Team Shralp passed along a report on the Vancouver meeting last week. Sorry I’m a little slow in passing along the info. Sounds like there was a decent turnout – a mix of ages and a few skateboarders for a change. Some neighbors thought the skatepark was getting special treatment – dog park people were pissed cause they pay for their trash removal, restrooms, and fencing but the skatepark is going to have those things provided by the city, months ahead of any other feature in the park. What can we say skateboarders have a better lobby. There was some loose discussion of rules, kind of like Battle Ground’s rules: bikes and skateboards all the time, pegs yes, and be polite to each other and people and things around the park. The current plan is to open mid-August and they are going to sneak it – no big event just open the gates and let it happen, just word of mouth. Thanks Jason. skatepark rendering from Grindline

OK, first this month I want to clarify some things. Namely, what Baywatch is and what it is not. It is a column where I list skateboard related auctions that caught my eye the previous month on eBay. It is completely random: I cover what I find interesting, unusual or funny. It is not a price guide and was never meant to be one. I guess because I list the final auction price people sometimes use it in that way, but that is not the prime purpose. If a definitive price guide is what you are looking for, then you are looking in the wrong place. If not, then check out the June 2007 eBay Watch.

The Curve Extreme Sport is just a design concept now, but if it ever gets produced it will be another in a long series of over-engineered and likely very expensive skateboards. The biggest feature is that the traditional trucks have been replaced with a system that places one elongated footbal-shaped wheel on the front and the back. The effect is half Z-Roller truck, half flowboard. I know this is just a guy (Gary Chang) exercising the left half of his brain a little, so there’s no need to tear this thing apart. That won’t stop me from pointing out a few obvious flaws and showing you some more pics after the jump. [Source: Yanko Design]

Rich said they are even further along today. Can’t wait. More shots after the jump.

Skate Montana sent in this announcement for the Great Montana Skate Race being held on August 11th in Dillon, home of the figure eight skatepark we mentioned about a year ago. I’m not sure if it qualifies as park slalom or bordercross, but I’ll bet it’s a blast. Old Grover is always trying to start impromptu races around the outside of Oregon’s parks. I’ll bet he’s jonesing for GVK coverage of this event. Dillion links and vid after the jump.

The shows I watch must fall out of the targeted demographic because I’ve had people tell me about this commercial but I can’t seem to catch it on the air. Instead I have to resort to pulling it off the web. Misubishi, the company that brought you the Japanese Zero, now wants to help you go on a kamikaze pool mission by driving you there and blasting your MP3’s once you get to the secret spot. Thanks to John Aguilar and Paige for the tip off.

ABC News has a small gallery of pictures from the practice session for the Skateboard Downhill World Championship held on July 11, 2007. Don’t start to whining “That’s not skateboarding, that’s extreme kooks! Wah wah wah!” Yes, it is skateboarding, and before Thrasher Magazine used to make fun of street luge and professional downhill racing, they used to have recurring spotlights where they talked about it in very revered tones. The guy on left has good fashion sense. The guy on the right looks like he’s got the racing suit but without knee pads. Full face helmet? Sure. Downhill in the rain? Count me out. There are some good shots in the gallery if you hold your breath through a couple of unfortunate buttboarding and skeleton pictures. It looks like there are too many disciplines in downhill these days. I would say that’s not skateboarding but my two year old son would disagree. Getty Images photos from ABC News. After you are done looking at the pretty pictures, check out this ABC Wild World of Sports clip featuring the World Championship of Skateboarding from 1976 after the jump.

The Skateboard Archives has two pages of pictures from Sleestock 2007 that look like they were taken around the same time mine were.

Don’t be so gay. You’re the fag. Am not, you homo. You wish. I wish you were a homo? ’fraid not. Just a sample of the scintillating dialogue from Skate Trip 2007. More of the same plus reviews of the Skateparks of Washington, this week on… Conahan and Kilwag: At the Skateparks.

I went to Sleestock 2007 and I only took four pictures. Two of them are butt shots, and one is of a local that who was definitely not into having his park invaded by the likes of the Stak, or probably anyone else for that matter. I took five pictures actually, but one was a bail. “Why have you forsaken me?” you ask. Well I can’t answer that. It certainly wasn’t for lack ripping or interesting subject matter, and the turnout was good. I felt like taking it easy while not wrecking myself in the bowl. And I forgot all my stickers. I was, basically, useless. There were plenty of other cameras there so we’ll keep you updated. If you post pictures drop me an email and I’ll put together some links. Until then, you can view SnA’s massive coverage after the jump. Thanks to Bobcat for putting it all together again.