Skateboards pop up in unexpected places like this recurring BBC news segment called “Tech Now.” In this episode they are highlighting a robotic hull scrubber (and sea urchin killer) called Hullbot. About 6 minutes in they show a tech working on one of the robots, and in the background there’s a Natas deck hanging up.

Australia’s beloved punk/metal/pop group the Hard-Ons (be careful when you google that kids!) just dumped hundreds of tracks on their Bandcamp page. Singles Collection, EP collections, expanded releases… many previously unpublished or only available on vintage vinyl, like this self titled EP shown in cassette form above. I believe this record (pictured above) was one you once had the option to select with your subscription to Thrasher, which was a thing they used to do. If that’s not how I got my copy, I’m pretty sure I bought it based purely on the cover. The punk purist in me had a hard time getting acclimated to metal aspects, but tracks like Girl in a Sweater and Then I Kissed Her definitely appealed to the Descendents and Simpletones fan in me. UPDATED 2-25-21: There’s a Hard-Ons documentary in the works.

We call them trains or trolleys, but in Melbourne and the rest of Australia it’s a tram. Yarra Trams is using signage with rhinos on skateboards to remind people not to get killed by trams when crossing tracks. The association is that of a rhinoceros on a skateboard being an unstoppable force, much like, well, a big heavy train. Yarra Trams is named after the Yarra river I guess. Knock knock. Who’s there? Yarra. Yarra who? Yarra gonna be sorry when you get run over by the tram! You guys can have that ad copy for free, just send me a wallaby if you have any spare. The top photo comes courtesy of Troy Sliter (Hi Troy) and the alternate signage photos are from the Yarra Flickr account.

I probably should have saved this for a Monday. (At least you’re not this guy…) [Source: Perez Hilton] – Thanks to Mrs. Kilwag for the tip.

I have no idea who Oi! Jacko Gym was, but near as I can tell by this picture, he must have been some sort of middle aged, weight lifting Sting impersonator from Australia. He’s not content to just ride a skateboard, he’s got to lift weights at the same time. The box commands you to “Do your push-ups with Jacko.” Can I just skip them instead? Also, I’m not so sure about the “Make & Do” booklet. It sounds like some sort of toddler potty training record. It looks like he may have been the Australian mascot for Energizer.

I can’t remember why I had this bookmarked, or how I found it, but it must have been for a good reason. Must have been because it looked fun. Lots of cool banks.

Andrew Maunsell is a toy designer by trade from Sydney Australia. He’s collaborating with Greg Bennett from Bennett Surfboards (Not affiliated with Bennett Trucks) in Brookvale, Sydney. Bennet produced a skateboard brand called Golden Breed in the 70’s. The result is a series of two old school hybrid skateboards based on old 60’s era shapes and technology, with a little bit of updating. The trucks were originally NOS Fairfax steel wheeled contraptions, but the steel wheels and axles have been replaced with Metaflex wheels and solid axles. The decks are the brand new Fiji White Cedar hand screened. The first 50 “Big Surf” are vintage longboard style, and the second 50 (still in the works) are going to be shorter with a dragster theme. Andrew doesn’t have a web site yet, so if you are interested you can contact him via email, available if you download this flyer. Loads of pics after the jump. I love the aesthetic of this era of skateboards. Andrew says the modified trucks actually turn well too.