Two bits of reader mail, both from people with the intellect of a 12 year old, only one is actually from a kid and one is an adult. First up, this cartoon from Patrick, whom I think might be Grover’s nephew. The second allegedly comes from the holder of U.S. patent #5161810. For some reason he thinks I design and/or manufacture iceboards. He had this to say: Yo Wats up with you dis-n my iceskateboard! You should first know what the heck you are talking about before you comment negatively on another design. Or at least learn how to read a patent and understand mechanisms (oh thats right I forgot, you only like the pictures). These trucks are not at all like Stoker trucks, and they in no way behave like them either. Of course, I could tell you the differences, but why bother. I made ice blades similar to yours before I made mine, And I can guarantee that your design is lame during turns comparatively. John DeCesare Craftek Design LLC PS. you suk at photoshop What’s he talking about? I compared iceboard technologies and mentioned that his 1992 patent had trucks that were reminiscent of Stroker trucks. I…

Sorry hipsters, your dad was the original hipster and he was killing it back in the day. From the web site Dads: The Original Hipsters. Follow the link to get the scoop. It’s pretty funny, but even better in the context of the whole web site. – Thanks to Greg Baller for the tip.

Above Coping Benefit skate Jam on Friday April 22nd at Ripzu in Vancouver. Official start time is 7pm. Show up and skate, maybe walk away with some schwag, and help out a good cause.

Design Boom has pictures of a sports complex in Podcetrtek, Slovenia. Even if it didn’t have some great looking banks on the outside, it’s worth checking out for it’s non-skateable architecture. Why is so much architecture in the U.S. so boring? – Thanks to Urban Kravos for the tip

Movie prop from Gleaming the Cube was up on eBay. It’s basically a skateboard with a deck made out of solid metal. It sold for $416. Sorry to blow this out for you Neil. Get some more Christian Slater skateboard action here.

I got an envelope from Born Ugly with issue number nine and a Snakebeast comic from contributor James Callahan, courtesy of his collaboration with Carhartt, who has also released some Snakebeast decks, one that looks like it came straight out of Aaron Murray’s quiver. If you love Born Ugly, you won’t be disappointed with issue 9. As for Snakebeast, I gotta say I wasn’t into it at first but I about midway through it I started coming around. By the time it was over I wanted more. It’s short one and only a one off I believe. Maybe it will stoke James to make it a series. Check out the decks after the jump.

Crazy Squirrel de gesjeesde eekhoorn, which translates form Dutch to “The dropout squirrel?” OK. Screen caps after the jump, or get some on your own. – Thanks to Matthijs for the tip.

I thought Maple XO’s IPhone cases were the pinnacle in recycled skateboard chic, but I have to say these glass frames by brothers Baptiste and Gianni Vuerich are the new winners. I’d wear these if I could afford them. No idea how much they cost, but they have to be expensive. I found them while tracing down a tip from Michel Skart Poulin on a coat hanger these guys made. I kept trying to find a web site for these guys, and running across other items they made. The Vuerich’s are some talented mofo’s but they don’t seem to be able to hold down a web site.

You see detective, this type of lichen is native to the Pacific Northwest, and by the flowering buds on the trees in the background are blooming early, which is caused by excessive urethane and concrete fumes found in high concentrations in certain cities. We ran the numbers on recent eBay auctions and cross referenced them with known habitual skateboard toy collectors in the same region, and it all points to…