Wouldn’t is suck to be the one family in this neighborhood who didn’t have their own backyard pool? I mean, you’d still have a very nice roof over your head, but still… This is a detail from a Vincent Laforet photo. It’s number 20 at his page on the Young Gallery.

I skate pools because Thrasher told me I in so many words that I was supposed to. I can’t remember the first time I read it, but I know the idea occurred to me originally because I would read about it Thrasher in the Mid 80’s. Each new issue of Thrasher used to be an all encompassing event for me. There simply was no other way to connect with skaters across the country, and across time. Reading Thrasher left an indelible imprint in my mind that roots skaters, real skaters skated backyard pools. As a result, I skated some pretty crappy pools in central Illinois. These weren’t exactly backyard, but more like municipal pools and hotel or apartment building pools. None of them were anything to write home about, and yet we pressed on.

D.I.Y. concrete projects are being birthed everywhere these days. Unlike the D.I.Y. vert ramp heydays, these bowls will probably be around for a lot longer. This one attributed to Hermann is in the St Louis area, and it is getting close to being finished. It’s only a matter of time before the weather breaks for them out there. I mean it’s sunny in Oregon, fer chrissakes! Check out some more picks of this Midwest Gem.

This week’s Shot of the Week comes from the archives of our own Mark Conahan: We were at a permission pool in Montebello, California. I drove. Eric (Dressen) used to hang out with us before he was discovered by Tony Alva. Check out the full frame Shot of the Week

Some things once glorious, fade into tragedy or treachery. Danimal testifies: Hass and I stopped by the River’s Inn last sunday and it looks like shit. We also barged the park in the evening on Easter Sunday On the left, the tragedy of a permission pool neglected. On the right, the treachery of a public skatepark betrayed by the very people entrusted to serve the public. OK, I have to assume it’s a betrayal if the situation with the Klamath Falls skatepark is still as bad off as I had heard. Greatly reduced operating hours subject to the whim of a local business entity (without roots in skateboarding) that gets paid to act as the park pad nanny when the whole thing used to be unsupervised and free. K-Falls must be the one town in Oregon that doesn’t get it. Click to enlarge.

You don’t have to be Robin Gibb to recognize that one man’s tragedy is another man’s golden opportunity. It times of natural disaster it is customary wait an undisclosed but appropriately respectful period of time before skating the spoils. But what about financial disaster? Billy Runaway is taking advantage of that housing mortgage crisis that’s all over news lately. Pools are in abundance in certain areas. He suggests going out and getting your own. Did you know there is a heavy metal Bee Gee’s tribute band called Tragedy?

The deep end of this pool wasn’t all that skate-able, but the shallow end woulda been a lot of fun.  I thought the snow was ironic none-the-less. Straight from Bozeman Montana I bring you some really shitty drunken point-and-shoot pictures. Rumor has it that there is an abandoned half-built hotel there with a sheet metal, sterling silver pool as well, but it’s locked up and I haven’t had time to break in and check it out yet. I do plan on it with my next trip. Even if I don’t find it, I’ve always wanted to get myself into the Bozeman Police Reports. It is one of my life goals. I think they have a 5 year old write them, and they sometimes have some pretty funny stuff in them. My favorite of today, “A dog killed two ducks”. Yes folks, basically just an excuse to post the amusing ramblings of Skate and Annoy correspondent Damienhialation. The Bozeman Police Reports write up was pretty funny that day. It’s changed since then, but I saved it for reference. “A dog killed two ducks” is a good one, but I prefer the one from the Mother of the 15 year old boy.

Hectic in Seattle sent in some pictures that have nothing to do with each other, well at least two of them do. He thanked me for my time and consideration. I am thanking him for the pictures. Clockwise: John “Grizz” Vallio at the cancer bowl in the Hills circa 1997. Danny Roland at the Tidy Bowl in Hell Paso, Texas. Dave Tobin at Tedders. Clay at his own house. You can see them enlarged after the jump.

This week’s Shot of the Week is Benji Galloway hitting a backside tailslide at a pool in Woodside, CA during the summer of 2007, taken by Davoud Kermaninejad. I hear Benji just won the Florida Bowl Riders Cup, at Cocoa Beach Skate Park. Check out this shot.

Where’s Steve Bacon when you need him? You’re right. You rule dude. You must be so stoked. your guys are fucking losers! ha, my friends and I skated this pool for the last 1/2 of summer w/ no one bothering us, so fuck you guys, you will NEVER be able to skate it Don’t make me dig up pictures of the nude bowl…