A web site called Old School Skateboards (This one is in the U.K.) has a bunch of NOS (New, Old Stock) Variflex skateboards from the 80’s for sale. This guy must have raided a warehouse or possibly been an old distributor or something. For about $70 you can buy a complete board with trucks, wheels, copers and a lapper. The only thing missing are the rails. Sure, these are crap skateboards, but they are 20 year old mint condition crap skateboards! The site doesn’t have the large images presented for the public, so I’ve compiled them. Some are pretty funny.

Editor’s note: We are fully aware that at one time Variflex produced high quality, professional grade skateboards. However, these boards are not from that time

Well, the boom had to end sometime, and end it did in May. I guess those tax refunds dried up, because deck sales tanked, and when I say tanked, I mean big-time. I only counted seven decks that went for over a thousand dollars in May, and as a regular reader of this column you’ll know that that is low. Not one went even close to $2k. The highest seller this month was a jacket, so that sums it up.

This month’s Baywatch is fueled by Jays Hot potato chips, and by the soothing sounds of Crass, notably The Feeding of the 5000. If you’ve never given Crass a chance, listen to this album. It’s tough going in parts, but the lyrics still pack a punch, even 30 years on. Clash lovers (Randy and Brad) might be offended at times, because the Clash come in for some stick from the fun loving anarchists. Deserved? That’s a matter of opinion, but a lot of what they say is true. Anyway, give it a listen with an open mind.

Check out eBay Watch: May 2008

Scott Starr has the most amazing collection of skateboarding films, commercials and other media from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. I’ve been watching his stuff online for a few years now. I’ve got a collection of media footage from the late 90’s on, but it’s all crap compared to what he has, the Smithsonian of skateboard history in moving pictures. I’m more like a giant ball of twine at a road side attraction. I grab my material off the TV. He finds or buys old films and has them restored. I’m going to start featuring one of his videos on Saturdays. His library is amazing, although with some of it I can’t believe he hasn’t gotten booted from YouTube yet. He used to have a web site but it doesn’t seem to be up lately. Skateboarding is just a part of it, he collects surf and snow footage as well. It’s got to be harder and harder to find nowadays with all the film stock that is probably deteriorating. So cheers to you Scott, I’m glad someone has preserved this stuff. Your are truly doing (the Concrete) God’s work.

This first installment is actually one that is a little atypical of his collection. It appears to be a short film made in 1977. There are no credits or any other information, but you should enjoy Valley Punks VS the Surfer.

Yeah, yeah, old guys still skate. We get it already. Here’s a quite lengthy article from the Columbia News Service about old guys that are still skating in different parts of the country. Somehow or other they missed out on interviewing Mark Conahan, who must have been booked on one of his many media appearances that day. They did interview full-faced helmeted Northwest icon Dan Hughes. The picture on the (top) right is from his web site. Who’s that funny looking old guy on the left? It’s Tommy Guerrero from a short interview in the San Francisco Chronicle, published earlier this year. UPDATE: Here’s another link to a story called “Chairmen of the Boards” (Guffaw! Never heard that one before!) from an Australian publication called The Age. It’s three more pages about old (Australian) guys skating, specifically a crew of guys at Frankston skatepark who routinely bring their own lights to make time to skate in their busy schedules. They have a base of about 60 people who regularly fill out these sessions with 20-30 skaters. Sounds kind of annoying, actually. I hope that’s a big park. That’s a lot of people and the guys in the picture (bottom right) look oversized to begin with.

Another one from the collection of John Drummond, this is Go For It! – the Swindle Issue. It’s a pretty good one. Lots of decent photos and a nice glossy printed cover. The Swindle refers to the fact that the outside is glossy but the inside is photocopied. It’s printed on an odd size of paper, not any derivative of A4 or anything, The insides are all a bit smaller than the cover. It must have been custom trimmed. It’s 90% UK vert scene. A lot of names that are vaguely familiar to the colonists. Phill Burgoyne’s interview is amusing, as is the one with Gregor Rankine. I didn’t remember that he was from New Zealand. This is Steve Douglas’s zine. Some of you might remember him as a pro rider for Schmitt Stix. He was one of the founders of New Deal and Giant Distribution. Right now I believe he’s a big wig at Dwindle.

UPDATE: Comments closed, but you can comment directly in this gallery now.

I love eBay Watch, but I typically don’t try to by things on eBay unless there is one specific thing I need for a practical purpose. Sometimes during research I find myself on eBay, and there’s split second where I have to make a decision on whether or not to look at something else that catches my eye. If I do, it’s all over. I end up making a bunch of retarded bids. Half of them I know I have no chance of winning and the other half of my bids are influenced by irrational emotional attachment. Sometimes, after I come down, I find that I have won one or more useless items that I paid too much for. I call this phenomenon the “eBay Hangover.” I’ve had a nagging desire to own one of these 70’s era Techni-Ski skateboard ski simulators since I saw my first one in a magazine that was probably 20 years old. Now, unfortunately, I do own one. I’m not going to say how much it cost unless Neil picks it up in his column. More details to follow. I know you are all glued to your monitors…

Swank Zine #6 comes to us from the collection of John Drummond. there’s no date on it, but Swank had moved to Solona, California, if that helps any. There’s a mention about a ramp session at Lance Mountain’s called “Lock at Lances.” Typical Swank fare, though not as artsy fartsy as they would get later on. Lots of pics by J. Grant Brittain.

Swank Zine #6

Editor: Tod Swank
Art: Tod Swank
Photos: J. Grant Brittain, Tod Swank

Featuring: Chris Black, Tim Noel, Owen Nieder interview, Carlos the owner of Fogtown skates, John Gibson, Salvador Dali, Eddie Reategui, Christian Hosoi, Mike McGill, Meck (?), Adrian Demain, Billy Ruff, Jeff Tautum, Lester Kasai

Spots: Colton skatepark, Shell bowl, Lance Mountain’s ramp

Honorable Mentions: Scarecrow Sakteboard advert. In the Zines section is a zine called “Hey U Dick” proported to be by and aboutt Steve and Art Godoy. Owen Nieder’s last words in the interview are pleading for Duane Peters to start skating again.

Local Slang: Skat-gy (Skate energy)

Check out Swank Zine #6, comment at the gallery.

Oh, how do I love the eBay? let me count the ways. The real question is, will the “Hugs, not drugs” sticker detract or add to the value of this Nash Executioner?

After last week’s post on saucy skateboard ads from the ’70s (UK vs US), the editor of Vintage Skateboard Magazines was kind enough to send in some scans he hadn’t gotten around to publishing yet.

I’m not one for the unprovoked posting of a bunch of product releases as ‘news’ but the Riprider from Creature has got to be the coolest thing I’ve seen in forever and a day. It’s so simple, obvious… and beautiful. I’m gushing. Hey N.H.S., hook a brother up! Oh wait, I just blew my bargaining chips…