MattyCollector.com reports that Mattel is going to release a hoverboard of sorts… Details are slim. It apparently “glides over most surfaces,” whatever that means. So is it just a slippery board or does it have wheels hidden inside it that aren’t visible from the top Finally! This totally awesome 1:1 replica of the hover board from the BTTF 2 and BTTF 3 films includes multiple whooshing sounds and will glide over most surfaces (does not actually “hover” – check back in 2015 for that feature). We’ll be taking orders for it March 1 – March 20, 2012, and the final product will be shipped around November/December 2012. Because this is such a high-cost item, there will be a minimum number of orders required to go into production. If we don’t receive the minimum orders, won’t go into production and customers will not be charged. The price will be announced later this month. (Note: Hover board does not work on water.) Also, what’s up with the name Matty Collector? It’s Mattel’s weak attempt at branding a web site aimed at adult collectors. Really? That’s what you came up with. Horrible web site on top of that. Poorly organized. Meh… Photo is…

Here’s some pics of a soon to open Team Pain park in Brandon, Florida, on the outskirts of Tampa. Brandon is home to a few names you might have heard of, like Mike Frazier, and Anthony Furlong. None of these guys are in the pictures though. Ha. Despite the typical Florida high water table issue, they managed to get what looks like a really nice bowl (9″9′ Deep, 6″ shallow) in addition to the more street plaza-esque terrain. There’s colored concrete and a public arts grant to add some more color at a later date. The park is on track for a soft opening in March, so these guys must be doing some quality control.

Subscriptions Winners: Jeff (AKA Me! Me! Me!), Talentless Quitter, and Idahosk8gringo. Thanks again to the Skateboarder’s Journal.

Brooklyn Street Skate Spot Benefit on February 18th at Commonwealth, just about a week shy of Commonwealth’s 1 year anniversary. The BSSS benefit is from 7-10, with alleged bands (who?) raffles, food and beer. OK, I’m not going to argue. Flyer and video from Commonwealth’s grand opening after the jump.

This week’s Shot of the Week is a Mike Goetz photo of Tyler Martin skating the DOS bowl. OK. Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Here goes. The DOS bowl is now a members only collective with a limited roster. What? Oh the other elephant. This was a make.

McBride skate plaza won a Tony Hawk Foundation grant. The grand opening is this Saturday, February 11. Pictures via park creators Spohn Ranch.

Like French Maid TV before it, Eye Handy is a flimsy excuse to show scantily clad women pretending to show you how to do some menial task that you already know how to do anyway. Or as it may be in this case, something you possibly don’t want to know how to do, like putting carpeting on your longboard. Expect lingering shots and “accidental” framing of certain areas of interest. – Thanks to Matthijs for the tip.

Amongst skateboarders that have actually been to more than one skatepark, American Ramp Company is easily one of, if not the most hated so-called skatepark companies. They’re basically a playground equipment manufacturer that has done really well for themselves with clueless park districts and municipalities across the country. Well enough that they’ve acquired other companies in order to break into the concrete market. They’ve used questionable financial logic in proselytizing their prefab metal ramp program, largely based on how durable they are and cheap to install. There are examples on the web of ARC projects that ended in disappointment. Someone noticed a pattern, because the law offices of Dermer Behrendt are bringing a law suit against the American Ramp Company on behalf of the United States and a long list of plaintiffs. Why the United States of America? Not because ARC is an offense to all skateboarders and skateboarding was invented in America (Damnit!), but because ARC installed a bunch of junk on some Air Force bases. Mission Accomplished! American pastimes? Lawsuits and Skateboarding. I’m not a fan of frivolous lawsuits, but this one gives me a warm fuzzy. Still, I am worried that this could somehow adversely affect other…