An article form the Economist: The new waterway is part of the biggest water-diversion scheme in the world: the second arm of what is known as the South-North Water Diversion Project. This is designed to solve an age-old imbalance. The north of China has only a fifth of the country’s naturally available fresh water but two-thirds of the farmland. The article goes into detail about the gross mismanagement of China’s water supply for industrial and agricultural uses, and how this canal is not really going to do much for the country as a whole, especially long-term. All you care about is that it won’t be skateable after October 31st, because that’s when the water starts flowing. – Thanks to Gene Sato for the tip.

I thought these heat transfer machines were like 10k or something, but apparently they go for $3,500 to $5,500 depending on whether or not you want to transfer one side at a time or two. These guys sell everything. Skateboards, plastic skateboards, Griptapes and Hardwares [sic.], trucks, skate tools and yes, heat transfer machines. Machines for Skateboards was the title of the email they sent me with this image, so I thought I’d find out how much this stuff costs. Probably a bit higher in reality. I’m sure that doesn’t include shipping and import tariffs. Machines for Skateboards reminded me of the “Robot Skateboarders” in Screen Printing is Amazing, because it is. Alternate title: Heat Transfers are Marvelous.

At long last we’re finally shipping some substandard manufactured goods to China instead of receiving them. The Fanling Vert Ramp in Hong Kong being perpetrated by American Ramp Company. It’s prefab concrete, which I gotta say kind of makes sense to me. I mean, if you’re going to build a concrete vert ramp, prefab might be the way to go since uniformity is more desirable than creative artistry, assuming they have the skills to set it up right. Look at the size of those vert panels. This thing looks like a beast, although at that height it’s going to seem narrow. – Thanks to Chad Balcom for the tip.

If they’re going to make all our skateboards, they might as well learn how to ride them. There’s a new Camp Woodward opening up in Beijing China. Woodward Beijing celebrates a grand opening on May 15th. Among other facilities, they’ve got a street plaza built by California Skateparks.

Most skateboards are made in China or Mexico these days, so it’s only fitting that a Mexico City performance of the Chinese National Circus would feature fire jugglers riding skateboards. I may be full of it actually, this might be video from Brazil or Spain, I can’t tell. You can watch it after the jump, but there isn’t much to see. – Thanks to Sk8Norcal for the tip.