Oh man, I’m old. This is how and when I first started skating. Hanging around with a crew of grade school kids cursing around on plastic boards with loose bearings. Good times. Nobody worried about whether they were doing a trick correctly or if they had bad style. Besides, how much style does a tic-tack take? I found these 70’s photos in some clickbait article. The mentioned that the photographer Anthony Catalano had passed, but they didn’t link to the original source so I’m not going to bother to credit them. There are a ton of photos taken in Brooklyn in the mid to late 70’s, and only a few of them feature skateboarders but they are a great glimpse into the past.

Disorder has an interview with Joe Buffalo a skateboarder and actor from Maskwacis, Alberta and the Samson Cree Nation. The interview is from April of this year, and his pro model for Colonialism Skateboards has already sold out. You should also check out this more recent CBC radio interview with Joe. – Thanks to Heidi Randall for the tip.

The Spits are back after almost years. 10 years? How can it possibly be 10 years since their last release? Any given Spits release probably has a robot or a skateboard on the cover, sometimes both. Their 6th full length (ish) release has a Valterra Rad-Active board. There aren’t many pictures of this particular Valtera on the web right now outside of The Art of Skateboarding, and you need an account to view it. I’ve been trying to reset my password for a few years now to no avail. The Spits VI drops on October 30. More album artworks and a teaser track after the jump. Up all night is a boss track… Source: Brooklyn Vegan

Sure, it’s been 11 years since we posted a Nash Sound Board, but there have been new archeological developments thanks to reader Vivi Kristensen.  This version of the Sound Board has moved the radio compartment from the tail to just behind the front trucks, and all mention of the Nash brand on the board graphic has been removed. However, the radio compartment still bears the Nash logo mark. This radio was no doubt perfect for listening to The Rest of the Story with Paul Harvey during a heated vert session.  It’s unclear how on earth you’re supposed to tune this radio. Looks like a set it and forget it situation. All so quaint compared to modern day implementations even if it did take 30 years to improve on it.

I think this web site is called WHATSUP. (WHATSUP???) Follow this link for pictures of a crazy concrete dragon built for skating in an art exhibit they may have something to do with Vans.

A: Because they come from China and wholesale for less than $1 a piece. Seriously, would it kill them to make the seats a little deeper so that the tool doesn’t become useless if you’ve got really soft bushings or want to tighten things down for a mega ramp session? I get unsolicited emails from Chinese companies all the time, trying to sell me plastic skateboards, cheap decks, trucks, wheels, and even authentic (?) “Bones” bearings, all on the cheap. “Swiss” bearings imported from china, including packaging. Thanks Dwindle.

It’s not unusual to hear about a school program for pressing skateboards, but Benson Polytechnic High School in Portland, Oregon goes a few steps beyond that.  Skateboard Engineering is a half a year elective that also goes delves into 3D design, using CAD software to design trucks, 3D printers for prototyping, and their on-site foundry and machine shop for actually manufacturing trucks.  I’ve been visiting their open house for a couple years now, and each time I go they’ve added more to the program. The curriculum is evolving as the teacher learns more. He did not have a previous background in skateboarding, but rightly thought it would be something that students would be into.

Jake Phelps, longest running editor of Thrasher Magazine, dead at 56. Cause of death has not been released.

I was in Atlanta for about 30 hours to watch the MLS Cup. The Timbers lost, which was a bummer. My experience was essentially Airport to Marta to Hotel to Stadium to AirbnB to Airport. I didn’t get to see a lot, but I did catch some nice looking, but mostly wet terrain.

What is this thing? Is it an ollie trainer, or is it just a regular ole Maui and Sons skateboard that some eccentric nut decided to make even more dangerous by replacing the trucks with giant springs? I’m not sure what you could actually do with this, besides try to sell it on Ebay. This appears to be the “Thrasher Sharkson” pro model. Thanks to Matthijs for the tip.