The process has begun on the next two Ed Benedict Park in southeast and Gabriel Park in Southwest. If you live in any of the neighborhoods listed or nearby either of these parks you might want to attend these neighborhood meetings. The current plan for Ed Benedict’s 8000 square feet is 70% street, 30% transition. Some guys are working hard to get a plaza-style setup there. It would be worth it for vert skaters to participate to make sure the tranny component gets done right. There will only be 2400 sq ft for tranny but it should be something neighborhood vert skaters can use. The balance at Gabriel park will be weighted more toward transition and there has been talk of a snake run. Read on for details

click to see full image Must be weird to show up for a session at the local skatepark if you are Tony Hawk. This is from JGB’s blog at The Skateboard Mag. He says he took this the last week in January. Classic trick executed as well as anybody could. Great shot.

This Royce Nelson cell phone photo by Tony Farmer comes to us courtesy of Davoud at Concussion Magazine. A couple years ago I got the idea to do a print zine made entirely of cell phone photos. Like many things on my plate, I haven’t gotten around to it. I’m guessing someone else has done it by now. If not, I am immediately accepting submissions for Does/Does Not Cause Cancer.

The road ahead. Challenges facing the skateboarding community in the coming year over at skateportland.org

Thor was good enough to brave the wrath of John Dalton to give us a photo essay progress report on Battle Ground Washington’s skate park. Looks like it’s getting close. This looks like it will be a great park for riders of different disciplines to mix. Street brethren, bowl bros, we can all get along. Check it out.

Vox Footwear and Dreamland Skateparks made this short video which features the construction of Pier Park, some Wilsonville skatepark footage and a few other extras. I don’t know what the plan is for getting this out to the public but you should try to get a copy of it. The footage of Peter Hewitt going over the mousehole is … words fail me. Dave Hupp shot it. Update: the disc will be available as a shrinkwrap gift in a upcoming The Skateboard Mag issue and a gift with purchase for CCS that will help the sale of the Dreamland Shoe.

These photos were smuggled to our agents at the cost of many Bothan lives. Grindline is building this at an undisclosed location.

Actual bricks are out because of expense. Costs have also skyrocketed on dyeing the concrete. But Dreamland did do a test on stamping a brick texture into the concrete of the street areabanks. Word is it skated all right. This was a rough test and it’s a little well, rough. Finishing would be better if they go with it. What do you think? Would you prefer the fastest, smoothest surface possible or some simulation of brick banks or some combination? At lower right is the stamp used to texture the concrete. Please comment on the bricks post at Skaters for Portland Skateparks

The Express-Times has short interview with old Zorlac pro and current Syndrome Distribution honcho Rob Mertz. The article, titled “Skateboard to top not pipe dream” is a short fluff piece, but it does contain an amusing fact – the town mayor was the one who encouraged him to follow his dream of being a pro skateboarder. If like me, you’re still skating as grown man with a family of your own, you can probably relate to hearing this kind of thing from your extended family, and in this case, from Rob’s mom: All the years, miles and bruises later, Nancy Mertz still worries. “He skates every day on his lunch hour. You know he’s 41?” she sighed. “This is why they have hair dye; I turned gray early.” More Mertz links after the jump.