Along with social media posts, Surfer Today has confirmed that Patti McGee passed away on Oct 15th at the age of 79 due to complications from a recent stroke. Patti was the world’s first female professional skateboarder, and the first female to appear on the cover of a skateboarding magazine. Many people remember her iconic cover of Life Magazine as well, likely the first appearance of a skateboarder on the cover of a non-skateboarding magazine. Patti appeared on the TV game show What’s My Line? in 1965 as well as other TV programs with Mike Douglas and  The Johnny Carson Show, as well as a Bell Telephone commercial. She was the first female inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame. Juice Magazine has an interview with Patti conducted in 2017 by Steve Olson. By all accounts she was a lovely and inspiring person to all who knew her. A true legend. Photo: Patti McGee

You should go check out Miguel Melo’s 60’s & 70’s Vintage Skateboard Collection. It’s a beautiful site filled with photos of his personal collection. There are some of the usual suspects in there, but there are also quite a few lessor known decks, including some from well known brands.For instance, I can’t ever recall seeing the Cat by Nash, or even a GT Coyote III. I’m a longtime lurker.

Union Surfer skateboards “The Monster” collection photo courtesy of Stanton Hartsfield.

Little Audrey must have been popular to warrant 2 consecutive titles published in 1967. Playful Little Audrey #70 only features skateboarding on the cover, but Little Audrey and Melvin #33 has a skateboard storyline as well. Melvin looks like a twerp.

You know we’re suckers for vintage skateboard wheels, especially when they include packaging, not to mention Sears skateboards. This set of Sears Sidewalk Surfer replacement wheels currently has a buy-it-now option of $169.99 from an Ebay seller named “Lots O Camera Stuff.” The box says these wheels are compatible with skateboards “equipped with rink roller skate wheels.” So they basically stuck half set of rollerskating wheels in a special box. Check out that open bearing wholesomeness.

Charlie Brown’s All Stars! (CBAS) originally aired on June 8, 1966. I’m not sure if it ever made it to VHS, but the first DVD release I’m aware of was from 2009. While watching “It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown” over the weekend on Apple TV+ I dug around a little and found CBAS was available too. It looks like they remasters it for Apple TV, above and beyond the DVD release. It’s very clean, but there is an odd bit in a scene with Sally and Linus setting up a yard pool. Compared to other versions I’ve seen, the pair look like the attempt to make them look like they have a tan was a little overcooked. I can’t show you what it looks like because screen caps for DRM protected content are disabled on Apple TV. Snoopy does some great surfing before they segue to the sidewalk surfing for an extended segment around the 10 minute mark that includes the world’s first documented footage ollie! No sky hooks here.

Old Steve Grover (Remember GVK?) texted me from Puerto Rico to let me know the 70’s channel was playing a video of the Osmonds on skateboards while singing “Do You Know The Way To San Jose?” Tracking down the video was a piece of cake, but because of the lazy nature of the internet, there is no backstory for those with skateboarding ephemera OCD. If legendary and sorely missed Scott Starr was still alive I would have doubtless been able get the answer with a quick email. After some digging around (way too much) I found a reference in the 2006 book Television Variety Shows by David M. Inman. Based purely on the visuals and the fact that it was in color I would have guessed early 70’s, but it turns out it originally aired on the 1968 season 2 premier of the Jerry Lewis Show.

The 60’s, when a “Skateboard kit” need only contain a set of trucks and wheels because the quality of the wood you rode on really wasn’t a factor in performance or fun. You had to assemble the trucks yourself, but they did throw in a skate wrench. Funny that they mentions the trucks twice (Two steel plates with hangers!) but neglect to mention the wheels. – Thanks to Mark Bader for the pics.

It’s 1965, a time when seeing your friend on a skateboard is still so exciting that it would make you run after him on the street. This is #43 of the Life With Archie series that started in 1958. November, 1965 was a big month for skateboarding in the Archie Comics Group. There was skateboarding on the cover of Jughead #136 and a cover with a story in Tippy Teen #1, a title drawn by the recently defected former Archie artist Samm Schwartz. Sam is credited with developing the Jughead character into a headliner instead of just a bit character.

Trying to figure out the authenticity of vintage skateboard themed items can be tricky with all digital reproduction methods and relative cheapness in production/reproduction methods compared to yesteryear. These two National Skateboard Championship patches pass the eye test however, and seems date to 1964 and 1965. Theres not really anything out there (online) on these.