This is the second insurance company advertising pay-per-mile car insurance with skateboard imagery. This time it’s Metromile with a selfie stick, phone cam, Go-Pro, and electric skateboard all in the same ad.

These images were sparked by a post in the Vintage Skatemag Gallery for a board called the Chaka Zulu. I had a vague recollection of these advertisements from back in the day as being some sort of foil clad foam core deck, but I wasn’t sure. Nathan McDernott saw the post and sent in some pictures of his Galaxy board collection. He has confirmed that these are foam core boards clad in a thin sheet of aluminum. He also mentioned there were some Nash skateboards made with the same technology. Texas Rec Corporation was the manufacturer of the Galaxy skateboards, and their mailing address in Wichita Falls, Texas is about 120 miles from Nash’s location in Fort Worth. These two companies are separate entities, so the Nash models might have come about through geographical proximity and one company or the other reaching out for more business. Both Nash and Texas Rec are still in business, primarily making water sports accessories, with Nash tending towards the more active items you might ride on, while Texas Rec makes a lot of lounge chairs and life jacket related items.

Derek Keenan’s At-At sculpture made from skateboards was part of a 2014 show at Black Book gallery called Deathstar Blues, intended to highlight then upcoming Star Wars themed releases from Vans and Santa Cruz. The only way to improve on this sculpture would be if Keenan only used Walker Skateboards. Because then it would truly be.. you know, an At-At Walker.

[Source: DropDead.co] – Thanks to MC for the tip.

Esurance has a commercial out for pay-by-the-mile insurance, this one specifically tailored to Portland customers, though I’m sure there are other cities too. Not only is there some longboard action in the commercial, there’s a bit of wackyboard footage in it too. Then there’s truBrain, an energy drink the is also supposed to boot your brain. “The world’ first nootropic drink.” I don’t know what the means,I guess I need some truBrain. They’re using skateboarding imagery in social media marketing and on their web site.

– Thanks to Betsy Gordon for the truBrain tip.

More coverage of the history of Burnside, this time from local weekly paper the Willamette Week, includes about 13 minutes of video and oral history in Under the Bridge.

I really should have sent this Halloween card to you earlier. I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t hurt your feelings.

A Strike Brewing collab with Santa Cruz. Looks like it’s a local product only available in NorCal. Here in Portland, talks with HUB over brewing something with a S&A or Cold War label have officially stalled.

– Thanks to Judi Oyama for photo.

It’s time for the Morro Bay Skateboard Museum 2015 fundraiser. Are you looking for incentives? How about a ride in the 1978 overall downhill winning skate car the Vetter Streamliner? The museum looks cool. If I ever make it down there I’m going to check it out. That’s Jack Smith, museum curator and original pilot of the skate car standing next to Craig Vetter.

One of the best skateboard Halloween costumes ever, outside of Ryan Coulter’s pinball machine getup, but you don’t have to be standing next to the 70’s pinball machine for it to make sense.