Balsa Wood Toys sells wooden toys, kits, and clocks. This skateboarder kit is actually made from pine. Turn the hand crank and his knees bend and the board shuffles. It’s a fun item, but I can’t get behind the $30 price and the fact that the skateboarder is riding backwards. It is a kit though, maybe you can build it in a proper stance. – Thanks to Matthijs for the tip.

I could make this stuff up, but apparently I don’t have to. The Associated Press reports that Dennis Rodman arrived in North Korea to promote good will between North Korea and the western world. Kim Jong Un allegedly want’s to start a bromance with Dennis, being a big fan of his during his stint at Chicago. He’s traveling with a VICE magazine crew and filming for their HBO news series. Again, I don’t have to make this stuff up. One of the planned stops on the tour is the new skatepark facility we highlighted back in November. I’m with Kim Jong Un on this one. Rodman kicked ass during his stint with the Bulls. Media nonsense, professional wrestling, formerly hot girlfriends, bad acting and personal problems aside, he was a great player. He’s got 5 championship rings. Suck it Kobe. [Source: NPR] – Thanks to Shawn Fendick for the tip.

I haven’t actually held a copy of teh Neiman Marcus publication known as The Book, but near as I can tell it’s like a fashion magazine masquerading as a very fancy catalog that you can’t actually order anything from. Walter Chin is the photographer, but he’s not Walter Chin, the wedding photographer. Register those domain names early kids. As much as I tend be annoyed by gratuitous skateboards in fashion photography, I actually really like this as a photograph. It transcends the norm for this kind of thing. Chin’s photos are in the March, 2013 edition of The Book. I have no idea how you actually get a copy, but you can view it online here, page 58. – Thanks to our recent fashion correspondent Seth Levy for the tip.

This week’s Shot of the Week is the always understated, always ripping Tim Eberly enjoying a bit of a dork session at the Grover compound, and riding away from it. The Grover compound (Should I say Kompound?) is a bit like a mini Skatopia… That is if Skatopia had a wife who made sure nobody was going nuts and everything had to be cleaned up at the end of the day, and everyone left the premises so the owners could be in bed by 9:30. Photo by the never understated, sometimes ripping, Steve Grover. Yes, that is 150cc of pure 80’s Japanese hair dryer in the driveway. Eat it, Pete Townshend.

  Randy has asked me to post stuff to Skate and Annoy for a while, and I’ve always been a big fan, so I figured it was about time we get started. So, he said why not start off with an introduction. Well, who the Fuck is Jim Gray? If you care, I’m a guy who was sitting on the deck watching when Tony Hawk and Christian Hosoi win contests and I got 29th and was stoked to get a good seat on the deck to watch the finals. I’m the guy who thought it would be really lame and confusing if skateboarding had 500 pro models instead of 50, and I think it is, maybe you think it’s awesome. I am  the kook who showed up in white plaid shorts and blue shoes to the black clothing only backyard pool party. I’m loved, I’m hated, I’m everything in between, but like you I have an opinion, and for some unknown reason, Randy thought it would be fun to have me rattle mine off now and then here on S&A. My daddy always told me opinions are like Assholes, everyone has one, some just stink more than others…… So, whether you  love…

!997? I can’t believe they hauled the Cabbage patch kids out of the mothballs and tried to saddle them with another dormant fad, skateboarding.

Yeah, yeah, pool coping is the way to go, but if you have to go with metal coping, Diamond Grind might be worth checking out. It appears to give you a little grab without sticking. I’ve never seen or ridden it in person, but the video makes it seem like it might be a good thing. Plus, you can’t put pool coping on a rail.

Back in 2003, Bob Burnquist had milk. Holy cow, that was 10 years ago. I think Hawk did one too.

DiSturb PhotoGraphy has a gallery of girls in skateboard graphic body paint, among other things. – Thanks to Eric Cherry for the tip.

From the Burnside Facebook page: Burnside Skatepark Aubre/AJ is approaching businesses in portland, “selling” advertising at the park, but he is keeping the money for his own use. the park does not sell advertising and he is committing fraud. he is ripping off businesses who think they are supporting the park, and making the park look bad in the process. UPDATE: Koin 6 has video.