The 3rd annual Mt Tabor Challenge is this Sunday in Portland, Oregon. Open class requires an “old school” tuck. There’s also classes for Masters, Groms, and bikes (no pedaling). Details on PDX Downhill. If you’re not familiar with Mt. Tabor, it’s a fairly mellow but fun closed route that isn’t very technically challenging, unless you start at the very top and have to dodge pedestrians and cars after threading the needle (gap between gate and pole) to pass through the parking lot at the top third of the course. Even if you start lower, you can still get going fast enough to get hurt though. Full flyer and illustration of the tuck after the jump, plus bonus footage of last year’s event courtesy of KC. Yes, there is a Major Media event happening the same day.

I dropped the ball on this one, but this weekend the Smithsonian has got a lot going on in conjunction with Go Skate day. It’s called Innoskate, a public festival hosted by the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center and IASC, celebrates skate culture’s widespread innovative spirit. June 21 and 22 at the National Museum of American History on the National Mall. Lots of incredible stuff will be donated into the permanent collection of the National Museum of American History. Tony Hawk’s first deck is grabbing the headlines, but other stuff from OG skater gals Laura Thornhill, Patti McGee, Robin Logan and Cindy Whitehead will be given as well as some pretty high-level skatedecks from the collection of Nick Halkias. Chris Pastras and Ryan Clements will be on the mike and demo skaters include DC and Baltimore locals as well as Chris Haslam, Kyle Berard, Brian Andersen. The session conversations will be really interesting (the one between Tony and Rodney should be one for the history books) and the skating demos will be strong—all in all I think this is a great debut for the Smithsonian If you can’t make the event, they will be broadcasting Innoskate live on Saturday from 10:30 a.m.…

Skate scavenger (excuse me, sKavenger) hunt in Portland this Friday in Portland. More info at shift2bikes.org. Let’s get bent out of shape about it!

There’s a small fortune in skateboards and memories in this shot. Looks like it’s more than a swap meet though: The 2nd Annual Venice Beach Surf & Skate Fest will be taking place Saturday April 13th from 11a-6pm at the Venice Farmer’s Market Lot on Venice Bl @ Dell Ave. Come see products from your favorite local shops including Maui & Sons, VB Surf & Animal House. See & buy awesome vintage gear from the swap meet. Drink a selection of beers from Stone Brewing and sample cuisine from Farmhouse Kitchen & Poke & Poke while our friends at Whole Foods tantalize you with fresh squeezed juices! Do all of this while rockin’ to tunes by Street Smart, Venice Street Legends & Flyin’ Lion. And don’t forget to dig into your pocket books to win amazing prizes in the charity raffle which benefits Sea Shepherd.

Free screening of Underexposed on Saturday 3-30 at 8:00 in Mesa, AZ at Kids That Rip. What is Underexposed?

Downhill race in the Portland area on Sunday, part of the Switchback Challenge series from the folks at PDX Downhill. As of the time this posting went live, there is no date or location listed, but it is Sunday, March 17th at SW Madison Street and Court in Portland. Contact Rip City Skates for more info.

Brooklyn Street Skate Spot – Benefit / Contest / BBQ / Meeting of the minds…. on Saturday December 15th. Hope the weather holds out. Sponsored by no less than three local PDX skate shops Cal Skate, Shrunken Head, and Rip City. Maybe there will be a wrestling match in the cage at the top of the stairs too. EVENT POSTPONED

Jones from Skate Virus sent in this shot of Hosoi form last weekend’s 14th annual Tim Brauch contest. Pretty amazing that it’s still going on. More pictures a nd a shot write up on Skate Virus.

Shred the Lard with Bacon Skateboards at Baconfest in Portland on Saturday, September 8th. It’s an 80’s style “streetstyle” contest with rails and a spine. $5 to enter, winner takes all. Will there be a jalopy as well? I hope so. I think it was actually illegal to hold a street contest without a beat up old car on the course for a year or two there. Remember streetsyle? The layout may not have been “authentic” street, but you can be damned sure the trucks on the trophies weren’t backwards.

RS2 AKA Ray Stevens (Faction, Los Olvidados, Drunk Injuns and Clay Wheels) and Stinkbug at Langano Lounge, 1435 SE Hawthorne Blvd in Portland, OR. On Sunday you can catch Stevens and some other skaterock action (Skate Drunks from PDX and Grindline the Band) at Funhouse in Seattle.