I don’t watch the X-Games, even if I come across them by accident. I know, it’s hard to believe. When I came into work this morning a coworker in his 40’s who doesn’t skate had already emailed me about Jake Browns’s slam to flat on the mega ramp. It’s every vert rider’s worse nightmare, multiplied by 10. That’s right, he fell almost to flat from 15 feet above the coping. How tall are those mega ramps? 20, 30ft? Unofficial word is that he fell about 45-50 ft. It’s sickening to watch, but he actually walked off under his own power 20 minutes later. Jake Brown is the luckiest skateboarder alive on this day. Cringe through the vid after the jump.

[Update: Added an alternate, extra gnarly camera angle.]
[Update: That was fast! The New York Times has article about Jake’s slam and the inherent dangers of the Mega Ramp. Requires free registration – or read it here]

The Tuscaloosa News has a fascinating article titled LIVING ON THE EDGE – Skate park attracts enthusiasts, competitive boarders. Critical analysis of this thought provoking and controversial article after the jump.

For those keeping track, and I’m guessing that’s about three other people, I’ve resurrected the Broken Kingpins column name in Skate and Annoy. This time around, instead of covering all the roster hopping and product release junk like we used to in our ancient print issues, I’m using it for all the miscellaneous links that don’t merit their own post. Besides, there are about a million other web sites that can tell you who has new shoe models and who got kicked off of what tour. [Photo: Denver Post / Andy Cross]

The Science Channel’s How it’s Made program featured skateboards as one of the items that they show… how they are made. For some reason they chose the skateboarding segment to include some gratuitous “history of” narration and crappy animation. None of the other products got the extra dog and pony show. The skateboarder in the picture above seems to be caught in some sort of time-space wormhole anomaly where he is forced to dress like the late 70’s but ride a skateboard that looks like it was designed in the 50’s.

Every skateboard manufacturing process seems to vary a little, but the basics are the same. If you’ve never seen this type of thing before it can be interesting. These guys are using the heat transfer process to apply the “decorations” as they call it. The video does not show how the heat transfers are printed (similar to printing t-shirt transfers, colors are printed in reverse order on a flat substrate.) but does show them being applied. The shapes are cut out by hand using an interesting shaping template and what I think is a planer. I’ve never seen it done that way before. Actually, a factory using heat transfers for graphics is probably also using a CNC machine to automate cutting out the shapes. They probably got out the old templates for the camera. Oh yeah, check out the crappy skatepark they show. Classic concrete tranny stuck on top of asphalt flatground. Sweet. If anyone knows where any of this was shot, please leave it in the comments. Watch the video after the jump.

“Sadlands on Steroids” was my second choice of titles for these pics of Plaza Bellver in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. This has got to be, what they call the shit. Possibly the best not-made-for-skating skate terrain ever? Dean Tyrell sent in these pictures (and more) after seeing the post on the French artsy fartsy skate spot. You can see more (and larger) pics of Plaza Bellver and a few legit skate spots in Palma de Mallorca Spain in the feature.

The Dallas Morning News has a surprisingly lengthy article on the older crew of skateboarders in Dallas that are still getting some, not only in local skateparks, but in less than legal pools as well. The article, titled These guys haven’t slowed down, talks a little about balancing their adult lives and responsibilities with skateboarding, and is thankfully short on the “Rad Dad” rhetoric. Here’s a good quote:

Now he wears a tie every day. But underneath the suit, he remains a skater punk. Mr. Stubbs says he has had to explain more than once to co-workers and clients why he has pus oozing through his slacks.

Reminds me of my friend Shawn who went out to skate on his lunch break, ate shit and had to spend the rest of the day explaining the holes in his fancy work pants and bloody knees. Now he carries an extra pair of work pants in his trunk. Not a prophylactic, but prophyl-slack-tic, as in “slacks.” Ba dum bump! Take my wife! Please! Uh, yeah. What else? The Sonya Hebert/DMN photo above has a quality that makes it seem more like an advertising shot from a prescription drug company or a financial institution than an editorial shot. I bet Sonya went to art school. Read the article in the Dallas Morning News. Thanks to Chip for the tip.

Dateline: Englewood Florida. Headline: County wipes out good, clean fun Overmonitoring, irregular hours and high fees mar new skate park

Eric Ernst wrote a piece for The Herald Tribune about micromanaging the fun out of the new Englewood skatepark that Team Pain built. Here in Oregon, most of our parks are free, open from dawn to dusk and unmonitored. And for the most part, this works out great.

Amazing! I was going to put this in the “Found Terrain” category, but it’s actually a purpose built skate spot in France! I had to (try to) read the sign, but it appears it was made for skating (and roller skating, inline skating, and BMX). Le Craddle du 13e was paid for by the City of Paris Cultural Affairs Department of Art in the City. That’s some bureaucracy I can get behind. There are a few more shots on the Skatepark de Paris flickr stream.

OK. It’s a success as far as public art goes, but let’s take a step back and evaluate the skateboarding terrain. It’s fenced off, I think to keep pedestrians out actually. The approach looks really short, and where are you supposed to go when you come off that high wall? Looks like they want you to carve a continuous loop. No kickturns allowed! I still give it an “A” for effort though. Circular skate spots are the rage.

[Source: Skatepark de Paris]

It’s another case of designers with too much time (or LSD) on their hands. This time it’s Acconci Studio with their concept for a skatepark in San Juan Puerto Rico. I came across this in Dec/Jan 07 issue of Dwell magazine. It was on a page talking about the Cooper Hewitt 2006 National Design Triennial. The design evokes a 70’s snake run mixed with a waterpark. It may be fantastic to look at, but it shows a complete lack of practical skateboarding knowledge.