Limited time offer, subscribe to the Skateboarders Journal and get a set Seismic Cambria wheels. Volume 1 #3 is out.

John Lucero recently found the original screen from his first pro model on Madrid. It looks ready to pull! I’m surprised it’s to small but then again they could get away with it on those flat boards back then.

– Thanks to Jodie at Empty Pools for the tip.

This awesome photo was taken on December 26, 1975 by an unnamed staff photographer at the Denver Post. They did however, record that the skateboarder David Beans, age 13 was unhurt. This is an excellent photograph, made even more so by the date of the photo, the day after Christmas. You know this was probably a Christmas gift being put through the paces. I hope David stuck with it. It’s sort of on sale at Ebay right now. I mean “sort of” because it’s not an actual photographic print, but an early form of photo fax used by newspapers. So $28 bucks get’s you a fancy photocopy. I wonder what Mr Beans is doing now?

– Thanks to Seth Levy for the tip.

This week’s Shot of the Week is the always understated, always ripping Tim Eberly enjoying a bit of a dork session at the Grover compound, and riding away from it. The Grover compound (Should I say Kompound?) is a bit like a mini Skatopia… That is if Skatopia had a wife who made sure nobody was going nuts and everything had to be cleaned up at the end of the day, and everyone left the premises so the owners could be in bed by 9:30. Photo by the never understated, sometimes ripping, Steve Grover. Yes, that is 150cc of pure 80’s Japanese hair dryer in the driveway. Eat it, Pete Townshend.

Randy has asked me to post stuff to Skate and Annoy for a while, and I’ve always been a big fan, so I figured it was about time we get started. So, he said why not start off with an introduction. Well, who the Fuck is Jim Gray?

If you care, I’m a guy who was sitting on the deck watching when Tony Hawk and Christian Hosoi win contests and I got 29th and was stoked to get a good seat on the deck to watch the finals. I’m the guy who thought it would be really lame and confusing if skateboarding had 500 pro models instead of 50, and I think it is, maybe you think it’s awesome. I am  the kook who showed up in white plaid shorts and blue shoes to the black clothing only backyard pool party. I’m loved, I’m hated, I’m everything in between, but like you I have an opinion, and for some unknown reason, Randy thought it would be fun to have me rattle mine off now and then here on S&A.

My daddy always told me opinions are like Assholes, everyone has one, some just stink more than others…… So, whether you  love mine or think it stinks, life goes on, deal with it. You always have the right to tell me what I kook I am and talk shit about me, but I ask one thing, if you are gonna talk shit, use your real name like a real man. I hate when toughboy29 talks smack, but if Jack Mehoff wants to say you’re a dick Jim Gray, I say bring it.

I started riding one of these little wooden contraptions when I was around 10, and at 50 I’ve never stopped not even for a little bit so that makes about 40 years or rolling, manufacturing, competing, sponsoring, schmoozing, fighting, taking pictures, fighting to get skateparks built, judging contests, shooting video, etc…… so what you will see from me when I get to it (I do drift off quite often—so don’t wait around), is pictures and stories of things I like, hate, support, want to blow up, think you should see, want to make you  see, etc……

Love me or hate me Randy gave me my own password, so Howdy People, welcome to February 23, 2013.. Jim Gray day at Skate and Annoy… haha…

Yeah, yeah, pool coping is the way to go, but if you have to go with metal coping, Diamond Grind might be worth checking out. It appears to give you a little grab without sticking. I’ve never seen or ridden it in person, but the video makes it seem like it might be a good thing. Plus, you can’t put pool coping on a rail.

The quickest way to get your picture on Skate and Annoy? Wear an S&A shirt like Greg Baller. Of course, frontside double trucking doesn’t hurt either. Photo by Christopher Bright.

Another good installment of 7 Seconds at Svitak’s, this time with Dave Hackett. He’s only three episodes in and already lost an expensive wide angle lens to to Hackett’s mini ramp assault. It was Dave’s 52nd birthday, so Kristian probably cut him some slack. Brought to you by Regulator Distribution and 1031.

To keep the discussion “What is Skate Rock?” alive, we now have some obscure vinyl from Sweden for you. At first I thought someone just put a late 70´s / early 80´s photo of a skateboarder on the front cover to gain a bit more attention.