retailers, don’t limit yourselves to what they want you to sell. sell what’s best for your shops needs. push the limits. don’t conform. Chinese manufacturers fight back… with North American hardwoods, dubious slogans, and innovative shapes. See more of these fantastical, mind-blowing innovative shapes after the jump.

At my other unpaid job I’m always getting unsolicited emails and resumes from people who want to design skateboards. Heck, I even get people who think Skate and Annoy has a legitimate staff with paying positions. Well now is your chance to send that stuff to someone who actually has work, and can pay you for it. Element is looking to fill a design position. You want a job in skateboarding? I’m currently the Creative Director of Element Skateboards and Element needs a “Skateboard Graphic Artist”. The position is pretty awesome but is a lot of work. This is what I’m looking for some one to do: Create skateboard graphics. Create wheel graphics. Create packaging concepts and graphics. Work with freelance artists. Create artwork based on the direction of the creative team. Understand skateboarding and it’s lifestyle. Create seasonal catalogs for hardgoods. Work closely with marketing and creative team. Skateboard graphic experience is preferred. The job is intense but it’s super creative. The biggest thing is that you need to be able to work in a team setting. Enjoy the weekend. Why would I bother with a gratuitous Bam Margera reference? I’m just trying to milk one of our most…

Taylor, with his short haircut and businesslike demeanor, doesn’t fit the profile of the average skateboarder, who’s often a teenager with stylishly long hair and a devil-may-care attitude. Taylor’s more the Tony Hawk type, a guy in his 30s who can make money doing what he loves. He doesn’t fit the stereotype, but they still used This dude’s rad boards ‘feel right’ as the headline for an article about Drifter Skateboards, a small D.I.Y. skateboard manufacturer. Hmm… sounds familiar. Other than that, this article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution is OK, just brief. Hold on… of all the interesting parts of the process involved, they chose a picture of owner Ryan Taylor shrink wrapping an unidentified object. Someone fire that photo editor. Those graphics remind me of a certain Blockhead era. Update: Drifter web site.

Under Fire: A Special Report On The State Of Skate Hardgoods is brought to you by the International Association Of Skateboard Companies and is produced in conjunction With TransWorld Business and TransWorld SKATEboarding The IASC (International Association of Skateboard Companies) and Transworld Business have included an insert in the latest issue of the industry rag Transworld Business. It’s a marketing piece designed to promote the purchase of branded boards over blanks and shop boards. It didn’t stop Transworld from accepting quite a few ads for companies advertising OEM services to make those evil boards in the same issue. Smooth move, Ex-Lax.

A World Without CEOs is a response to A World Without Pros. It’s a good piss-take on the Blitz’ site, although it would have been better if it had stuck to rational argument instead of the occasional name calling and profanity. Not that I have anything against profanity in general, but in this case I think it’s counterproductive. I just think it would be more effective without calling the IASC a bunch of morons. The “Don’t sue me. I’m just a poor skateboarder” page is kind of weak too. If you are going to make a statement, stand by it and don’t include a “just kidding” as an afterthought.

V-Day for veterans? That’s Valentine’s day for the Veterans Division of Santa Cruz Skateboards, not V-Day or VE-Day or VJ-Day. Someone at NHS needs a little help with timing press releases. After 5:00 pm Pacific time on the day of the event does not cut it. Jason Jesse signed 250 special edition skateboards with a Valentines Day graphic that have been distributed among skate shops. There’s no more when they are gone. Check out Jason’s special message after the jump. I’m predicting one will show up on eBay within a month.

The Express-Times has short interview with old Zorlac pro and current Syndrome Distribution honcho Rob Mertz. The article, titled “Skateboard to top not pipe dream” is a short fluff piece, but it does contain an amusing fact – the town mayor was the one who encouraged him to follow his dream of being a pro skateboarder. If like me, you’re still skating as grown man with a family of your own, you can probably relate to hearing this kind of thing from your extended family, and in this case, from Rob’s mom: All the years, miles and bruises later, Nancy Mertz still worries. “He skates every day on his lunch hour. You know he’s 41?” she sighed. “This is why they have hair dye; I turned gray early.” More Mertz links after the jump.

Inventory, distribution opportunities, and sales far outweigh the cost of owning this skateboard business. My “regular” career is becoming too demanding, so I have to let go of my skate business…included in this sale: Inventory Contacts Skate Team Brand Distribution I have been in business for 4 years, strictly online retail and distribution…the retail skate/surf shops are untapped and a HUGE potential. My cost for the business is minimal in comparison to the potential. I just want to make sure this gets into the right hands of someone interested in the industry who wants to take this brand and run with it If you are interested, please let me know and I will give you the details Got to be a typo. The posters location is listed as Torrance. Check it out on Craigslist. Someone should follow through by feigning interest and let s know what the scoop is.

Really, why do we need a War on Blanks? I mean look at this specimen purchased 5 years ago from a major sports retailer that just recently declared bankruptcy. Man, the owner of this deck sure was pissed when he got ready to ride his brand new deck and found out he had been sold a regular foot board instead of a goofy foot board. He didn’t realize it until he went for his first frontside indy and caught his jib in his heel-side shin guards. Folks, this photo has not been retouched. See it full frame after the jump.

It’s always amusing when an article in the mainstream business press uses the word “dude” in a skateboard-related feature, right? Well, predictable, yes. This is an old piece of news, but I’m cleaning house. This New York Times article titled The business of board sports: It takes hardcore credibility, dude isn’t solely about Jaime Thomas, but he is the focus. It talks about how marketing and brand recognition are different animals for “board sports” companies, and how Nike and others have found it hard to crack. It’s an OK read, but not much your average Skate and Annoy reader doesn’t already know. The dollar figures are pretty impressive though, and there’s a not-so-gratuitous gratuitous Tony Hawk appearance. Because Tony’s quotes are in reference to selling the Hawk brand to Quicksilver, it actually make sense, unlike Rob Dyrdek’s appearance in Forbes. Read It takes hardcore credibility, dude at International Herald Tribune. Look how I got all artsy on that title graphic.