Random reader mail captured while stuffing envelopes. Read the letter, I think the kid thought he was contacting Rob Dyrdek directly. We still get emails like that based on an old post about the Fantasy Factory. For some reason kids think he works at Skate and Annoy too.
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Pigeon Park in Hernando Mississippi, built by Evergreen Skateparks. Hard to believe it, but this is Mississippi’s first public skatepark.* It appears to be out in the middle of nowhere in a field. Maybe it was the only parcel of land the city was willing to part with. A nice setting nonetheless. 5 years in the making, thanks to local organizers and fundraising, and now it’s open. Wonderful.
Video and still from Above Productions.
(Update: Hard to believe because the video claim appears to be incorrect. Thanks to Joesf for pointing out another public concrete park already in existence in Vicksburg. This shouldn’t take anything away from Pidgeon Park. )
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Kona Skatepark needs work. The owner of the longest running private skatepark is trying to raise money for repairs to the park. The fundraising campaign is incredibly vague on what the 50k is going to be used for, instead pointing to a recent Folio Weekly article that sheds light on Kona’s interesting, sometimes troubled history as it approaches it’s 39th year in operation. For instance, the park declared bankruptcy twice in the first 18 months after opening in 1977. It was in limbo for 6 months before the the current owner’s (Martin Ramos) parents bought it. Economic downturns, wildly unfortunate personal accidents, and some questionable business decisions, all detailed in the article, make public funding for a privately owned skatepark a hard sell. Kona’s place in history and many skateboarders hearts might help it stay alive. Ramos has some interesting ideas to help keep the park afloat, some of which you’ve heard before that haven’t really worked for anyone else…
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Just picked up some expertly printed Skate and Annoy stickers from Diesel Fuel Prints. Diesel Fuel has a new location on Lombard in North Portland for all your screen printed sticker and poster needs. Tell Andy Skate and Annoy sent ya! Now I’ve got about 50 envelopes to stuff. Here’s how to get yours.
When I first saw this sculpture I assumed it was just a temporary installment that was part of the D-Town Throwdown context in Dallas, Texas. It turns out that “Skaterbird” by Brad Oldham Studio was in fact, the impetus for contest, and is a permanent installation. The sculpture sits atop a parking garage which is home to the sanctioned downhill portion of the contest.
[ Photo: Billy “Bones” Meiners ]
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What started as a post about overpriced 80’s skateboard dolls (Action Skateboard Teen – $50!) got weird during research when I found a video about girls (who can actually skate) who want you to know that’s it’s OK to wear high heels to the skatepark as long as you bring skate shoes to change into, and don’t be a hater or a perv, or something like that. It’s not really any different than an episode of GVK, albeit not as revolting to look at but twice as revolting to listen to.
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R.I.P. Gerry Hurtado AKA “SkateMaster Tate”
UPDATE: Benefit board for his family.
Brand-X skateboards are being re-issued! These are hand screened (not heat transfers) made by Watson Laminates, the same company that produced Brand-X boards before they shut down. However, it gets a little tricky here. Bernie Tostenson owned and screened and supervised the original Brand-X, but he sold the company in 1986, but stuck around to supervise until some time in 1989. The company rereleasing these is the one that bought it from Bernie. It’s unclear whether or not these early Brand-X designs were ever produced by Watson, and they do mention having to recreate the separations, a task that I know to be a time consuming one. The decks have an old school truck pattern but will be distinguishable as re-releases by varied color ways on the top graphic as well as being laser etched in editions of 111 each. The first three models are the Knucklehead and two variations of the Weirdo, one on a natural wood that has not actually been released before.
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