This still makes it look like it’s all going to go horribly wrong, but it doesn’t. My first thought was that this was fake, but then I got distracted by the title of the vid. Who is this Manuel? [Source: Hellaclips] – Thanks to Estes for the tip.

Billy Meiners quickly recaps the Mt Tabor Downhill challenge after the jump. Photos by Dabe Alan.

In this installment of drive by camera phone shots, what looks like the beginnings of a miniramp being constructed in a driveway. Turns out it was for a Nike photo shoot on nearby Sauvie Island. Not a miniramp, but some sort of run up to quarter pipe with a gap. As it was a few blocks from my house and in the front yard on busy street, I had to pull over and ask what was up. The guy building seemed a little weirded out by my enthusiasm. Sure is a lot going on skateboarding wise here in and around Portland. I was just thinking about that while reading Neil’s ebay watch. Two things that came to mind when he mentioned a Mark Partain – He lives in Hood River, and Julien Stranger – He was at MC’s bowl on Saturday. Now that I think about it, Chad Vogt has a model on Portland’s M&M Skateboards too.

Santa Cruz has to be the king of novelty products, with all the giant foot-shaped boards, screaming hand oven mitts and the like. Now they’re adding some mostly brilliant executions of Simpsons themed skateboards. Bart’s board is great, the Roskop parody and Duff liquor store cruisers are pretty good too, but the Homer Simpson board is weak. To offset that they’ve included a Duff static wrap can cover, which they ought to sell singularly. Overall, though, an awesome idea, if only they had thought of it 15 years ago. Bart Simpson has to be the most popular cartoon character to be featured with a skateboard in it’s original context as well as with merchandising. It’s about time he got a real board.

In case you forgot like I did.

It may not be environmentally friendly, but it sure looks fun. Thanks to Brian Baade’s nameless friend Brian Forwood for the photo.

It’s summertime, summertime. I’m gonna head to the beach and do some beachy things. I spotted this on an ice cream truck while plying my kids with cold sugar on a stick after one of those music in the park deals. Actually the band was pretty interesting. An all female sax quartet called the Quadraphones. More jazz and less funk than I’d like but still solid. The frozen confectionary comes in a cup, but unfortunately the packaging doesn’t have the skateboarding character. The gal in the truck wouldn’t let me buy the window sticker either. Now who gets the noprize?