SKATE NEWS

I'm definitely not one to blow up spots...especially skate spots. A sacred spot found, is just that. Sacred as hell. But usually, without fail, a good discovered spot will be infiltrated over night and often times, ruined by those who come in packs to skate it. There's nothing wrong with this systematic turn of events. It's just the nature of the skate game. Seek, find, destroy and move on. It's all about adapting people.

With that said, I don't feel bad about blowing up this particular spot, mostly because 12th & A is a public space which welcomes skateboarders. Yes. Welcomes them! As most of you know, after 3pm, the Open Road Park yard is open to any skateboarder who's down. For the past couple of years, kids have skated mostly the obstacles stored in a nearby trucking container. Now, I'm psyched to let you all know that there are three buttery-as hell, perfect height, marble ledges, permanently existing around the perimeters of the 12th & A Open Road Park. I told you this marble business was going off. And if that wasn't enough to have you already jotting down your lines, there's now a 4 foot mini ramp there too. So sick.

This is also the spot where high school skate class is going down. How ill would it be to skate those ledges while in school? The answer: Pretty g'damned ill.
The Drama Of J. Strickland

And The Continuation Of The Ongoing Baker Beef

Recently 48Blocks went and published what has already become a highly controversial Q&A with the infamously mysterious man himself, J. Strickland. For those who don't know, Strickland was one of the founding fathers of Baker Skateboards. Alongside Andrew Reynolds, Strickland built the brand from the ground up via a marketable image, graphics, a strong team and the now classic videos, Baker Bootleg and Baker2G. Somewhere along the line, hefty beef occurred and Strickland split from Bake, going on to start the now defunct, Bootleg Skateboards out of the NHS camp. Before long, a very public beef emerged between the Baker and Bootleg squads. Courtesy Deathwish Skateboards

Twuan's No Stranger To The System.
Each company released countless ads, dissing each other anyway that they possibly could. To me, the story was always confusing because a bunch of the Bootleg riders were down with the Baker heads from the start. Non of it really added up in my eyes, until now. In this interview, Strickland tells about his days with Baker & Bootleg, his blotched partnership with Andrew Reynolds, living in New York and so much more.

After reading this interview straight through, I thought to myself, "Wow, there is bound to be some hard feelings from some of the many names mentioned throughout this thing." I guess it didn't take long before some sh*t went down. A few nights ago, right here in New York, Baker/Deathwish family member Antwuan Dixon was arrested for allegedly going at J. Strickland with a hammer. Whether Twuan's actions were a result of this very interview is tough to say for sure, but regardless, it adds a sh*tload of gnarlitude to this already dramatic story. One thing's certain...Antwuan Dixon still does not give a f*&%.

Deluxe

Lost Days & Throwaways
In the old VHS days, salvaging "throwaway" footage wasn't easy. If a teamriders footage was good, but not quite good enough for their part, it might end up in the credits section, and even that was extremely limiting. Then came skate video DVD's and the introduction to the "Extras" portion of the disc menu. It was there that outtakes left to rot on the cutting room floor would live forever. In todays golden age of online immediacy, it's the throwaway that not only gets internet play like a motherfu*ck, it's the perfect way to hype a team video like nobodies business.

Real Skateboards has just posted a section on Deluxe site entitled, Lost Days And Throwaways. It features tons of amazing footage that's damn good, but not quite good enough for the new Real Video that will be dropping sometime in Spring 2009. At this minisite, there's tons of amazing footy from Real's roadtrips to NY, Denver, LA, the East Bay and more. Watch it now and give me one good reason that Dennis Busenitz shouldn't be crowned Skater Of The Year. Don't have a clue as to who might win? Don't sweat it, this Friday at 9am PT, Thrasher will announce the 2008 SOTY. It's on folks. It's on.

NEW PRODUCTS

Thinking outside the classic 7-ply maple make-up, BambooSk8 manufactures decks completely out of…you guessed it, bamboo! Besides the eco-friendly aspect, bamboo boards are lighter, stronger, and have more pop than the classic set-up, not to mention all-natural style points. Visit BambooSk8 for a list of retailers and try one out for yourself. Better yet, sign up for their ‘Win Free Decks for a Year‘ Contest - all you have to do is enter! And don’t be fooled by the phonies, BambooSk8’s decks are made from %100 bamboo.

Don’t hog it all for yourself, share some of the cool with your little one. Hook up your baby with some Crib Shoes by Vans. These slip-ons are available for both girls and boys. Available at both In4mation locations. Phone orders are welcomed.

You can hate, but you can’t argue. Nike SB truly knows. HUF just got this fresh cotton in stock. But don’t fret if you can’t make it out to Cali, these tees should be available at other select SB retailers now.

Skaters, bikers, and sneaker lovers, listen up. Introducing the Vans Syndicate Max Schaaf pack. Representing vert skater, vintage motorcycle enthusiast and longtime Vans rider Max Schaaf, this pack is a classic representation of Vans styles. The pack consists of two colors of the the Mountain Edition - red is lookin’ fresh - and Era Shoes, made of superb high quality leather and fire resistant suede and canvas so your foot doesn’t melt while you’re riding your motorcyle. Each shoe will be released in black/white and red/white colorways and will come with matching handle bar grips. The shoe box is modeled after vintage motorcycle parts packaging and is something special in itself. Vans Syndicate is s premium collection and online hub Robust Flavor has the shoes for phone orders right now at (866) 9-Robust. What you waiting for?

With all the benefits the digital world brings us - light speed information sharing being the cornerstone - it still has its drawbacks. The toll of the ‘net and the struggling economy brings another magazine to its knees, longtime skate mag Slap has released its final issue: December 2008. But the good news is Emerica pros Heath Kirchart gets the cover and Leo Romero gets a 14-page interview. Slap went down with a fight, and hey, it’s not completely over because their website is now the new place to catch up on all the news. And word on the street is their forum is the best out.

Just a reminder that the Mighty Healthy Skateboard decks are available at your local Mighty Healthy retailer. There are three differnt sizes and themes to choose from, act fact though, because there were only limited amounts of decks produced!

LRG and G Shock have teamed up before in the past for the “Time Is Money” witch quickly sold out as soon as shops received the piece. Now they are teaming up again for LRG’s 10 Year Anniversary, this time using the G Shock Frogman Watch. These watches will be limited to 1,000 and will only be available at select LRG Retailers.

What good are your $200 kicks when you’re wearing some dirty $2 socks? Exactly. Look good shoeless with this batch of socks from KR3W. Apart from low, mid, and hi white and black logo socks, KR3W changes it up a bit with the narrow-striped Eva and broad-striped Willy models - each come in two colorways. Check out the full lineup below and hit up Factory 413’s newly opened online store to purchase. $8-$12

For the wall or the wallride, you decide. Skate fashion icon Diamond Supply Co. linked up with veteran skate label Chocolate Skateboards for this muppet flaunting “Lil’ Diamond D” Deck, Chocolate pro Daniel Castillo’s pro model board. Chocolate brings the deck quality while Diamond brings the style steez. Stunts, Blunts, and Skateboards, ya dig? “7.75 x 31.13″ $45.99

For years now, Tech Deck has given skaters and non-skaters something to do in the classroom. Now Tech Deck introduces their Collector Series - same miniature decks you love, but with old school style, or as Cab says, “Toys for lil old school boys”. Pictured above is skate legend (and rising artist) Steve Caballero’s retro Powell dragon graphic. Like all Tech Deck fingerboards, it also comes with metal trucks, graphics wheels and grip tape. As a bonus, the collector series comes with a cool retro sticker and display-ready pack. Check out a larger image below and stop by your local skate shop to purchase.

Coinciding with these P-Rod II’s, the Gucci-flavored Nike SB Varsity Jacket is finally available. And if you’re looking for the an easy stocking stuffer or just a hat/glove/scarf combo, check out the new Knit Gift Pack. Also available are the Lance Mountain Crewnecks and Tees the new SB Knows Tee. Hit the link below to see it all.

Deluxe Distribution (Real, Spitfire, Thunder, Anti-Hero, Krooked) released their Holiday 2008 Catalog. Clcik the link below to catch up on all the new product from these highly notable skate brands. Word is there’s a tight video clip on the Anti-Hero page. Check your local skate shop for the goods.

The Nike SB “Mosquito” Dunk Low Premium made a buzz a few weeks ago as word leaked that it was a limited edition Quickstrike that would only be available at select accounts. Well, apparently someone got their hands on it and has it up on eBay, a size 11 for $200 to be exact. Incredibly detailed, the shoe is made of suede, patent leather, and nubuck and features a half translucent red/half speckled green sole, a cartoon mosquito printed on the insole, a Band-aid resemblant perforated skin-toned/lime green/blood red color-up and areas of 3M reflective material. There’s also hints of gray and baby blue. Click “Read more” below to view detailed photos. If you’re a size 11, make your move, if not, keep an eye out for these to drop at select accounts over the next few weeks. We’ll keep you posted if we hear anything.

Those weenie quarter socks ain’t cool kid, hack ‘em back up with these Fourstar Pirate Hi Socks - classic skate logo. Choose from black or white. Don’t forget to stuff those stockings! $7.99

SKATE NEWS

The infamous Sick Boys re-release premiere will be showing at Thee Parkside in San Francisco on December 11th, the day before Thrasher announces the skater of the year (perplex on that one, for a while and try to figure out who it could be). It's seven dollars to enter and all proceeds go to our dearly departed ripper in the sky Johnny Romano's Foundation. Come out to listen to Hot Lunch and the Nowheres and relive history for a good cause. Here are the directions.

A little innocent joy is a long-awaited treat to every one of us who has suffered through the blissless ignorance of the last eight years. Maybe it's just a coincidence or pure circumstance, but memories from my youth have been popping up all around me. The Cosby Show seems to be on the air more often than I remember, I just saw Picture Pages the other day and I caught Muppets one morning with my Goddaughter. So it just seems fitting, for me at least, that Matix is making advertisements that could fit into an episode of Sesame Street.—Joshua Brooksf

Cliche

If you couldn't tell by now, I like the Frenchies over at Cliche. I don't really subscribe to the blatant nationalism that most Americans have against Frenchmen, unless of course that Frenchman is a waiter in Paris. I hate those guys. Otherwise, there's tons of stuff to like about France and Frenchmen—like all the dudes on Cliche and their most recent teaser for the Live and Unplugged Video—Joshua Brooks