Skateboard rack shots are a dime a dozen, but this one is pretty damned funny. Check it out on Bowl Freaks and say hello to Hans Moleman. UPDATE: Bowl Freaks domain expired and has been taken over by spammers. Link deleted.

OK, trying to tie up some loose ends. It’s getting hard to keep trak of everything around here. Here are some shots of the blue fiberglass ramps from the 70’s that found their way to Thrasherland and The Roxbourough in Philadelphia. There’s also a video clip of a modern day ramp using some pieces salvaged from Thrasherland after the jump. If you’ve sent me some Thrasherland/blue fiberglass ramp shots and I’ve failed to post them, please let me know. Same goes for Skateball shots.

Team Pain is cranking on the Ed Austin Skatepark in Jacksonville, Florida. There’s an article in the Florida Times-Union that talks about the situation a little. It looks like they might be getting another street plaza in Arlington as well? (“When the new site is completed it will be about 6 miles away from Ed Austin Skate Park.”) Maybe it’s a typo in the article, and “Skate Park” should read “State Park.” I’m no local… but Martin Ramos, the owner of nearby Kona displayed some astonishing character when asked about competition from a nearby and assumedly free skatepark: “What is good for skateboarding is good for Kona.”

Buy the book ya homo.

Swank Zine – the Anarchy issue doesn’t have a date on it, but from the record reviews listed, it dates to early 1886. Typical Swank Zine fare, high contrast photos and arty drawings, incoherent Swankisms littered throughout. Short and sweet. Other issues of Swank zine are numbered, but this one isn’t. Thanks again to John Drummond for making this available. By: Tod Swank Photos: Tod Swank, J. Grant Brittain Featuring: Dave Swift, Josh Nelson, Bill Danforth, Britt Parrott, Monty Nolder, Lance Mountain, Steve Rocco Spots: Delking, Delmar, Upland, Oceanside Highlights: A recounting of one of the Godoys spitting on Stan Hoffman’s face after getting kicked out of Upland (for?), Swank using his zine to pick up girls via personal full page messages (Denise, call Swank!) There’s a back page ad of Kevin Staab that’s manipulated in such a way that it makes him looks like a sulky young girl. Check out: Swank Zine – The Anarchy Issue, comments in the gallery.

Just finished collecting the second hundred strips which you can order here

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…