Stoked to announce that the 2014 Switchbacks series will once again be going off this year. The permits are rolling and I will be making my way back north to PDX in a week to dial in the final details. For those unaware the Switchbacks Series is a free competition that is fully permitted in Downtown Portland OR. This is the backbone of the Portland Downhill community bringing riders of all ages and skill levels together for a fun competition. The race format is 6 man heats race every position out, providing competitors with at least 3 race heats during the day. The hill is open for everyone to skate throughout the competition and it tends to draw a few hundred competitors and spectators. At the end of the competition a BBQ and raffle is hosted at Rip City Skate. Year after year this event has been a huge success in both participation and community integration, and is simply one of the most fun informal event series in downhill skateboarding in the Pacific North West. For details on the event June 1st please visit our Facebook Event Page.

The format of this race makes it seem like it might be fun for all skill levels, from the casual downhiller to a competitive regular. I might have to check this out.

A reader named Jacob noticed a gap in the DIY concrete tomes:

I’ve been doing a lot of research lately (watching videos, reading articles, etc..) on DIY Backyard projects. I’m learning a lot just from that and now i just need to try and apply the things i’ve learned and actually pour some concrete. I guess my question is, where can I get some how to’s or tips on how to make a concrete quarter pipe with metal coping? I’ve seen a lot on how to pour and finish (screet, burn, handstack, etc..) but not getting any tips on how to incorporate metal coping during the build.

I asked Tito from Team Pain if he had any tips.

I had a Turbo II deck in the 80’s and it said ‘Aloha Hawaii’, but this one has a graphic that looks like an advert for a skate shop from back then with brands and names like: McGill, Caballero, Skull/Sword (spelled ‘sward”), Staab, Roskopp, Tator which probably means Gator, Gonzales, Thrasher, Powell Peralta, Alva and even bands like Misfits, Die Kreuzen, Agent Orange and JFA. Anyone remembers these shirts that had brands like Armani, Iceberg, Burbery, Gucci, all printed on one shirt during the 80’s? The deck is for sale on eBay, more pics after the jump.

Kevin sent in an update on the DIY sanctioned park in his home town of Notre Dame de L’ile Perrot (Quebec, Canada) that he spearheads.

I badgered the city for some $ for concrete, and they supplied the materials for the new corner we are going to do. I guess they value my volunteering for all the work and free sk8 lesson to the kids on Thursday’s. Any way we built some forms for some trannys, we are doing a corner and hips. We had a little rain but not much. We floated it good and then once it was all dry the rain came just in time.

I am so impressed with this kid Alexis who is 7 and just kills it on tight tranny, he loves our pool and loves to skate. He was so down on floating the crete it was impressive, as is his older brother Nic, and dad Renaud.

We don’t see many girls in skateboarding which is unfortunate, but Marianne came out to show she wants more crete and helped float the mud. A community that skates together stays together. Here in hockeyland, they just don’t get, but they are realizing that there is much more than they thought, a way of life !

Elias Parise on his upcoming project in conjunction with his position at Dreamland Skateparks:

Bridge to Bridge is a view into the world of skatepark building and more notably, the evolution that exists between renegade DIY projects and local government funded skateparks. This short documentary, Bridge to Bridge gives a glimpse into the amount of effort, passion and sheer dedication it takes to construct the nation’s largest covered skatepark and the key players that pour their sweat and blood into the making of these vast concrete structures.

Watch the trailer after the jump.

Someone recently asked if Mark and I broke up since his comics haven’t appeared on Skate and Annoy in ages. The answer is no. Mark hasn’t been drawing very many lately, but he’s still managed to crack the 1500 barrier. Volume fifteen of Hopeless Old Men On Skateboards features comics numbered from 1401-1500, self published. If we had broke up he wouldn’t have used a photo I took in the foreword. (Random H.O.M.O.S.)

Check it.

Yes, this is a crapppy complete and Reflex doesn’t mean anything to you, but it’s also one of the funniest bootlegs. Can you see it? More after the jump.

Grover is working on his life’s ambition, which is to get a proper vert ramp in the Portland area. He’s got a line on an old portable setup used in a primitive version of an Extreme!™ sporting event that was called the X-Games, or so I am told. He has almost reached the 20% threshold in commitments for the funds he needs to acquire it, but there’s no place to put it right now. Let’s build some buzz about getting a vert ramp in Portland, so you can make little Grover’s dreams come true.

Yes, this is the future of skateboarding, as predicted by DIG Sports the last time they updated their web site in 2000:

Our new boards are built with the most advanced high-performance composites available. The unique skids allow the rider to carve the pavement like a snowboard. The boards are reinforced to enhance speed without wobble for the extreme downhill plunge. “2000” models” Coming soon!!! DIG Skateboards have been described by riders as “The snowboard of the pavement”… “a surfboard on wheels”… “The skateboard with an attitude”… and “The supreme downhill ride”…

All this could have been yours for $209. Thankfully, this is a future that never came to pass. That’s got to be the most blatant posed action shot ever used as a product promo. What’s up with sulky girlfriend?

– Thanks to Boy at SkateMalaysia.com