I can’t believe how remiss I’ve been in posting the news that aside from reuniting to play Riot Fest last year, Naked Raygun has continued to perform in Chicago as well as embarking on a West Coast tour, something they rarely did in their heyday! They’re in Portland Oregon on December 1st at the rather smallish Dantes. Tour dates are up on the Naked Raygun site. If you want to get a video fix, check out EPM‘s post. Raygun is arguably the definitive punk band to come from Chicago, although the Effigies, Articles of Faith, and Big Black also come to mind. The concert images above are from a not-so-secret secret performance by the band under the name Holyy Lazarski Nahane back in November of 2006. And now on to schilling product: Naked Raygun skateboards available.

Odd timing that I came across this news item immediately after posting the the Cool Girls story. It’s 10 days old but I’d still like to mention it. When you think 70’s skateboards, you’ll most likely envision a plastic banana board and some sort of fiberglass deck. The Logan Earth Ski has got to be near the top of iconic 70’s skateboards that weren’t merely toys. Never being more than casually aware of 70’s skateboarding history, I always assumed that the brand and company was completely the handiwork of 70’s skater Bruce Logan. It turns out his whole family was involved, and mother Barbara and brother Brian were the ones that mostly ran the company. Barbara recently passed away after battling breast cancer at the age of 79. She was apparently well liked in the industry. You can read the death notice that includes a little bit of history in the North County Times. Gravity also makes a board that is more of a tribute to the original Logan Earth Ski as opposed to a straight re-issue.

The Los Angeles Times has an article on the company Cool Girls Skateboards titled No coasting for this skateboard firm. I’ve seen Cool Girls advertised in some magazines and it’s come up on other web sites. I was willing to cut them some slack on their somewhat cheesy and unoriginal graphics that look like they were designed by somebody trying to figure out how to sell stuff to little girls at Target. Why was I cutting them slack? because I assumed they were owned by women who were trying cut out a niche for themselves in a male dominated industry. The web site sure makes it seem that way. Turns out I was pretty much dead wrong. The owner, Frank Davern got into the business by accident from a side venture where he had women reporting on music and trends. I find it kind of creepy, pretending to be a bunch of women in order to sell skateboards to girls, but it’s just business right? It’s not so much unlike when other skateboard companies launch a brand that pretends to be a separate entity. Davern is selling a lot of boards online, but can’t figure out why his boards aren’t flying off the shelves in skate shops nationwide. My guess is that most skate shops don’t see a brisk trade in 8 year old girls. Still, a reported $60,000 in mostly online sales last year means some one is buying them, and more importantly, that I’m doing something wrong here. Also going unsaid, it looks like there is a business opportunity out there for women who might have a better grasp on what girls actually think is cool. Check out the article.

So this little video is making the rounds pretty quickly. MC said he saw it on Skate Daily but I can’t find the link. (Yes I can.) I don’t know if it’s real or not, there are a couple spots where it looks fishy and at least one frame grab I made appeared to be missing the skater when he should have been visible. It’s hard to tell because you can do some damn good fakes nowadays with a cheap computer. If it isn’t fake then someone managed to capture good goof and one great one in a short time span. Update: Most likely fake as it was used in a Sprite advertisement. Unfortunately I only saw edited versions before making the post. Thanks JB.

The beginning of the feature to be known as “I was sick for a week and now I’m recycling all kinds of things seen first on Skatedaily.net” Here’s an interview of Tony Hawk perfomed by (because they are performers, right?) ECW female wrestling star Lalya. She was either uninterested or phoning the whole thing in. Most of here responses are “Wow, that sounds amazing” or “Wow, that’s awesome.” Other than that it’s mostly the routine questions about the video game, Tony Hawk Foundation, and his roller coaster ride. Also mildly amusing: Tony trying to explain how fans of the WWE would most likely also be interested in his video game,and the photograph of Lalya that makes her look like Rita Moreno on steroids. And the hair on Tony’s chest? That’s costume and makeup for an upcoming Proving Ground commercial designed to make him look like a pigeon. There are more shots of Rodney Mullen and Ryan Sheckler getting dressed up as flying rats on Tony Hawk’s Road Journal. What was the point of this post? Oh yeah, Layla gets Extreme with Tony Hawk.

[Source: Skate Daily]

From the One Step Ahead catalog comes the I Can Dress My Doll, uhm, doll, for teaching little kids how to work thier clothes. Looks like that skateboard is surgically attached to the kid’s hand. Not shown, Ryan Sheckler’s Special First Purse.

Frank 151 has collaborated with French luxury leather goods craftsman and designer Jacques Ferrand to release limited edition ostrich and crocodile skin skateboard decks with the Frank151 brand. I’m going to call bullshit on these, and I’m going to do it smugly while sitting at a desk wearing leather tennis shoes. What’s next, Snow Leopard decks just so you can show off your bling? How shallow can you get?

90’s teenager culture meets the classic french elegance!

Lame. Lame. Lame. Very lame. Thanks to JF for the tip.

Dan Glowicki sent out an email last week asking if anyone had plans to skate Friday after Thanksgiving. What?! and miss the start of the shopping season? Brad suggested getting together to play golf as a change of pace. Why not a visit to a car dealership to test drive Hummers? Better yet, Cannonball run!

This weeks SOFTW is Steve Schneer at the Heineken pool taken by Jim Goodrich in March of 1979. Check it out.

Another in the many skateboard related toys being pushed for the hiolidays. This Playmobil Skate Park comes recommended from Parents magazine.