The Fall 2009 issue of Shotcrete Magaizine had a cover story on recreational projects with a two page spread on skateparks featuring Team Pain. (Update: Actually written by Tim Payne with contributions from Team Pain) with That looks like an old photo of their Cocoa Beach skatepark on the cover. Shotcrete.org doesn’t have the Fall 2009 archive up yet, but you can read it over at Team Pain. While trying to find it, I came across a Spring 2004 article titled The Growing Market for Shotcrete in Skatepark Construction. I’ll say!

Now class, lets start where we left off yesterday. Can someone please tell me where the Kiwifruit comes from and what was it originally called in the West? Yes Bobby, that’s right. It was imported from China to New Zealand in 1906 and colloquially called the Chinese Gooseberry. It was briefly called the mellonette before being changed to Kiwiwfruit in the 1950’s. No Suzie, commercial cultivation didn’t start in the United States unit the 60’s. What’s that Grover? You are correct, from the looks of this hang tag, the first time a Kiwifruit got “radical” must have been some time in the 80’s near Arizona, or possibly the Moon. – Thanks to Andy Wylie for bring this in to Show-and-Tell.

TR853-1™ is a “street artist” form SIngapore who, among other things, puts up these small stencils of skateboarding figures. I think these are most interesting when done in a temporal context. Some of them appear to float mid air without any reference until they are seen at the right time of day or night with the correct accompanying shadow. Another cool thing about TR853-1™, aka Trase is that he’s got the artwork available for free download, so you can make your own. I love stencil art, it’s been a long time since I dabbled. I have a hard time believing he’s doing these pieces in Singapore though, considering their harsh stance on chewing gum. I can’t imagine what would happen if he got pinched mid-stencil. Check out some of his work. – Thanks to Mike Buckley for the tip.

I never saw Full Power Trip from 1990. I did have a bootleg copy of Molecules in Motion though. I’d like to see that again. Here’s some Sadlands action with Blender and Jesse. I think that miniramp was Blender’s. Video quality is sketchy. It’s probably bootlegged, but hey, at least someone preserved it.

Surf Expo has a Sean Obrien interview With Reggie Barnes, former Wlaker freestyle pro and the man behind Eastern Skateboard Supply, whose indoor skate facility we covered a while back. The interview focuses on the business and not his skateboarding career. – Thanks to Michael Brooke for the tip.

See if you can figure out which one of the guys over at Bossco International skates. I can’t imagine how else they were inspired to cash in on the lucrative downhill sliding glove economy, and yes, I say that with tongue in cheek. Apparently these things didn’t sell to well, becasue they are only a year old and seem to have been discontinued. I’m not sure how they failed, seeing as how they were targeting the twin brotherhood of “extreme skaters” and in-line skaters. Do those guys even do downhill? Have to give Bossco credit for innovation though. They could have gone with plastic cutting boards velcroed on a glove, but instead they came up with massive plastic thimbles and rollerballs in the palm. Not bad for a company who’s current product line up consists entirely of LED lights stuck on other things.

I think it’s been over a year since I’ve been to this park. The neighbors have probably chilled out, now that there are more parks in the area to take the heat off. Willis Kimbel at West Linn. Photo by POX at Levil Uniform. I like lens flare, do you? Check out the Shot of the Week.

More things going on in my own back yard that I know nothing about. Portland’s Eden Powers as seen on VIMBY. Some great moves in there, plus a hard face plant on the side of a wall, not to mention a bunch of places that I don’t skate at. I need to get out more. Well, that and a knee replacement.