Focus Skatepark Re Opening Sept 6th?

The rumor is that Focus Skatepark may re open September 6th. Most of the ramps are still there and Greg the owner says he is building more ramps and a small bowl. Focus is an indoor skatepark in a warehouse in Charleston. This pic of me was taken by Melissa in 2004 in the halfpipe. Checkout the classic VSW shirt.

Crooked Creek Race

This pic is courtesy of Jeffs Skateboard Page of me at Crooked Creek on the GS course . The race was great we want to thank Jeff for the pics . You can see more pics of the race on his page

http://jeffsskateboardpage.blogspot.com/

Hoss Race #2 GS

The Hoss Race #2 was held at Crooked Creek in Scott Depot WV. It was a Giant Slalom course and the hill was fast!! Here is a pic of Old School Evan on the GS course. Even is only 14 yrs old and is one of the few groms I have ever seen who can race slalom. Pic is courtesy of Jeffs skateboard page http://jeffsskateboardpage.blogspot.com/

The Rise and Fall of Gator

Mark Rogowski was a professional skateboarder riding for Vision Skateboards in the 1980's. The 1980's produced some of the best vert skaters. One of those skaters was Mark "Gator" Rogowski. Gator's Vision Pro Model was one of the best selling decks of the 1980's. Gator and other pro skateboarders were making six figure salaries and living life like Rock Stars. Then street skating came along and their popularity faded. The once heroes of skateboarding were replaced by 14yr old kids sliding down rails. Most vert pros had never had a job other than skateboarding. The skateboard companies cancelled their pro vert models and left them unemployed. Gator could never pick up the street skating and was basically laughed at by the younger kids. Some of the pros couldn't handle this change and skate legends like Jeff Phillips, Gator, and Christain Hosoi payed the price. This video explains it all. I highly recommend the Rise and Fall of Gator

Skate Plaza Bert Slide Video

Turn the sound up, the Bert Slide sounds too cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc1QeLULjME

Coonskin Sunday

It was really hot at Coonskin today. There were some good skaters and some new ones I have never seen riding. This is a local I caught in the middle of a flip off the wall. He landed it.

Coonskin Coloring Book

This pic of me is courtesy of Jeff from http://jeffsskateboardpage.blogspot.com/. Jeff's sight is cool and so is his pic he sent of me on this classic nose wheelie.

Skate Plaza banks

The banks were the best at the Skate Plaza. Here is a pic of me in the middle of a Bert Slide

Skate Plaza ** Kettering Ohio

We just got back from the Skate Plaza in Kettering Ohio. The Skate Plaza is a 40,000 sq ft skatepark that was designed by DC Shoes and was designed for street skating. Here is a local sliding the rail

Heely's Hammered ** Stock shares drop 44%

As you probably know, the company makes sneakers with removable wheels -- shoes that can double as roller skates. You stop by leaning your foot back. These were very popular about a year ago, but I haven't seen many kids at all using them lately. It probably hasn't helped that many stores and schools have banned kids from wearing Heelys on their premises.

This company clearly needs to expand its product line. The latest figures aren't available, but as of March 31, 98% of its sales was from the core roller-shoe product. Now that the fad seems to have diminished, the company has no other products -- to speak of -- that it can sell. The situation reminds me of Coleco, when it produced the Cabbage Patch collection. The success of that one product wasn't enough, and when the fad diminished, it filed for bankruptcy protection.

*Info courtesy from The Motley Fool*** Pic courtesy of http://www.heelys.com/

Classic Rat Bones now available at Marc's Board Shop

Specifications
Diameter: 60mm
Hardness: 97a
Width: 44mm
Formula: Natural
Color: White
Surface: Smooth

Go to www.marcsboardshop.com for more info

Salih Muhammad Backside Flip at Coonskin

This pic is courtesy of Salih's dad, James Muhammad. Salih is a local skater from Charleston who can be seen at Coonskin park on most weekends. Salih is a straight A student and has been featured in local tv shows and newspaper articles. . His smooth style and natural ability landed him a sponsorship with One Love Skateshop in Kettering Ohio (the home of the famous Skate Plaza) and his newest sponsor Sport Mart of Charleston. Here Salih is caught in the middle of a backside flip at Coonskin Skatepark. With tricks like this and the support of his father, Salih will have a bright future in skateboarding