It may have been pen for months already, but the Ed Benedict grand opening celebration is this Saturday, May 30th. 1:15 PM Ceremony: Commissioner Saltzman, Commissioner Fish, PP&R Director Zari Santner 1:30 PM Adidas/Tribute Skateboards Skate Jam 2:00 PM Best Trick Competition 2:30 PM PP&R Skate Jam Invitational (grades K-8 and 9-12)

The Half Moon Bay Review reports that their police will enforce helmet regs but that pad use is discouraged. Unless you’re skitching, then no pads or helmet. Huh?

Sure, it gets a little mean spirited (and long) in the middle, hard to watch, but it’s still damn funny juxtaposition. [Source: LOLFactory]

The review of Mingus Park, also known as Coos Bay, is deep and smooth with fast coping. The street area has yet to be developed. When you pull up, it looks like a 1950’s flying saucer. The pool is deep and fast. The shallow end is a hero’s drop in. The deep end is fun and easy to ride. This is the link between Reedsport and Port Orford. You can now skate yourself silly on the coast hitting a park every half hour. There were about a hundred people skating on Saturday, the day after it officially opened. I would like to thank the Mayor for his hand-written invitation to Mingus Park. Hope to see him next time I drive through. P.S. Surrounding the park are baseball fields and tennis courts; none of them used. Eight great iPhotos after the jump. Thanks to EPM for the gorgeous shot of yours truly. He’s got some more shots of Matt Kline killing it.

Taking a little time off to mourn the loss of a friend of mine who died in his sleep over the weekend, Jay Bennett. If the name is familiar, Jay might be most famously known as a member of the band Wilco. He appeared on every album up to and including Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, after which he quit and/or was fired, depending on who you ask. Before that he was a member of Steve Pride and His Blood Kin, and before that he was in a band called Titanic Love Affair, or TLA for short. This was an early promo I shot of TLA in the late 80’s before they appeared on MTV and in Rolling Stone. Jay is pictured in the center. That’s a Thrasher Freedom sticker sideways on the brim of his hat, actually.

First off this month I want to thank all of the folks who email in to tell me how much they enjoy the column, whether it be to the email address here or on skullandbones. I’m glad that so many people all around the world seem to enjoy my pontificating and nonsense. Also for those that send in links to auctions etc, that is much appreciated too. I may not use them because I don’t feature decks on price alone anymore. The photos have to be good, and something has to appeal to me aesthetically. But still, keep sending them in, especially if you see a bargain. They are difficult to spot. Check out eBay Watch: April 2009

As you recall from last summer, the Independent team did their 30th anninversary tour.  When they came through, I was at Glenhaven for a session, and Tosh Townend, Brian Anderson, and others were ripping it up.  Lance Mountain, David Gravette, Chet Childress, etc. were casual observers of the session, sitting in the shade on a hot day.  Afterwards, the team went to Pier Park, where they met other members of this online community for a session. You will be happy to know that Independent has the footage for viewing on their website.  You can view the video footage of the above session that Kilwag was shooting.  If I’m not mistaken, you can see MC on deck while Grosso grinds through the corner.  By the way, the Dwarves are rad.

I’m going to freely cop to filling space with this post. This here’s the tale of a nefarious character whose name is/was Martin. His ego was legendary, and he’d be the first to tell you. He was always looming/lurking on the skate scene in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois back in the 80’s. A self-styled king of the town, rocker and skateboarder. He was like a five foot tall, less subdued version of Steven Tyler with a skateboard, if you can imagine it.

This D.I.Y. spot in SE Portland only lasted a couple of weeks. The spot had been home to a wooden bench made by skaters for at least a year before this bank went up. The neighborhood reaction was positive, but obviously someone in the City of Portland wasn’t impressed. The builders opted for the “it’s better to ask forgiveness than to ask for permission” tactic, but it didn’t work out, obviously. I applaud the effort, but in this case the location was too ostentatious. Choose your renegade spots wisely kids. In a situation like this (a well used public park, already frequented by skaters) it would be advisable to get it sanctioned first. Write up a nice proposal. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but use a spell checker. Talk about the benefits and address negative concerns. Spin it as a community project. Get a petition signed by neighbors and park users, than take all this to the Parks department. The fact that you aren’t asking for money might help your chances. Stress the small overall size of the obstacle and minimal impact on the surroundings. Good luck! Thanks to… I’m not telling. That kid in the green shirt is…

“Ramp it Up” will be exhibited at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian ( On the National Mall, Washington, DC) from June 12, 2009–September 13, 2009 Ramp it Up celebrates the vibrancy, creativity, and controversy of American Indian skate culture. Skateboarding combines demanding physical exertion with design, graphic art, filmmaking, and music to produce a unique and dynamic culture. One of the most popular sports on Indian reservations, skateboarding has inspired American Indian and Native Hawaiian communities to host skateboard competitions and build skate parks to encourage their youth. Native entrepreneurs own skateboard companies and sponsor community-based skate teams. Native artists and filmmakers, inspired by their skating experiences, credit the sport with teaching them a successful work ethic. The exhibition features rare and archival photographs and film of Native skaters as well as skatedecks from Native companies and contemporary artists. This is actually the first ever Smithsonian exhibiton on skateboarding. Apparently they are just now recognizong the cultural significance of Back to the Future. You can read the entire press release here. UPDATE: added new poster images for the show.