This post was originally static HTML, it was backdated and inserted in the blog because it was too small to pretend it was an actual feature. And yes, this does hurt my OCD! Can you believe I used to have to hand code this? I integrated the blog into this site in July of 2006.

NHS Mini Tour By Rob Parker – March 16, 2005

This story came to us from a random reader, and by god, that makes us happy people. Rob Parker took a little bit of time to write up a couple paragraphs on what it’s like to geek out at the factory of one of the icons of the 80’s heyday skateboard companies, Santa Cruz. It’s short on pictures, but I figured everyone was sick of reading what I write. Readers Unite! Carry the flag that Rob has raised, and enjoy this. – k.ed.

For vacation this year my wife wanted to visit the San Francisco/Napa region in California. This may not sound too exciting for some, but if you look closely at a map, you will find that Santa Cruz is just south of San Francisco. So, I told my wife that we needed to go to Santa Cruz for a day to visit a skateboarding company. She wasn’t too excited about visiting a skateboard company, but it was something I wanted to do. I have been skating Santa Cruz decks since the mid 80’s and now I had a chance to see where they were made. After a month and a half of calling and e-mailing NHS I finally received a response back from a guy at NHS the day before my vacation starts. The guy tells me that they do not regularly give tours to the public, but since it was just my wife and I, he reluctantly agrees to a tour and schedules a 3:00pm tour time on Monday March 8th.

This post was originally static HTML, it was backdated and inserted in the blog. And yes, this does hurt my OCD! Can you believe I used to have to hand code this? I integrated the blog into this site in July of 2006.

So, they had this Skate The Mountain contest at Windells, which is this Woodward-type place near Mt Hood in Oregon. It was kind of strange because they had a decent purse – 2k for first place and a thousand for second – but it wasn’t promoted very strongly. In fact, Windells’ own web site made no mention of it. It’s like they didn’t want people showing up. In any case, it was a good time. Everyone was relaxed and riding hard. We showed up during the “Pro” qualifiying runs, having missed the younger kids and the girls division. I took some pictures in a very lazy fashion, and it shows. Some of these pics are not from actual contest runs, so sue me. Hey, it’s the interent. Who cares? Before the semi finals there was a best trick contest for $100 in the street area that I didn’t pay attention to. Also, I can’t remember all the names in the results, so I won’t tell you any of them*. Except Ben Krahn came in second. If you can help me out with any names for the photo captions, send an email (kilwag at skateandannoy dot com) and I’ll fix it. Try and tell me which page you are talking about (copy and paste the url). Other than that, the only thing I need to mention is that when the contest ended some guy on a crotch rocket made a big show out of revving up his engine and leaving in as loud and fast a manner as possible, which made it all more amusing when everyone drove by him on the way back west and saw him getting a ticket from the fuzz…

– kilwag

Stop the presses! New and improved photo captions and results provided by Tom “Wally” Inouye, with some additional help from Mike Estes at sk8pdxdaily.com who would like me to remind you that 17 year old contest winner Vincent Del Valle is from Seattle and Skates for DC. Scroll down to see the results. Tom also mentioned that this year’s event was put together on short notice, and next year’s event will be better promoted. I hope it isn’t promoted too well, because it had a nice local feel to it.

Skate The Mountain 2005 At Windells Results

Girls:
1st place Zea Page
2nd place Kristin Ebeling
3rd place Shalako Lee

16 & Under:
1st place Oudulay Pilauanh
2nd place Alex Dinwiddie
3rd place Mark Cooper

17 to 29:
1st place Tony Distrola
2nd place Andre Cameron
3rd place Collin Wright

30 & Over:
1st place Kirby Phelps
2nd place Tom Inouye
3rd place Jake Gaynor

PRO:
1st place Vincent Del Valle $2,000.00
2nd place Ben Krahn $1,000.00
3rd place Matt Beach $500.00

Skate and Annoy Scene Reports
Where: Columbus Ohio
Submitted by: Kevin Krahel 
Report Date: 2-2-05

This post from our short-lived series of Scene Reports was originally static HTML. It has been backdated and inserted in the blog because it was too small to pretend it was an actual feature. And yes, this does hurt my OCD! Can you believe I used to have to hand code this? I integrated the blog into this site in July of 2006.

Editor’s note: Here they come at the staggering pace of one scene report every other month! What’s round on the end and tall in hte middle? O – Hi – O! Even though it contains no Devo sightings, we’re happy to post our first report from Ohio. I know there’s more of you Midwesterners out there, so let’s hear from you. -K.ed

Skate and Annoy Scene Reports
Where: Denver Colorado 
Submitted by: Ash Truesdell
Report Date: 12-07-04

This post from our short-lived series of Scene Reports was originally static HTML. It has been backdated and inserted in the blog because it was too small to pretend it was an actual feature. And yes, this does hurt my OCD! Can you believe I used to have to hand code this? I integrated the blog into this site in July of 2006.

Editor’s note: This is our second scene report. This one from Bad Egg editor Ash. So far we’ve got Kansas and Colorado. I’d like to hear from some of the non-square shaped states too! -K.ed

Skate and Annoy Scene Reports
Where: Wichita Kansas 
Submitted by: Eugene & Stacey Lardizabal 
Report Date: 11-19-04

This post from our short-lived series of Scene Reports was originally static HTML. It has been backdated and inserted in the blog because it was too small to pretend it was an actual feature. And yes, this does hurt my OCD! Can you believe I used to have to hand code this? I integrated the blog into this site in July of 2006.

Editor’s note: I had to badger Eugene to write this. So much so that his wife got tired of hearing about and pretty much wrote it for him after taking notes. – k.ed

This post was originally static HTML. It has been backdated and inserted in the blog because it was too small to pretend it was an actual feature. And yes, this does hurt my OCD! Can you believe I used to have to hand code this? I integrated the blog into this site in July of 2006.

PDX D.I.Y. Banks Every article on a D.I.Y. skate spots pays tribute to the granddaddy of them all, Portland’s ongoing Burnside project. That’s not all we’ve got. In the same tradition, but on a much tinier scale, there exists some Jersey barriers that have had a little bit of clandestine transition work added to it. I’ve noticed this structure for a year or two now, but I’ve never seen anyone skating on it. One day on our way to Portland’s horribly crappy Pier Park, we decided to finally check out this spot and see if the old dogs could pull out some old tricks. Modern street skating fell by the wayside to make room for some some old-tiemy streetsyle. Note To the builders: We don’t know who you are, but it sure was fun.

This post was originally static HTML. It has been backdated and inserted in the blog because it was too small to pretend it was an actual feature. And yes, this does hurt my OCD! Can you believe I used to have to hand code this? I integrated the blog into this site in July of 2006.

We went to Florence on the day after the grand opening in hopes that some of the shiniyness would have rubbed off and we would have some lines to ourselves. Big suprise, it was still pretty busy but we had plenty of fun anyway. We arrived just in time to see Stephanie from Airspeed break her wrist in an aborted attempt to carve over what the locals are calling the Lifesaver™, which they should know better since the word is trademarked™.

This post was originally static HTML. It has been backdated and inserted in the blog because it was too small to pretend it was an actual feature. And yes, this does hurt my OCD! Can you believe I used to have to hand code this? I integrated the blog into this site in July of 2006.

We took a chance on a dicey weather forcast under the guise of telling our significant others that they could go to IKEA while we skated. From I-5 North: Get off on exit 137 Milton / Fife. Immediately ffter you exit, turn left onto 20th stay on the same road for a mile or two to the 5 way intersection and stop light. Take a soft left (Milton Ave Way) uphill. Keep driving, you’ll see it on the right in a couple of miles. Milton is mere minutes north of Tacoma.

This post was originally static HTML. It has been backdated and inserted in the blog because it was too small to pretend it was an actual feature. And yes, this does hurt my OCD! Can you believe I used to have to hand code this? I integrated the blog into this site in July of 2006.

On the way home from a productive road trip to Orcas Island we stopped by the Ballard Bowl thanks to directions we got from Sleestakers like Rev and Tim and a bunch of other’s whose name I can’t remember. Although we were exhausted, we decided to check it out since the Ballard Bowl sits on the endangered species list. The locals were cool, and not all that local. The session was winding down but I still managed to get a few pics. Last I heard, demolition is scheduled for January 2005. What a waste. Go ride it before it’s too late.

This post was originally static HTML. It has been backdated and inserted in the blog because it was too small to pretend it was an actual feature. And yes, this does hurt my OCD! Can you believe I used to have to hand code this? I integrated the blog into this site in July of 2006.

Road trip to Orcas Island!

Under the guise of going somewhere beautiful over Labor Day weekend, Shawn and I managed to dupe (I mean, suggest to) our significant others that we should go camping out on Orcas Island. Clothing-optional hippie hot tubs aside, we had a great time. Aside from the little kids almost everyone else at the park was from out of town. Some Seattle Sleestakers were there, as well as the Skatepark Guide crew from Socal, a couple of guys from Chicago, more Portlanders like ourselves and mysterious Corvalis Oregon residents with ties to Brand X skateboards. Joining the Skatepark Guide crew was Scum rider and recent Oregon Trifecta winner Benji Galloway as well as his fellow Scum of the board, Josh “Screech” Sandoval.