Our Canadian readers are slacking. I was trying to find more info on the Jeans West commercial from the 70’s when I stumbled on this commercial for West 49, which near as I can tell is the Canadian equivalent of a Zumiez.

So far my alma mater is famous for two things, the birthplace of the fictional self-aware computer Hal 9000, and the place where internet browsers were invented. And now the University of Illinois is pushing the Corn board, a composite material made from the husks and stalks of corn plants. Think of it as a replacement for particle board. Something you could build houses and miniramps out of, and well, skateboards. Technically, longboards, and just the core. It seems like you could stuff just about anything in the core of longboards, even Bonite! I’ll be impressed when they can make a shortboard out of that stands up to Canadian Maple. Actually, I’m impressed by the recycling bit. It would be great to cut down on wood consumption, although I thought particle board was already made from discarded bits of wood used to make other things. Unless anyone is specifically cutting down trees to make particle board, it’s not really going to save anything. Is it really “green” to take something that would otherwise decompose and turn it into something that won’t? The Daily Illini (The “student” newspaper run by a privately owned media company) has an article with some of…

MC has reached the 900 mark on Hopeless Old Men On Skateboards. Go buy one of his books.

Check out this video sponsored by Converse Skateboarding Mexico (Owned By Nike USA… Get over it!) It’s about skateboarding in Mexico, but it’s not a straight up documentary, more of a loose collection of on camera interviews and archival footage, mixed with modern footage. It’s not jut a trip down memory lane, however. There is a lot footage of those old guys (still) skating today. There’s a nice segue from that segment that ends with a 40 year old rail slider revealing a 22 year old kicking off a street segment. On top of that, friends of the site Art and Steve Godoy and John Aguilar are featured in this video which is titled simply Skater. Nice shirt John! Embedding is disabled, so you have to watch it here.

Red Cement Skateboards is hosting the 10th (!) annual skateboard contest at the Albany, Oregon skatepark on Saturday.

Marginal Way benefit auction 6-10 at Electric Coffin, 1020 S 1st Ave, Seattle Wa. Like the flier says, Electric Coffin is hosting a benefit art show for Marginal Way. Mob Grip tape has provided sheets of grip tape for artists to paint on and will be sold for no more than $50 buck the night of the event. Plus there will be a raffle including prizes from all the sponsors, Sno con, Foundry, Electric Coffin, Mob Grip, Creature, Independent, Band Vibes, and Spacecraft. Come out and Party and buy some killer art! Got some great artist lined up for the show! Also refreshments will be on hand for the event. In case you don’t know Electric Coffin has moved, still in pioneer square (ish) but now on first down by the stadiums. 1020 1st ave S. So come see the new space (not in a basement).

Callin’ on Colin is going to be a rerun today. Old man Colin pulled his back in an embarrassing way, and is immobilized for the time being, otherwise you’d be enjoying an interview with none other than Wally Inouye. There’s a teaser of Wally Inouye interview up on Juice Magazine. Professor Farnsworth illustration courtesy of Sarah’s Futurama fan art on Slurmed.com.

I was going mention this video was highly derivative of the Far East Network video segment billiards, but sources claim this Cliché (skateboards) video came out way back in 2004. It’s the human turntable effect. Well done. – Thanks to Sarib for the tip.

Spohn Ranch has put up a detailed video showing the installation of a prefab concrete bowl on the U.S. Millitary base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. It’s the first time I’ve seen a prefab concrete installation covered so thoroughly. Regardless of your personal feelings about prefab concrete, it’s really interesting to see it all go down. It’s striking how mechanical the whole operation is. It’s progressed to a point where they almost don’t need more than one guy on the crew who whow skatepark specific concrete finishing, it’s very mechanical. The metal coping is cast into the forms. They lower everything into place, shim it up and then pour the flat and the decks. There’s some patchwork on the seams, then welding and grinding the coping and it’s done. The process seems to work well for non-organic skateparks and single feature bowls. Imagine the equivalent of building a skatepark like you would an HO model train. Pick your pieces and arrange them. Vid after the jump.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Newspaper from mid-level city actually publishes a decent skate photo! Astonishing considering they are essentially giving the Oregonian away these days. Not a week goes by that I don’t get a phone call practically begging me to get the Oregonian for delivered to my door for pennies on the dollar. I’d be more inclined to fill my recycling bucket with the paper if the delivery man (not a boy, because he drives a car on his route) would stop nailing the storm door with the paper and waking me up at 5 in the morning. What’s the point? Oregon lottery money has apparently been funding skateparks in some capacity, and some folks are upset because school funding is and other services have been dwindling. Oregon ballot measure 76 will extend the mandatory parks expenditures from lottery proceeds. The measure isn’t going to increase the 15%, it’s just going to make sure it can’t be diverted to other areas. I think that’s a good idea. I’m voting yes on 76. – Thanks to Colin for the tip.