Really, why do we need a War on Blanks? I mean look at this specimen purchased 5 years ago from a major sports retailer that just recently declared bankruptcy. Man, the owner of this deck sure was pissed when he got ready to ride his brand new deck and found out he had been sold a regular foot board instead of a goofy foot board. He didn’t realize it until he went for his first frontside indy and caught his jib in his heel-side shin guards. Folks, this photo has not been retouched. See it full frame after the jump.

LG likes to use skateboards when advertising their expensive new TV’s. This 60 inch plasma may be $122,565 cheaper then their gold plated model, but at $9,435, it’s still pretty damn spendy. I think you can buy brand new Korean cars for that much money. So who is that vert skater on the screen? Does he get paid for this or was that part of the release he signed to enter the contest? Click the pic and you can see that although the model may look glamourous at first glance, when enlarged her arms look kind of pale, clammy and corpse-like. [Source: LG via Engadget]

It’s always amusing when an article in the mainstream business press uses the word “dude” in a skateboard-related feature, right? Well, predictable, yes. This is an old piece of news, but I’m cleaning house. This New York Times article titled The business of board sports: It takes hardcore credibility, dude isn’t solely about Jaime Thomas, but he is the focus. It talks about how marketing and brand recognition are different animals for “board sports” companies, and how Nike and others have found it hard to crack. It’s an OK read, but not much your average Skate and Annoy reader doesn’t already know. The dollar figures are pretty impressive though, and there’s a not-so-gratuitous gratuitous Tony Hawk appearance. Because Tony’s quotes are in reference to selling the Hawk brand to Quicksilver, it actually make sense, unlike Rob Dyrdek’s appearance in Forbes. Read It takes hardcore credibility, dude at International Herald Tribune. Look how I got all artsy on that title graphic.

If you checked out the Skateboard Fieber site for earlier Made for Skate shows, they used this image to promote the show and I just wanted to point out the 1975 image by Jim Evans that the poster image is ahem… paying homage to. Cadillac Wheels ad – back cover of Skateboarder Magazine Volume 2 Number 4. Yeah I know, they modernized the image by referencing stencil graffiti, and vert skaters don’t understand modern street skating.

2007 got off with a bang. Now that tax refunds are starting to come in, purse strings are getting as loose as Paris Hilton’s knickers. This month I’m starting a reissue section. Why? Because I can. Seriously though, I’m putting it in because some of the reissues are starting to get up there in price. Ridiculous? Maybe, but that’s the reality, and I cover what’s hot. Also new to this month’s report is the ability to click on the thumbnails to see an enlarged version. Check it out

sideshowskateboarder wants to share a video with you. Well, they wanted to share a video with me and I want to share it with you. A bunch of crazy Bob Burnquist footage. Including the above – which I’m guessing is that giant Shanghai park with the pipe into the pipe thing. I hadn’t realized it was so big. I’m all impressed that Bob is going over it and then I see he’s nose grinding.

Bamboo is an amazing plant. You can use it to feed pandas, make flooring, furniture, and even bicycles and saxophones. And yes, skateboards too. The crazy thing about bamboo is that it has a stronger strength to weight ratio than maple, but has been know to grow 4 feet in a week’s time! Think about how many boards in a year that a typical street skater goes through. What if you could make a bamboo board that performs as well and lasts as long as a hard maple deck? There are companies making decks containing various percentages (up to 100%) of Bamboo, but they are mostly carving or downhill setups not meant to take the torture of street or bowl riding. Today I received an email and pictures from a Slovakian company with a Chinese manufacturer of 100% bamboo skateboards shaped like a typical popsicle stick. Even that’s nothing new. Check out some bamboo Skateboarding action after the jump.

Zero Hero from Zorlac Skateboards, circa 1991. I’ve watched this video quite a few times. It has some really good vert skating, and the kind of street skating that still had tons of potential behind it. More about Zorlac Skateboards after the jump!

The French have to have a different word for everything. Not only that, they even use their skateparks sideways. I have provided a link to the video but unless you want to watch a bunch of ledge and stair skating, don’t bother.