Category Archive: Media Watch
Skateboarders not skateboarding on TV
First up, Mark Gonzales in a Nissan commercial. Funny thing is, when I saw this commercial the very first time I kept expecting a skateboard, but it never materialized. Something about the commercial exuded a skateboarding vibe, or a similar sense of fun. I didn’t recognize the Gonz the first time because he was completely out of context, and quite frankly I didn’t pay attention to it after the first viewing. That thirty second commercial skip button is great. Watch the spot after the jump. – Thanks to Seth Berg for the tip. Next up, not one, but two Stacy Peralta items. Did you know he was the one who made the Burger King commercial titled “Whopper Virgins?” Well, neither did I, but Fuel TV did. They implied that the skateboarding community might have something to say about it, Im not sure why though, because he was a filmmaker hired to do a job, not a guy appearing as a skateboarder in a commercial for say… a video game.
Even more Xtreme-mas
Digital print on demand services don’t really count as mass produced items, but there are a bunch of skateboard Christmas ornaments available at Cafe Press that like most of the fare found there, ranges from well done illustrations (in rare cases) to what is essentially clip art, with a catch phrase if you are lucky! There should be some sort of fine for any meathead who uploads clip art to Cafe Press. I’m going to strike it rich honey! They’re just giving away these drawings! I know, add a “No Fear” to it! As Dr Brad is fond of saying lately, just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should. Even the nice illustrations look cheesy on the mockups. maybe they are better looking in real life. – Thanks to… (Drumroll please) Daddy Yo for the tip! Part two coming later.
Jeff Greenwood interview
Jeff Greenwood is the guy who started Concrete Disciples as a print zine from the Northwest, no less, and brought it online way back in 1997. Concrete Disciples is one of the biggest independent forums in the online skateboarding world. Sure, the big forums have a rep as a haven for bunch of whiny babies and armchair skateboarders, but as long time SnA readers can recently attest, you can’t control who decides to visit your site. I met Jeff a few years back and he was a very down to earth guy. He was enjoying the hell out of some Oregon skateparks at the time. I think it’s been a while since he’s been out here. Running one of these sites can be a thankless job. Jeff had some serious health issues for a while, and he’s got some partners now, but he’s always been the driving force behind Concrete Disciples. Blah blah blah. Go read the interview over at Europe Skate. – Thanks to Rene Morales for the tip.
Tony Hawk – Guitar and Skateboarding Hero
Tony Hawk makes an appearance in this commercial for Guitar Hero World Tour. It has been suggested that this should be embarrassing for him, let’s see if we can dissect that theory. It could be embarrassing because Rock Band is obviously the better fake musical instrument game. Or maybe because Tony is the only sports celebrity in the commercial who has to drag along the trappings of the sport that made him famous. You don’t see Kobe with a basketball, Michael Phelps in speedo, or that other dude with whatever makes him famous, but for some reason Tony appears on a skateboard and in helmet, no less. It could be embarrassing because of the homoerotic implementations of four dudes dancing around together in their underwear. I’m sure he’s embarassed all the way to the bank though… Watch the commercial after the jump. – Thanks to… crud, can’t find the email, but thanks.
Friday T&A on S&A: Zoo York and Macy’s
We mentioned this limited edition Jenna Jameson board by Zoo York before, but the board wasn’t actually out yet. It appears to have been released, which is a good excuse to mention that I walked into a Portland area Macy’s a week ago and was surprised to see a large portion of the floor had been allocated to a big display of Zoo York clothing which I found odd, but then didn’t considering it’s much more acceptable in hip hop culture to infiltrate higher end retail shops, as opposed to Shaun White having his own line in Target. While I appreciated the original Zoo York movement detailed in the Deathbowl to Downtown documentary, those roots seem far removed from the current incarnation, as if related in name and location only. In any case, everyone should print out copy of the deck and run down to the nearest Macy’s and ask them when they are going to get the Jenna Jameson board. [Photo: Sakteboard – miniroom549 on Flickr]
Grinding for Air in the Funbox
Well, I just don’t know what more one could possibly say about that headline. Ha! They even botched the second headline (term anyone?) “MEANING A PUBLIC SKA8BOARD PARK IS FINALLY COMING TO MIAMI.” I hope somebody has a hard copy of this. The Biscayne Times has an article on a public skatepark for Miami that is in the conception stages. Familiar name Tito from Team Pain has the dubious honor of being quoted. I hope the suits in Miami making the decisions are little more in touch than the guy who wrote this article. So there you have it.
Baltimore Bad Lieutenant to get the business
Officer Salvatore Rivieri, one of Baltimore’s finest, is in the news again. The results of Baltimore’s internal investigation have yet to be released. The family of the scrawny teenage skateboarder he abused sued Officer Salvatore Rivieri for assault, battery and violation of rights. There was a legal question about the statute of limitations, a paltry 180 days. The family sued after 10 months, but a judge ruled that statute didn’t apply to minors for some reason, and now the $6 million suit can proceed. I’m all for sticking it to this guy, especially since he has a history of being a dick, but $6 million is an absurd amount. Flame on! – Thanks to Stephanie Murdoch and Derek Krasauskas for the tip. [Source: Baltimore Sun]
Stepbrothers credits
Joesf sent in this screencap from the credits of the movie Stepbrothers. There’s not much to say here, except I’ve got a busy day and this is about all you are getting. See it larger after the jump, if you must. Nice plastic trucks. I wonder if they had to have someone’s assistant break this thing in on the parking lot to make it look worn.
Life imitates art imitating life
Ah, Bart Simpson you old scamp. Skateboarders have a love hate relationship with him. At first it was just great to have you on our side, but like with so many skaters that keep with it over the years, he eventually ended up being branded as a kook, even though to my recollection he only wore a helmet in one episode. Nowadays we, as a skating population are more apt to give him grief for his poor style. However, a new era may have dawned on Bart’s skateboarding hijinks, thanks to the Skatebook. And thanks to Hulu, I don’t have to take the time to digitize it and eventually get kicked off YouTube again. You can watch the whole episode, but they also let you chose your own start and and end points, so you can embed just the segment you want to highlight. Genius.
Tony Hawk HuckJam Gummie Vitamins
You’d be amazed what some companies will send you if you just ask them. For example, the recently released Tony Hawk Gummies, a teen multiple vitamin and mineral supplement. Whether he’s busy shredding the halfpipe, working on his latest video game, touring the country with his Boom Boom HuckJam or making one of his numerous television appearances, skateboarding legend Tony Hawk is first and foremost an athlete. And athletes know the importance of good nutrition. However, most of Tony’s fans are boys ages 8 to 16 – not the most nutritionally conscious group around. So, Tony has joined forces with NBTY, Inc., a leading manufacturer of nutritional supplements and children’s vitamins, and created the Tony Hawk HuckJam brand of vitamins. These chewy “gummy” vitamins, shaped like miniature skateboard decks, skateboard wheels and Tony’s signature hawk skull, provide a good source of 11 vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin C, which bolsters the immune system*, and Vitamin B-12, a major factor in energy metabolism*.











Recent Comments