For some reason, the Weather Channel has video about people who are filling in their pools because they can’t afford to keep them. I guess the weather causes the water to evaporate… Well anyway, it’s a slightly different take on the crappy economy, empty pool syndrome. Check it out. – Thanks to Mac for the tip.

I always wondered how they built the X Games mega ramp, and this is not what I expected. California Skate Parks is the builder, and their PR firm is trying to drum up some press, offering interviews, tours and such. Do any of you guys have any (reasonable) questions? Maybe we could make it a group effort. (FYI I’ve got a killer Brian Brannon interview coming up!)

Danimal went camping with Shawn F on the coast near Newport, Oregon. I know it sounds kind of gay, but it wasn’t because it was all dudes. Just ask Grover to explain that one… Anyway, the camp site asphalt was pushed up by the roots of a tree looking for water, and it created a little kicker. It looks like kind of gnarly terrain, good thing Danimal had a shortboard with a ridiculous oversized soft wheel and truck combo.

I saw this album cover over at the exotic blog of Kahuna Kawentzmann. According to Hodad Heaven, it’s a re-issue that dates back to the 80’s. The original release was credited to the Good Guys. The Good Guys release has a different track listing from the Challengers. You can download MP3’s for a price from Amazon, or free from other places… (Hodad, Ahem.) For some reason the 80’s rerelease is collectable, New copies ago from $49 – $112, and remember this is a CD rerelease! The original LP was up as a vinyl rip for a time, but it’s been archived. You can pick up a copy of the Good Guys version on vinyl via eBay. Right now there is one listed at $25. Check out the cover! You gotta love the original Roller Derby board used as an exclamation point. The back has what may be the first ever monkey on a skateboard too.

A small chain of actions sports clothing shops called Munition was in some way instrumental in forcing a small skateshop, called Plan Z, out of the mall it is currently located, in Kelso, Washington. Depending on who you believe, Munition threatened to leave unless Plan Z was evicted, or The mall owners came up with the idea on their own. Plan Z was on a quarterly lease. The owner of Munition says it’s just a small mom and pop operation (with seven locations…) Hey, Zumiez started out that way too! Anyway, local kids protested, and Plan Z is trying to figure out what to do and where to go. All of this information was poached from TDN.com, as was the photo. – Thanks to Colin for the tip.

This is what it looks like under the temporary concrete superpark setup at the X-Games. Thanks to the anonymous tipster, you know who you are…

There’s a teaser up for an upcoming Paul Rodriguez video at Nike SB. There are a couple of celebrity cameos. I enjoyed seeing Lance Mountain as one of the cops. Ice Cube makes and appearance too. It seems Paul Rodriguez is blowing up (even more). Boston.com says he’s “ramping up” his exposure. They’ve got a short interview with Paul that’s informal and somewhat interesting.

Another installment of Skateboard Action from Carl Warren features Bill Danforth “carving a bank” (their quotes, not mine), and some sage advice that concrete is the best surface for skateboarding. Previous installments: Five – Four – Three – Two – One

I mean it’s a classic Roller Derby skateboard form the 60’s. In any case, if you look at the “how to” shots, she didn’t remove the trucks. Materials: Vintage wooden skateboard Wood cleaner/Wood finish Fine sandpaper 6 Galvanized ceiling flanges 2 Split ring hangers Threaded rod- ours was ¾”- 10- 1′ Screws, bolts Check it out on Junk Market Style.

Remember, this ramp is modular and portable. Looks fun as hell, especially when you skate as well as the guys in the video coverage from SoCal Skateparks. Check out those results too. There were some big names in there, but none of them made the top three. Kowalski power! The old Chuck Taylors’s used to be staple because they were cheap, but they were pretty useless in the long run. The best thing they had going was the price. They used to cost about $20 in the 80’s, which seemed about right. Somehow they cost $55 or more now! However… Converse Skateboarding has some shoes that look like they might be worth checking out – beefed up versions with styling reminiscent of the old CT’s, plus a cool looking mid-top too. What’s the point? Oh yeah, watch the video.