Here’s my video wrap up of our mini tour of southern Oregon skateparks that I made with Rich and MC on the occasion of Matt Kline’s BBQ session fundraiser for his bowl in Grants Pass Oregon. With apologies to Steve Grover, because I wouldn’t have brought my video camera if he hadn’t called me up and told me to shoot some “Spring Break” footage. When I lost the photos from this trip I was only able to avoid completely losing my mental health by the calming realization that I at least had some fun video footage. My apologies to the park locals who cooperated for the still photos. Chances are Rich might have some of you if you were in Winston, Matt’s Bowl, Myrtle Creek or Harrisburg. Yes, I am accepting donations towards a steadicam…

I’m sure there are people out there that can’t stand this guy, but I could watch him skate all day long. I guess that makes me gay. Shades of Simon Woodstock for sure, but without the all the stage props. This is William Spencer’s part from The Denver Shop’s latest video In Color which you can pick up for $16. He gets bonus points for using the theme from Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. Now if someone could put him on a team with this guy and this guy and this guy… [Source: Boardistan]

I can’t believe anyone still wants to see this besides me and my friends. I had the day off so I decided to finish the 1st of the Spring Break (09) series. It may be the last also. There are a lot of parks and riders in here, I bet you cant name them all. Consider it a GVK challenge. That ought to boost my internet rating. Winner gets a personal dinner with the editor clothing optional! – GVK Adios.

I haven’t been paying attention to Richie Jackson lately, not through any conscious decision. Like a lot of people, I am a huge fan of his video parts from Death, so I was excited to check this out too. Not too stoked on this Ipath clip, and a big part of it is probably the weak music. I get it, he loves the 60’s, however the soundtrack stokes me like a wet dishrag. Something a little more uptempo might have served him better. No matter, the last ten seconds of the video are worth it. [Source: Respect Authority]

Graham Taylor has made a video comparing skateboarders to modern ballet dancers. It includes some UK footage from the 90’s on. Noticeably present, the Craig Stecyk quote about technology, a cement playground and the minds of 11 year olds. Noticeably absent is the Daniel Gesmer spotlight. In any case, It’s an odd little film that might make you chuckle, especially when the jump cuts between the two disciplines get hopping. Try to imagine a session at street spot with everyone in tights. Then try to imagine ballet dancers gathering secretively in an empty warehouse with their generators and mirrors, practicing their moves and then cursing loudly while trying to focus that big wooden bar. [Source: When we was RAD]

Unfortunately, for every morally uplifting tale, there are about five or more human beings who are still just living in the gutter. There was an 80’s English skate rock/hardcore band called the Coolest Retards, these guys after the jump definitely fit half of that bill.

So am I legit now. I interviewed a piece of skateboard history and future. Whether you know it or not, Bryce Kanights has touched your skateboard life in some way, be it reading, riding or looking at a magazine for the photos. Bryce was there for most of the boom of vert and has been in it since; when you were taking your snowboarding break he was skating and still involved with Thrasher. If you mention the most random skater he has a story. Very few people can make a living off this industry – the photo side anyway – but he has perfected his craft and shoots all the skate stars from Duane Peters to Brent Atchley. So here is my interview of Mr. Bryce Kanights. A brief glimpse into his stuff. P.S. Eat it if you do not like the audio. Who can afford a microphone in this economy? – G.V.K. OFF

You would think that being a reporter for the Wall Street Journal would preclude you from writing about skateboarding, but one man found a way to make it happen. Conor Dougherty contacted me in reference to the New York Times piece of failed mortgages and pool skating. Over the phone he mentioned that he’d been trying to figure out an angle to get the WSJ on board with a skateboard story for a long time, and it looks like he finally swung the deal with a piece called Skateboarding Tourney Stirs Its Own Midnight Madness and another called The Economics of Skateboard videos. The first piece is about the recently hyped game of SKATE put on by the Berrics, and the second one is essentially a recap with some information about professionally produced online video, including the fact that you can usually find recently released skate videos on YouTube. I wondering how he pitched the first story, as far as usefulness from a business standpoint. I’m not pointing this out to be critical, but rather to say “way to make it happen.” Both articles use the same video, which you can watch courtesy of the Wall Street Journal after the…

Epicly Later’d is dissecting the Lakai Fully Flaired video. I picked up on this segment that mostly concentrates on Guy Mariano over at Mumble. Lot’s of people think of different things when they hear his name, for me, I can’t get past the “High Guy” Garbage Pail Kids knockoff graphic. This section of video even has an interview with Stacy Peralta, as he was the “guy” who put Guy, Rudy Johnson, Gabriel Rodriguez and Paulo Diaz on Powell, their first major sponsor. It’s fascinating stuff that should appeal to older and newer skaters alike, and is really only incidental to the Lakai video. What strikes me is mutual respect and general lack of shit talking that usually accompanies the history tales from that era. You can watch the first part of the Guy Mariano focus after the jump. If you’re keeping track, it includes a lot of outtake footage that never made it into the old videos. If you really have some time to kill, watch the whole series up to now over at VBS.tv. [Source: Mumble] (Note: Link removed, original site is gone and appears to be malware now.)

Just like the title says; it’s Old School Skateboarding Slams from the northern Indianapolis area, circa ’87-90. Nothing in it stands out as spectacular, but taken as a whole it’s got a big warm, fuzzy vibe. My favorite slam starts at the 1:35 mark. It’s way off in the background and doesn’t make a good screen capture, so I went with my second favorite slam that happens immediately after. GVK said he felt like he could have been at any one of these sessions. Watch the whole thing after the jump.