Speed Freaks from Santa Cruz Speed Wheels, circa 1989. This was the first video ever made by a wheel company. It gave Santa Cruz the ability to bring skateboarders from different board companies, and put them on their videos. This makes the video that much better, with a great mix of street and vert skating. Santa Cruz also put out Streets On Fire in 1989, which featured some of the best skating to date, especially Natas Kaupas’ groundbreaking part. More about the 80s and skateboarding after the jump.

Remember that Sony patent we reported on for a vehicle steerable by movement of center of gravity? Well, Sony may have an artist’s conception of a stick figure snowman riding one, but some college kids at UBC (where?) have video footage of pretty much the same device that they made and actually rode back in February of 2005. Patent law in the U.S. is one big mess. I’m sure these kids will get screwed. No matter, it’s not like the devices are going to become popular. Catch the video after the jump.

A lot of commercials featuring skateboarders have been popping up lately. Yesterday I posted the CarMax advert, so starting today I’m going to see how long I can keep it going. Nissan has a fetish for skateboards. Here’s a commercial featuring Danny Way for another Nissan vehicle.

V-Day for veterans? That’s Valentine’s day for the Veterans Division of Santa Cruz Skateboards, not V-Day or VE-Day or VJ-Day. Someone at NHS needs a little help with timing press releases. After 5:00 pm Pacific time on the day of the event does not cut it. Jason Jesse signed 250 special edition skateboards with a Valentines Day graphic that have been distributed among skate shops. There’s no more when they are gone. Check out Jason’s special message after the jump. I’m predicting one will show up on eBay within a month.

I kind of forgot that it was Valentine’s Day. Check out this small collection of Extreme™ Valentine’s Day stuff from 2002. Surely there is something new to add. Let us know if you got some.

The process has begun on the next two Ed Benedict Park in southeast and Gabriel Park in Southwest. If you live in any of the neighborhoods listed or nearby either of these parks you might want to attend these neighborhood meetings. The current plan for Ed Benedict’s 8000 square feet is 70% street, 30% transition. Some guys are working hard to get a plaza-style setup there. It would be worth it for vert skaters to participate to make sure the tranny component gets done right. There will only be 2400 sq ft for tranny but it should be something neighborhood vert skaters can use. The balance at Gabriel park will be weighted more toward transition and there has been talk of a snake run. Read on for details

click to see full image Must be weird to show up for a session at the local skatepark if you are Tony Hawk. This is from JGB’s blog at The Skateboard Mag. He says he took this the last week in January. Classic trick executed as well as anybody could. Great shot.

This Royce Nelson cell phone photo by Tony Farmer comes to us courtesy of Davoud at Concussion Magazine. A couple years ago I got the idea to do a print zine made entirely of cell phone photos. Like many things on my plate, I haven’t gotten around to it. I’m guessing someone else has done it by now. If not, I am immediately accepting submissions for Does/Does Not Cause Cancer.

I’m not sure if this commercial is even airing or not, but thanks to the Interwebs, here it is. There’s nothing funnier than an age-inappropriate person on a skateboard, with the possible exception of a football to the groin. Catch the video after the jump