Ryan Hass sent in a couple pics of the Hütteldorf skatepark, mostly just to point out the seven stair set that the designers thoughtfully left in the bowl should you decide to slam. There’s also an eight feet deep channel on the opposite end. Where do these things come from? I mean, besides Germany Austria, sorry….

For those of you not familiar, the Principality Sealand is micronation off the coast of the U.K.. It’s basically an old antiaircraft gun platform anchored in international waters and later abandoned after the end WWII. Since 1967 it’s been occupied by an eccentric man and his family, who declared it a sovereign nation. So far it has survived foreign invasion (really) and legal challenges from the U.K.. It seems the only “industry” is an internet connection that provides colocation and no copyright laws. For security reasons, they don’t allow visitors. In 2006 there was an electrical fire and helicopter recuse that caused the principality to incur a healthy debt, which is probably how Red Bull was able to talk their way onto the “island,” no doubt with the some help from the corporate check book. And so now, we give you (via Red Bull), skateboarding in the world’s smallest country, the world’s most expensive one minute skate video. – Thanks to Eric Cherry for the tip.

I get a lot of emails running this site, mostly guys in Taiwan and China wanting to sell me skateboards, bearings, trucks or wind sails, people wanting me to tell them if how much their skateboard is worth, occasionally somebody wants skateboard vacation advice… Here’s the most lax and yet demanding RFP I’ve ever seen: Hello, I would like to know if you can create for us a skatepark as we attached in this mail…If yes, please let me have all the tehnical information(all the materials applied and used during the processes, sizes..etc) and the prices.Please let me have them tomorrow..Of course also we need to know the guantee conditions.. Yours, Alev AKUZUM Bucharest/Romania The only other info was the two pictures embedded in an Excel file, for some reason. So if you can help out Romania and can answer instantly…

Yes, good advice indeed, found on the insides of these new Vans designed by a Dutch designer going by Parra. Now if someone could just write that on the tag of all those Indy t-shirts. There’s an interview with Parra and some pictures of his work over on Fecal Face. [Source: Leased Ferrari Photo right: HighSnobiety]

Some architects help turn an old theater into a flagship store for an Italian clothing brand called Bastard. Those bastards have a skate team and and a ridiculously cool bowl suspended above the main interior of the store. I’ve never heard of these Italian bastards, but they must have a lot of money, and they are making me channel George Costanza. You can see some before and after views at Arch Daily and some construction photos at ARPlus.com Mark found out about these bastards over at The World’s Best Ever. Watch some bastard skating after the jump.

There’s an old 70’s snakerun park in the Het Hulsbeek recreation park located in Oldenzaal, Netherlands. For the past handful of years they’ve been holding an annual contest series there called “Oerend Hard” that looks like it’s more of a weekend festival of skateboarding and fun than a strict contest. Events typically include a standard downhill race, boardercross, jump ramp, best trick, and something you never, ever see anymore, the two man catamaran. The Netherlands Skateboard Federation, or Skateboard Federatie Nederlandis trying to have the park designated as a national historical monument, if for no other reason than they claim it is essentially the last preserved skatepark in Europe from the 70’s that is still in widespread use. I know there are still some 70’s skatepark remnants in the U.K., so perhaps the key phrase is “widespread use.” I don’t think the park is in any eminent danger of being destroyed, they are just being proactive about it. Check out the press release presentation that includes photos through the years, including the construction. It made the news, but I can’t understand a word they are saying, and it’s buried in a long video. I did find a nice video run…

I was at a benefit party/session for a private bowl this weekend and there were a couple of guys doing some doubles action, which is always a crowd pleaser. This morning I got a link to an event called the Austrian Tag Team Battle, which is packed full of doubles action ranging from the circus-type gimmicks to the high air crossovers as well as some more technical maneuvering. Check it out after the jump. [Source: Muckefuck Skateboards]

This week’s Shot of the Week is from Peter Diepes over at OMSA. It’s a shot of Txus Dominguez with a one footed carve at the Hagen bowl in Germany, and yes, it’s a make. You can catch it on video over at EuropeSkate. Txus Dominguez has been accused of trying to turn Spain into Oregon as one of the principals behind a skatepark building company called Zut Skateparks. You don’t see teh one footed carve grind much, unless you’re a Northwest Skater like Dan Hughes. There’s a full frame version in the gallery. Check it out.

Spotted on Flickr, this Russian postcard has a caption that roughly translates to: When Gosha received a new skateboard he thought it was the best present in the world. However, within half an hour he realized that the best present would be new frontal teeth. Unlike the monkey made famous in Big Brother who appeared with Ryan Sheckler and Bob Bunquist in MVP2: Most Vertical Primate, this monkey doesn’t need a special snowboard style binding for his front foot. My three year oid kid would watch that damn movie 24-7 if I’d let him.

It’s no big secret how skateboards are made anymore. Everybody knows that Chinese fairies magic them out from the woodland lairs of ancient dragons, but some people are still making them locally. Here’s a video from a French company called Rekiem. The basics are the same, but everyone does it slightly different. For instance, the guys (garcons?) at Rekiem are setting up some of their decks with the graphics already screened, as well as using the pad printing process (basically a big stamp) for the top layer. Check it out. [Source: Condense]