Doing business in communist China is easier than in Santa Cruz, said a local surfboard, snowboard and skateboard maker. Coupled with the first sentence of “Local skateboard maker toys with leaving S.C.,” you’d be left with the impression that Novak is contemplating moving (all) Santa Cruz Skateboards production to China. After all, the over regulation and complaints from gentrifying neighbors are some of the same alleged reasons that Clark Foam, the world’s largest manufacturer of surfboard blanks shut down. However, according to the interviews, Novak is only considering moving to an adjacent town. Do you believe him?

It’s just my opinion. That’s all. Skateboards should be screen printed directly is all I am saying. If you are waiting for your Black Label Emergency boards to ship, you shouldnt be waiting much longer. They ran into a problem with the transfer papers which caused a lag on getting them printed. They are supposed to be done and shipping any day now.

Ahhh… Errr… Hmmmm… This isn’t really a new item but it’s just starting to be publicized more. Man, I love the Clash, and you should too. I don’t know where I stand on these new Clash shoes from Globe. Regardless of how you feel about hearing Clash songs in adverts from Levis and Jaguar, they have a right to earn a living and provide for their families. Money can’t be a motivating factor when they are limited to 250 pairs and selling at prices comparable to other Globe offerings, and there’s no mention of any money going to charity or anything, such as the Strummerville Foundation.

I quote from the press release: “In the 80’s there was no bigger skateboard company than Powell Peralta. . . . One of the key factors to Powell’s dominance as a skateboard powerhouse were the ground-breaking graphics. Using extremely dark and detailed hand drawn image of skulls, snakes and dragons, PP was the first skate/street company to throw such taboo images into the mainstream. . . . Today designer Danny Drake has teamed up with George Powell to reissue a collection of 8 of the most memorable graphics in skate history on updated bodies. These PP items are an extremely limited edition and are only available in “The Rail” at Nordstom”.

Skull Skates is not the exact same thing as PD’s Hot shop, but they are close enough. So Canada’s longest running skate shop turns 30, which is quite a milestone considering most skate shops last three years at best. These guys have made it to 30, and for 28 of those years Skull Skates has been running too. They are throwing a party to celebrate, along with the launch of the first ever Skull Skates designed shoe in colaboration with C1RCA. You’re probably not invited. Where’s the shoe? I don’t see it.

Yup, new reissues from Powell. As normal they are all over the place. Sometimes they get it right (the Frankie Hill Bulldog for example, which looks awesome), but did we really need another Gelfand reissue, especially in ghetto camo? And the choice of a reissued Jay Smith snubnose is just bizarre. Good luck selling more than 50 of those. The others are just new colorways of existing reissues. The cutaway on the Cab might be new, but there have been so many reissues of that graphic, that it’s tough to keep up. And why not put ALL of the reissues under the Powell-Peralta brand? It sure would make the line more unified.

There’s some new stuff out from Emergency: the old school side of Black Label. Of particular note is the Lucero X2 graphic on an “old school” shape. Also, take note of the Blood Spots wheels that people seem to dig (after the jump).

Do not adjust your TV sets. This is not an eBay report. This is a new graphic er, uhm, appropriation of the old Nash graphic circa 1960…? Of course it’s totally self serving, but not quite for sale yet so there’s no point in linking. No matter who made it.

What is this countdown to GSD on the new Foundation web site? Is it some sort of cryptic announcement about the inventor of the boneless one? (Yes, the correct name actually has two words..) Can anyone shed some light?

While we’re on the subject of video slams I might as well post this one for you which comes courtesy of Foundation Skateboards newly redesigned web site. Foundation has been at this web thing for 10 years now, and they are proud of it. The vid has a lot of Internet famous footage of wacky extreme sports slams and other people just being idiots. Good for a laugh.