I was scanning a Transworld subscription ad from 1983 with a guy who looked like Anthony Micheal Hall, but turned out to be Per Holknekt. I had absolutely no recollection of him so I did quick Google search. The first images that came up said something about him being a fashion designer, so I assumed it was another Per Holknekt. I mean, how many Per’s were there in the freestyle world? Well, it turns out Per Holknekt the fashion designer and Per Holknekt the Tracker freestyle skater are one in the same. The photo above (left) comes from an April 5th, 2016 interview on nouw.com with Per, where he talks about fashion and his skateboard career. At least that’s what I think he talks about, because it’s written in the language of fashion or something else I can’t decipher. The web site for his company Odd Molly features the occasional, 100% gratuitous skateboard in product photos.
Julien Stranger goofs on San Francisco’s real-life version of Perd Hapley, Stanley Roberts. On first watch, I assumed it was just a guy pretending to be on the news, but I’ve been assured he’s a real TV reporter. Apparently he’s got a regular 5 minute spot that airs a couple times a week. His schtick is recording people “behaving badly.” Judging by this clip, his threshold for bad behavior is really low. Julien’s segment is really short, but I got sort of hypnotized by the rest of the video. I kept expecting Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim to show up at any point.
I added 6 more ads from issue number 3 of Transworld Skateboarding, dating back to 1983. First up is Sidewalk Surfer West, a shop that had difficulty spelling Santa Cruz, Zorlac, and even Skateboard. After that we have a Madrid ad with an even split between freestyle and vert, featuring Diane Veerman before she married Primo, Desiderio, and became “Primo and Diane.” Next up, a free subscription to Kona’s Skateboard magazine. It was a borderline zine, but it did act like a legit magazine at times, and not just a thinly disguised skatepark newsletter. Then there’s Rock Socks, company that sold everything you could want if you were an extra on the movie Rad!, except for socks. Gentlemen prefer Hanes, but Infamous surf-skate types prefer Bones. Lastly, here’s a rare shot of Gator on his short-lived pro model for G&S.
Brian might not be the first Anderson you think of when it comes to Playboy. How it all shaking out for him, post coming out in Vice? Turns out, very well. Read about it in his interview in Playboy. It’s a good follow up to an excellent video. I do take issue with the headline Playboy’s editor’s chose. It basically says, “Brian opens up about opening up.” I want to interview him about this interview, just so I can title the post “Brian Anderson opens up about opening up about coming out.”
BMW chassis engineer Rudi Mueller and product designer Stephan Augustin were the two minds behind the original, short-lived BMW Streetcarver, an interesting but impractical idea that was too heavy and too expensive, and ultimately limited to only being useful in mild downhill situations. Stephan is not letting the dream die. He’s come up with another set of alternative trucks that might make you think of Stoker’s if you squint your eyes and look at them over your shoulder. Curfboard trucks are actually a little hypnotizing to watch in action. They look really smooth. I would love to try some out for fun, but even a quick peek will tell you these trucks are once again limited in use. Any sort of truck grind (even off the edge of a sidewalk!) is potentially going to destroy these things quickly. Two crucial, structural elements hang dangerously below the hanger of the truck. Also, it’s unclear how these would handle with any sort of speed. There is no kingpin and thus no bushings, but does not appear to be any resistance or adjustments of any kind possible. You’re stuck with “as is” performance that lends itself well to generating motion through carving, but maybe not so much stability with speed. There’s interesting tidbits of Streetcarver history on the Kickstarter page. If you want to get these at a reasonable price, pledge now, or you’ll suffer sticker shock as the “retail” value comes in at $100 more expensive than the original BMW Streetcarver did at $500. That’s right, completes are expected to sell at an absurd $600. You can still get them at amore reasonable early bird pledge price of $168 for now. There is no option to buy the trucks separately.
The Hundreds has two articles on independent brands of yesteryear (and today) Blockhead, and Acme. Both are good reads, although both could have been much longer. These have absolutely nothing to do with two collaborations by the Hundreds, reportedly sold out already.
Against the Grain: How Jim Gray and Acme Changed Skateboarding Forever
We’ve seen a variety of folding skateboards here, most of them DIY. BoardUp adds a new twist to that with a 2-way hinge mechanism that allows for a more uniform rectangular shape after folding. It looks heavy but the whole board is supposed to way less than 7 lbs. It’s smooth but there’s definitely some flex visible in the video. If transportations your bag, then this might be for you, although you’re probably not reading this web site. Kickstarter on the way…
Just when you thought you’ve seen every possible iteration of skateboard based furniture, along comes Mike Bolster’s rocking chair. A single skateboard truck seems like it would have way too much pivot action to be stable, but Mike uses a double truck setup that keeps the axles parallel at all times. I imagine this would increase the tension and keep you from wobbling around like one of those characters on a giant spring that you see at children’s playgrounds. Insert joke about using a non-turning truck brand for more stability…
This is the best thing Vice media has ever done. Vice Sports presents Brian Anderson on being a gay, professional skateboarder. Time (long ago) to check your homophobia. When is Brian going to come out about being a John Krasinski impersonator?
