Portland transplant Marek Litinsky is back in Czechoslovakia working for the KGB selling used skis. Don’t ask me, apparently it’s enough money to make it worthwhile. While reports have been almost non-existent, he had this to say: I also entered national championschip in bowl and ended up third. so I had money for a party. I love Czechs. Pilsner Urquell on tap for $1.50 with tip…. The picture above was featured in the print version of the the Czech skate mag called Board. I couldn’t find a link to a story or anything but you can Czech out a larger version here. Nice shirt Marek. Czech, Czech, Czeck. One-two, Czech, Czech. It’s fun to say and type. Photo credit: the Unknown Czech.

This is Brian Crane at the deceased Beaverton vert ramp back in ’00 or ’01. He was in a band called Avalauncher. One New Years eve he played in a one off band billed as the Pretendents, a Decendents cover band. We showed up and drank the last of the beer and rocked our asses off. It was great. A transplant from Milwaukee Wisconsin, Brian stopped going to the regular vert sessions when he lost his job or went back to school or something. We did see him briefly later with some fancy home made stash boxes made out of exotic hardwoods that he was crafting. Maybe the pseudo vert ramp conditions at Pier Park will see him come out of the woodwork again.

My friend Steve Grover has a theory that if you are over 30 and skateboard, you will eventually meet everyone else who is, or run into someone who knows them. This is not a strict application of that theory, but last night as I was trying to get in a few post-work runs at Pier Park before the sun drained, I ran into a recent transplant from Pennsylvania who just happened to be in Sunburry PA the day I took this picture of his friend Victor Koons. That would have been 2000 or 2001 when I went to Pennsylvania for Grover’s wedding. I was searching the hard drive for any other pictures I might have had from that session. I remember the shot of Victor was pretty much the only good one I got, but I did find this shot of a little kid who was barging the adjacent BMX track on his skateboard, and having a blast. I forgot the guy’s name I met last night. Dave maybe?

Earth Patrol Media’s Foto Friday feature has some cool shots from yesterday at Pier Park that Rich managed to take with a lowly point and shoot. The sun was setting and I knew he was going to get a few beauties if he could time the shutter lag right. Fortunately for him, with the height some of those guys were going it wasn’t always that tough. Check it out, and tell EPM to lay off the filters a little bit.

I forget where I downloaded this photo, but it has been sitting on my computer at work for over 6 months now. I like the Gonz, and you should too.

So I have a friend in the Army who is “advising” a Colombian infantry division when not acting as our International Correspondent. I don’t want to hazard a guess as to what advising means. You’ve all seen “Sniper” right? Ha ha! Just teasing kids! So here are some kids in Bogota Colombia, enjoying the international language of skateboarding.

Revisiting and extending an earlier post. Check it out to see the original. Bored bored bored. This hastily executed concept was originally suggested by MC.

And it was. Celebrating a Matt’s birthday out in the St Johns neighborhood of Portland with food, beer (with permit!) and friends. Indian summer was in full effect and people are still amazed by the park. Matt Moffet got his brand new skateboard stolen but another kid (supposedly) coughed it up later in the day. I took some pictures, so check it out. I went back today without the camera and it was more of the same, with the exception that some dork spray painted “Pink taco” in the pipe and another kid had a bad fall from a 10:00 spill, frontside in the pipe. Paramedics were on the scene but I didn’t bother to get the low down because I didn’t want to spoil another perfect day. Update: I forgot to tweak the levels before I uploaded them. PC users should b able to see something besides a dark blob now.

I don’t know what this kids name is (Now I do. It’s Willis.) or where he is from. He split before I remembered to ask him. I do know that he was tearing it up. He’s supposed to email me so I can send him some pictures. More after the jump

I have to place this picture sometime between 1989 and 1991. This is Matt Swan in the capsule at The Turf in Milwaukee Wisconsin. In the late 70’s early 80’s this park was called Surf and Turf. Pocket Pistols made a deck with the old logo on it, although it’s unclear if they ever actually went into production. The Turf was Mark Hubbard’s favorite skate park. This guy worked there. I wonder if it’s the same Time Door as this old zine?