I can remember being stoked when Poweredge first came out in the late 80’s. It seemed like a little bit of Thrasher and a little bit of Transworld. More importantly, it was something different, and it seemed fresh and authentic and not just something cobbled together by outsiders jumping on a bandwagon. I remember meeting a couple of the Poweredge staff at a few of the higher profile skate events in the Midwest, and they were all friendly and without attitude. Needless to say, Poweredge folded in 1991. but like R.A.D. before it, Poweredge has shown up online. Right now it’s just some history and selected parts of the first issue. The interface is a bit wonky, but sometimes it’s better to forge ahead instead of waiting for another five years to pass while you make everything perfect. Believe me, I’ve been there.

Check out Poweredge Magazine online.

And on another note. The site has been relatively inactive lately because I’ve been ill and I’m finally recovering, so expect the pace to pick up. Thanks to everyone who contributed in my absence.

Alvie might be the original skateboarding dog. It predates Lance’s nemesis in the Powell vid and Tyson by a long shot. This photo of Alvie is from 1980, and I found it on the photo page of the 30 year reunion of Olympic Skatepark in Olympia, Washington, over at Northwest Skater. Olympic is long gone, so the reunion was held at Lower Woodland in Seattle.

August 2008. I’ve tried to focus on some more unusual stuff this month, tried to change things up a bit. And sorry this is late, but I’ve been studying for one of my Apple certification exams, so I haven’t had much spare time. I passed it yesterday though with a score of 98%, so I’m pretty stoked. And the funny thing about August, there were more big-ticket decks in the 70s and 90s sections than in the 80s. Unusual that. Probably a first.

Check out eBay Watch: August 2008

When you run web site like this, you get to meet all kinds of interesting people, like Troy Sliter – AKA the freestyler that gets busted on the boardwalk in the Santa Cruz Video Wheels of Fire. OK, that’s not true. I met Troy at the now defunct vert ramp in Beaverton. Troy ended up getting married, and that’s how I met Jeff Hedges. (No, Troy didn’t get married to Jeff.) Anyway, Jeff flowed with the advice on inverts. We had a little miscommunication, and he ended up posting it as a comment, but I wasn’t about to let him deprive me of the chance to milk it for a self contained post. Besides, day three was busy for me and I only got a chance to play in the street for a few minutes.

“… and hitting the concrete, with the new skateboarding.” This looks like a brief out take from one of those independent surf films. It’s pretty short (and dark if you are watching on a Windows machine) that is typical for the era. Nice jazz guitar soundtrack. Someone should make an updated version of this with the ladies, but in the same campy style.

I’ve always found this cover image… appealing. I had assumed it was actually a surfing rag when I first saw it, but later found out it was the precursor to Concrete Wave. I tried to pay the four bucks to download a hi-res pdf but found the whole process convoluted and unsatisfying. (Update: It was a stray link that was supposed to be removed. free now!) You can see a larger version of the cover after the jump. What’s with the handstand shot? It’s just filler I found here while looking for a big version of the cover.

Oh the drama. Remember the brouhaha over Jim Phillips and the cease and desist from NHS over his continuing use of the screaming hand logo? Well it looks like they must have worked it out because Santa Cruz is having a book signing with Phillips at their ASR celebration of 35 years of the Santa Cruz brand. It looks like there will be quite a few “celebs” in attendance.

It’s a funny coincidence that I was listening to the Trilobites I Can’t Wait For The Summer To End when I got the email tip about this song. “Summer’s not a bummer. It’s a stunner, and it’s now.” Sure, Marc Bolan was not known for the depth of his lyrics, but rather for being the the supreme effeminate glam rock guitarist and vocalist whose half shirts, onstage mincing, high heels and general rocking cool stage presence and persona were not even approached again until the likes of Prince.

Marc must have had a fascination with skateboarding too. This is Skateboard Music features a demo of his titled “Skateboard,” and this video clip performance of “Celebrate Summer” from his UK variety show simply titled “Marc” features skateboarders performing in front of a blue screen. Unfortunately, the song and performance are pretty flat. Not exactly a good introduction to T Rex for the uninitiated. Apparently, Marc was also an advocate for skateparks. You can watch the video and read an excerpt from an interview with Mr Bolan talking about the exciting new sport of skateboarding and what government officials should be doing to promote “skateboard tracks.” – Thanks to Eric Shea for the tip

July was a pretty status quo month. Nothing went super high, but prices weren’t low either. Lots of stuff went for over a thousand, which is my barometer. Australia is super hot or collecting right now: there’s lots of great decks going that way, and some great collections being put together. I guess the weak dollar is good for something.

Check out eBay Watch for July 2008.

One of the highlights of my trip was getting to skate with House of Neil again. The two of us started Skate and Annoy together, and it was his idea actually. We have a long history together. He had a surprise for me, and when I arrived he presented me with the skateboard he said I was riding the first time he met me.