skateboarding

Machotaildrop: The Trippiest Skateboarding Movie You'll Ever Watch

If you love drug-induced fantasy and skateboarding as much as I do, make your way to the Roxie Friday night for SF Indiefest's screening of Machotaildrop.  The Willy Wonka-esque film has been summarized by its writer as a “fantastical and farcical journey of a young boy trying to live out his dreams as a professional skateboarder.”  While that sounds nice and all, the film is more of a dark criticism of the skateboard industry that is focused on marketing and profits than the sport itself.  Not that we didn't know that sports industries are fucked already, but this criticism involves horses in mansions and matching shirts.  Besides, the film was written during a 7 day drug binge in a cabin in British Columbia by then-unknown professional dishwasher Corey Adams, so you know it's worth a least a peak.

Grab tickets at SF Indiefest or read the bizarre interview with director Corey Adams over at Fecal Face.

Skateboarder Goes Big on Two Cops, Gets Away With It

The Bay Citizen has the scoop on TL badass and skateboarder Matthew Hoyt, who punched two cops in the face and got a jury to acquit him:

Hoyt says he was riding his skateboard in a bicycle lane through the Tenderloin on his way to San Francisco Pride festivities in the Civic Center on June 26 when a motorist behind him began honking his horn.

Rude words and gestures were exchanged before the driver, who Hoyt says failed to identify himself as a police officer, swerved across lanes and used his car to box the skateboarder in between parked cars.

Assuming that the driver wanted to fight, Hoyt punched him through the open window, and then grabbed his board and scrambled over the car’s hood.

The passenger, also an off-duty officer, got out of the car and Hoyt punched him in the face too.

After flipping them off and punching them in the face, they identified themselves as cops, tackled him, and knee-dropped the back of his head.  Instead of getting tossed in jail for assaulting two off-duty officers, Hoyt is now pursuing a formal complaint against the officers for beating him up “a bit.”  Rad.

(link)

SF Gets Skateboard "Security Racks"

Doug over at Ice Tubes spotted this curious device in a USF parking lot the other day and wondered how the hell anyone would lock their board to this thing.  Thanks to the magic of the 'world wide web', Doug discovered that anyone skating and carrying a padlock can put their board between the rack and padlock the rings together, apparently keeping your board safe from thieves (unless they take your trucks off, of course).  Even though I doubt anyone ever actually uses these things, it's at least a step towards legitimizing the sport (which I'm sure will infuriate everyone, skaters included).

(link)

B4 The Mission Was Clean

This video is a tad on the long side, but if you can get past your internet ADHD, you'll have a solid look back on Mission skateboard culture of the mid-90s.  From the video description:

This footage is from 94. This is High8 footage from SF. I recieved the High8 tapes years later from a good friend: Marcos Nieves. The skating in this video is a good example of what you would find on the day to day in SF's Mission District. The LOS Crew consisted of many faces that where skateboarders, artists and people that were down for each other. Thank you for opening my eyes to some of the best times.

(via Mission Mission)

Homeless Dude Steals Bike, Woman on Cell Phone Unfazed

Generally speaking, my favorite Bay Area bike/skateboard videos involve a bunch of clips depicting the more ridiculous parts of urban life.  ”fresh mucus,” which was “made with a mound of shit”, essentially perfects this.  Sure, early shots of the Bay Bridge, freaked out cats, art openings, and Mr. T posters seem average.  But then comes the finale, when they sneak in a clip of some asshole at 8th and Mission hammering away at a u-lock while some Financial District woman walks by, totally oblivious, chatting away on her cellphone.

Ahhhh San Francisco: where smart phones are more important than bicycles.

HIGHWAY TO THE DANGER BOWL: Toad & Salmon's Chili Bowl Recap

If you like skateboarding, the Top Gun soundtrack, and some random 5 second video of a cute dog taken with a wide-angle lens, well, holy shit, this post was made for you.

We made it out to Toad & Salmon's 6th Annual Chili Bowl at Potrero del Sol and it was, per usual, a solid time.  While it didn't feature the blood geysers and beer balloons of years past, it was packed with quality skateboarding, tallcans, chili, excitement on Heckle Hill, and cursing from the announcers.  Unfortunately, we won't be able to put together a good video of the action until early next week (be sure to come back and visit), but in the meantime, you can wet your appetite with this lazy video of the footage I took on the crappy camera or check out the photos I posted to flickr:

Also, here's a rad snap of Evelyn Abad fucking up the women's division:

 

Toad & Salmon's Chilibowl 6 + Other crap to do this weekend

If you missed last year's Chilibowl at Potrero del Sol, it was 'fucking tight' and definitely worth checking out this year.  To quote what I wrote about the occasion last summer:

The Chilibowl was an incredible way to squander away a Saturday afternoon: water balloons full of beer, a blood geyser coming out of a guy’s head, filthy jokes from the announcers, a punk band playing awesome songs like “you are dead, motherfucker” and “crack on Mission St.” within a few dozen yards of a playground full of children, and, of course, skateboarding.

That's right, not only is the Chilibowl full of shittalking and blood, it's at Potrero del Sol, which is just like Dolores Park without the cops, trash and whiny neighbors.  If you want to get psyched up for a good time, check out this crappy iPhone video I shot + edited last year with some weak-ass Dan the Automator track dumped on top of it:

If skateboarding sounds like too much fun and you'd rather do more of the same old shit, a bunch of local businesses are shutting down 18th from Dolores to Guerrero so you can drink wine and eat food on the pavement near Dolores Park, as opposed to the urine-soaked grass you usually enjoy.  (link)

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