The two works are Unknown Pleasures and Closer. And that’s it. Everything else, is merchandising. Merchandising of memory. Chances are, if you see anything with the name Joy Division on it that isn’t music, a book or a movie, it’s a bootleg. The quote above is from the 2007 documentary Joy Division which you can (and should) watch for free on Hulu, at least for now. The quote appears in the last few minutes of the film and the speaker is off camera so I’m not sure who it is. The image of a Joy Division inspired skateboard is superimposed over a famous band photo for a few brief seconds during the quote, which I thought was an unusual choice. It could have been used as commentary on Joy Division’s cultural appeal spanning the decades from the 70’s to the new millennium, implying the music is still modern. They might have chosen a skateboard because it looked more interesting than a bootleg t-shirt. Then again, maybe the skateboard in question was designed by an astronomy fan. REVISION: The Hacienda sells licensed Joy Division coffee cups. Err… right.

Concord Foods Banana Pops kit featuring a monkey on a skateboard, and why not? It’s got cocoa in the ingredients, but it’s still only “chocolate flavored” for some reason. Well, what do you expect for $1.28?

Bob Burnquist and crew (including Jeff King) built a classy looking floating miniramp as part of a PR campaign to (Warren) bolster California tourism. Visit California, where all your dreams can come true. This commercial speaks directly to 1984 Kilwag. I remember my first time in California, actually visiting some of the places I’d read about and seen in Thrasher like venice Beach, the Nude Bowl, and random grade schools with banks. It was like making a pilgrimage to Mecca. Dream Big was filmed in 2013, but I didn’t see it until recently. It looks super fun, kind of small, almost anticlimactic in the context. Maybe their budget didn’t allow them to dream bigger. Still, it’s great that things like this are being built. Don’t forget to visit California.

Tony Hawk has some inside association with talks to bring skateboarding to the 2020 summer Olympics. He thinks’s it’s going to happen. Meanwhile, poor Larry… It’s painful to watch Larry King try to be funny and hip with Tony Hawk on his show “Larry King Now” on Ora.tv. It looks like his new “network” is online only. You can watch the olympics specific bit as an outtake on Youtube. The entire 28 minute interview is online via Hulu, which means it could disappear at any minute. And speaking of Tony Hawk, I just saw part of a schlocky Billy Crystal movie that featured Tony Hawk wiping out in the middle of a vert run because a small child was peeing off the deck onto the transition during an X-Games practice. I am not making this up! It’s called Parental Guidance.

Instructions on how to build a pretty weak interpretation of a skateboard, as seen in Lego Club Jr magazine, March/April 2014 edition.

I can’t believe the amount of people who still think the Huvrtech hoverboard is real, despite the obvious clues. I’m still getting emails asking about it! It’s fake people, what more evidence do you need? If you absolutely need to buy a hoverboard, head on over to GoldenArmoor.com, where they sell kits to make your own replica of the Mattel version, as well as every other one used by Griff’s hoverboard gang, including the Pit Bull, Rising Sun, No Tech, and Odd Man Out. Notice how the parts look identical to the ones found on the HuvrTech model? Click through to look at more pics and video, including Mattel’s collectable overboard release.

HuvrTech is some sort of viral marketing campaign in it’s early stages that has yet to reveal it’s true purpose. From the subject matter and Tony Hawk’s involvement, you could make an educated guess that it might have something to do with the Tony Hawk Foundation. Then again, it might be just for laughs. The gist of it is that hover boards are finally a reality. The web site mimics the feel of a tech startup, and shows a fake iPhone app as well as multiple product color choices. They somehow managed to wrangle Chrisopher Lloyd into appearing. He drives up in a Delorean and his byline says he’s from Back to the Future 2. I’m not sure if that was supposed to be intentionally funny or not. Other celebrity appearances include Moby, former NFL player Terrell Owens, and a befuddled looking Billy Zane. The production value is pretty cheap, and they don’t quite pull it off. Everyone floats a couple feet off the ground instead of at normal truck height, and there’s a lot of swaying around. The stunt rider’s foot doesn’t quite touch the ground on the one shot that shows any pushing. The main “production model” is…

I’ve seen skateboards with logos for all kinds of drinks, including Pepsi, Coke, Mountain Dew and Sobe , but this is the first time I’ve seen an RC Cola skateboard. This particular one made by Super Surfer. They actually molded “Me and My RC” onto the top deck. The Super Surfer imprints on the bottom and trucks are cool as well. I can’t tell if those are plastic trucks or not. The baseplate is metal, but the trucks look like they might be plastic, although I don’t remember plastic trucks showing up until the 90’s. (UPDATE: They are indeed metal trucks.) Maybe this artifact isn’t as old as the seller claims. But then again when was the last time anyone heard the slogan “Me and My RC,” or Royal Crown Cola, come to think of it. UPDATE: Thanks to Daymond Dodge for pictures of his own RC Cola board and KC for the RC Cola TV commercial.

Says Pete the cat, on his skateboard built for two. (Dang it, I posted this last year too.)

At the 1:37 mark in this CNN video covering a sniper attack on a power relay station, there’s a shot of a reporter with an awkwardly placed skateboard on his desk featuring a CNN Silicon Valley graphic. Looks like a plant to me, but now the documentation has been documented.