dedleg.com

Bridges are wonderful structures — they connect areas that would otherwise be divided by a natural border, and their undersides make a fine place to build an illegal DIY skatepark!

Feelin’ this Crailtap clip of the day with Rick McCrank, and not just because he’s a super guy. Tucked somewhere in Vancouver, Leeside looks like a fun little skate cave if I ever saw one, and I’ve begun to crave spots like this what with my age and complete inability to do anything good on a ledge. The best part about Leeside however, which Rick somehow didn’t consider, is the fact that it’s shielded from the elements by an impenetrable concrete shell.

Anyway, more later. Crazy week over here — I’m quite literally working for the weekend right now, only with less half-naked Chris Farley and much more swearing under my breath.

A new month, another skate spot getting torn down. Last week, California transportation agency / douche bag collective, Caltrans, moved forward with their aggressive plans to level any and all illegal DIY skate parks built under Oakland’s highways and bridges. On Thursday, they leveled The Spot, crushing its young life beneath merciless tire treads. In their words, they want to reclaim the space for billboard advertising… since so many people see billboards when they’re under the highway… right.

Caltrans’ crusade continues this week as their bulldozers loom over Bordertown, Oakland’s remaining concrete baby-adult playpen. In a last ditch effort to save the park, Bay Area skaters are amassing at Bordertown at 8 AM this Friday to protest the demolition and, more than likely, get arrested for trespassing. Hey, if you can’t make a change, at least you can still make a stink.

While we’re on the topic of DIY spots, the guys from 510 Skateshop, who happen to be the industrious little miscreants behind the late and great Spot, haven’t let Caltrans’ bullying discourage their work. The shop entered Spitfire and Vans’ DIY skate spot contest, which is not only a good idea for the local community, but also for the Internet community looking for some skateboarding to watch on a Thursday afternoon. Anyway, their latest creation is just as illegal as ever, and looks to capture the perfect balance between super fun and super gnarly, too — but that’s hardly a surprise given these guys’ reputation.

Considering all the hard time and potential jail time this crew has put in for Oakland’s skateboarders, the least you could do is head over to the Vans/Spitfire site and vote for them. Maybe get inspired while you’re at it — DIY projects like these show you what’s realistic and achievable if enough dedicated people put the work in. Stop complaining about how boring your city is to skate and start doing something about it, instead. Hell, you’ll be less bored already.

Good news, guys. Now we know that if aliens choose to invade tomorrow, at least there will be someone there to put up a fight. And it isn’t Duke Nukem… because this guy already killed that tool. And, uh, apparently all the other tools in his garage, too.

To be completely honest with you, I’m not entirely convinced that this isn’t just a really elaborate flash light. But holy shit, that’s the most fear-inspiring flash light since Darth Vader used one to cut Obi Wan’s shit in half.

Something about the hood ornament and completely unfolded Swiss army knife definitely ratchets up the intensity of this Constructicons-looking-ass shit. I mean… seriously, a spoon? Is that some kind of extra precaution in case you ever run into a supervillain who disguises himself as a bowl of soup? Either way, if you came out of the bedroom packing your Triple XL Maglite® after hearing some bumping around in the kitchen, there isn’t a home invader on earth that would wait around to see what comes out of the business end of that thing.

One question remains, though. What the fuck are those keys for? That might be the scariest part.

To preface, I don’t think these gentleman actually were under the affects of any mind-altering substances during the making of this groundbreaking documentary, however, it’s certainly the kind of thought process California’s finest medicine tends to deliver. This time though, these fellows were just caught in the hypnotizing swoon of that terrible demon infecting good homes throughout the nation — the nefarious skateboarding.

Honestly, this opens up a world of possibilities. Light sabers, maces, dowsing rods, even hypodermic needles are all waiting to be commanded by our feet. You know, someone could really break into this “novelty shaped skateboards that are kind of really hard to ride” market if they wanted.