Since we’ve already discussed the merits of natural and synthetic wine corks, I feel we can confidently add modern landscape design our list of high brow topics. I’m not talking about skate plazas or the appropriation of public spaces. I’m talking about how Thomas Dolliver Church, the acclaimed author of Gardens are for People and the father of modern landscape architecture (California Style) who was widely credited with influencing garden and pool design with his influential free form pool in his most famous work, El Novillero. Truth is, he didn’t invent the kidney pool though. He most he was inspired by a visit to FInland’s Alvar Aalto Villa Mairea, which also featured a free form pool. That’s El Novillero above left, and Villa Mairea on the right. So there you have it. Kidney pools were invented in Finland in 1937, not in California, circa 1948. [Source: Intercontinental Gardener] – Thanks to Jarno Väisänen for the tip.

This has been stated so many times before that I don’t even know how to say it any other way now, but my primary impetus for beginning work on what would eventually become The Disposable Skateboard Bible was to tie up a few loose ends that I wasn’t able to find or include in the first book—several of which were only made possible in the years following its publication. For this reason perhaps that’s why I dragged my feet for two and a half years to compile material for the Bible, because just when I was about to theoretically call it done I would inevitably find one more board or story to follow up on, e.g. the random time I met Rich Harbour’s daughter at a backyard Banta party. I could have gone on indefinitely in this manner had I not finally committed to a delivery date with the publisher in April 2009, and it was an oddly bittersweet moment to at long last say, “It is finished.” Not only that but I kind of felt like a dink for calling it the “Bible” when I knew there were still a few outstanding historical pieces to the puzzle. Seriously, God…

BCSA ART & MUSIC 2010 at the Vue, 517 SW 2nd St, Corvallis, OR on March 13. All proceeds from the silent auctions go towards the Eric Scott McKinley Skatepark improvements. Contact the BCSA for more information (bcskateboardingalliance@gmail.com). My lame ass will be in the Seattle burbs this weekend. On top of that, I didn’t get my art done in time. However, I did take five minutes out of my busy life to make this post, so I care… a little. (Next year for sure!) I believe MC is going to make good though.

It doesn’t get much purer than this. You have to build it before you can play. That’s your barrier to entry. Also worth mentioning, non-athletic shoes. VIntage Life magazine. – Thanks to Andy Wylie for the tip.

Here’s two shots from Curtis Spencer down in Redmond, Oregon. The skaters name is Remy, or possibly Renny.

I was checking out plastic skateboards on eBay and I found this old GT that someone was auctioning. These things are a dime a dozen, but this one had axle extenders on them. The auction was very matter of fact about the phenomenon, as if it was commonplace. So I tried to research them and didn’t find anything about vintage axle extenders, only new ones for sale at Surf Rodz. Not only can you get them in differnt lengts, but you can get them in a larger axle size that in turn requires non-standard bearings, spacers and washers. I’m not sure what the point of that is, maybe someone can enlighten me.

This week’s shot of the week comes all the way from Brazil. Luciano Fleck Peixoto taken by Aalexandre Vianna, and previously published in the Brazilian magazine Cemporcento SKATE back in 2008. That snake run is a DIY project that dates back to 1977. Check out the shot of the week.

Danimal sent in cell phone reconnaissance of new construction in Lincoln City, Oregon. The last addition was the amazing monster snake run. I’m not sure what the master vision is here. (More concrete – Duh!) It almost looks like a motocross track. Looks like another bowl too. They’re going to run out of square feet pretty soon.

Ten bucks delivered. Bizarro skateboard album covers are the new vintage skateboard collectable… because I say so. This thing is disturbing. Fofao is a popular (?) children’s television character, or not, I’m not sure. He’s freakish though. Large jowled pig face boy anyone? I keep staring at the cover of this thing, trying to figure out if it’s a child in the suit or a man with an oversized skateboard. Seriously, check it out.

Mike V: Do or Die has been out for about a week now. Reviews are mixed, some people love it, while others are perplexed by what appears to be a driving game grafted onto a skateboard title. Which begs the question, if you can drive around the city, can you stop off at a hockey game and fight some fans? (Cue Rimshot) But seriously folks… One of the things that lookspretty cool is the fact that you can play as Mike during different points in his career, including the Powell days, complete with licensed Bones t-shirt in the graphics. Actually, the developers made a big deal about the fact that there are licensed products in the game. What does that remind you of? As a pacifist, I’m waiting for the less macho lite version tentatively titled “Mike V: Live and Let Live.”