I was in a pub ordering a cider a couple of months ago and looked up at the TV and saw what appeared to be a Jeep commercial with Mike Vallely. The sound was turned off but I seem to remember Mike sitting in a drainage ditch (LA River scale) and a graphic that said “Mike V on skateboarding” or something like that. I haven’t seen it since, but I did find a web site called Sportskool.com that is essentially trick tips for all kinds of sports, most of them no-so-Extreme. Mike V. is the go-to guy for skateboarding, and Jeep Patriot is the sponsor. At one time this would have struck me as odd. Maybe Jeep is trying to capture the Mike V and the Rats demographic.

The San Francisco Chronicle has an article on Zach Wormhoudt of Wormhoudt Inc. titled Chairman of the Board. Get it? “Board” as in “skateboard.” Ah ha ha ha! Get it? Get it? Oh stop, you’re killing me. Oh wait, you don’t get it? Wormhoudt’s father built Santa Cruz’ infamous Derby Park which is the world’s oldest surviving skatepark. Everyone is a critic, as evidenced by this quote from the article:

“I have nonskater friends who say, ‘You have the greatest job in the world!’ My friends who are skaters say, “I don’t envy you.’ “

It’s a decent article. Check it out.
Update: Links fixed.
[Photos Top: Chronicle/Mike Crane and Mike Kane, Bottom: Wormhoudt Inc.]

There’s something wrong with the Skaters for Public Skateparks site this afternoon. Looks like it has been hijacked by Nosferatu and his evil minions.

but Battle Ground is in Washington. Thanks Tobin for the tip.

Unfortunately, she’s carrying a Razor scooter for her son. Maybe that’s why it didn’t work out with Kid Rock. [Source: In Case You Didn’t Know]

This is golden. 80’s era footage of a skate park called Ramp City on a “Good Morning America” type show localized in Cleveland. Gary Lumpkin is the man on the scene. Lord. God. King. The banter between the hosts (not to mention the accents) and low key nature of this program has the Midwest stamped all over it. The skaters are good and the reporter is a good natured goof who really does his best, unlike some. Hear terms like hodad and youngster bandied about. Listen to the hosts go from genuinely concerned for the safety of the Lumpkin to Jackass-type encouragement in one sentence. Also, check out the incredibly corny (even for that time) canned background music during the second half of the location shoot. It’s almost a riff of a Keystone Cops movie. Highly recommended, it comes from a BMX site actually. The owner was a 16 year old BMX guy, although they conspicuously don’t explain where he got the money to open the place. I almost forgot the best part. Gary calls the ramp a half-tube.

Too Loud for the Crowd from One Fifty One, circa 1998. This video may be short, but its packed with some rad skatin. More after the jump!

An earlier post showed some laser-created relief on skateboards. Here is a Flickr set of similar work. I think they have one of these rigs out at Nike. I have seen experiments with decorating various items: shoes, cellular phones, laptop computers.

I wonder if there have been any attempts to use it to enhance performance. What would be the optimum pattern and amout of material you could cut away and still maintain rigidity and strength?

Thanks for the heads up Craig.

A party bag decorated with some sort of anthropomorphous sponge character. They got his back foot in the right place but went ahead and drew him stinkbug.