The owner of Skim X, a planned indoor skimboarding facility in Roseville, California, was found shot to death inside his place of business Monday afternoon May 30, 2011, according to a story in the Placer Herald.
Christopher Dale Northam, 44, of Rocklin, was found inside Skim X, in the 8200 block of Industrial Avenue in Roseville, with at least one fatal gunshot wound. . . Police responded to reports of an argument and multiple shots fired inside the business shortly after 3 p.m. . . “During the call, the person on the phone line with us then heard three gunshots, at least three, maybe more gunshots inside the business,” said Roseville Police Sgt. Daniel Wanamaker at the scene.
Northam and his son were reportedly working on a new kind of boarding complex that mixed ramps, water, and slick surfaces to create a skimboarding skatepark.
We’ve been following the business for a while thanks to its seemingly quixotic business plan. Northam reportedly said the park would open in June. So far no arrests have been made. Our thoughts are with his family.
It’s hard to believe, but according to a new study published in the journal Pediatrics energy drinks are “likely” to “contribute” to making kids big, hulking fat asses, according to a story in the San Francisco Chronicle. Not only that, but they can cause other serious damage as well.
Monday’s study also focused on the effects of energy drinks that contain caffeine and other stimulants. These beverages can damage adolescents’ neurologic and cardiovascular systems and shouldn’t be consumed, said Benjamin, a University of Chicago associate professor of pediatrics.
Then again, brain damaged kids probably make better consumers and that’s a win for everyone. If you have the stomach for it, click here to read the entire report. . . it’s got electrolytes.
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!
British Snowboarder Miles Kemp, 33, who crashed off a jump on the last day of an Innsbruck snowboard vacation in March 2006, died last month as a result of his brain injuries after five years in a care home, according to story on This Is London.
Kemp, who had been wearing a helmet, was travelling at high speed and his head “took the impact” when his board clipped the edge of the jump and he spun out of control. . . He continued snowboarding after the accident in March 2006 but then fell unconscious.
The former management consultant had 5 years of “intensive therapy” but never again regained the ability to communicate. Our thoughts are with Kemp’s family and friends.
In an apparent move to bring relevance to their collection of old, Eastern skis the Vermont Ski Museum has decided it’s about time they added the world “snowboarding” to their name, according to a story in the Burlington Free Press.
“The museum’s board of directors has long recognized the need to formally acknowledge snowboarding’s Vermont heritage and we’re pleased to announce our decision to change our name to include snowboarding,” said Tom Sequist, the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum board chairman. “The roots of skiing and snowboarding run very deep in Vermont and we’re committed to collecting and preserving their Vermont history and continuing to be a resource for those seeking information about skiing and snowboarding in Vermont.”
Oh what a great day! Wonder if they’ll add any Burton product to their dusty displays?
Austin Ware, Travis Beckmann, Chase Wilson and big money Spencer Regan.
At the 4th Annual K5 Pro/Am Surf Klassic held Saturday, May 28, 2011 at D Street in Encinitas, California Santa Barbara’s Spencer Regan edged Austin Ware, Travis Beckmann and Chase Wilson to nab his $2,000 in prize money.
Ultimately, Spencer Regan was crowned the 2011 champion and took home the $2,000. Local standout Austin Ware claimed 2nd place ($1,000) and Travis Beckmann, who punted a huge clean air reverse in his first heat giving him the claiming rights to the Best Air Award of $500, finished 3rd ($500) in the Finals. Chase Wilson finished a well-deserved 4th place and grabbed $250 for his efforts.
While we think it would be hard to get bad footage of Lindsay Lohan, surf film maker Taylor Steele (working for painter Richard Phillips) has captured something stunning. It’s almost enough to make us forget her jail-at-home ankle monitor.
With the “Lohan” video, shot last month in Malibu, Calif., by the surf-king filmmaker Taylor Steele (and exclusively previewing here), Phillips is also banking on a new direction. Last we looked, he was strictly a painter, albeit one with a certain fixation on the power of media gods and goddesses to distract us from the people they really are.
Well, the distracting part of the artwork is definitely working.
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.
After a disgruntled eBay reseller began posting negative reviews on Skullcandy’s eBay store, the Park City, Utah based personal electronics company said enough and is now reportedly suing the guy, according to a story in the Salt Lake City Tribune.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, alleges Nathan Rees of Orem trashed Skullcandy on the company’s eBay Web page after eBay shut down his own auctions of their products earlier this year. . . “He signed up as several different people so he could leave negative feedback under different names,” said Matthew Barlow, attorney for Skullcandy. “Skullcandy has collected the evidence necessary proving it was him leaving the negative comments.”
Which reminds us: lawsuits are just corporate America’s way of resolving issues.
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.”
The owner of Skim X, a planned indoor skimboarding facility in Roseville, California, was found shot to death inside his place of business Monday afternoon May 30, 2011, according to a story in the Placer Herald.
