I found this video linked from MiamiSkaters.com. Miami skaters just avoided a near disaster with an RFP for a new skatepark that was being railroaded in. There was a mandatory prefab clause and a semi-secret last minute proposal deadline that ruled out all but Spohn Ranch and American Ramp Company. Skateparks bids get rigged all the time. It’s no shocker, although usually it’s one company that’s put in all the groundwork where no momentum previously existed instead of whispering in the right politicians ears. I don’t claim to know what went on behind the scenes in Miami, but here’s a video showing the level of quality in one ARC built skatepark that’s just six years old.

My friend Mike Timble wilsoned his skateboard under a bus once, but this was the 80’s and he had an Uncle Wiggley argyle deck with an epoxy layer in it. It bent to the ground and popped right up, no worse for the wear. Such was not the case for Rod Evans. Max Headroom had an entry to win a weirdo and now we have pictures to go with the story.

Official recycled skateboard jewelry sponsor of Skate and Annoy, Maple XO announced limited edition iphone 4 cases made from recycled skateboards. They are pre-release right now, you can sign up to be notified when they are available. Lindsay is doing a lot over there actually. She’s got another collaboration with going with a guy who makes really high end bicycle fenders made out of wood, and in this case, laminated skateboard laminates turned on their side. Check out Maple XO.

Grover says they’ll be working on adding a new capsule to Burnside on Tuesday. That’s a pretty major facelift. There’s few GVK shots after the jump.

Here’s a video from a shop in Atlanta called Stratosphere. These guys went on on a road trip to a land of magical concrete that looks amazing, I wish I knew where all these parks were…. Oh yeah. Dang that Lincoln City looks fun. Check out the vid after the jump. – Thanks to Eric Fleming for the tip.

In the US, Carhartt means overalls and heavy work jackets. For some reason in Europe it menas skateboarding. Here’s a commercial featuring Carhatt team rider Phil Zwijsen who hails from Antwerp, belgium but has been seen stateside as well. – Thanks to Ryan Mann for the tip.

Sorry for the late notice. Skate Like a Girl (Portland Chapter) has organized a FREE skate today at Ripzu that’s also a fundraiser. It’s girls only until 1pm, but from 1-5pm it’s all skate. (What time is the couples skate?) October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and we are going to fund raise skater style. Join us for a day of skating, demo’s, swagg raffles, and awareness for young people. Ripzu owes its creation to a young survivor and it’s logo to another young survivor. Help us raise funds to give back in the support of your loved ones. Check out Ripzu Skatepark on facebook for more updates, or check them out at www.ripzu.com. The Skate Like A Girl Portland girls only session comes before Ripzu’s “Boarders 4 Boobies” event from 11-1pm. It is open to girls of all ages and abilities. We will have volunteer coaches on hand to help teach you the basics and more. If you need gear, we have it! We have a supply of boards, helmets and pads for use during the session. All proceeds from the Skate Like A Girl session will be donated to the Breast Friends (www.breastfriends.com). Then after the session stick…

Listen up spuds. This is your chance to win one of two Weirdo skateboards. All you have to do is leave a weird story about skateboarding in the comments. That’s pretty vague, right? So go for it. Tell us a weird, preferably true story about skateboarding. This contest ends the day after Halloween. At that point we’ll put it up to a vote. The story with the most votes wins a Weirdo skateboard of his or her choice. The second one will be “editor’s choice.” Thanks again to site sponsor Weirdo Skateboards. You know I always hate when there’s a web site contest that makes you actually work for your entry like this one. At least you get to pick your own board if you win. Shipped direct form Weirdo, so it will get there in a reasonable amount of time. Let the games begin! UPDATE: Comments closed while we figure out how to set the voting up.

Not exactly hot off the presses, but I’ve got a day job, a couple of kids, a skateboard company, a yard that needs mowing and a house that is falling apart. When I first saw these Element branded portable skate obstacles (AKA Drop Spots) my first reaction was “I wonder how Freshpark feels about this?” Well it turns out they probably feel pretty good since they are the ones manufacturing it. I’ve never actually set foot on a Freshpark ramp, they seem like they are built for a lighter (Err. uhm, younger?) audience than me. These Element branded obstacles seem to be sturdier in appearance. Maybe it’s the fact that some of the obstacles have been raised one order of magnitude (Like the rainbow rail and the pole jam) or maybe it’s just the red paint. Lazy good for nothing kids. Back when I was a kid, a portable ramp weighed 100 pounds and took tow skateboards to roll, and.. uh, well.. I’d like to get ahold of one of those little kickers. – Thanks to Eric Cherry for the tip.