I just added 23 vintage skateboard adverts from issue 2 of Action Now Magazine, bringing the total in the gallery up to 1500! I There’s a fair amount of BMX stuff that I left out, but I swear I didnt plan it this way on purpose. Some of the highlights, Tim Scroggs on Tracker, the Vans Skateboarding Team, New Duane Peters model on SantaCruz, Mike Smith on Independent, A Powell Peralta ad wit Stacy, Mike Smith and Ray “Bones” Rodriguez, Billy Ruff for Gullwing, and an ad for the Surf Punks album My Beach!

New additions to the Vintage Skate Zine gallery include Soggie Slappie #4 (Illinois, 1991) Wimp out #6 (Bristol England 1987), Skate Fate #52 (California, 1985), and Harsh Vibes #10 (Wisconsin, 1988). Thanks to former Skate and Annoy editor Neil McDougall for Wimp Out and Skate Fate. This brings the total in the gallery to 77.

The UK had some funky, janky skateparks in the 70’s. The best skatepark builders were clearly located in the US, but they also had their share of janky parks. Some of the UK parks were in a class of their own when it comes to jank. A post from Ian Ward about Bolton’s Skateboard City came up in my feed from Lost & Found, a group for the old 1970’s concrete skateparks in the UK. It was an indoor skatepark that opened in 1978 and allegedly lasted until 1982 when it abruptly closed and the building was demolished. You’d think there’d be more pictures out there for a skatepark that was open for 5-6 years, but there just isn’t a lot out there.

I fell down a rabbit hole in Etsy yesterday, a seller had a couple items labeled as Bergman Star Rider copers that didn’t seem like copers, so I started digging around. There’s next to nothing out there on Bergman Star Riders. Turns out they made cheap skateboard scooters, including this complete bootleg of a Madrid explosion. Takes a lot of balls to slap your name on someone else’s extremely recognizable design.

A lot of so-called skateboard safety equipment of the 70’s was rebranded, ineffectual generic equipment; volleyball kneepads, gardening gloves, and hockey helmets that probably weren’t very useful for hockey either. Every couple years I get an email from the UK someone asking if I have any leads on old Cooper skateboard helmets, and the answer is always no, except when it isn’t. Is it a niche skateboard collecting community? No, not exactly. The hurling community values these. As recently as 2024, Cooper (Ireland) was still making these helmets, some with the skateboard brands they white labeled back in the 70’s.

Has there never been a re-release of PVC copers, or has it all been new old stock that you can sometimes find on the internet? Snap N Grind to the rescue I guess. These are 3D printed though. These copers have printed in place hinges that act like the locks that Tracker copers had, without requiring removing the wheels to put them on. They make them for Independent, Ace, Royal, Slappy, and inexplicably, Carver. The best thing about these is the option to get a version embedded with flint for making sparks.

Holy cow, I didn’t think this would be ready so fast, but opening day for Portlanders is this Saturday , October 17th. PDX street skaters, rejoice!

Legendary surfer and skater Larry Bertleman died at 71 yesterday. Famous in the skateboarding world for his surfing inspired moves, including the Bertlemann slide, AKA the Bert. The pic above is a Dan Devine photo featured in a Rolls Royce wheels advert from 1975. There’s a profile of Larry on Surfer.com. SHoF profile video after the jump.

I’ve posted about Hooker Headers skateboards before, originally fascinated with a strange looking adjustable truck configuration, and then again after discovering an ad for one in a 1976 issue of Hot Rod magazine. There’s also another Hooker ad in the vintage ad gallery, with more to come I’m sure. This one is a conventional looking skateboard missing the adjustable contraption. What is does have however, are likely some Chicago trucks, Rolls Royce wheels, and a psychedelic top. The seller has a few more interesting boards.

I’ve added 59 ads from the February 1978 issue of Skateboard World magazine, bringing the grand total in the gallery to 1,483 vintage skateboard ads! There’s some good stuff in there. There’s definitely some overlap with what you’d see in Skateboarder, but not nearly as much as you’d think.