Sorry for the late notice. Skate Like a Girl (Portland Chapter) has organized a FREE skate today at Ripzu that’s also a fundraiser. It’s girls only until 1pm, but from 1-5pm it’s all skate. (What time is the couples skate?) October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and we are going to fund raise skater style. Join us for a day of skating, demo’s, swagg raffles, and awareness for young people. Ripzu owes its creation to a young survivor and it’s logo to another young survivor. Help us raise funds to give back in the support of your loved ones. Check out Ripzu Skatepark on facebook for more updates, or check them out at www.ripzu.com. The Skate Like A Girl Portland girls only session comes before Ripzu’s “Boarders 4 Boobies” event from 11-1pm. It is open to girls of all ages and abilities. We will have volunteer coaches on hand to help teach you the basics and more. If you need gear, we have it! We have a supply of boards, helmets and pads for use during the session. All proceeds from the Skate Like A Girl session will be donated to the Breast Friends (www.breastfriends.com). Then after the session stick…

Listen up spuds. This is your chance to win one of two Weirdo skateboards. All you have to do is leave a weird story about skateboarding in the comments. That’s pretty vague, right? So go for it. Tell us a weird, preferably true story about skateboarding. This contest ends the day after Halloween. At that point we’ll put it up to a vote. The story with the most votes wins a Weirdo skateboard of his or her choice. The second one will be “editor’s choice.” Thanks again to site sponsor Weirdo Skateboards. You know I always hate when there’s a web site contest that makes you actually work for your entry like this one. At least you get to pick your own board if you win. Shipped direct form Weirdo, so it will get there in a reasonable amount of time. Let the games begin! UPDATE: Comments closed while we figure out how to set the voting up.

Not exactly hot off the presses, but I’ve got a day job, a couple of kids, a skateboard company, a yard that needs mowing and a house that is falling apart. When I first saw these Element branded portable skate obstacles (AKA Drop Spots) my first reaction was “I wonder how Freshpark feels about this?” Well it turns out they probably feel pretty good since they are the ones manufacturing it. I’ve never actually set foot on a Freshpark ramp, they seem like they are built for a lighter (Err. uhm, younger?) audience than me. These Element branded obstacles seem to be sturdier in appearance. Maybe it’s the fact that some of the obstacles have been raised one order of magnitude (Like the rainbow rail and the pole jam) or maybe it’s just the red paint. Lazy good for nothing kids. Back when I was a kid, a portable ramp weighed 100 pounds and took tow skateboards to roll, and.. uh, well.. I’d like to get ahold of one of those little kickers. – Thanks to Eric Cherry for the tip.

Here’s a nicely shot video of a night session at the relatively new Kensington Park, err, uhm, skatepark, in Vancouver, BC.. – Thanks to Dylan Davies for the tip.

My old friend Evil Tom sent me this link which he subtitled “Why adults should not portray teenagers in their art.” “Fledgling” – All of us feel, or have felt, the awful and wonderful growth of this pre-teen skateboarder. Small wings on his back, he wants to fly yet is not ready to soar. Is he slouching to defy, to define himself, or to bear the weight of wings getting larger every day? Installed in downtown La Crosse, Wisconsin, this life size standing bronze figure reminds us young citizens need community support. Well, at least his heart is in the right place, although I’m worried about his heart on. I’m bummed out at our Wisconsin readers. This tip came from a guy living in Michigan!

Kevin Cann has been spearheading an effort to expand a small skatepark in a town called Notre Dame de L’ile Perrot, a small town outside of Montreal, Quebec. It started off as a DIY-esque park with the blessing and financial aid of the town, thanks in part to Kevin’s hard work and some open minds in city hall. I had forgotten to put this story up, actually, but I’m going to do this part first. The backstory will come later. Here’s the bottom line, the first stage of the park was a success (see picture here) and Kevin used that momentum and good will to add a proper bowl to the jersey barrier foundation the park already has. Pictures after the jump, thanks to Kevin.

This Auction and all the auctions on this Ebay account are to raise Money to Pay off Duane Peter’s Recent Hospital Bills. Last month Duane Peters AKA “The Master of Disaster” took a Bad Slam on his left knee resulting in an infection so Bad that they wanted to Amputate it at the Knee. After many Prayers, Miracles and Several Hundred Thousand Dollars later his leg is Healing Up Great and he will be back Ripping at a Park or Pool near you Soon! So please Throw Money at this Auction “Like a Drunk Sailor” and own a piece of Skateboard History and The Honor and Pride that comes with helping one of Skateboarding’s Great to get back on his feet again and Keep the Dream Alive! Gey your D.P. memorabilia on eBay, an when you’re done check out DuanePeters.net. – Thanks to Egbert for the tip.