May 15th was free skateboard day at the PGE park. The first 2000 people to enter the Portland Timbers game vs. St Louis got a free Portland Timbers skateboard. I didn’t even find out about it until now. I’m bummed on a few levels. Bummed I didn’t know about it in advance, bummed I didn’t get a skateboard, and bummed I wasn’t the supplier. 2,000 skateboards is an expensive promotion, even if you were to buy them from China. It would take a company like, Oh , I don’t know, Cold War, a good six years to sell that many decks. I didn’t think it was legit, but it is up on the Portland Timbers Facebook page. The top graphic is the tip off that the designer probably didn’t skate. Anybody know what’s going on with the rumor that Portland might get a Major League Soccer team? Remember the episode of the Simpsons where they joked that it made actually made a town less desirable? Interesting cross sport marketing. I was going to link to a picture of a frisbee with a skateboarder on it, but either I never posted it or I can’t find it.

– Thanks to Greg for the tip.

I only fly a couple times a year. I used to bring my skateboard with me as a carry on, but with laptops, camera bags and especially kids, it became more of a hassle than it was worth, so I began to look for skate bag options. I had one of those old Thrasher bags that were essentially oversized duffle bags from back in the day, but the zipper crapped out. It wasn’t very heavy duty and didn’t inspire great confidence as far as aiport travel. Enter the Body Bag from Old Man Army. It’s oversized enough to fit multiple skateboards and gear. In fact, mine is packed right now with my board, my kid’s board, my helmet and pads, and his helmet, plus my clothes. OMA really researched this before they had them made. They aren’t just some random bag rebranded as a skate bag. It’s got a million pockets, tie downs and straps, including a removable shoulder strap. There two spots on the bottom where you can unzip and poke your trucks through the bottom of the bag if you want. The inside looks like a space suit. They researched the maximum dimensions for luggage and made this thing as big as possible without falling into the oversized category. The zipper is heavy duty. and it opens super wide while still retaining it’s shape. I’ve had mine for a while now, made a bunch of cross country flights with connections, and it still looks as brand new as the day I got it. I can’t recommend this thing enough. Get yours from Old Man Army. Oh yeah, I’m headed to Florida. Spring Break! Whoo hoo!

This t-shirt is for sale over at Palmer Cash, but it’s imprtant to know that MC crystallized this idea in 2007.

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 says they also have axleless hangers coming in 2010. So I guess that means split axle trucks, along the lines of Gull Wing, but probably without the coping slot, since the recent incarnation Gull Wing has dropped it themselves.

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.