Man, we are killing it with the lifestyle shots. There’s this thing called the Zumiez Couch Tour that came through town about a week ago. There was a contest for the locals and a pro demo. I contemplated checking it out. I figured I might get a couple good photos of some pros at our humble skatepark. But then it was raining on and off, overcast, and Zumiez, after all, so I blew it off. I actually went and skated that crappy covered pool that everyone thinks is lame. Grover was going to check it out for GVK fodder. I told him there’s no way they’d do it in the rain. He reminded me that the marketing power (and wallets) of Zumiez was behind it, and it would go off rain or shine. I said I could see the autographs happening but not much else. Well I guess the contest and demo did go off. I heard locals were sliding out all over the place. Right, and there were live bands playing too. As a side note, I heard there was some sort of ramp demo put on by Capri Sun last weekend at the Rose Festival.

Yeah it’s a tired Clash reference, but at least I didn’t title it London Calling. Our Czech ex-pat Marek Litinski went back to the fatherland (motherland?) for a week and got stuck in London for an extra week becasue his “papers weren’t in order,” or so he claims to his wife… While he was there he happened on the Quiksilver Bowlriders contest in Cantelowes, a Dreamland park that we posted about earlier. Some of the eurpean skate sites have video from that contest up. Now Marek supposedly finished 4th, but must have done somehting to piss off the locals because every time he comes on camera the cut to a different guy. I begged Marek to bring a camera with him so we could get a little European skate coverage that wasn’t hand me down, and he obliged. When I spoke to him on his return, he said the thing that made the biggest impression on him was the fact that adults were allowed to openly drink beer in the presence of minors without the Aumsville Police U.K. equivalent of the National Guard being called out. Ironically, he was also present when Lodoners had near riot conditions during an all…

The Gabriel Park skatepark is nearly done. It’s not open yet but the Airspeed crew was engaged in some “dry runs” last Sunday when the weather was (finally) nice. In person, the park is much different than it looks in construction photos, or these photos, for that matter. I was a little worried about excessive flat bottom in the middle area, but it’s not a problem. It’s almost as if these guys know what they are doing. Imagine that! This park is unlike anything the Portland area has to offer and will make an excellent addition the local terrain and lore. The concrete is smooth and the lines are varied. I would say that you’d have to be mentally challenged to not have fun here, but that would assume I’ve actually ridden it…

This week’s Shot of the Week is Mark Conahan at the nearly finished Gabriel Park skatepark. When it actually opens for business pleasure is unknown for sure. There’s still a pour or two and a lot of landscaping to go. The crew was on site yesterday and gave Mark Conahan the opportunity to air off the extension. Check out the full size Shot of the Week

So I get a call and some on tells me Gabriel is still not open, yet the footage you are about to witness would lead you to believe the opposite but as you can plainly read Gabriel is closed? “Kooks go home,” is what I was told.

Yeah, we’ve got readers in Sweden, but we’ve also go them in Brazil (Excuse me, Brasil) too. My name is Luciano and I’m one of the people who make skateboarding run here in south of brasil (porto alegre,RS) we maintain a 30 year old skate park named Swell Skate Camp, a skate park located in the very south of Brazil, its cold and it rains a LOT here! Build by skateboardes back in the seventies, in the middle of nowhere, in the heart of a forest, it contains a snake run ended in a gnarly hand made 12ft bowl. Also here a mini ramp, and last week our NEW LOVE has born, a BRAND NEW BOWL due to the help of 25 skateboarders with some cash and an idea. Also theres a mountain board course. Its like a farm, perfect to chill and skate, just 20 miles form the city… Well, we’ll be hosting an old school to event to celebrate with a INAUGURAL session. The OPENING day will be held on May 31st and June 1st.the event is the Vans Old Is Cool 2008. It’s gonna be the first event on our new pool/bowl whatever u call it and…

Well, I guess not. Here are two recent submissions from opposite ends of the earth and age spectrum. The youngster on the left (Jay Holmstrom) hails from Sweden, while the oldster on the right (Wrex Cook) was shot in Arizona by Old Man Army.

Todd Taylor has graciously allowed us to reprint his article from issue #41 of Razorcake Magazine, titled How to fight for a skatepark. The article also appeared in Thrasher Magazine, but they’ve got no monopoly on activism, so the more people that read this the better. There are plenty of other places to get (dry) information on how to get a skatepark in your town, but Todd’s guide reads more like a short story peppered with practical advice and a sense of humor. Even if you’re up to your eyeballs in public skateable terrain, it still makes an entertaining read. Check out How to fight for a skatepark. As always, we recommend Razorcake Magazine for all grown-ups who enjoy Punk Rock and it’s trappings. And yes, this excludes Enemy Combatant, we know how you feel.

Colin called me last night to go hit the newly remodeled D.O.S. in Portland but I declined. It’s allergy and dog bites season, and I was under the weather. I prefer to skate concrete over wood, but the nice thing about wood at an indoor skatepark is that after a year or so you can tear it out and put in something new. Speaking of remodeling, the Department has been using a new logo for a while (OK it might be older than I realize…) that is kind of cool. It reminds me of something you might have seen in the late 60’s. Check it out on this flyer for a now passed skate camp. – thanks to Colin and Heath for the tip.

Team Pain is cranking on the Ed Austin Skatepark in Jacksonville, Florida. There’s an article in the Florida Times-Union that talks about the situation a little. It looks like they might be getting another street plaza in Arlington as well? (“When the new site is completed it will be about 6 miles away from Ed Austin Skate Park.”) Maybe it’s a typo in the article, and “Skate Park” should read “State Park.” I’m no local… but Martin Ramos, the owner of nearby Kona displayed some astonishing character when asked about competition from a nearby and assumedly free skatepark: “What is good for skateboarding is good for Kona.”