Downhill skateboard racing

Speaking of going fast, this is a lovely 22-minute documentary about a downhill skateboarding race in Teutonia, Brazil where the competitors reach speeds in excess of 70 mph on almost unbelievably rough pavement.

(via ★acoleman)

The biggest ollie ever

Aaron Homoki is, what, 20 feet in the air here? Wow.

Katharine Hepburn skateboarding

Source. See also Hemingway kicks a can.

Finger skating

It is more amazing that people can do crazy things on skateboards or that some of those same crazy things can be done on tiny skateboards using your fingers?

Skateboarding in Kabul

A nice short documentary on the fledgling skateboarding culture in Kabul, Afghanistan.

(via matt)

Update: The video on Vimeo was erased for some reason, so I switched the embed to one at YouTube.

Also, the Kabul skatepark profiled in the video is looking for donations of equipment (paging @tonyhawk, @tonyhawk to the front counter, please) and money and/or assistance with shipping (shipping to Afghanistan is challenging). They're also selling these fetching Skateistan t-shirts (and tote bags) in a variety of styles and colors.

Even more parkour on a skateboard

I know, I know, shut up already with the parkour and the skateboarding but this is worth watching:

The blooper reel at the beginning is entertaining (MOTHERFRICKER!), but final trick is the best one. (thx, cary)

Parkour on a skateboard?

Ok, not quite, and Richie Jackson doesn't look much like a typical skateboarder -- more like a hippie hipster pirate -- but his skills on a board are amazing.

Watch at least until he goes over the rail while the board goes under it. This reminds me a bit of the stuff that Danny MacAskill does on a bicycle. (thx, ross)

Fakie-to-fakie 900 on a Mega Ramp

Bob Burnquist pulled a fakie-to-fakie 900 on a Mega Ramp the other day. For those of you who speak only English, I consulted my skateboarding-to-English dictionary and that means he rode into the ramp backwards on his skateboard, rotated two-and-a-half times, rode out backwards, and did it all on one of those massive ramps. Or, you could just watch. As you may recall, 900s on a skateboard ain't easy. (thx, matt)

Not exactly Dogtown 2

Last time dad left me the keys to the Cadillac, I posted this skateboarding video. The Human League soundtrack paired with the fresh take on tricks is magic. There's an appealing whimsy to that video I think you'll like even if you don't like skateboard videos. Here's some more from Tim and Eric (the other ones) along the same lines.

Also, Fred sent this over last time around. It gets pretty crazy almost immediately, but there's the same kind of fun involved.

(Thanks, Fred)

Tarp surfing

Get yourself a skateboard, a big blue tarp, have someone lift the edge of the tarp over you as you skateboard by, and guess what that looks like:

(via mathowie)

Tony Hawk does a 900

At 42 years old, with the smile crinkles around his eyes to prove it, Tony Hawk can still do a 900 on a skateboard.

According to Wikipedia, Hawk is one of only four men in the world who have done this trick (he first did it in 1999). He announced on Twitter that he'd done the trick -- "P.S. I made a 9" -- and on his way out of town left one of his boards at the airport for a lucky fan to find. (thx, dens)

Not exactly Dogtown

I haven't watched a skateboarding video all the way through in years. I can't tell if it's the music or the whimsical pace of the tricks. In any case, let this one take you through the rest of the night.

(via whatevs.net)

Amazing surfing video of Matt Meola

It is difficult to watch this video of Matt Meola surfing and not think of the evolution of skateboarding, particularly the transition between freestyle skating and the invention of vert in the empty swimming pools of southern California. Most of the stuff he does looks impossible. (via matt's a.whole)

Update: Gah, the video has been pulled offline for some reason. Here's another one, not quite as good. You can also try YouTube.

The evolution of skateboarding

The 1965 Skateboard Championships:

Del Mar Nationals, 1975:

The Bones Brigade Video Show, 1984:

Tony Hawk at X-Games, 1996:

Big Air competition at X-Games, 2008:

(thx, brian)

Update: The first video got removed from Vimeo...found a replacement on Google Video.

Speed skateboarding

HD video of two guys in powder-blue suits skateboarding down a hill at high velocity. This is insane, insane, insane...they even pass a car on the way down. Fast forward to 2:20 for the good stuff. (thx, dunstan)

Update: Michael Sippey made a topological map of the route these guys took.

Slo-mo skate video

Gorgeous slow-mo HD skateboarding video. You can really see the crazy things that the boards do in the air. (via justin blanton)

Beautiful, beautiful slow-motion skate video intro by

Beautiful, beautiful slow-motion skate video intro by Spike Jonze. The video it's taken from isn't too shoddy either...here's a typical glowing review. (via avenues)

Designers often have the design disease, where

Designers often have the design disease, where you "can't stop looking at things through your designer eyes". "But it's not just books, it's everything. You'll choose wine by the design of the label and you'd stay [at a hotel] because of the sign." (via emdashes)

Update: Bruce writes: "A parallel affliction to the Design Disease is Climber's Complaint, wherein someone who takes up rock climbing begins to see every object and architecture as potentially climbable. Similarly, Skater's Disorder afflicts those for whom every surface is seen to exhibit some measure of skate-worthiness."

Skateboarder Bob Burnquist has built the world's

Skateboarder Bob Burnquist has built the world's first permanent Mega Ramp, a structure pioneered by Danny Way, who used one to jump the Great Wall of China on a skateboard.

The 100 best skateboarding photos on Flickr.

The 100 best skateboarding photos on Flickr.

Slate ruminates on Danny Way's giant skateboard

Slate ruminates on Danny Way's giant skateboard ramp. Videos of people actually using this beautiful monstrosity are available on Way's site. Oh, and he jumped The Great Wall of China on a skateboard earlier this year.

Danny Way, a pioneer in distance and

Danny Way, a pioneer in distance and height skateboard jumping, will be attempting to jump the Great Wall of China on a skateboard tomorrow. He'll trying to break a couple records along the way as well: height out of a skateboard ramp and speed on a skateboard.

Great photo of a skater in Tribeca Park

Great photo of a skater in Tribeca Park.