Remember, this ramp is modular and portable. Looks fun as hell, especially when you skate as well as the guys in the video coverage from SoCal Skateparks. Check out those results too. There were some big names in there, but none of them made the top three. Kowalski power! The old Chuck Taylors’s used to be staple because they were cheap, but they were pretty useless in the long run. The best thing they had going was the price. They used to cost about $20 in the 80’s, which seemed about right. Somehow they cost $55 or more now! However… Converse Skateboarding has some shoes that look like they might be worth checking out – beefed up versions with styling reminiscent of the old CT’s, plus a cool looking mid-top too. What’s the point? Oh yeah, watch the video.

This Rick Howard commercial for Lakai is pretty effing great. I had a hard time picking a still frame because I didn’t want to spoil it for you. Yeah, that’s quite a build up. I’d like to think that skateboard commercials would be this creative. It’s weird enough that there are actual skateboard commercials on TV, even if they are only on MTV, ESPN, or Fuel. And yes, I realize this isn’t actually a commercial for skateboards, rather skateboard shoes. Close enough. [Source: Boardistan]

Vision Street Wear (through Select Distribution) is pimping a limited release of the Vision “Tribute Series” including, for immediate delivery the “Gator Ramp (with his actual name on the boards)” I pressed the sales rep for information on who gets those royalties, and after a few elusive, vague responses I ultimately received the answer that Select somehow owned the Gator name from the get go, and so they don’t need to pay any royalties. I don’t know how that pans out for the boards “with his actual name on it.” My guess is Mark failed to trademark “Gator” and didn’t think about it since it was already his nickname. He probably figured he didn’t need to. Remember When He started going by a different name? Mark Gator Anthony or something… What does Mark “Gator” Rogowski have to say about the re-issues? He spoke up about it in Sean Cliver’s (great) new book, Disposable The Skateboard Bible. One redeeming (and useful) gesture would be for companies that still sell decks with the old Gator graphics (with or without the name) to please direct what would have been royalties to organizations devoted to ending violence and promoting understanding. That could be really…

Poweredge Magazine is hitting the streets again. The first new issue is scheduled to come out in August. It’s a gutsy move when other mags are getting thinner or moving to online-only presences. Hopefully there is room for another. I was a fan of Poweredge back in the day, even when I considered Thrasher the best, it was nice to have a different voices out there. Check out the covers, the last one from 1991 above left, and the new 2009 one is on the right. It would have been cool if they had Todd Congelliere reprise his cover shot for the new volume. Check out Tod in the Santa Cruz vid Risk it! after the jump. UPDATE: I guess that’s not Todd on the old cover. I assumed it was because his interview has the biggest headline. The guy on the new cover? Dayne Brummet.

So we’re involved with this thing called Skate Life Northwest. In case you hadn’t noticed, there’s a lot of hype on the Northwest. It’s the first annual (we hope) event that is essentially a trade-show-ish meet/hang out thingy to check out Northwest based skateboard companies and assorted scensters. Probably really close to to what Thrasher was donig for a while, only regional. It is my hope that along with some of the strict skateboard companies we can also get some zines and other skateboard related entities there. Let’s own this thing before someone else does. We got on it very last minute, so it can only get better next year! At the very least, it will be a good excuse to hang out and throw some food on the grill. It’s going ot be behind the Department of Skateboarding who is strictly actin in the landlord capacity for this event. There will be a short bank to wall contest with a cash prize as well. More details at SkateLifeNW.com. Hope to see you all there if you are in the neighborhood. My top rejected name for the event: “Northwest Kookfest – A trade show”

Chad Jackson had skateboard company in the late 80’s and early 90’s called Small Beating. Actually, before that he ran a company called Swindle Skateboards. Chad was an am for Blockhead, Santa Cruz and Zorlac before becoming an early employee/friend of Foundation. Does that logo look familiar? He later had some bad blood with Swank (See Big Brother, September 1998) and he went out on his own again. We all know how good the 90’s were to vert skaters, so you can guess how that turned out. Time heals all wounds, or at least leaves an ugly scar. Chad has resurrected Small Beating Skateboards with some new product and a web site filled with Small Beating nostalgia, and nostalgia for an age yet to come. The blazing Michael Goetz photo at the top right is Chad atomizing the hand poured coping on the crazy Small Beating indoor ramp. You can see more of those shots over at The Skateboard Archives. – Thanks to Sea Cliff Vert Ramp for the tip.

Matt Kline tipped me off that the Godoy brothers venture once known as Iron Cross Skateboards lives again. If I had to guess, it would be a safe bet to say these decks were being manufactured by Factory 13. In case you were wondering what happened to the old Iron Cross, you can read a 2001 interview we did with Art and Steve Godoy that we didn’t get around publishing until 2003. I guess I’ll have to add a postscript or two to the Story of Iron Cross Skateboards. ( Updated link ) If you’d prefer not to dwell on the past, check out their new web site.

What’s wit these companies that start with “V?” After posting about the first ever symmetrical board that was made by Vision, I came across this post on Vert is Dead about the evolution of the new truck hole pattern. Ocean Howell may have been the first guy to drill his own baseplates, and Venture was apparently the first truck company to offer it as a stock option. I guess everyone else just copied them. Does anyone know who the first board company was to offer the new, smaller mounting pattern? One thing I’d like to know is how did the industry standardize on the first pattern? If you’ve never seen some old trucks from the early 70’s, they all had their own mounting patterns. Boards came undrilled, and you could buy special guide to help drill them straight. Was there some sort of round table meeting with the big truck companies, or did the board manufacturers drive that decision. Were there arguments and hold outs? Some of the plastic boards had multiple mounting holes molded into them, as if they wanted to be be able to mount trucks from different manufacturers in case a supplier had problems.

This advert for Vision skateboards V6 concave came from the 1989 July issue of Thrasher. It’s hard to tell from the tone of the advert in this time period whether or not they were being facetious. It’s essentially the precursor to today’s modern popsicle boards, only they took it a little bit further. The ad copy says it’s completely symmetrical and evenly balanced. How is it that Vision could have been a good three or so years ahead of the curve and still manage to disappear by the time everyone caught up?

From the Skatebook.tv, NHS Skateboarding is not Crime skateboards spotted at Target, complete with a sticker pack that includes little Timmy’s First Thrasher Sticker™ OK class, your homework for the day: A five hundred word essay to define the word “core.” – Thanks to Joshua Willis for the tip.