Having printed more than a handful of skateboards myself, and designed a few jigs, I’ve always considered the possibility of somehow adapting a textile press for printing skateboards. The crew at Jolly Roger Skateboards are actually producing them. So far each Skate Mate sold has been configured for Lawson and Ryonet presses, but they are built on demand and can be made to fit any commercial press, including table tops. The wheelbase is easily adjustable which is critical for printing the same design on multiple size boards. Even though it can fit on a multiple color press, you’re still going to want to print skateboards like flat stock, one color at a time. So what’s the point? It could help with keeping better registration, especially if you have side clamps. You won’t need a kickstand to hold the screen up when placing boards and it saves space if you work in tight confines and already own a textile press. It’s pretty spendy at $300, but the build quality looks very high and prices are expected to come down as they recoup some development costs. The Skate Mate isn’t going to be for everyone, for one thing, it’s not going to work for tip to tail graphics, but it’s out there if you want one.

You’re looking a the concrete equivalent of a Play-doh fun factory. One of them generates a continuous curb and the other, a ditch. I wish I had more information on these photos posted by Architecture and Design magazine. Unfortunately, they were found on their Facebook timeline, and they provide no context or source links. I was very surprised because I assumed Architecture and Design Magazine was an actual print publication, and they should know better. Turns out it’s entirely web based. The “About Us” page has some unintentionally funny copy: “The Architecture & Design story began in Afghanistan ( a country in Asia ) back in 2013…” Yes, 2013, a time when few people have heard of the rarely talked about country of Afghanistan. In any case, these machines are not designed for building skateparks, but the concept is interesting. Ole John Henry could take these machines, each one still requires a crew of guys to operate.

– Via Wrex Cook on Facebook

I will continue to post photos of NOS skateboard products in blister backs with technical style drawings on the back as long as I continue to find them. I am a sucker for vintage skateboard packaging. This set of trucks sold for $45. Nothing says 70’s like action bolts and open bearings.

Vancouver BC resident Natalie Porter is a self described Librarian by day and greasy motorbike wrench-monkey by night. She self-published a book titled The History of Women in Skateboarding, which is available in electronic format from Amazon. There are only 56 pages in the Kindle edition, which seems kind of short, but then again it only costs $6. If you have an iPad or Android there is a free Kindle app. I haven’t read it yet, but I imagine I will. At $6 I feel it’s my (pretend) journalist / historian’s duty. Anyone else? Betsy?

Prefab and DIY are two things not commonly associated with each other, but it turns out they were a good fit in at lease one case. Confusion Magazine documented a renegade skate spot perpetrated by Skate DIY that required a quick install, with most of the work being done off site. Unfortunately, the spot came down almost as fast as the installation, lasting a mere 12 hours.

Jenkem Magazine has a short video on Fritz Mead’s combination micro house (which he lives in) and its attached mini bowl. NYC is the locale, so I can understand the desire cut down on your rent. Amazingly, it’s not even his backyard. The main renter (or property owner?) is absent from the footage.it would be interesting to hear that perspective too. Fritz is living the dream. It may be the dream of a 13 year old boy, but he’s still living it. This video is the second installment in Jenkem’s Locals series. The first one is about a guy named Eugene Kang who’s been running an unpublicized skateshop out of his apartment. I did the same thing for a couple months once, but it was in Urbana, Illinois in the mid-80’s, and it was really just a lark. Terminal Skateshop is in NYC, and the cutover base is potentially huge, it’s still a hard way to make a living.

Evergreen Skateparks just finished a new park on the Blackfeet reservation in Browning, Montana. Thunder Park is yet another skatepark funded by Jeff Ament, and it looks like a fun one. Aside from the usual elements we’ve come to expect, there’s a moonscape-like mogul field reminiscent of some parks that were built in the 70’s, but you know, good.

Day 5 of 5 Days of Ohio (for no particular reason.) Yes, there are lots of obvious things I could have covered (Skatopia, Rob Dyrdek’s Kettering Skate Plaza, Devo…) but you know about those already. Instead, here’s a bunch of random, unrelated Ohio items.

– Thanks to Zack, Dan, and Clint for the tips.

Day 4 of 5 Days of Ohio (for no particular reason.) Public Square Group is part skateboard/skatepark advocacy, part community outreach, and part skateboarding support group. They are named after the Cleveland’s public plaza, a not-built-for-skateboarding spot that has a history in the scene dating back to the 80’s. They also run the Skate Kitchen, which until this year had been in an actual physical location with an indoor miniramp. The non-profit membership based model (with public hours) seems to have been replaced with pop up skate events while they look for a new space. Grindline recently finished Cleveland’s Crooked River Skatepark on the riverfront. Opening day was snowed in, Meanwhile, Broadway Skatepark in the Slavic Village neighborhood of Cleveland has already gone through early design presentations. Public Square Group is acting as the conduit for feedback.

– Thanks to Dan Overfield for the tip.

[Video Still: Share the River]

The Morro Bay Skateboard Museum is in the middle of their annual fundraising campaign, which includes a screening of the Signal Hill Speed Run documentary at the Palm Theater on Saturday, November 22nd at 7pm. Some of the original racers will be on hand afterwards for audience Q&A. You can buy tickets online or stop by the museum to pick them up. Watch the trailer and learn more about the event/museum after the jump.