Wondering where Penny Skateboards came from? So were we. That’s why it was great of founder Ben Mackay to kick it all down for us on Vimeo.
From his humble beginnings to the challenges of breaking into the industry, Ben tells in his own words how early lessons in life had inspired him to chase his dream in helping to bring the “fun” back into skateboarding.
Seriously, that’s one of our favorite skateboarding stories. Click play and hear it again.
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Nixon is kicking off their 2012 WTA (Winner Takes All) series at the Billabong Rio Pro, which starts tomorrow (May 9, 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The Nixon WTA is a winner-takes-all event along three stops of the ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals) World Tour and one ASP Men’s 6-Star event during the 2012 season. Challenges in The 2012 Nixon WTA will range from Biggest Air, Highest Heat Score, Heaviest Wave and the overall Triple Crown Winner.
The winner takes home this $10,000 Nixon 51-30 Nixon tide watch. This may be the stealthiest looking WTA watch ever. Follow the jump for the official word. [click to continue…]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
With the LA City Council’s recent attempt to crack down on hill-bombing skateboarders, the LA Times has been the repository for comments from general citizens who applaud the work of the council. Our favorite was from Edward Golden of Northridge, California.
Skateboarders should have been reeled in a long time ago. Their total lack of accountability should have been lawfully addressed from the start. . . They menace the citizenry and disturb the peace in residential neighborhoods and vandalize city property by relentlessly pounding curbs, streets and you-name-it in an endless pursuit of becoming the next Tony Hawk.
It’s never a real discussion until someone mentions Hitler Tony Hawk. Apparently, Golden is the real “caveman poet” of skateboarding.
[Link: LA Times]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science is kicking off a new skateboarding exhibit called Tony Hawk | Rad Science on May 26, 2012. The exhibit is promoted like this:
How can a visit to a local skatepark demonstrate important physics principles? On Saturday, June 2, the world’s most famous skateboarder and exhibit namesake, Tony Hawk, brings the gravity defying answer to Berkeley in a . . . tag-team demonstration with Berkeley physics professor Joel Fajans. . . “Tony Hawk is famous for skateboarding, and UC Berkeley is famous for science,” said Gretchen Walker, Associate Director of the Lawrence Hall of Science. “This is a great match, like centripetal force to a kickflip.”
The exhibit runs all summer and is included in museum admission. Mr. Hawk and friends will only be there on June 2, 2012 and to see them you have to buy an event ticket. Click the link for more info.
[Link: Lawrence Hall of Science]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Big man about design Aaron Draplin has created a line of T-shirts especially for Patagonia that feature a nice mix between their logo and Draplin’s tried, true, red, white, and blue-collar American stylings. They’ve been out for a while, but we just noticed them.
In classic Draplin fashion mentioned the shirts on Twitter like this:
“Had a @Patagonia jacket in high school! Saved for it. Super nice. Was proud to roll up the sleeves for them.”
We’re glad he did because they’re the most attractive Patagonia shirts we’ve ever seen. The above Ts are the Outline Logo, the GPIW Equipment, and the Diamond C. They retail for $35 and are available online right now.
[Link: Patagonia]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Rob Machado has launched his first photography exhibition at Encinitas, California’s Bliss 101.
“I’ve been interested in photography for years, always taking photos on my surfing trips, but one of my favorite places to shoot is my hometown area in North County,” says Machado. “Because Bliss 101 supports local artists and the community, it’s a great fit to launch the exhibit of the images I’ve taken throughout the years.”
Nice to see Machado branching out. And the photos look good.
[Link: U-T San Diego]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Thanks to an “injured heel” Kelly Slater, the World Champion and current number one in the ASP World Championship Tour points race, has announced that the will not be able to surf the Billabong Rio Pro.
“I injured the inside of my left heel in Java and then re-opened it again the following week at Cloudbreak,” Slater said. “It became infected and I flew to Australia to get it treated and stitched in hopes of making it to Rio, if not for Round 1, at least for Round 2. I’ve been in the water since getting it stitched and while I can go straight, I can’t do turns at all right now so I’ll have to pull out of Rio. It’s unfortunate, but I’m just going to focus on healing up as soon as possible right now. Good luck to all the competitors in Brazil and I’ll be watching online.”
Slater’s absence will make the ratings race that much more interesting rolling into the Volcom Fiji Pro on June 3, 2012. The Billabong Rio Pro waiting period starts tomorrow (May 9, 2012). Follow the jump for the official word from the ASP. [click to continue…]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
On Saturday, May 5, 2012 skateboarders, sponsors, and hundreds of fans joined Ryan Sheckler and the Sheckler Foundation at the etnies Skatepark for Skate For A Cause. The event, held to help raise money for A.skate, collected $86,000 in total, $57,000 of which will fund A.skate’s 10-stop Be the Change tour this summer. It was a great day of skateboarding, friends, and doing something good for kids on the Autism spectrum.
For photos and the official word, follow the jump.
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
It was a little less than a year ago that former Hurley Senior Vice President of Global Events and Brand Entertainment Paul Gomez (on the left with Tim Gavin) announced that he was stepping into the CEO position at Podium Distribution.
If the words we’re hearing on the street are correct, Gomez has now reportedly “stepped down.” More details as they become available.
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
New Zealand’s Stuff.co.nz has a great catching-up profile on skate legend Lee Ralph that is worth a visit.
THINK of how the Sex Pistols, with all their shooting star aggression, changed modern music, and you get an idea about the impact Ralph has had on skateboarding, a 20 million-strong nation these days. . . . . . ”He was aggressive, but had a really good style. Just so flowing,” film-maker Andrew Moore, director of the documentary No More Heroes, which focuses on the rise of Kiwi skateboarding in the 70s and 80s, says. . . ”He did a lot of tricks that no one had seen over there, and the Americans just loved it. To this day, any American skater you meet will always ask about Lee Ralph.’ . . .”Lee’s more hardcore than any sort of hardcore rock and rollers I’ve met. He’s almost Bukowski-like.”
That’s just the start. Click the link to read the rest.
[Link: Stuff.co.nz]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
