On Thursday, Thursday, Thursday June 9, 2011 the monsters of skateboarding converge on Woodward West for the first stop of the MegaRamp Championship Series starring Bob Burnquist, Jake Brown, Andy McDonald, Adam Taylor, and Lincoln Ueda. (If you can’t tell we’re typing in our best monster truck announcer voices).
The competition is open to both pros and top ams and will be a fully spectator event. Judged during a jam format, athletes will drop in nine stories to jump a 70 ft. gap, landing at 45mph and subsequently hitting a 27 ft. high quarterpipe that sends them 50 ft. in the air. It’s skate action as you’ve never seen it.
Danny Way and Christian Hosoi will be in the judges stand. And yes, there will be some BMX involved, but no skiers thank God. If you haven’t seen the Megaramp in person, this might be the perfect time. It is much more impressive in person. Seriously. Follow the jump for a look at the Woodward Megaramp and all the details. [click to continue…]
Strangely, the New York Times headlined a story today Nike Tries to Enter the Niche Sports It Has Missed Missed? Seems, no one has mentioned to the old gray lady that Nike SB already owns the core skate market (and that’s not even counting Converse). Aside from a few people who still rock Vans most skaters don’t want to wear anything else. This hasn’t, however, stopped the Portland footwear giant from pushing on with a new, huge, advertising campaign that launches today called The Chosen. It’s reportedly the first time Nike has used action sports athletes in a major Just Do It, campaign.
The new campaign, called “The Chosen,” is Nike’s largest effort at moving into action sports, and will feature athletes like the skateboarder Paul Rodriguez (or P-Rod), the surfer Laura Enever and the snowboarder Danny Kass. . . “When we looked at action sports, we saw a unique consumer segment that was underserved in terms of product innovation,” Mark G. Parker, Nike’s chief executive and president, said at a shareholder meeting in May.
Nike’s The Chosen commercials premiere today on facebook at 4 PM PDT/ 7 PM PDT. Click here for skateboarding, here for surf, and here for snowboarding. The truth is, Nike really isn’t “trying” anymore in action sports. They’re just doing it. And yes, it took them a long, long time to figure it out, but now that they have . . . well, we all know the rest of that story.
Aaron “Jaws” Homoki has been one of our favorite skaters since we watched him messing around on Bob Burnquist’s Mega ramp quarterpipe back in 2008. Then there was his parking garage bomb drop, and now this 20 set that could be the biggest ollie ever. At least that’s what Thrasher Magazine is saying on their July 2011 cover.
Rebate, the coalition of skateboarders “dedicated to providing members of the skateboarding family support” in times of crisis is currently running an auction to raise money to help Duane Peters pay off some medical bills related to a leg infection last year that nearly resulted in his losing the leg.
An eBay auction of some amazing one-off and collectible skate items is now live through evening Thursday, June 2. All proceeds will help Duane Peters and his mass of medical bills. He saved his own leg! But now it’s time to pay the piper. So his friends and supporters have donated these fine goods and rare collectibles to help out. Do your part, and BID!
See if you can count the logos in this Paul Rodriguez Full Clip Friday. His new TF is taking product placement to a whole new level. Damn, if we’re not Jonesing for a trip to Target. And that is annoying.
Whenever anyone mentions a turf war in Watts, California most would think it was gang related. But recently, the people battling over a gravel lot near the world-famous towers are not bangers, but artists, City Councilwomen, and skateboarders, according to a story in Time Magazine.
L.A. City Councilwoman Janice Hahn hopes the park will provide a positive outlet for kids, and has met with local residents over the last two years to garner support for her plan. But some members of the community are outraged at the idea an athletic facility in the shadow of their iconic Towers.
Those against the park say it will “jeopardize” the artistic legacy of the towers and bring “tagging, gang issues, and an open space for drug dealing.” Our favorite quote, not surprisingly comes from The Tony Hawk Foundation’s Executive Director Miki Vuckovich: “”The Towers represent Watts’ creative history,” he says, “and the kids on their skateboards represent Watts’ creative future.”
We’ll pretty much listen to Ed Templeton talk about anything, but when he’s talking about skateboarding and art, then that’s required viewing. According to Skatedaily.net, this is an interview done by Wunderbaum Magazine in anticipation of his latest art show My soul is worried but not me.
The show runs at the Nils Staerk Gallery (in Copenhagen) until June 25, 2011.
The ultimate skate shoe history book, Made For Skate, is now an iPad app. For those who’ve never seen the book, or worn out the print version, this app comes as a welcome e-relief. It is absolutely FREE. If we had an iPad we’d download it right now. Guess we’ll have to wait until we’re at Grandma’s house.
And now for some week-and-a-half old video from the ever entertaining skateboarding footwear market. It would appear that there are some at Girl who do not want to lose their Lakai footwear brand in a potential Podium sale.
Fabrizio Santos, one of the friendliest guys in skateboarding, has signed on to represent KLeN Laundry.
A fun loving, outgoing and engaging personality, the Breeze has a style of skating all his own: smooth, fluid and explosive wrapped into one. Fabrizio cruises the streets and skate parks alike with dreadlocks flying wild, but always in complete control of the board under his feet. Breeze finished last year with an 8th place ranking on the Dew Tour and most recently had a strong showing at Ryan Sheckler’s Skate For A Cause event in Lake Forest.
Fresh socks are always good. . . follow the jump for the official word. [click to continue…]
On Thursday, Thursday, Thursday June 9, 2011 the monsters of skateboarding converge on Woodward West for the first stop of the MegaRamp Championship Series starring Bob Burnquist, Jake Brown, Andy McDonald, Adam Taylor, and Lincoln Ueda. (If you can’t tell we’re typing in our best monster truck announcer voices).
