There used to be “no scene,” and it was sometimes hard to find people to skateboard with, especially if you were in smallish semi-rural towns, even if they were college towns. One the things I used to do instead of, you know, going to class, was making flyers for a “Mass Thrash” to try and attract larger numbers of skateboarder that I assumed were all hiding in the woodwork somewhere. How could you not like skateboarding and punk rock? It seemed absurd. The law of averages demanded that there would be more kindred souls out there, not going to class like me. We would hold these events right outside the student union, on the quad. There were so few skateboarders on campus that it was actually not a bust to skate there.  The logos and skateboarders on the left were all transcribed from the black and white newsprint pages of the advertisements in the back of Thrasher.

California Sunday Magazine has an interesting piece on Jake Phelps that seems to have en done with some degree of cooperation from the Phelper. Some of the best parts are the sort of snide, deconstructive observations on the spectacle of skateboarding, such as observations that Thrasher is more like Vogue for degenerates than the skateboarder’s bible, and skateboarding has more in common with pornography than professional sports. “Skateboarding probably has more in common with pornography: Talented people are paid to be filmed doing something they’re good at, or at least insane enough to try.” There’s even a brief mention of Schwing! magazine as if their readers would know what that was. It’s long, and a bit nihilistic, and you’ll earn more about SOTY than you’ll care too, but even if you hate Phelps, it’s a good read. Check it out in California Sunday Magazine.

Which came first, the egg, or the toy inside the egg? Technically not an Easter-specific toy, but it’s an egg riding a skateboard. This is a hard plastic version representing the actual chocolate egg which would contain a toy inside it. So it’s a self-referencing toy. In case this makes zero sense to you, Kinder Surprises are chocolate eggs with a tiny plastic toy inside. I thought this was a generic term, but apparently it’s a trade name, like Kleenex or Xerox. I thought it was vintage, but it dates to 2014 according to the seller.

Because the world only needs so many canvases with the Audrey Hepburn, the Eiffel Tower or the New York City skyline, Ikea decided to bring in some new artists for the 2016 Ikea Art Event. On the right you can see Bara Prasilova’s photo. Sanskirt. After surveying the offerings, my 10 year old son declared he liked the underwear photo better, although the briefs and dress sent him mixed messages, and he wasn’t sure if it was a boy or a girl. Closer inspection of the photo reveals an Arbor skateboard and a flipped negative. I like the photo too, but I’d like it more without the flipped negative and cropped wheels on the skateboard.

Thanks to Matthijs for this picture of what is either a conceptual art piece or a very sad little skatepark located in Amsterdam. That round planter to right probably sees more acton.

An astronaut on a skateboard is something we’ve seen a time or two (or three). Mathieu Gielen scanned this Duvel beer coaster for you, drinking readers, and he was kind enough to translate it as well. After finding a link to Duvel, I saw that the skateboarding astronaut was also available as a beer label, poster, and beer glass as well. UPDATE: David Maes found a skateboard deck in the shape/graphics of a regular Duvel bottle.

The art of conceiving

We don’t pretend that the creation of the Duvel has been as spectacular as the first footstep on the Moon, but in 1923, this beer seemed totally innovating. A refermentation in bottle which give a colour (robe) so limpid is something for the least remarkable. And, more a beer is clear, more her taste is pure.

The flemish version has a some slight variations : the title reads “Heavenly pionneers” in place of “The art of conceiving” and there is a final sentence that is “This is simply of an intergalactic nature”. The rest is basically the same.

The Guardian has a short video on the challenges of skateboarding in Cuba, which although well done, is just about like every other one we’ve seen on the subject.  Public Radio International has a slightly different take on the situation, focusing on the difficulties facing girls who want to skateboard in Cuba.  According to a the trailer for Patinas Sin Fronteras En Cuba, Cuban skaters don’t want your pity, they just want access to skateboards. You have to imagine it’s about to get better now that relations between the U.S.A. and Cuba are more normal. You can help at Amigo Skate Cuba.

– thanks to Everyone for the tips.

According to the Des Moines Regional Skatepark committee, this final design will be the largest open skatepark in the United States. I’m not sure what they mean by “open.” Maybe that’s to counter facilities like Woodward, although they could have said “public” instead. Is there some monstrous indoor skatepark that I’m unaware of? Even the square footage listing of 65,000 is below the official 68,000 listed for Lake Cunningham. I always thought Louisville was largest, but it only weighs in at 44,000 square feet. DMRS is in need of a comprehensive overhead floorpan on their site. California Skateparks designed the park.

I thought I read in Wired how Nerf had become the largest arms dealer (by volume) in the world, but I might have imagined it. I wonder if the Zombie Strike series was conceived to make it more palatable to parents who object to toy guns for kids. Probably not. This Zombie Strike Doublestrike pistol features an illustration of a skateboarder on the back. It’s a happy coincidence when a toy with skateboard packaging makes it into my home if wasn’t bought for me.

Like scooters, Donald Trump, and anything else that has outlived it’s usefulness, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles just won’t go away. TMNT has been enjoying a resurgence for a while now. While the animated series definitely surpasses the TMNT’s original incarnation, this incarnation of Mondo Gecko action figure is about as uninspired as it gets, especially when compared to the original toy.