Alright this is the second in a row – VERT is back. When I was in my skate hay-day I would spend part of the summers in Virginia Beach. There were about 6 city ramps in that town in the mid-80’s. Mt. Trashmore was the tallest and the first. I heard FUD (a.k.a. John Fudala) actually designed it. It was always a heavy session after 5 o’clock every night. Every session was a jam format and he who did not bail won the right to ride the whole ramp. My friend Bone Man and I came up with a plan to get runs after 5 pm – when one of us was going to fall, we would avoid falling in front of each other and make our bodies as big as we could on the flat to take up space so no one could drop in. This plan rarely worked. Mt. Trashmore produced great riders, everyone from Scary Larry to the Guitierrez trio (all three of which still ride). There were many more that were always nice and fun to watch skate. While there for my brief visit, I pulled up to the ramp where Allen Midget and Henry were riding It seemed like old times except everybody was older. I believe Henry has learned the McTwist in the last six years. It just goes to show that you don’t have to stop learning tricks just because you’re old. I think Eddie has a family. My time was short. I didn’t have time to talk to everyone. I would like to thank everybody that allowed me to take a run in my rickety state. I sure miss having a vert ramp. I asked Henry what the average age on the deck was, and he said it was about 35.

The Portland premier of the Power Riders Wheels video titled Plug in Tune Out is Saturday 18th @ 9 pm, at the A&L Sports Bar at 60th and Glisan. $5 dollars at the door goes to help rebuild the Scott barn that recently burned down. Trailer after the jump.

LOL, you know, Ladies of Longboarding… LOL OMG! Right. The ladies in this case are actual downhill racers. All profits go to fight breast cancer. Ladies, ladies, ladies. That’s right. Ladies of Longboarding.

– Thanks to Greg Baller for the tip.

Back in 2007 I wrote a short piece about Simon Woodstock, and it ended up being one of the more heavily trafficked posts on the site. Simon got in touch a couple of years later. Originally he wasn’t too keen on having his skateboarding past brought to the limelight again, but he’s since come to terms with it. I asked if he had anything he wanted to say to our readers and to my surprise he actually did.

[Left: Reprinted from The Skatebook. Right: Recent shot of Simon and his dog Scooter.]

Every once and a while I remember to put some actual skateboarding on this site. I’ve been sitting on these photos for a couple of years. This was in the land of the Swoosh, in fact, almost in it’s shadow.

I’m freely admitting to filling space here. Some of the things purchased with recent fundraising efforst include sand, gravel a generator, and of course concrete. They’ve got a plan. Make one of these in your neighborhood.

Mother nature wants you to skate launch ramps. Don’t ask me where it is, because it’s within a five block radius of my house.

At first I thought this was typical media stereotyping of skateboarders, until I watched the video of the guy who actually said it. A skateboarder foiled one of the nutjobs who was going to burn the Quaran in a public park in Amarillo, Texas. I applaud the positive vibes, although I also recognize the nutjob’s First Amendment right to burn the Quaran, or any other book or national flag, provided he does so in a safe manner. Maybe you should get a permit to do that, like the Nazi’s did in Skokie. Speaking of fire, I was at the Smokejumper visitor center in Missoula, Montana recently. I highly recommend it, fascinating stuff, but the point is, during the tour I observed that some smokejumpers, aside from being gnarly dudes (and gals) doing burley, dangerous work, they are also into street skating, the Misfits, and of course, longboards.

– Thanks to… everybody and their brother who sent this in.

[Photo: Amarillo Citizens Against Repent Amarillo]

And I’m not talking about a D&D monster. After seeing last week’s algebra ramp, Greg Baller sent this link over at the Death Science blog. There is absolutely no further information available about this art piece except for the rumor that it was skated before it flipped over. I swear someone once sent me a picture of a Thrasher tail light made by the folks at Death Science, but I can’t find it.

– Thanks to Greg Baller for the tip.

Howard Weiner of Calskate will be on Callin’ on Colin (online radio) today at 2pm LIVE, and archived here. Episodes 1-28 colin.pdx.fm

There are no photos of Howard online so I  snaked the previous post about Howard being on my show which was delayed.

Post your questions in the comments and we’ll fit them in!