Emerica had a tour this summer where they travelled the whole thing on Harley-Davidson motorcycles for no other discernible reason than it was a chance for extra publicity. Well that, and I’m sure it was, you know, fun. Harley-Davidson stepped up to milk it for themselves by hosting the video and pictures, all the while being careful to note that “Harley-Davidson is not affiliated with these photos or the development of this video and is not responsible for the content or views expressed in it.” What a bunch of rebels!

ABC News has a crush on Vans Shoes. They have a two page spread on the 40th anniversary of Vans Shoes titled Skateboard Style Hits Middle Age. It’s a fluff piece obviously, but it’s got a brief history of the shoe and a gallery of some old ads that are worth checking out for comedy nostalgia, plus they have a Jeff Spicoli reference in the first paragraph. I’ve pulled out the highlights after the jump.

Originally this was to be titled Which one is the idiot?: The girl bombing mountain hills at night, dressed in black, or the person believing angels kept that girl safe? Last night I was driving on the winding mountain road by my house and a girl/young woman came sailing down the middle of the road – dressed all in dark colors – on a skateboard. She had no lights or reflectors. I could so easily have hit her. It was only by her angels watching over her that I didn’t. I thought, what an idiot. Please, please. Let’s not get into a religion debate here. Instead let’s band together to to make fun of Tara Taylor Quinn because she writes Harlequin Romances and had the poor fortune to write about skateboarding on a blog titled Story Broads (get it?).

This is not about whether or not you should wear a helmet. Even skateboarders who wear helmets are not under the illusion that they look cool. In an article titled A Bike Helmet With Skateboard Cool, the New York Times mentions that skateboard helmets exude a certain renegade cool and have panache. Aside from these attributes being at odds with each other, skateboard helmets just aren’t that cool. The article talks about Bell’s quest to design a cool helmet for mountain bikers who didn’t want to look like Lance Armstrong (which wouldn’t be that bad if you factor in Sheryl Crow). Highlights and the improbable conclusion after the jump.

Anybody that knows me knows that I’m a total wrestling mark. Actually, I’m a smart mark, so that makes me a smark. Anyway, you’re probably reading this wondering why is he writing about wrestling on a skateboard site? Well why not? I started this zine with Randy 20 years ago, and what made S&A unique was that we wrote about whatever we wanted, not worrying about what was “cool” in the skateboard world. Anyway, back to wrestling. Here’s a list of wrestlers from the last 20 years who are dead now. It’s actually pretty amazing that a “fake” sport has so many dead stars, most of whom were younger than me. Owen Hart (the Blue Blazer), Chris Candido, Eddie Guerrero, Davie Boy Smith (the British Bulldog), Crash Holly, John “Earthquake” Tenta, Miss Elizabeth, Curt “Mr Perfect” Hennig, David Von Erich, Kerry Von Erich (the texas tornado), Michael von Erich, Chris Von Erich, Terry “Bam Bam” Gordy, Chris Adams, “Flyin” Brian Pillman, Joey Maggs, Hercules Hernandez, Big Boss Man, Classy Freddy Blassie, Road Warrior Hawk, “Ravishing” Rick Rude, Andre the Giant, Big John Studd, Yokozuna, Gorilla Monsoon, Junkyard Dog, Dino Bravo. All dead. Pretty sad.

I am not making this up. A new study by the nonprofit Rand Corporation finds that girls who live near parks with active facilities like jogging paths, basketball courts, and playgrounds are more likely to be physically active. (Duh!) Sounds good right? Except, Skateboard areas and special-use parks were negatively associated with physical activity in adolescent girls.

This started out as a quick post about this guy who has been floating around the news wires as the Sole Man. He entered a Red Bull soap box derby dressed as a classic Vans checkered slip-on on top of a homemade oversized skateboard. But like all things concerned with the Interwebâ„¢, it’s not always that easy. There’s the obvious comparison to Tod Swank and Foundation’s super-sized Ripley’s Believe It or Not appearance, and at least two others. Pictures and videos after the jump.

Siriusly (har har) I can’t tell if this is a commercial for Jeep or Sirius Satellite Radio. The gist of it is if you buy some kind of Jeep they throw in the Sirius service for free. It’s a mildly amusing commercial. If anyone still needs it, it’s proof that skateboarding has been assimilated into popular culture. Watch the video and see it dissected after the jump.

Apparently there is an activity that adults enjoy but most people think of as a toy, fad, or a phase to grow out of. Sound familiar? Although they both spin and have axles, I’m talking about yo-yos, not skateboards. Who knew there was a crossover? (Wait, isn’t that a yo-yo trick too?) Yo-Yo Nation is offering these limited edition skateboard and t-shirt combos featuring artwork “..based around a trick invented or pushed to the next level by the artist himself.” More pics and an amazing Hail Mary Gratuitous Tony Hawk Appearance after the jump.

Continuing the theme of commercializing existing practices, Didi over at Modern Convenience makes a lot of objects, mostly upholstered, that appeal to the whimsical side of people who have too much money. Two items of interest to us are the Inside Skate and the Indoor Longboard. Didi’s are prettier, but Egbert’s version is guaranteed to be cheaper. And speaking of people who have too much money, that’s Bam in in the picture above. More pics, including a Gratuitous Tony Hawk appearance after the jump.