The Hundreds has two articles on independent brands of yesteryear (and today) Blockhead, and Acme. Both are good reads, although both could have been much longer. These have absolutely nothing to do with two collaborations by the Hundreds, reportedly sold out already.

Against the Grain: How Jim Gray and Acme Changed Skateboarding Forever

Garage Brand: The Blockhead Skateboards Story

We’ve seen a variety of folding skateboards here, most of them DIY. BoardUp adds a new twist to that with a 2-way hinge mechanism that allows for a more uniform rectangular shape after folding. It looks heavy but the whole board is supposed to way less than 7 lbs. It’s smooth but there’s definitely some flex visible in the video. If transportations your bag, then this might be for you, although you’re probably not reading this web site. Kickstarter on the way…

I added six more ads to the Transworld Volume 1, #3 vintage skateboard ad gallery. There’s Brand-X, looking sharp as usual with a new lineup that would stick around for years. What shoe company did Gator ride for before Vision Street Wear? It’s gotta be Vans at demo on a Firestone Ramp with Tony Magnusson. There there’s someone named Keith Butterfield winning freestyle for Bucci Sunglasses. Ever heard of him? What about Street Surfer Trucks? We’ll end with another Val Surf ad and Hawk leather skate gloves.

I added four adverts to the collection of issue number 3 of Transworld Skateboarding from 1983. City Street Wheels from San Francisco and and Donel, a skateshop from Dallas, are both pretty pedestrian except for the fact that Donel is very excited about a new foot game called Hacky Sack! Freestyle is where the action is today. Per Welinder appears in an ad for Baja South clothing, but if there ever was a skate trivia game winner, it’s got to be the Gullwing trucks ad featuring Jeff Phillips riding a G&S freestyle model, boosting what would appear to be a rocket air if you follow the strictest of definitions. How would you get into one of those on a bank??? Well…. he was Jeff Phillips.

Check out these two vintage adverts for Zorlac with John Gibson, and Variflex introducing Jeff Grosso to the skateboarding public from Transworld Skateboarding Volume1, #3. Yes, we’re talking about the 3rd ever issue of Transworld. Grosso wouldn’t stay on Vatiflex for very long, and Zorlac must have still been working on their gnarly public image.

Wear your helmets kids. [Source: WKOB, Albuquerque]

This traffic stopping barrier in an alley in downtown Chicago can be raised and lowered. When raised, it’s almost got more of a wall jam or pole jam angle than than a launch ramp. Still, it’s got potential. It would be funny if they had to put skate stoppers on a car stopper.

Does anyone remember this guy from way back in the beginning of the Oregon Skatepark boom? So far back, in fact, that this is a scan of a photograph taken with actual film. I think we only had Newberg (where this was taken,) Ausmville, Lincoln City, and Waldport when this was taken. Of course, Burnside, and the first version of Pier Park. Maybe Brookings too. Was his name Chris? He took an old airport shuttle van and tried to make a go of operating a skatepark tour shuttle service. I don’t think it worked out.

I was never a fan of these, but you sure did see a lot of them. The Madrid Flypaper version of Vans hi-tops have been re-released. As recently as 2014, an original pair of Madrid Flypaper Vans in a different color way sold for $2200!

Are you in the mood for some 70’s funk and a lot of vert skating? What about a guy in a hotdog costume on a miniramp? Check out Dan Bourqui’s Highland Showdown edit.