True Skateboard Magazine has a short but interesting interview with old Bones Brigade member Frankie Hill. He’s got a model coming out on Unity skateboards, who have also welcomed Ron Allen to the team. Then again, it looks like he’s got a model with Diabolical [via Skatebook] as well. I’ve never heard of True before, not sure if they put out print issues, but it appears to be based in Florida.

– Thanks to Boy Ipoh for the tip.

Alright this is the second in a row – VERT is back. When I was in my skate hay-day I would spend part of the summers in Virginia Beach. There were about 6 city ramps in that town in the mid-80’s. Mt. Trashmore was the tallest and the first. I heard FUD (a.k.a. John Fudala) actually designed it. It was always a heavy session after 5 o’clock every night. Every session was a jam format and he who did not bail won the right to ride the whole ramp. My friend Bone Man and I came up with a plan to get runs after 5 pm – when one of us was going to fall, we would avoid falling in front of each other and make our bodies as big as we could on the flat to take up space so no one could drop in. This plan rarely worked. Mt. Trashmore produced great riders, everyone from Scary Larry to the Guitierrez trio (all three of which still ride). There were many more that were always nice and fun to watch skate. While there for my brief visit, I pulled up to the ramp where Allen Midget and Henry were riding It seemed like old times except everybody was older. I believe Henry has learned the McTwist in the last six years. It just goes to show that you don’t have to stop learning tricks just because you’re old. I think Eddie has a family. My time was short. I didn’t have time to talk to everyone. I would like to thank everybody that allowed me to take a run in my rickety state. I sure miss having a vert ramp. I asked Henry what the average age on the deck was, and he said it was about 35.

Two B-zines on the A-list. Born Ugly hits issue 7. Iove this zine/scene. too much metal for my personal tastes but the fun is so pervasive that I’m ready to roll with it, if not Rawk and Roll with it. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the globe, Bailgun hits issue #11, and it’s a phucking phat 114 pages. Definitely not your average slapped together affair, although you’ll need to get your German on to read some of it. If you can’t score a print issue, both of these are available for reading online.

It can be a bit jarring when you leave the friendly confines of the Pacific Northwest and you want to visit a skatepark in another state. All of the sudden you have to worry about whether or not it’s going to be open during school hours and how much it might cost you. The city (village?) of Northport, New York has a new skatepark waiting in the wings and skaters in and around the area are trying to get the city to change their minds about charging a fee to skate. To be fair, you don’t have to pay to skate in public skateparks in most states these days. The East coast may have pioneered the skatepark, but they seem to be having a hard time letting go of the pay-to-play public skatepark. There’s a list of city emails to (respectfully) beseech for a free skatepark experience in Northport over on Sleestak.

[Photo: Can’t seem to find the original. Anyone?]

Hey, we’re famous! Or at least we got mentioned in the Miami Dade Herald. Family members of relatives buried in the Miami City Cemetery are upset about the skatepark slated to be built next door, and it’s at this point that you can insert a noise violation joke about waking the dead. The article mentions Seth Levy’s post about the proposed park being under attack by local NIMBYs. The Miami Dade Herald article is not so subtly slanted against the skatepark. The photos all show mourning relatives in the cemetery and how historic it is, what with all the veterans (both sides) of the Civil War buried there. They feature quotes from people feel having a skatepark next door is somehow an affront to the people buried there. They make a point of how it’s easy to find (via the internet) incidents of trouble at skateparks around the country, including recent closures. Skate and Annoy is almost the positive voice in the article, and I have to say I’m suspicious that they only included it because of the negative connotations of the name. Read the article, but please remember you represent skateboarders. If you choose to comment on that site, think about whether your comments will help or hurt the cause of Miami skaters. Another bummer: The park will apparently have monitors and therefore restricted hours. I don’t know how we skate unsupervised in the rest of the world.

– Thanks to Chad Balcom for the tip.

From the organizers:

The past two years people of Williamsburg have started a tradition of Tommy Karafa Skate Day. This is a yearly skate contest to honor our friend and neighbor Tommy Karafa who passed in a tragic car accident two years ago in Williamsburg, VA. This contest is to serve as a remembrance of him, as all profits go toward the Tommy Karafa scholarship fund to help underprivileged youths attend college. His father runs the fund and helps students with paying for the ever rising costs of furthering their education. Last year we had a great turnout of over 150 in attendance, with 30 participants in the contest. This year we hope to double that number by teaming up with Anti-Gravity Skateshop in Newport News, VA to bring the premier contest to the Peninsula.

1st prize is a $1000! I believe that’s more than the entire purse for this year’s Oregon Trifecta!

Anti-Gravity Skatepark
371 Chatham Dr. Newport News, VA 23602
757-890-8040

Jake Stults died of brain injuries resulting from a skateboard accident. He was an Oregon resident and teacher who had ties to the New York/New Jersey hardcore scene. The benefit is to help his family deal with the massive medical bills incurred while trying to save his life. Even if you didn’t know him, it’s still a good opportunity to see a great classic skate video on the big screen.

Monday, June 7, 2010. 7:00pm at the Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR. $5 at the door, plus a raffle. Details on Facebook.

Advertising for the Ford Fiesta disguised as street art. I wonder how little kids growing up are going to navigate through the land mines of Madison Avenue as they grow up. In a way I imagine it will roll right off their backs. Maybe it will make them more suspicious of everything.

– Thanks to Doug for the photo.

More pictures from a backyard pour in the woods of Maine, thanks to Thomas Dupere.

I posted this one on East Coast time, just for our readers from Maine. Thomas Dupere sent in a couple pictures of a basement bowl and the beginnings of some DIY crete in the woods. I think they planning to pour this weekend.