Well, March was good, but April was even better! I feature 49 items, of which 14 went for over $1,000. There were no $3000+ decks this month, but still, lots of good stuff changing hands. There was a lot of cash being thrown around. Maybe tax refunds being spent? And just wait until the stimulus checks hit! Check out: eBay Watch – April 2008

I skate pools because Thrasher told me I in so many words that I was supposed to. I can’t remember the first time I read it, but I know the idea occurred to me originally because I would read about it Thrasher in the Mid 80’s. Each new issue of Thrasher used to be an all encompassing event for me. There simply was no other way to connect with skaters across the country, and across time. Reading Thrasher left an indelible imprint in my mind that roots skaters, real skaters skated backyard pools. As a result, I skated some pretty crappy pools in central Illinois. These weren’t exactly backyard, but more like municipal pools and hotel or apartment building pools. None of them were anything to write home about, and yet we pressed on.

Lest you forget, Skate and Annoy has been online since 1996, when the content was sparse and very, very stagnant. Around 2000 I started putting up a lot more static html in fits every now and then. Actually, “fits” is an appropriate word. You never knew what would set off an update, but certain events like the Trifecta or a strobe light were guaranteed to set one off. I started the blog thing back in July of 2006. For some reason I was reluctant integrate a blog into Skate and Annoy, but I think I made the right decision after all. When I integrated the blog it got much better. Finally, I got tired of trying to outpost Mark Conahan, so I just invited him over. As the updates became more frequent, the traffic started to increase. Then I started thinking about what other voices I could add to the site. I’d like to take this time to thank the regular and irregular contributors we’ve had, most notably Mark Conanhan, and House of Neil and Steve Grover. You’ll all be getting fat bonuses calculated on a percentage of your base salaries. Quick, what’s 10% of zero? The rest of you…

Like shooting fish in a barrel: MF: What’s your perspective on fitness for skateboarding? I skate a lot with my shirt off, so working out has always been important to me. I almost have as much fun working out as I do skating. And seeing your body change, and seeing yourself get bigger and more toned and cut, makes a big difference in how you feel about yourself. As of right now I’m working out three times a week and it’s fun. Check out the full Ryan Sheckler interview as part of 2008’s 25 Fittest Guys in America in Men’s Fitness magazine. – Thanks to Larry Pescatore for the tip, but don’t ask Larry what he’s doing trolling Men’s Fitness.

Cause he gets fan mail, and he really, really reads it. Fan mail, and he really really needs it. I sent you my letter now I want a reply. You don’t know any better so you won’t take your time with my fan mail Name that slightly altered tune for a valued Noprize. (Everyone I know is disqualified.) This picture of Grover was sent in by an adoring fan, and he’s got more than one. Hell, since I’m wasting one of the precious few posts we have left before we hit 2000 (!) – We might as well have a GVK photo contest. The best Grover collage submitted will win an actual prize, maybe a skateboards or some wheels or some miscellaneous (and useful) items we have laying around. Oh, and of course, a signed glossy publicity photo of the Doctor himself. Complete rules and a source file of Grover you can grab after the jump. (- Thanks to Kevin Kotrell for this one.) UPDATE: CONTEST HAS ENDED – VOTE HERE

Here at Skate and Annoy we hate to reinforce stereotypes, like say, I don’t know, picking one at random, Australia is not a backwards country where the skateparks are made out of stone (literally) and you have to watch out for marauding fruit bats, kangaroos and other, uh, nightlife. Oh wait… But seriously folks, tip your cocktail waitresses… Negative Ion has a massive photo essay and travel journal of a trip Australia. Aside from the naturally occurring rock skateparks, there is also the more commercial fare of Wold Cup contest at Bondi Beach with lots of names you’ll recognize. As with the rest of the Negative Ion site, the journey is half the fun of getting there. Pay attention to your scroll bars and be prepared to do more than a little exploring. It can be easy to get lost in there. If you come to the end of the line tweak those scroll bars a little, there might be something hiding nearby. Give yourself at least 45 minutes. Now go there.

This week’s Shot of the Week comes from Carl Warren and features Ben Krahn ollieing the gap to transition. You should check out the full frame version to get the whole picture.

I checked out the Sammamish Washington skatepark this weekend. It was my second time skatign there, but hte first time I got hailed out after about 15 minutes. This weekend it was hot as hell, which may account for why the park was sparsely populated on both days. I had some reservations about the park based on the construction pictures I shot in 2006. So what’s the verdict? Find out after the jump.