Old Steve Grover (Remember GVK?) texted me from Puerto Rico to let me know the 70’s channel was playing a video of the Osmonds on skateboards while singing “Do You Know The Way To San Jose?” Tracking down the video was a piece of cake, but because of the lazy nature of the internet, there is no backstory for those with skateboarding ephemera OCD. If legendary and sorely missed Scott Starr was still alive I would have doubtless been able get the answer with a quick email. After some digging around (way too much) I found a reference in the 2006 book Television Variety Shows by David M. Inman. Based purely on the visuals and the fact that it was in color I would have guessed early 70’s, but it turns out it originally aired on the 1968 season 2 premier of the Jerry Lewis Show.

Pep #331 (November 1977) features a one page story with Archie skateboarding titled “Tide Ride,” as well as a Youth Opportunity Sales Club ad in which you can earn a skateboard by selling 16 boxes of greeting cards.

It’s hard to believe that the parties involved in making the infamous Stroker trucks went on to build Independent, a brand that by any metric inspired loyalty above and beyond anything else in the skateboard industry. Check out some painful over-engineering after the jump.

Lucy is so mean to Snoopy, and everyone else for that matter. Peanuts Wiki says this first appeared on March 26th 1979., otherwise I would have pegged this as being mid to late 80’s. Full frame after the jump.

The 60’s, when a “Skateboard kit” need only contain a set of trucks and wheels because the quality of the wood you rode on really wasn’t a factor in performance or fun. You had to assemble the trucks yourself, but they did throw in a skate wrench. Funny that they mentions the trucks twice (Two steel plates with hangers!) but neglect to mention the wheels. – Thanks to Mark Bader for the pics.

I saw a post online from David Whitney looking to sell an 80’s era “Wizard Pro Model” from Action Sports which appears to be a graphic that they barely modified from their 1986 Brian Martin pro model, as seen in our Vintage Skatemag Ads gallery. Barely modified? It looks like they cut out Brian’s name on the black plate and hastily replaced it with the word “Wizard.” You can see where the “Martin” has been knocked out of the blue plate. Brian Martin himself chimed in on the original post in the gallery, and we’d ask him for the rest of the story, but sadly he passed away some time circa 2021. Sure, you can read your Disposable volumes and all to get the low down on your Powells and Sant Cruz variations, but Skate and Annoy is here for your c-grade company minutia!

Pacific Northwest legend Pat Quirk, known simply as Q passed away. (no details) You may know him from his appearances in Fruit of the Vine and other videos. He was gung-ho, that’s for sure, the hot sauce at any session he was part of, even if he wasn’t riding.

On the right, you’re looking at a personal Christmas card that Mark Sellman illustrated in the style of the famous John Lucero jester model seen on the left. Skateboard photos via the Madrid Facebook account. Greeting card art courtesy of Mark Sellman

Surfer Today has an in-depth interview with Gregg Carroll, one of the co-stars of the seminal Oscar nominated skate film Skaterdater, that was released in that golden year of skateboarding, 1965. It’s definitely must-read material if you have any interest in the real roots of skateboarding, and full of fascinating insights into the pro scene at this pioneering time. The forward is written by the former publisher of Concrete Wave magazine, Michael Brooke. The publication date is May of 2022, which was surprising to me, I had assumed this would have been an older article. Gregg is still skating (he was only 12 at the time the movie was made.) Well done on saving this bit of skateboarding history. The fun version of the movie is somehow still available on Youtube.