TWO LEDGES, ONE SPOT

After scratching our heads thinking of a spot to go to yesterday, Guy finally suggested the grandpa ledge. Funnily enough, once we got there Bobby and Joel found a different ledge to skate around the corner. Okaaaaaay!

UP, UP, AND AWAY

The new up ledge and hip obstacle at the Kingshighway spot is sick! Great job and super big thanks to all who made it happen. I was fortunate enough to watch some dudes get gnarly on it the other day, including Drew's friend Dylan who was in from out of town. Talk about a tre bomb, daaaaaamn! He did it THREE times for the sake of Jake's camera, and then did it another time just for little ol' me. Thanks Dylan! What a ripper. -Worful

DOST PISTACH

I heard a rumor some guys are lighting up the spot formerly or currently known as Shitside/Kingshighway/KHVT/Charles Bronson in drag (vigilantly tranny) tonight (05/17/10) in anticipation of a St. Louis Post dispatch reporter coming down to check out the scene and do a story on it. It was also said that a turnout would be appreciated, purportedly to test the "strength in numbers" theory of social and political power.

I'm not sure if awareness raising is really what the spot needs but I guess it really can't hurt so long as the story is positive and supports whatever it is that is going on down there. Although the culture of skateboarding is rarely done justice in the mainstream press hopefully this can drum up support for our spot and the obvious need for a public skatepark in the city of St. Louis. So come show off your death-defying aerial maneuvers like "alleys", "flipkicks" and "gay twist" and don't forget that you young men (and young babes) really should be wearing a helmet.

Speaking of top notch, intelligent reporting, Beach is truly honing his writing talents over at the new Dude Life blog. Watch out Pilot Light, there is a new brain in the building.

JAKE THE SNAKE

Jake seemed to slither his way into all the photos I shot yesterday. If he wasn't so handsome I'd be totally bummed. Also, Randy kickflipped these stairs and the bar at the end of them. -Worful

FRICK AND FRACK

Pretty X Dude Life: Our First Date from Randy Ploesser on Vimeo.

Hot on the heels of Jack's American Idol submission is this montage of Chicago footage from the day after Dave's fundraiser. Pretty and Dude Life joined forces for the first time (since dude life was started anyway) for a massive two-day tour of one skatepark and one street spot. Beauty and the Beast it was not, but it was lots of fun and nothing is more fun than a bunch of pathetically hungover old guys semi-skillfully and halfheartedly playing on their skateboards.

Its entitled "Our First Date" and it sure was a awkward at first (see: early shot of Joe and Ryan on the subway) but after we broke the ice it was apparent our two fake companies (or totally like "real" bro, depending on how you look at it) were a match made in heaven. So it is with a heavy heart that I must tell Arizona's Brimley skateboards that we might be through. You guys might have a cool mustache but Dude Life has a burly patch of chest hair to run our fingers through.

I composed the music in the video on the concertmate 900, a keyboard slightly more tech but not nearly as hardcore street as the rapmaster 2000 Jack uses. It may seem to be a delightful and catchy pop number at first but by the third time it plays through, like a lot of pop music, it might make you want punch your computer or the person nearest you. The editing software that comes built in with my new Flip HD camera seems as if it were made for trained chimpanzees to mass-edit high school graduation and wedding ceremony videos. It allows you to pick one song which it randomly places and loops, crossfades every clip, and really only has about 3 options total. Maybe I should get final cut already.

JAMMASTER JACK

JAMMASTER JACK from Randy Ploesser on Vimeo.

Jack does a little 26th birthday dance for us while playing his signature DJ Shadow/Wu-Tang mash-up on the Rapmaster 2000 keyboard. What a talented young man he is!

BIRTHDAY BOY

Happy Birthday, Jack!

HUGAGEDDON

The sky is not falling.

Yet.

DUUUUUUUUUUDE!!!

Is it inappropriate to poach the first post off your friend's blog? Oopsy daisy, too late.

DUDE LIFE HAS A BLOG!!!

Please check out the brand spanking new Dude Life blog and give it all your love and affection right NOW man. Thanks Dave!

DOLPHIN WATCH

Birdhouse Skateboards East Coast Tour from Birdhouse on Vimeo.

Randy's got a few moves to check out in the latest Birdhouse edit. Peep the steez at 5:30. (Yours truly got a shout out at 4:44.)

Also be sure to purchase the new Skateboard Mag to read Randy's account of the trip... and look at the pretty pictures.

BUMP AND GRIND

I don't see nothing wrong with a little bump and grind, and neither did Bobby and Randy yesterday. Of course it took them a little bit to get the hang of jamming on two poles at the same time (that sounded gross), but once they did it was glorious to see. Unfortunately Randy's hand got all gnarled in the process. Meanwhile Joe traded places with David and "philmed" him on David's phone, doing a drop to grind. Jack and Jared stayed busy with a very stylish game of skate. Nice spot, nice session. End o' story. -Worful

ANOTHER TRASHY VIDEO FROM JAKE

Jake's done it again. Way to montage Jake! This is sick.

D.I.Y. DAY (PART TWO)

Later in the evening everyone went to the Kingshighway spot to continue shredding on Saturday. Again I didn't get it all, but here's a glimpse. There was so much going down, it was fast and fun to watch. All the new obstacles there are looking super good. Special thanks to Kyle and everyone else who's worked so hard on such a awesome spot. And thanks to everyone who came out to skate all day and night!
-Worful

D.I.Y. DAY (PART ONE)

A bunch of dudes met up at the tennis courts Saturday in the early afternoon to film for a St. Louis D.I.Y. video that Randy wants to put on The Skateboard Mag's site. It was super fun to watch everyone rip at such a great spot. I didn't get everything that went down, but here's a taste. And thanks to David "Dad Cam" Uthus you'll be able to see much more in video form. Special thanks to Ben, Joe, and everyone else who helped and continue to help make this spot sick. -Worful