There are certain topics here on Skate and Annoy that though old, tend to cycle back into popularity every so often, and Skate-ball is one of them. If you’re not familiar, Skate-ball was a pinball-themed fiberglass ramp setup that had actual scores and scoreboard affected by different sections that you rolled over. Now, thanks to Nathan Kipnis we have some brand new (old) skate-ball content. Nathan was part of the Tom Thumb skateboarding team in the late 70’s. Check out these photos of the Skate-ball facilities in Crystal Lake and Chicago Illinois taken by a photographer who occasionally travelled with the team. Nathan can’t remember her name, so hit us up if you know who it is.
Bernie Sanders inauguration memes have definitely slowed down, but new ones are still trickling in. Bernie used that popularity to raise $1.8 Million (!!) to be donated to Vermont based charities, most of them battling food insecurity. One notable exception is the Nono-profit Chill Foundation, described as a positive youth development program where boardsports become a vehicle for empowerment. Unlike some so-called benefactors, you can bet that the funds will actually make it to the charities in question, and that is apparently…. radical. (Sorry, couldn’t resist.)
So glad this clown is gone. If you were in a skateboard-related online group in the past couple of years chances are you’ve had to put up with MAGA fools interjecting MAGA nonsense, unsolicited. On top of that, there was the rash of dramatic exits as in “I’m quitting Facebook, look me up on Parler” – all of this happening in skateboarding groups for some reason. I’m sure it happened elsewhere too. Well hopefully that’s over now. Good riddance, and as the expression goes “fuck your feelings” if you don’t like it. The editorial cartoon is by Ross MacDonald and the kickflip sticker from RedBubble.
Australia’s beloved punk/metal/pop group the Hard-Ons (be careful when you google that kids!) just dumped hundreds of tracks on their Bandcamp page. Singles Collection, EP collections, expanded releases… many previously unpublished or only available on vintage vinyl, like this self titled EP shown in cassette form above. I believe this record (pictured above) was one you once had the option to select with your subscription to Thrasher, which was a thing they used to do. If that’s not how I got my copy, I’m pretty sure I bought it based purely on the cover. The punk purist in me had a hard time getting acclimated to metal aspects, but tracks like Girl in a Sweater and Then I Kissed Her definitely appealed to the Descendents and Simpletones fan in me.
We are stoked to take your money. Check out these reproductions of an old 70’s skateboarding sticker graphic available in a combo life size sticker and larger than life size embroidered patch. Believe it or not, this project has been in the works for over a decade. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Get yours from Skate and Annoy.
You should check out episode 84 of the Punk Til I Die podcast. Episode 83 features an interview with Roxy Epoxy from Portland’s beloved Epoxies. Why? At one time I made an Epoxies skateboard and Skate and Annoy cofounder and former Ebay Watch author Neil McDougall is one half of this podcast, a little brother to the Punk News podcast that started because the actual Punk News podcast seemed to be lite on the actual Punk Rock. It started in early 2019 and they are already 83 (!!) episodes deep. Check it out.
Variety Magazine reports that a Lords of Dogtown TV series is in the works at IMDb TV. “In the works” probably means very early stages, pre-pre production. This could mean 0 episodes get produced, or a pilot , or a pilot and a handful of first episodes… who knows. At one point in my life as a young skateboarder this would have gotten me really excited. Now that I’m just an old man yelling at clouds, something like this just makes me sigh, even if it won’t cost me a penny to watch a TV adaptation of a movie dram adaptation of a documentary film. You have to wonder if any of the original parties involved will see a dime from this.
Skaters Mob The Capitol for Spots After Learning There’s No Security. – Pure gold from the Nut Daily News. It’s just an Instagram account, not a web site or a Facebook page, which apparently is something you wacky kids do these days. Happy New Year as a farewell present to Trump, you can listen to Security by the Big Boys (not the Proud Boys) after the jump.
When heros rescue history from the trash! Check out these photo of the Ocean Bowl from 1976 shown here by permission of Marc Emond:
The photos on this post were pulled from a dumpster behind The Beachcomber weekly newspaper in the early 80s. The box they were in contained piles of surf and skate photos. Whoever found them gave them to Jack Crosby at BB Bombers surf shop. Jack gave me the skate park photos. Pure fate that they ended up in my hands…
If you’re in the mood for more vintage Ocean City, check out this Rolling Surf action.
