Kona Skatepark needs work. The owner of the longest running private skatepark is trying to raise money for repairs to the park. The fundraising campaign is incredibly vague on what the 50k is going to be used for, instead pointing to a recent Folio Weekly article that sheds light on Kona’s interesting, sometimes troubled history as it approaches it’s 39th year in operation. For instance, the park declared bankruptcy twice in the first 18 months after opening in 1977. It was in limbo for 6 months before the the current owner’s (Martin Ramos) parents bought it. Economic downturns, wildly unfortunate personal accidents, and some questionable business decisions, all detailed in the article, make public funding for a privately owned skatepark a hard sell. Kona’s place in history and many skateboarders hearts might help it stay alive. Ramos has some interesting ideas to help keep the park afloat, some of which you’ve heard before that haven’t really worked for anyone else…

It’s Wile. E Coyote on a Pepsi promotional drinking glass from 1976. He’s got a sail and an electric fan on his skateboard, but that rascally Road Runner has pulled the electric chord on him mid-canyon. This seems like exactly the sort of thing that would have been in one of these cartoons, but I can’t recall seeing it animated. Maybe that’s because I aways rooted for the Coyote to catch Road Runner.

Reader’s Digest is traditionally found next to the davenports belonging to grandparents across North America, – light reading while you enjoy a highball on the lanai. America. This is Moraga Commons Skate Park photographed by Paul Rickman from Oakland, California. Paul is only 18 years old, what’s he doing reading Reader’s Digest – besides winning photo contests? My mother, a woman of a certain age, sent me these pages out of Reader’s Digest and then quickly became sheepish when I pointed out to her that she had turned into her own mother.

There’s a giant cloud of pompousness eminating from Sebring Revolution, starting with the name of a company whose mission is to “revolutionize the way consumers see, study, purchase, and interact with art, products and media.” Sure… I guess it sounds better than “We make cool stuff.” However, they’ve put together some interesting footage and interactive widgets featuring Rodney Mullen. Be thankful that it looks like NIN video and it didn’t go another route with Dave Grohl and a really earnest interview about how revolutionary Rodney is. Why so bitter, Kilwag, are you jealous of Steven Sebring much? Those who can’t do, teach. Those who can’t teach write snarky blogs. – Via Betsy Binckley Gordon on Facebook, who is probably un-friending me right now.

Seen above, the top three places in the first ever Street League Women’s Pro Division… What’s that? Oh, right. I guess those would more likely be some Monster Girls. I guess they don’t sponsor anyone in the women’s circuit, but hey, Nyjah Huston got 2nd. Photo from Monster’s press release regarding 2015 SLS Nike SB Super Crown World Championship, in Chicago, Illinois.

This is a cartoon by Glenn and Gary McCoy, available from CartoonStock.com. It’s got an ID# (ggm080314) but oddly enough if you search for it it tells you it doesn’t exist. Here come de judge.

Forget about the Olympics, we should start a petition to keep skateboarding out of fashion! All the fashion blogs are gaga about how the skateboards weren’t awkward at all and were very complimentary to the styles. Meanwhile, the skateboarding itself was very awkward, and the poor girl on the right could barely keep her fancy slip from slipping off… These are from the Ashish show for spring/summer 2016 at London Fashion Week. [Source: She Knows]

Check out this clip of Jan and Dean lip-syncing Sidewalk Surfin’ on American Bandstand. August 22, 1964. Dick Clark talks with audience a little bit about skateboarding (a young man’s game?) and half the “band” actually does sidewalk surf on the stage. There’s even a little bit of dorking around during the lip sync session. See what passes for a “trick” in 1964. All in all, a very interesting clip showing skateboarding and skatesploitation in mid-60’s popular culture.

Ernest Packaging has produced a great series of marketing videos called Cardboard Chaos in which they make unusual things out of cardboard, including snowboards, surfboards, and of course, skateboards. Professor Schmitt and Tony Hawk were brought in to help with the skateboard edition. The first try worked pretty well until they got to the frontside disaster. After they worked out the kinks they let Tony have a go at it. His verdict: It’s essentially as good as any other skateboard, but it’s too heavy. They left out some footage that would have made it more interesting, but perhaps diluted their message. I would have liked to get the details on which construction methods worked well and which ones didn’t. Between the initial testing they went from a board that felt light to one whose heavy weight was practically the first thing that Tony commented on. All this proves really, is that with enough fiberglass and epoxy, you can probably make a skateboard out of anything. Beanies off to Ernest Packaging for finding a way to get exposure through Extreme!™ sports in way that doesn’t turn skateboarder’s collective stomaches. Just think, you could make a skateboard out of recycled issues of…

An entity called Artist of Design offers a retro typeface called AZ YoYo which was “inspired from a ’70’s vintage skateboard logo style.” Just in case the name doesn’t give it away, the logo in question is Yoyo wheels from Gordon & Smith. The advert on the left is from a 1978 issue of Skateboarder, as seen in the S&A Vintage Skatemag Advert Gallery. That’s Steve Cathey in the photo. Artist of Design offers another retro font based on the Hobie Surfboards logo. Update: MC pointed out that the original was an old Linotype face called Stilla, which was originally published in 1973. – Thanks to Jer Warren for the tip!