Quick Hits Archive: March 23-29, 2007

Apr 19 2007 / Los Angeles, CA

March 29, 2007


South Dakota Skateboarders Like Treadmills
Published: 3:01 a.m. PT by Me

Okay, most of the time I wouldn't necessarily highlight an article like this, but I guess things are tough if you're a skater in South Dakota. There's snow and stuff during the winter. Not a lot of places to go... Unless you have a treadmill.

After that treadmill bit, there's not much to the story -- but I guess in South Dakota any story about skateboarders is interesting.

The Lamest Extreme Sports Ever
Published: 2:44 a.m. PT by Me

A lot of lists out there flat out suck. The folks over at Maxim Magazine get it right though, and this list of the 12 lamest extreme sports ever proves it. They even rate each sport on a scale of one to ten in terms of lameness. Just the fact that they include ski boarding makes this list complete.

For more details, Read it yourself, if you dare...


mat_hoffman_lgdal06_120x120Mat Hoffman Shaves Head for Charity
Published: 1:35 a.m. PT by Me

Besides being known as one of the greatest BMX riders ever, Mat Hoffman is also a genuinely good guy. And his latest act proves it yet again. Hoffman is selling one of his signature bikes on ebay with all proceeds going to St. Baldrick's Foundation. He also shaved his head in an annual ritual to help support cancer awareness.

Read all about it.

Billabong XXL Nominations Announced
Published: 12:49 a.m. PT by Me

One of the sweetest award shows in existence just announced their nominations. With video evidence for extra pleasure.

Check it out yourself.

Oregon Surf Claims Life of Surfer
Published: 12:33 a.m. PT by Me

A spot in Oregon known as Agate Beach has claimed the life of a local surfer. The surfer was reportedly overcome by large waves.

More...

Surf Foam Blanks Un Fuego!
Published: 12:32 a.m. PT by Me

The Just Foam company, which makes foam blanks for surfboard shapers, saw it's manufacturing plant go up in flames Tuesday night in San Diego. As if the surfboard industry hasn't suffered enough after the closing of Clark Foams.

Full Story.

Headlines: Metal Mulisha, Sk8 Mafia and, oh yeah, Death
Published: 12:09 a.m. PT by Me

Thursday.  Time for some news to make your weekend come faster.

March 28, 2007


Camp Woodward Teams With Sony PlayStation on AmJam Tour
Published: 12:55 a.m. PT by Me

PlayStation and Camp Woodward are teaming up for the AM Jam Tour -- in which skateboarders, BMX riders and inline skaters can show up at their local skatepark for a chance to win $5K, a PS3 plus free use of Camp Woodward's East or West campuses for the rest of the year. But first they need to "win" the tour stop (and take home a PSP in the process), then go to Camp Woodward and be the best there...

Here are the dates:
  • March 31: Woodward Skatepark of Atlanta, GA.
  • April 4, 5: Woodward Skatepark of Dallas, TX.
  • April 14: VANS "The Block", Orange, CA.
  • April 17, 18: Skate City Skatepark, Las Vegas, NV.
  • April 21: Woodward Skatepark of Denver, CO.
  • April 25, 26: SCRAP Skatepark, Hoffman Estates, IL.
  • April 28: 4 Season Skatepark Milwaukee, WI.
  • May 1, 2: Modern Skatepark of Novi, MI
  • May 5: Rye Airfield, Rye, NH.

For more details, check this out.

Jeremy Jones Likes the Environment
Published: 12:25 a.m. PT by Me

Snowboarder Jeremy Jones has established a new non-profit environmental initiative named “Protect Our Winters.”

“It’s shocking to look through some of my own photos taken over the last two decades from snow fields all over the world, and to see the clear recession of these glaciated regions,” Jones explained as his reason.

His longtime sponsor Rossignol has stepped forward to be the initial backer on the project.

Read all about it.

pink_photo_01Headlines: Rip Curl, Burton and Pink
Published: 12:01 a.m. PT by Me

Hump day is here. And with it comes some tasty headlines.

March 27, 2007


tom_green_001Tom Green Headlines "Snowboarding Action Comedy"
Published: 2:55 p.m. PT by Me

Is there anything I don't love about this concept?

Everyone's favorite (insert any number of negative words here) Tom green is stariing in a new "snowboarding action comedy" named "Shred" that is starting to film in Okanagan, Canada.

The film's plot is as such (according to the press release:
In "Shred," two washed-up snowboarders must transform a gang of misfit "shredder" wannabes -- including a midget, an 80-year-old lady, a biker and a chubby kid -- into professionals before their boyhood nemesis has them all banned for life and plows over their fledgling snowboarding camp.

Best. Movie. Ever.

Peace Arch Entertainment Group Inc. is doing the movie and plans to have it out in advance of the 2007-2008 ski and snowboarding season. The film also starts Dave England ("Jackass") and Renee Renee, among other snowboarders.

Thank god for Moviefone -- I am buying my ticket today.

Surfing Rediscovers Its Past
Published: 8:25 a.m. PT by Me

The North Shore of Oahu is hosting an unusual surf contest: Wooden surf boards only.

Do logs count?

Find out more.

Massive Shark Spotted.....in Croatia?
Published: 7:19 a.m. PT by Me

A six-meter shark was spotted off the coast of Croatia. For those of you unsure about metric conversions, that is over EIGHTEEN FEET LONG.

Officials say there is no need to panic. They also go on to say that it's fortunate that it isn't tourist season. That's a real vote of confidence in my book.

Read the story.

Thieves Jack Thrasher Magazine
Published: 2:03 a.m. PT by Me

The folks over at Thrasher Magazine are appalled that someone would actually steal something from their private skatepark. Thrasher has posted a bulletin on their website actually expecting the thief to either return whatever was stolen (they won't say what it is) or to have someone else turn the perpetrator in.

The robbery has prompted Thrasher to pull the "Used to be a time when it was skaters against the world. Now it’s skaters against skaters" line. Wow.

What did the thieves steal, a Magic Golden Ramp?

Read more from the source...

Australian To Attempt Record Paddle Boarding Run
Published: 1:16 a.m. PT by Me

An Australian athlete is going to attempt a record 50 km (80 mile) paddle from Singapore to Indonesia and back to help raise money for a non-profit humanitarian aid organization, SurfAid International.

If you see the paddle boarder cruising by, say hello. Unless he steals one of your waves. In which case, grab his paddle and pull him off.

By the way, is any surprise this is being done by an Aussie? Show-offs! Read it.

March 26, 2007


laird_hamilton_mal06_120x120Hawk, Hamilton to Appear in ABC Reality Series
Published: 2:01 a.m. PT by Me

Tony Hawk and Laird Hamilton are among the celebs that are reportedly appearing in a new reality series in which celebs race one another in NASCAR cars.

"Fast Cars & Superstars" will air on ABC and features William Shatner, former NFL coach Bill Cowher, 49; former Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway, tennis' Serena Williams, Hamilton's wife volleyballer turned model Gabrielle Reece, singer Jewel and WWE star John Cena, among others. The show has already taped and is being prepped for a possible summer premiere.

South African Teen Beheaded in Train Surfing Accident
Published: 1:19 a.m. PT by Me

Okay, do we need to spell it out? .Yesterday we said. car surfing was stupid. Here's a new low -- Train Surfing.

A teenager from Soweto in South Africa has been killed while apparently trying to "surf" on a train. His decapitated body was found when the train stopped in a train station in Soweto so he couldn not immediately be identified.

Enough already.

Terrible Weekend in the Swiss Alps for Boarders/Skiers
Published: 12:51 a.m. PT by Me

It was an awful weekend for snow enthusiasts in the Swiss Alps. No fewer than four deaths were reported. One happened Friday, when a snowboarder died in an accident in which few details were released. The second victim was a 31-year-old Australian who was living in the UK (and vacationing in the Alps with friends). He was killed when he slipped on an icy area off of the main slopes and fell 100 meters.

A third victim was a German skier, 36, who died of injuries after smashing into a tree at Saas Fe. There were no details of the fourth death.

Read more about the Australian....

Recap from the Phoenix AM
Published: 12:15 a.m. PT by Me

Check out this great SkateboardParkofTampa.com recap from the Phoenix AM.

Congrats to Collin Provost for landing in first and to Sierra Fellers for taking Best Trick.

hollan_suzuki_07Nate Holland Wins Suzuki Champion’s Cross Sugarloaf Open
Published: 12:07 a.m. PT by Me

American Nate Holand has won the inaugural running of the Champion’s Cross Sugarloaf Open hosted by Olympic Gold Medalist Seth Wescott

Holland, who won the 2006 X Games and placed third in the 2006 U.S. Championships, told the Sun Journal on Friday, "I think there's a need for a whole series of these types of events."

Not only did Wescott host the event, he also designed the course. Holland takes home at least $10,000 in cash plus a Suzuki Motocross motorcycle.

Get all the details.

Headlines: More Hawk, Death and Cockfighting
Published: 12:01 a.m. PT by Me

Welcome to Monday.

March 25, 2007


Nine-Year-Old Snowboarder Wins Four Gold
Published: 2:36 p.m. PT by Me

Okay Shaun White, watch out -- I've seen that footage of you as a young kid, hitting the US Open and doing some mad tricks. But this nine-year-old girl from the UK is pretty dang good herself.

Katie Ormerod just returned from the British Snowboarding Championships with four gold medals (in the under 14 category) in Big Air, Slopestyle, Halfpipe and Boardercross.

In addition, she was ninth overall in the Big Air and Halfpipe, already showing up among the adults.

Pretty amazing.

Not the Kind of Thing You Want to Catch While Surfing
Published: 2:24 p.m. PT by Me

Surfers off the coast of South Beach, Florida made a gruesome discovery, finding a man floating dead in the ocean. The incident coincided with the start of spring break, as countless college kids watched the surfers bring the body to shore.

Not cool.

Hold on... Giselle Bundchen wasn't trying to surf there, was she?

Headlines: Car Surfing
Published: 2:02 a.m. PT by Me

Sunday already. Dang.

March 24, 2007


Red Bull X-Fighters Finals
Published: 12:45 a.m. PT by Me

Did you catch any of the live webcast of the Red Bull X-Fighters in Mexico City? The finals pitted Nate Adams, Dany Torres and Robbie Maddison against one another in six minutes of some the best FMX action you will ever see.

Maddison was first, throwing in a few tricks, but Nate Adams simply blew awat the crowd with tricks like a Cordova flip with a one-handed landing. It seemed like a lock -- then again, no such thing as a lock these days. Spaniard Dany Torres started with a huge combo and didn't look back, taking first with a perfect score of 100, followed by Adams and then Maddison.

We'll have photos probably on Sunday, along with a full story, but it was a pretty cool presentation.

Not so Maverick -- Extension Sought for Big Wave Contest
Published: 12:31 a.m. PT by Me

Mother Nature hasn't been kind to the mainland's largest big-wave surf contest. The Pacific Ocean has been rather timid this winter, providing very little in large swell size for both Hawaii and the Pacific Coast. And with the window closing fast on the Mavericks Surf Contest, the organizers are asking for a two-week extension to the March 31st closing date.

Doesn't look good, Mavericks fans. However, for a little cheering up, try some fresh Mavericks brew. If you can't watch the contest, at least enjoy the beer.

Giselle Bundchen Likes to Surf
Published: 12:24 a.m. PT by Me

Check out the video below of Tom Brady's girlfriend Giselle Bundchen surfing in Costa Rica. Not the greatest surfer, but hey, who's really paying attention to her style? Guess she didn't get too many lessons from ex Kelly Slater that stuck.


Headlines: Oakley, Burton and the Hot Tuna Pro
Published: 12:02 a.m. PT by Me

Hope you're having a good weekend -- I'll let you know how mine goes when it finally starts.

 


March 23, 2007


whittier_articleLucky Kids Win Visit From Shaun White
Published: 3:31 p.m. PT by Me

Kids at a Whittier, CA, elementery school were treated to a special guest on Thursday: Shaun White. The superstud sports star stopped by to congratulate Robert Paz, 9, who was one of five winners of a statewide art competition focused on promoting buying locally grown produce.

White was the focus of a lot of attention at the school, first in Paz's classroom then in front of the school in the auditorium, where he presented Paz with a skateboard bearing his own design. Read more.

Cops v. Skaters in Charleston Pt. 2 - The Media Strikes Back
Published: 1:51 p.m. PT by Me

As a follow up to a previous story it looks like someone is trying to stick up for the city of Charleston. Corey Dowds was a skater who was shoved by a policeman while skating in a park -- now an intrepid new channel is going after "the real story." That is, to see what damage skateboarders have caused to parks in the area.

Oh yeah, skaters are just vile, bad people. Check out a preview if you dare.


SoCal Kids - Be the Next Action Sports Star
Published: 1:24 p.m. PT by Me

Okay, here's the deal -- if you live in the SoCal area you can audition for "Spring Breakout" -- some sort of show being put on by Six Flags Magic Mountain that will feature amateur skateboarders, BMX riders and inline skaters. If you get chosen, you'll get paid and can take part in shows all summer. You have to be 16 or older to take part.

Get all the details.

jodi_cooper_aspUpdated: Female Pro Surfer Mauled By Shark!
Published: 3:24 a.m. PT by Me

Australian surfer Jodi Cooper (pictured, in an undated photo), who was once ranked as the No. 2 women surfer in the world, was attacked by a shark while surfing near her home. The shark bit her on her hand, tearing off "a couple of knuckles" and leaving deep cuts. More interesting was how 42-year-old Cooper handled the situation.

"It just came up from underneath me and just bit me - just like in the movies, it's pretty classic, except lucky it was small shark, a little five-foot thing," she said.

Um, yeah - just five feet. Cooper shook off the shark (note that word -- shook) and then warned others on the beack about the shark before swimming back to shore.

In the 1980s Cooper won 12 World Championship Tour (WCT) career titles and reached No. 2 in 1985 and third in 1986, 1990 and 1991. She finished in the Top 8 in each of her eleven years on tour.

Despite the attack, Cooper looks like she'll be back in the water soon.

"There doesn't appear to be any ligament damage ... and I can sort of wiggle my hand," she went on to say. "I'll give it a couple of days and then I'll go surfing for sure."

Aussie women. Tough as nails. Read more.

Russell Crowe to Direct Bra Boys Movie
Published: 2:11 a.m. PT by Me

I talked about the Bra Boys documentary a few days ago. Russell Crowe narrated that one -- now he's looking to take a more active role.

Universal and Imagine are going to make a movie based on "Bra Boys" and Crowe will make his directorial debut on the film based on the surf gang from Australia, but more specifically the three Abberton brothers at the center of the gang who overcame dire circumstances.

Stuart Beattie ("Collateral") will write the screenplay, which will be based on the movie and an upcoming non-fiction book.

No word yet whether Crowe will appear in the film.

Here's more about the deal.

Tony Hawk is Rich and Generous
Published: 1:09 a.m. PT by Me

Tony Hawk's as mainstream as any professional athlete can get, but the Birdman's taking it to a whole new level. Partnering up with the likes of Alan Greenspan and Oprah Winfrey, Hawk is pulling the philanthropic trick, offering the highest bidder the opportunity to spend a day at his California headquarters. All proceeds go to the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial.

Read some more.

MotoX Coming to X Games 13
Published: 12:34 a.m. PT by Me

The Summer X Games, already inundated with a plethera of events, is now adding MotoX racing to the mix. Courtesy of arguably the greatest MotoX rider ever, Ricky Carmichael, the event will feature the likes of Carmichael, Chad Reed, Kevin Windham and a slew of other riders. Stadium motocross will debut this summer at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles.

The X-Games did announce a couple of weeks ago that it was dropping BMX Dirt (but officially adding BMX Big Air). Get some more info.

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