TuneBug Shake is the name of this modern day adaptation of the Bone Fone. You plug this thing into your iPod, and then attach it to back of your helmet where it vibrates sound through the helmet while still allowing you to hear what is going on in your surroundings, at least until the first time you wilson and shatter $120 worth of plastic and circuitry on the concrete. $120? [Source: Gizmag] – Thanks to Seth Levy for the tip.

See if you can figure out which one of the guys over at Bossco International skates. I can’t imagine how else they were inspired to cash in on the lucrative downhill sliding glove economy, and yes, I say that with tongue in cheek. Apparently these things didn’t sell to well, becasue they are only a year old and seem to have been discontinued. I’m not sure how they failed, seeing as how they were targeting the twin brotherhood of “extreme skaters” and in-line skaters. Do those guys even do downhill? Have to give Bossco credit for innovation though. They could have gone with plastic cutting boards velcroed on a glove, but instead they came up with massive plastic thimbles and rollerballs in the palm. Not bad for a company who’s current product line up consists entirely of LED lights stuck on other things.

I’ve been collecting (pictures of) boards with beer graphics on them for a future gallery. I just found two boards from Deathwish that have taken logo appropriations a step further by actually making the boards in the shape of a bottle and a can. It was annoying trying to track these down. I didn’t follow the saga of Baker skateboards, never really been a fan of their gestalt, and so I was confused by the whole Baker/Deathwish entanglement. Thank god for Wikipedia. Extra points to Deathwish on the beer-colored wheels. That’s a nice touch. Points deducted for screwing with the proportions of the tall boy can. It looks more like Red Bull.

I thought there was already some downhill company making a titanium axle truck, but then again I’m not keeping track. These guys (What guys? Theeve Trucks) claim to have the first titanium axle trucks: Theeve has created the world’s first 6/4 Titanium axle truck. TiAX Titanium axles are 40% lighter and 2 times stronger than standard steel axles. This gives you a weight saving and less chance of bending axles. Titanium / alloy blend with non-slip 6/4 Aerospace grade Titanium axles, Grade 8 king pins and Bones® Hardcore Bushings™ standard. I don’t know how big a part of the overall weight the axle is, so I’m not sure that it would make much of a difference to all but the techy-est of riders. However, extra strength and Bones Bushings are something I can get behind. Theeve says it’s their take on a classic truck, which is kind of funny because I thought these were ACE’s take on a classic truck when I first saw the profile. Speaking of ACE, does anyone know what’s going on with them? I’m trying to set up an account over there and I haven’t heard back in months. Getting back to Theeve, their web site…

I didn’t make any posts on Black Friday, but this works better for Cyber Monday since you might have a hard time finding this in an actual shop. So why not pick up this limited edition Skull and Candy Cane board that is not actually a Blind send up, but something the folks at Powell Peralta cooked up. Out of character? Perhaps. Santa Cruz and Powell appear to be engaged in some sort of protracted nostalgia trench warfare. Get yours at SoCal Skateshop and elsewhere, I’d imagine. – Thanks to Eric Cherry for the tip.

Remember this shot of the week? The board that Jim Gray is riding in the picture, the Sidecut, has been reissued by G&S, but exactly who that entity is, that’s anyones guess. There appears to be an official web site, but the email contact gets bounced back. I’m pretty sure the G&S trademark has traded hands a few times, but I can’t get any confirmation. There are some online skateshops offering boards autographed by Steve Cathey, which according to SkateLegends.com is also coincidentally the guy who signed Jim Gray to G&S. I was curious why he would sign this board and not some others like his some retro-themed offerings with his picture on it. The answer turned up at Cal Streets. The sidecut was designed for Steve, but at the time Cathey felt he was a little overexposed commercially, so he declined to have his name put on it. Minutiae, minutiae, minutiae, but that’s why you’re here, right?

Sure, the “Wild Things” movie was the top gross at the box office last weekend, but MC was into it before Spike Jonze. My wife refused to have her face shown in this picture. Get your shirt from Antigravity Press. Noticeably absent from the soundtrack, X and Tone Loc.

My daughter snapped this shot while visiting friends at Oregon State University. Looks like if you cabled two of the rungs together your trucks and wheels might keep someone from removing the board. Is this really a skate rack? I wonder if the thing fills up with longboards during class hours.

I haven’t seen this many band boards since Punk Rock Skateboards. Remember Punk Rock Skateboards? I mean, the company? They burned bright, and then disappeared. But I digress. DC Jam, home to skate rock bands of legend and today has a new venture called Backstage Skateboards. Check out the lineup: Narcoleptic Youth, JFA, BYO Records Aggression Youth Brigrade, Dr. Strange Records, Teenage Bottle Rockets, Fishbone, Meat Puppets, T.S.O.L., 300 Pounds, Frontside Five, Goverment Issue, DC Jam Records and McRad.

Portland’s sports arena is now called the Dew Garden. Snorkels are an extra $5 at the door. Unaware of what year it was, Dr. Brad and Grover wandered into the Dew Tour desperate for help. But the English language had deteriorated into a hybrid of hillbilly, valleygirl, inner-city slang and various grunts. Dr. Brad was able to understand them, but when he spoke in an ordinary voice he sounded pompous and faggy to them.