Hot damn, that right there is a $3,678 fiberglass skateboard. This piece of Jay Adams history, circa 1974, brought in the big bucks in September, making the cut for the latest installment of Skate And Annoy's monthly eBay Watch. Lots of good stuff this month, actually, with some good boards from the 60s, 70s, and early 80s. The recession must really have some old dudes cleaning out the closet.

The dudes at Skatepark of Tampa have been bitching about that "U-shaped ramp" out back for as long as I can remember, the annual Tampa Pro vert contest that most vert skaters couldn't even be bothered to show up for notwithstanding, but this time it looks like the final nail in the coffin: SPoT's hosting the Vert Is Dead Jam on Halloween costumes mandatory and it's not even a vert contest.

Via SkateparkOfTampa.com:

"As the vert ramp meets its inevitable demise, one last contest will be brutally hosted upon its gloomy layers"

R.I.P., SPoT Vert.

Sick event at the Vans Skatepark in Orange, CA tomorrow at 6pm: The first inductions to the Skateboarding Hall of Fame and a benefit for the Go Skateboarding Foundation. Not to take anything away from the four guys picked, but I just have one question: How in the world is Rodney Mullen not in the inaugural class?

Here's the release from the IASC:

The first ever inductions into The Skateboarding Hall of Fame* will take place October 24, 2009 at the Vans Skatepark at the Block in Orange, CA.

The party will honor skateboarding icons Bruce Logan, Tony Alva, Tony Hawk, and Danny Way.

Autographs, memorabilia, combi bowl session, photos with pros, cocktails, appetizers, art auctions, and a raging good time are all to be had!

Proceeds from the event benefit the Go Skateboarding Foundation which sends kids to skatecamp on a scholarship and supports skateboarding related charities.

Tickets for skateboarding industry friends and family are $50 donation to the Go Skateboarding Foundation.
IASC Members receive a $5 discount per ticket.
CLICK HERE TO GET TICKETS NOW!

The Skateboarding Hall of Fame Party and Fundraiser is made possible by FUEL TV, Maloof Money Cup, ASR Trade Show

*The SkateLab in Simi Valley is home of the Skateboarding Hall of Fame and Museum.

Photo: Mike BlabacPrints of Blabac's photos of Danny Way are for sale
at BlabacPhoto.com as part of Plan B's celebration
of Way's 20 year anniversary as a pro skater.Plan B has a sick new micro site up touting Danny Way's 20 year anniversary as a pro skater, with a 20 year D. Way timellne courtesy of The Skateboard Mag, links to Wes Humstead's old-school design for a 20th anniversary graphic, a gallery of Way's magazine covers, and a selection of video clips, from the 1989 H-Street video Hocus Pocus to his most recent 2009 clips for Plan B.

At the risk of dating myself here, I'll admit that Hocus Pocus is one of my all time favorites: Danny and I are about the same age, and 1989 was the year he and I first crossed paths, at the Bobby G Skate Camp in San Diego. I had just learned to drop in, he had just turned pro, and the gulf between our skateboarding abilities would continue to grow over 20 years, but he's always been one of my skate heroes.

Way has always been able to hold his own: On a vert ramp, in a bowl, on the street, and on these crazy Megaramp structures he helped devise. Lately, I'd argue, he's gone just plain nutso, wrecking himself like a ragdoll at X Games in the dogged pursuit of his dreams at risk of life and limb. Still, gotta hand it to the guy: There's NOBODY who has done as much to expand the concept of what is possible on a skateboard.

That 2007 backside disaster photo there is by Mike Blabac: Blabac's selling 16x20 ($100) and 20x30 ($250) special edition prints of his Danny Way photos to help celebrate the anniversary.

ESPN has a nice interview up this week with 2009 Dew Cup champ Chris Cole on splitting the difference between core skateboarding and chasing after contest cash and glory. The article is headlined "Balancing Act" and I can't think of anyone who is walking the particular line any better than Cole.

Here's an excerpt, via ESPN.go.com:

The stakes are completely different at different contests. It all depends on what's at stake. For example, you go out and compete in a Wallenberg contest for street cred. You know that you are going to come home exhausted and your body is going to be completely beat up and you might win $10,000. But you do it, and it's totally worth it and it's important. Then there are big money contests like the X Games and the Dew Tour... The old guard wants to hold on to the way it was -- on the streets. I care about street skating, that has to be respected, but at some point you have to look after your family. You have to pay your mortgage and I really don't think some guys understand what it's like trying to get by. You can't just get down on things that keep skateboarding alive. That way of thinking isn't helping anyone at this point.