort of attempt to cash in on his fame beyond the yachting world. Two things I did not know about the skatewing; the wheels were called B52 Wing Commanda’s, and you could join the Commanda’s Club. I guess they weren’t worried about trademark infringement with Sims B52 wheels, but were somehow adverse to using the proper spelling of “commander.” (Update: Sold for $123.50 + $72.89 shipping) – Thanks to Matthijs for the tip.

A horrible screen grab from a good video. Sometimes I like to put a little “skate” in Skate and Annoy. Check out this very short, very ready sequence.

We call them trains or trolleys, but in Melbourne and the rest of Australia it’s a tram. Yarra Trams is using signage with rhinos on skateboards to remind people not to get killed by trams when crossing tracks. The association is that of a rhinoceros on a skateboard being an unstoppable force, much like, well, a big heavy train. Yarra Trams is named after the Yarra river I guess. Knock knock. Who’s there? Yarra. Yarra who? Yarra gonna be sorry when you get run over by the tram! You guys can have that ad copy for free, just send me a wallaby if you have any spare. The top photo comes courtesy of Troy Sliter (Hi Troy) and the alternate signage photos are from the Yarra Flickr account.

I probably should have saved this for a Monday. (At least you’re not this guy…) [Source: Perez Hilton] – Thanks to Mrs. Kilwag for the tip.

Illustrator Russell Tate has made some mostly functional art boards as part of the Bondi Perspectives exhibition happening not 200 yards from the skatepark. I say “mostly” functional because the ones with steel wheels are mostly just beautiful to look at. The theme of the free show is a Local’s view of Iconic Bondi Beach and it’s place in Australian culture. Check it out at the Bondi Pavilion Gallery September 25th – October 5th.