The legendary China Banks spot AKA Bridge to nowhere is schedule to be torn down in 2026 according to an article in SFGate. I guess the (non-skating) locals haven’t liked it since it opened in 1971. It bums them out because it casts a shadow and takes up space, or maybe they just aren’t fans of brutalism. You’d think there’s be some sort of argument for keeping it as historical landmark. 2025 hasn’t ended yet and 2026 is already bringing me down. Get your session in while you can. Photos courtesy of not asking Thrasher, but we’re cool, right?

Well folks… welcome to government sanctioned skate harassment, in fact government sanctioned pedestrian, if not citizen harassment. Read all about the sad state of the USA at Wired. Apparently they (DHS) are more concerned about skateboarders acting as scouts and surveillance for protest organizers than they are with skateboarders using skateboards as a weapon. The threat bulletin came in advance of the No Kings protests and warns that more Americans are likely to turn against ICE, like maybe… this guy. Senior ACLU staff attorney Vera Eidelman to the rescue: “Exercising those rights shouldn’t be justification for adverse action or suspicion by the government,” Eidelman says. Labeling something as harmless as skateboarding at a protest as a violent threat is “disturbing and dangerous,” she adds, and could “easily lead to excessive force against people who are simply exercising their First Amendment rights.” – Thanks to Dustin Michel and Rich at EPM for the tip.

While we were out, Playmobil launched an action set featuring Chad Muska as the skateboard bandit and George Michael as the cop… Or maybe that’s not really true. However they currently have 2 sets featuring skateboarded typecast as the bad guys. There not just run of the mill skateboarding-where-they-aren’t-suposed-to-be bad guys either, they are involved in high stakes robbery and… it’s hard to say what that stick is for… illegal water divining? – Thanks to Josef for the tip.

Stay in your own lane Mike Huckabee. Leave the skate-harassment of Beto to the professionals. This isn’t a laughing matter, but Dr. Schapiro sure made my day.

Skateboards are prohibited, no matter how snazzy they look. Still having a hard time wrapping my head around why it would be important to ban skateboards in a movie theater. Thanks a lot, one guy who rode down the aisle back in 1981, based on the skateboard depicted.

Here’s an excellent time capsule of skateboard harassment from a local Springfield Illinois news channel concerning a proposed ban on skateboarding downtown. Local business and civic leaders speak out against “skateboard terrorists” in advance of the ban, which ultimately passed. The video was digitized from a decrepit old VHS tape, so there are tracking issues and the sound doesn’t always sync right, but it’s still a good watch. One of the skateboarders makes a reasonable request for a public skatepark to serve the needs of the population, and they did get one after only 25 years. – Thanks to Nick Rudd for the tip.

Thank you, private property owner, for greatly overestimating my skills, and indeed the skills of most of the skateboarding population, when it came time for you to decide whether or not this ledge needed to be skate-stoppered. That’s very kind of you, I couldn’t possibly. You’re too kind.

A very polite and apologetic “No Skateboarding” sign. It’s as if they feel bad about it. It’s not really skate harassment, but more like skate empathy. “We’re sorry, we wish you could skate here, but you cannot.” In my mind I hear that with a Canadian accent. – Thanks to John E for the photo

Don’t even think about it, OK? When you don’t want skateboarders messing up your planters with unsightly grind marks, or disturbing the Feng shui by loitering, this 20 foot long stencil ought to do the trick.

Since you can still ollie onto the transition, I have to assume this skatestopper in Portland near Providence Park was installed to prevent 12″ rail slides, so I’m probably the only one this would dissuade.