Streetsurfing has been a huge success in American schools and now pupils in Dorset are among the first in the UK to try it out as part of their PE lessons. You’re kidding right? A huge success? Hey, I’ve got a Monorail I want to sell you, but maybe that’s more of a Shelbyville idea… More schools that teach skateboarding in PE, as well as this one in the UK that teaches kookboarding.

Musique Concrete: Transforming Space, Sound, and the City Through Skateboarding. Hmm. Sounds better than my original post title – Techno Skate Nerd. I’m getting bombarded with emails about Musique Concrete. It’s almost as if some people make a point of reading this site! The emails range from the positive to nominations for Annoying Kid of the Month. Quotes like “My wheels make the sound of a harp!” should be more than enough to get the motion seconded. Here’s the deal: Simon Morris has outfitted a skateboard with sensors that measure the tilting trucks and spinning wheels. Computers automagically turn that information into light and sound. This must be the worlds first midi skateboard. Tip of the hat to Joesf for being the original tipster.

Seven is an art exhibition of laser etched skateboards. Refill Magazine is the show’s sponsor. Their press states it’s a new technology but the Laser etching process predates pospsicle shaped skateboards. Right now the web site is mostly coming soon and only has a handful of examples. Since you have to sit through an animation and they don’t stand still for long, we’ve pulled a few off in static form after the jump. Legendary skateboard artist Jim Phillips is the only industry affiliated person on the contributors list so far. [Source: Freshness]

Remember that Sony patent we reported on for a vehicle steerable by movement of center of gravity? Well, Sony may have an artist’s conception of a stick figure snowman riding one, but some college kids at UBC (where?) have video footage of pretty much the same device that they made and actually rode back in February of 2005. Patent law in the U.S. is one big mess. I’m sure these kids will get screwed. No matter, it’s not like the devices are going to become popular. Catch the video after the jump.

For more photos of the Sit-N-Skate, head on over to Skateboarding Sucks. It looks like Destructo is the truck of choice for homebrew kooky skateboard manufacturers. I’m drawing a blank on why you would need a skateboard truck (or any wheels for matter) on this sitting device for roller skates. Maybe I just lack vision. To dream, the impossible dream.

More overpriced skateboard based furniture, but don’t take our word for it: Skede-tuoli on saatavana nahkapäällysteisenä tai pelkistetyn teräksisenä. Tuolissa käytetään harjattua, ruostumatonta terästä. Se on saatavana yksivärisenä beigenä ja mustana. Tikkauksissa vaihtoehtoina ovat beige-beige, musta-musta, musta-beige ja musta-pink. Uh, yeah. Available from Tunto Designs for 800 – 1050 € which is about in the $1000-$1400 range according to GoCurrency. If that’s not already too expensive for you Mr Warbucks, don’t forget you’ve got to pay for shipping from Finland. You can get it in plain steel, leather upholstered or without the skateboard even. Although, if you are going to go to Finland to get a chair, you might as well get the deck from the Finnish company Control as well. Looks a little forced and not-so-elegant to me. A couple more pics after the jump. [Source: PadStyle ]

Australian man named Grant Hicks is challenging Tod Swank’s world’s largest skateboard record. Sure, there have been other contenders, and it’s not official yet, but Hick’s board is supposed to be 9 feet longer, and he’s documented the hell out of it with five of his own videos as well as an appearance on an Australian TV news program. If you’re only going to watch one of them, the TV one is your best bet. You’ll do a double-take when you hear how the anchorwoman’s thick Australian accent makes the word “deck” sound like a part of the male anatomy, leading to lots of juvenile fun with sentences like: “The father of three hopes the giant deck will help raise money for his local (unintelligible) saving club.” and “Seven month’s of hard work and Grant’s monster deck is around 9 feet longer than the current world record holders.” Wow! Dirk Diggler is rolling over in his grave. Catch all six videos after the jump.

Coming in Spring of 2007 and promising an “instant change in skateboarding” the Port-a-Board skateboard not only breaks the deck down into three pieces, but the trucks are also on some sort of binding system that allows them to pop off for easy storage and transport. With a name like “Port-A-Board” you leave yourself open to the inevitable potty joke. I know I couldn’t resist, or maybe I’m just lazy. Portable skateboards are nothing new, but this one might have more of a chance than the Stowboard. At least the basic mechanics operate like a regular skateboard, rendering null and voiding any arguement against bringing a skateboard to school. Performance-wise, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle if this thing can actually stand up to some serious action, although that shouldn’t be a problem for most kids who usually just stand around at a skate park. Watch the video complete with dramatic soundtrack and more after the jump UPDATE: Fixed the link to the Port-a-board web site. Sorry.

You heard right. Want to revolutionize the skateboard industry? Then start bidding on the patent rights for this Easily Steered Skateboard, which near as I can tell, aside from already being in production elsewhere, is essentially a shopping cart wheel, or a rotating caster. Fug. This was supposed to be a quick and dirty post, but instead it turned into a dissertation on the variety of caster wheel type truck systems. There are more than you’d think. Catch patent details and the most shopping cart action with skateboards seen since CKY.

Thankfully, there are nerds out there who troll patent news sites, freeing such nerds as myself to troll the sites that summarize them. Sony has patented a Segway without a handle, resulting in a motorized skateboard comparison. I don’t know about you, but the few times I’ve driven by someone on a Segway, I’ve had to try hard to suppress a giggle. Personally, I can’t wait to see people falling off these things as soon as possible. Links and more after the jump.