So kooks here are the trucks for you, they SPARK they are fun they make every session 1 step better. They turn. The axels do not slip. What more could you ask for? And the clotihng line is popular you can find jocks at any high school wearing their stuff that you found cool ten years ago, oops that is the Independent Truck co., sorry. These trucks are as good as any I have ridden. Shoot me an E-mail And let me know what you think of this review losers. Peace Off – Grover

There’s an article being recycled by different newspapers about how a rap act know as The Pack is helping the worlds of skateboarding and hip hop come together, as if that is something new. The research department only went back a couple of years because completely absent from the article are such bands as the Beastie Boys, Urban Dance Squad and oh, I don’t know, who else but Skatemaster Tate, a guy who based his whole schtick on it back in the late 80’s. That’s Tate above hosting Nickelodeon’s SK8 TV with Mathew Lillard. Bottom right is a shot from a video shoot for The Pack’s new EP Skateboards 2 Scrapers. Early skate-rap connections, video links, a Skatemaster Tate roundup and more after the jump.

If you are tired of discussing the merits of found pools versus skatepark replicas, you can move on to arguing about when is a grind a grind? Enter this so-called World’s Longest Grind video. Watch the video and we’ll break it down for you after the jump.

Cheese and Crackers from Almost Skateboards, circa 2006. Its a new year, so we can break out the videos from last year right? This is one of the better skate videos to come out of 2006. In my opinion Daewon Song and Chris Haslam are two of the most creative skaters out there, and it definitely shows in this video. Flip tricks off of blunts and into noseslides and everything in between. They even incorporate tires and suspended flat bars for a little extra flavor. The video may be short, but I usually end up watching each part multiple times just to catch what is going on. Featured Skaters: Daewon Song and Chris Haslam run time: 14 min 56 sec – Check it Out

No, this guy isn’t crying because he rides rollerblades. He’s a practitioner of extreme unicycling. I’ve seen pics of the odd unicycle guy at a skate park, but I’ve never witnessed one in person. These guys have a DVD coming out titled “Under No Influence,” and they claim anything done on a skateboard can be done on a unicycle. The video is actually fun to watch. They did a good job taking the piss out of traditional skate videos (see the car scene) while managing some uh, radical moves. Of course, they are still on unicycles, so… What about their claim? Well, there are lots of rack-shots, some rail slides, and the equivalent of what would be grinds and ollies. Oh yeah, and acid drops too. They look kind of funny (besides being on unicycles) and the pacing is slow. See for yourself after the jump.

So how many of you know Mark Conahan I mean really Know Mark Conahan! Well if you don’t Know him you will now. Here it is the interview that will set skateboarding on it s ear and make you think thrice, unedited unadulterated the naked Mark Conahan- friend or foe you decide.

Skateboarding, Apple Computers and Punk Rock. That’s the chronological order that I was introduced those items, and I’m still heavily hooked on all of them. I had an Apple II before Macs existed. That means I’m old and also excuses computers coming before punk. I did grow up in a midwest suburb you know… My worlds rarely collided in the past, but nowadays it seems to happen all the time, which is why I barely raised an eyebrow when Apple’s latest Get a Mac adverts featured a certain skateboard conglomeration’s stickers prominently on TV. I would have preferred a more clandestine skateboard brand than Girl/Chocolate. Something a little under the radar would have been more subversive, if that’s at all possible at this point. Actually, little kids wouldn’t know about underground brands, so a Wet Willy sticker might have been more appropriate. Embedded video, links and more after the jump.

It’s kind of a one-liner and it looks like it was filmed in one take, but Pimp My Skateboard mostly makes up for it in post production and the script. What is this, Ebert & Kilwag or just another YouTube link?

Search for Animal Chin from Powell Peralta, circa 1987. This is the third installment from the Bones Brigade Video Series. I figured since we are giving Tommy Guerrero some love, then we might as well show his “ripping style” from back when he was a kid. I think I’ve watched this video more times than any other skate video. It’s such a classic, with loads of awful synth music. I guess they just came out with the DVD which has a bunch of bonus footage on it. Featured Skaters: Steve Caballero, Skip Engblom, Tommy Guerrero, Tony Hawk, Mike McGill, Lance Mountain, Rodney Mullen, Jim Thiebaud, Ray Underhill, Mike Vallely run time: 1 hr 5 min 52 sec – Check it Out

Real to Reel from Real Skateboards, circa 2001. This video is Real’s third offering, and its definitely not their best. Some of the parts of this video lack creativity. Its the same old standard of single trick lines, cut up on the editing floor. Not to say there isn’t some really sick skating. The Gonz is in the video, which is the main reason I’m even posting it! There are only so many skaters out there that I can watch the same video parts over and over again and never tire of it. The Gonz is one of these people. J.T. Aultz stands out for sure, and I always enjoy watching Max Schaaf busting some gigantic airs. Featured Skaters: J.T. Aultz, Damian Bravo, Dennis Busenitz, Matt Field, Cairo Foster, Mark Gonzales, Keith Hufnagel, Nathan Jones, Phil Mackie, and Max Schaaf. run time: 29 min 24 sec – Check it Out