LaSalle Park, currently under construction by Evergreen Skateparks. I want one of those things in my town.

Hey kids, the weekend’s almost here, so I want all you S&A readers to stay safe. We all know that wiping out is no fun, so you have to be prepared just in case. To that end, please watch this Aetna Insurance TV commercial on safety that dates back to 1978. A good helmet and a snazzy set of gloves and pads never goes out of style. Video courtesy of the miraculously-still-allowed-on-youtube Scott Starr. Remember, there’s a key to staying safe and having fun: Never ride in the street, and always whistle a catchy tune.

One more in our series of indoor commercial architecture waiting to be barged. This one from Addicted to Retail shows the Ayres store by Dieguez Fridman in Buenos Aires. Free t-shirt skateboard (deck) to the first photo (or video) of this place being skated. That’s legal in Argentina, right? No Photoshopping please. My apologies if you sent me this tip, It’s lost in my email.

Skaters in London are fighting to save the legendary and historical spot known as Southbank. The Southbank Centre wants to build retail shops to help fund some other renovations and redevelopment. The plan calls for building a nearby skate spot that would actually be 10% larger than the existing floor plan, but the community of skateboarders aren’t having it. Ironically, Southbank Centre management and supporters of the new development are accusing the skateboard community of bullying the public image of Southbank Centre through manipulation of the press and PR. There are some great quotes an article in Metro.

– Photo credits, the senior Mrs Kilwag. Yes, my mom is in London. She even signed the petition.

Man, I just hate those popsicle stick shaped boards, they’ve got no shape and no style. Mumble, grumble. Nothing you can do will make your popsicle skateboard worth remembering. Unless…

This is an old photo from an Element Eden art board show in Toronto called Smile on Your Brother. Amber B’s “Neo Popsicle” is a triple entendre – popsicles, popsicle stick shaped skateboards, and Neapolitan ice cream. I’m smiling even though I’d much prefer the traditional bomb pop. 2009???? Can you tell that I’m clicking “publish” on some old drafts?

[Source: Swellblog]

Everyone in the Phillipines, at least. It’s the Mountain Dew skate bomb.

So yeah, the auction says “vintage 80’s” but then it also says “Vision Brigade skateboard santa cruz deck” so obviously, the truth is not super important to the seller. It’s… mildly amusing. – Thanks to Tim Romans for the tip.

Irene Neuwirth has a skateboard covered in $60,000 worth of rocks up for auction to benefit the Laxart gallery. While I was shocked to learn that she is “admittedly no Tony Hawk,” I was even more shocked to see what amounts to a very expensive and amateurish crafts project passed off as art by a well known jewelry designer. Actually, I know nothing about her, but I’d have to assume she is successful to be able to pony up that much cash for… trash. Natas Kaupas is going to have a piece in there too. Seems like I’ve heard of him sompeplace before. Fashion strikes again!

[Source: Style.com] via Betsy Gordon.

I found Stoic skate zine on in the portfolio of Illustrator Alex Gorodskoy while looking for something that was probably screen printing related. It’s a killer looking zine with nary a traditional photograph in it, instead they have been replaced by drawings of photos, or constructions. You can see the whole issue on.. Issu. Every other time I’ve been to Issu lately, their server seems to be overloaded. So you might have to check back if it won’t load immediately.

I met a guy lurking outside of the Street League contest in Portland. He said he could show me something I hadn’t seen before. I told him “Not, here. Not now, especially with my kids present.” No, no… I took a glance and said “I don’t know man, I’ve seen hubcaps on skateboards before.” But then I took a closer look, and he explained that these were bearing covers. If you look closely, you can see that these are indeed unlike any other bearing cover that you’ve seen. I’m still unclear as to whether Sk8rNutz are a complete assembly that include the bearings, but they are definitely more useful than Sk8nutz. Sk8rNutz vs. Sk8Nutz, a subtle distinction in product names, but not in product. If you are going to spend a hundred dollars or more on ceramic bearings, these look like they might do a good job of protecting your investment.