6'13"

Ben Polk takes me down memory lane, and hits one out. Man I hope there's basketball this fall.

Happy weekend.

Chop Shopping.

The Jack Olson warm up files with some hidden gems. Paging Kirian Stone's full video part...

Fulton and co. are still looking for a video name; drop some in the comments.

Dug this New York Times skate article from Quartersnacks, the so-called "the best article I’ve ever seen about skateboarding by a person who has no clue about skateboarding." Probably.

On Travis Erickson and skate part bingo from BTO. That video part gets better every time I watch it.

Down the rabbit's hole morbidly broken elbow style (not a link to someone getting jacked).

Random album cover stance. Amsterdam?

GF's record with her Honda Accord: drove through a garage door at Jiffy Lube with no one in it (due to remote starter), stolen, returned three days later, stolen a year and a half later. RIP '95 Honda Accord.

SEWPER CHALL.

Green Screen

Hey Darin!

#SHOTSFIRED

-Familia has booked Scott Seekins years after doing that classic and unauthorized t-shirt. Should be a good one and a weird one; there might be more for that weekend too.

-I'm all for small victories, etc., but if Leibman is going to call me out by name in a post title, I'd better get served. Shakey iPhone video is not a serving.

-A Plymouth Plaza update from Dan Jackson: "I have not seen the final layout yet, but looked at what the plans the construction crew had which were kind of hard to decipher, but I really fear the park is going to be too one-dimensional (possible ledge overkill)." There you go.

-I may or may not have gotten a LinkedIn request from Shane O'Neill.

-At a shop signing in Helsinki, Finland, a random kid came up to McGuire and said, "Hey Sam, where's your eyebrow ring?" He was prompted by no one.

-In case you saw this, it was not I who botched Ricky Nunn's name. The record is set straight. (Yes, the Shaggy Defense).

-I was really hoping this bit of writing by a dude of the same name could help explain the Ihaven'tskatedinagesliness of this. Oh well.

-I was just talking to my intern, who hasn't updated in 19 days, but found time today to sit at the shop for three hours. Hmmmm...

"Hell, I've Had Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Since '97"

"It's like skateboarding without the balance or the fear factor."

Over cocktails the other night, I was told of a particularly disturbing National Public Radio story. An NPR story about fingerboarding.

One must actually listen to it (at the previous link) to get at its full eye-rolling potential (and to feel appropriately sorry for poor Sarah Reynolds). From $100 fingerboards to kids being judged on "style" to the music that plays as the story goes out, this is the type of package that even the most ardent defenders of public radio will not defend (myself included).

In light of this story, I'm actually feeling a momentary bit of solidarity with the "We listen to NPR precisely to avoid this sort of stupidity" crowd. Of course, there were letters about the story too (starting at 0:45). When the crux of one writer's letter (an ex-skater's) is essentially, "Come on," AND Robert Segal agrees with the sentiment, well, come on.

I still think the most accurate representation of fingerboarding is the 12-year-old video above. Happy weekend.

SOLIDARITY

One time Mankato mayoral candidate, Thomas Sowell devotee and now aspiring Wobbly, Tha Dolo pulls BGP's in the picket line, as covered by The New York Times.

"I haven't seen a Minnesota skater getting background props to Mexicans like this since Paco came out," Ian Steig said.

Love Barge

Footage surfaced. Hat tip to Leibman. On the same thing, Meyer was quoted in the press.

Familia's got something brewing in the coming months...

VHS Transfers

Shitheads Vol. 8 finally made it up on the Youtube. Thank you 3flip10credits for making "things I never got around to doing" a reality. It should also be noted that dude has also uploaded Troubleshooters, an SD time capsule whose own appearance on the tube almost merited its own post.

Cool Clips and pedal-pubs.

JUNGLE IZ MASSIVE

I've been away. The above is the aftermath of an etnies signing in Helsinki, where a bunch of Finnish kids got a little too pumped about free shades and stickers. Once the dudes bailed, the tables buckled. It would be a better story to say the dudes were rushed out the door behind the booth and whisked away to safety (but those doors were locked), but oh well. There're a lot of stories from the trip. There's an article forthcoming and I'll try to post more anecdotes here, time during a fresh semester allowing.

On a similar note, I did a little welcome to etnies interview with Cairo Foster last month.

While footage of the Twincities stop of the Mississippi Grind continues to be elusive, a Google search did turn up some flicks of the event from my former employer. It also seems that life on the river is taking a bit of a toll on Fink, though one must admit that's a pretty sick look. Let's see if Meyer follows suit.

Keep your eyes on Jamiel and Fink's social media efforts for more on the Grind.

Finally, Adeline has a video of Steve featuring some moves from his interview in this month's TSM. Proper vid.

Mississippi Grind

Check out Mississippi Grind this weekend in Downtown St. Paul.

Dirty Thursday

Transworld not blowing it? This being their first installment of "Pro Spotlight Videos" I was surprised it was a dude I actually wanted to watch. Puig rules!
Anyone else think he looks a lot like Sissi?

Beers and brats with Bonger and Joe Hall.
-Henkler