Brooklyn Street Skate Spot – Benefit / Contest / BBQ / Meeting of the minds…. on Saturday December 15th. Hope the weather holds out. Sponsored by no less than three local PDX skate shops Cal Skate, Shrunken Head, and Rip City. Maybe there will be a wrestling match in the cage at the top of the stairs too. EVENT POSTPONED

Got 15 minutes to kill? You could do worse. Maui babe is a pretty mellow video that has high tides of intensity, some good music, vert, street, ditches, pools and skateparks. What else could you ask for? And it’s from Thrasher.

This bottle of Dylan Rieder/Thunder Trucks wine is part of an auction to benefit skater Billy Moyle who was recently paralyzed from the waste down. Actually, they’re still figuring out how to do it since eBay doesn’t allow alcohol sales. If you’re not into wine the other items range from Jason Adams art prints and Spitfire Wheels ninja stars. Say hello to Fargo.

Good ole William Spencer. I thought he was trying to be a stuntman in Hollywood. Maybe he still is, but he hasn’t been letting his skateboarding skills suffer. Then again, maybe this is a really old video of him skating at the Berrics. I don’t follow mainstream skate media (just mainstream media about skateboarding). I met Steve Berra once a few years ago when he was here in Portland. We talked about the big vert ramp demo that Zeltzer Seltzer and Island Water Sports put on under the shadow of the St Louis Arch circa ’87 or so. He was amiable. Back to Spencer though, that kid is fun as hell to watch, gimmicks included. I suppose he’s a young man now and not a kid though. Bah! You’re all pesky kids to me now. Watching this video though, makes me feel like a kid. Interestingly, it was uploaded by Richie Jackson, another maverick of modern skating. – Thanks to Zane for the tip.

Gang Green out of Boston have been around since 1982, skating, rocking and drinking, splitting up and reuniting again many times. They have a new album in progress that was once announced for the year 2007! Last year saw a little teaser, a 7” single with the songs “I fear” and “The other place”.

Another video about screen printing skateboards. This one not so much about technique, but more about philosophy. Screaming Inc, (I thought they used to be Screaming Squeegees) are undeniably the kings of screenprinted skateboards. If you doubt me, just take a look at anything rolling out of Pocket Pistols. I pull a decent squeegee, but these guys make me feel inadequate to the point I’d consider interning even though I don’t make a living selling skateboards. Skilled artisans I tell you.

Part 3 of the Lifeblood & Blood Wizard Summer Tour. I didn’t know there were two other parts.

The German pressing of this rare 70´s skatesploitation record was already shown on SNA some time ago. I knew that there also was a French pressing on Polydor Records (1997, cat.nr. 2056 743) with a different cover.

I just started reading this short novel last night and I’m enjoying it so far. “So what?” you say? (Damn. How do you punctuate that last sentence?) Skateboarding is central to the story line. This is not the review, but the front matter had be giggling before I even got to the story. Better If You Don’t Come Back is an indie publication from Fat Thumb Publishing.

Rip City Skates is sponsoring a showing of the documentary Highway Gospel in Portland on December 13th at the Living Room Theater. A coward dies a thousand deaths, a brave man dies but once. B.C. renegades race down mountain highways on customized longboards, while a middle-aged skateboarder fights to keep his Ottawa skate park and creaky knees operational. Whether it’s bombing down hills at over 100km per hour, just inches from the ground, or spending 25 years and their life savings to keep competing in the sport they love, these guys are truly devoted — and a little road rash or even open-heart surgery are simply tests for the faithful. What starts out as a gonzo skate movie turns into a surprisingly heartfelt documentary that bears witness to the power of community, dedication and the DIY spirit. With intimate and candid moments that may lead you to think this is a mocumentary, Highway Gospel is a humorous and at times heartbreaking multi-character documentary that strikes an intricate balance between rowdy and insightful while serving as a reminder that heartfelt stories can also be hilarious. Flyer and trailer after the jump.