Here we are stuck in the middle of winter, there’s just enough snow on the ground here in Hood River to keep our skatepark out of service. I do have some new resourceful places to expose that should “tame the skate voices” in my head about skating. I’m gazing at my skateboard as I post this- its peeking out at me from the closet where its been for a month now. Oh the torture. Skater: Chris Haslam Visiting Hood River last Oct for the “Grease Not Gas” Dakine West Cost Tour

Twas the night before x-mas in Sarasota and all through the concrete, not a creature was ripping, not even in St Pete. Har har har. I wouldn’t know about Tampa or St. Pete, I was in Sarasota and there wasn’t a lot of action at the park today. I guess there was some sort of big event that people were possibly preparing for or something. Here’s a guy named Rob who was carving the hell out this joint on some sort of alternative long board. Every time he went over the top of a transition you could hear his board scrape bottom. Click to enlarge.

Skate and Annoy is sending me to Florida… Well at least I’m going there to visit the in-laws for the holidays. I’ll be in the Sarasota area December 21-26 looking to blow out skate your pools, ditches, and what not. Yeah, I know there is a park in Sarasota. I’ve been there in 04 and earlier this year too. I’ve even been to the nearby North Port park in 2002. Variety is the spice of life man! “But what about SPOT?” you say. I’m sure it’s nice, but if you think I’m going to fly from the opposite end of the (cold and wet) country to Florida to skate and indoor wooden park, you’re crazy. Unless it rains. The picture above is from Lake Mary Florida in 2002. There’s a larger version plus two more after the jump. Did I mention that I’m going to Florida?

There once was an NSA contest in Louisville Kentucky called the Bluegrass Aggression Session, and nobody came to watch it. Somehow they let me on floor to take pictures during the practices and prelims. There were other guys from organizations like Lapper Magazine, Stuf, and even a certain GBJ. There was a monster vert ramp and a street course as well. On the left we have Eddie Reategui, and on the right we have the same obstacle, different viewpoint. Skater unknown. Full frame and enlargements after the jump.

Think we concentrate on covering Portland Oregon? That’s absurd! We also cover Portland… Maine. Our occasional roving reporter Jason Schomaker sent us three pictures and would like to remind us, East Coast Rules! (add !!!!)

Be the first one to spot the bail and win absolutely nothing, compliments of nobody. These shots were taken last night during a heated session in thee back bowl of the D.O.S.. It was pretty cutthroat for about a half an hour there.

This is a random shot of Matt Swan, Smith grind at Newberg Oregon, circa 2002. This is not a bail. This “kid” barely ever skates. We’re talking a handful of times a year, but he can still pull these super lapped over front sides at the drop of a hat. Infuriating! Click the pic to enlarge. Check out the woolly mammoth legs.

One Iowa City post deserves another. En route to Portland from Florida, I passed through Iowa City again on New Year’s day 2002. Coincidentally, Bone Man was there, and it was 1997 all over again. I crashed for the night, and the next day we went to check out the new skatepark. It was well below freezing so it’s mostly inaction shots.

This is a great shot. Beer drinking while skating a pool… but then factor in the bottle. The legendary Thrasher photog and Drunk Injun, MoFo is selling some prints like this 1983 shot of Jay Alabamy at Doris’ Pool. The prices are reasonable, plus it’s history. This is also a good place to mention his massive 28 page feature in the new issue (Vol. 5 No. 3,) of Concrete Wave. Six of these pages are available for download from the Concrete Wave web site. If the kiddies don’t know who he is, that’s a good place to start.

Between all the posts about BS involving skateboarding, I sometimes forget that most people just want to see pictures. Here’s a shot taken about this time of the year in 1997 at an indoor mini ramp at a skate shop in Iowa City, Iowa called “Smokin B’s.” I don’t think it’s around anymore. The only shop I found online was a place called The Full Kit. That’s Chris Swan on the coping with (future) Dr. Brad on deck. Bone Man was in town visiting his momma, so a couple of us converged from Illinois. Click the pic to see it enlarged. 1997 was 10 years ago. Does that count as back in the day?