SkaterGeek

I was just watching this Tony Hawk Ride video over at Joystiq and initially thought “cool”, which then turned to “oh” and moved rapidly on to “crap…”.

It seems that Activision and the venerable Mr Hawk have re-invented the Tony Hawk games, by just adding a new controller. The mile long grinds and cartoon, arcade graphics are still there.

Crap…

I was really hoping to see the podgy Activision employee flip or spin the deck or something cool like that! Instead he just seems to be making small movements with his legs and feet to make flips and stuff. The only thing that looks real (or fun) is when he turns 90 and then 180 degrees whilst doing an insane grind, board slide combo.

What do you all think so far?
Is Tony Hawk Ride shaping up to be good?

Did your Dad skate?

Does he still have an old deck sitting in the garage from the 80’s or earlier? If so, he could be sitting on a goldmine!

Just recently, there have been $220,000 worth of vintage skateboards sold on eBay. Some of them went for over $5,000 (a 1983 Alva Hosoi deck).

That is some serious cash.

If you are (older) into collecting vintage skateboard decks and wheels, there are many to collect. Perhaps you are going all out to get all of the original Bones Brigade decks from Lance Mountain, Tony Hawk and people like that.

Perhaps a set of Crossbones vintage skateboard wheels will also look nice in your collection, along with some original t-shirts and stickers.

You have to make sure these are the real thing though. I expect there are some people who will start to copy the originals and sell fakes, but if you ever skated in the 80’s then you will be able to tell a real deck from a mile away. They were nothing like the lolly stick decks you buy now.

Vintage Fun Sport Skateboard 1970's old School $ $19.95	SKATEBOARD STICKER LOT VTG SANTA CRUZ BIRDHOUSE POWELL $19.99	NEW DISTRESSED VINTAGE LOOK STUDDED SKATEBOARD HAT CAP $8.95
Old School Schmitt Stix Yard Stix Skateboard Vintage $39.99	vintage wood skateboard $15.00	Vintage Newporter Stoker Continental Skateboard Wheels $10.00

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I have just been poring over the press release from EA regarding the announcement of Skate 3 and have found a few more details.

Whether online or offline, players can now team up to build the ultimate skate crew in the definitive skateboarding co-op experience.

This obviously means that the game will be based around the use of teams. It sounds like you will be able to earn team points and I expect there will be be a massive amount of team based achievements.

We’re giving gamers a very unique experience by providing them with the tools they need to build their ultimate team or to create a team comprised entirely of their online friends.

The franchise also continues to raise the bar for user created content with the skate.Create feature suite, an innovative toolset that empowers gamers to truly express their skate style by creating their own graphics, videos, and skate parks.

Wow! It sounds like we are getting some real tools to create content including a whole skatepark! Imagine being able to get together with your online mates, create a park from scratch, decorate it in your own graffiti and logos and then skate it, invite other teams to compete there, record videos of the competition and post them all online. Amazing!

SKATE 3 features an all-new co-op mode where teammates can complete challenges together while advancing each other’s careers. From rewarding epic bails and fails with a beefed up Hall of Meat mode to honing your craft with the all-new skate.School, players of all skill levels have multiple ways to “kill it” in the game.

Again, this smells of team based achievements that can be awarded on a team basis. So if I am away on holiday and can’t skate, my team can still earn points towards completing an achievement whilst I am away. When I come back I jump back in and start helping earn points again.

EA and Black Box have got me stoked again!

Skate 3 comes out in May 2010!

Well, I hate to say I told you so…

Based on what we can see and learn from this video, it looks like we might get the following in Skate 3:

1. There is a new city we get to Skate in called Port Calverton.
2. The tagline is “Team Up. Throw Down” and there is plenty of on screen action featuring more than one skater which leads me to think that there may be some sort of MMO (massively multiplayer online) features in Skate 3. Perhaps it will all revolve around a more free flow explorable world. On Cuz’s blog announcement about Skate 3 he says that as we all made teams, Skate 3 will give us that ability. Not so much of a solo game but one based around making your own skate team or company up.
3. A few new tricks popped out of the video, most noticeably the darkslide a-la Rodney Mullen. There was also a nice kickflip which was then kicked back the other way too. Let’s hope it’s not done using the Tony Hawk slow-mo control method that he used in Project 8 onwards.
4. It will be released in May 2010! I expect that to be pushed back to Summer 2010 as we only had Skate 2 recently.. didn’t we?
5. It is available to pre-order now! Wow. That is something that only Apple usually pulls off when they announce something. If you pre-order, you will get yourself a Black Box Distribution Skatepark, which must be some kind of downloadable content I would have thought. I can’t see it on the EA Store website though and it is not appearing on Amazon yet either.

So what do you all think after watching the trailer?

Good? Bad? Or too soon to tell?

This one can probably be filed under the same folder as the Sinclair C5 and also the Segway too.

The YikeBike aims to provide 21st century commuters, teenagers and general youth seekers with the chance to ride a Penny Farthing style scooter, come bike, come unicycle. The YikeBike only weighs 22 pounds and will speed you across the school yard for over 5 miles on a full charge. Once it has run down, the makers reckon that you can recharge it back to 80% of it’s battery power in 20 minutes. So a quick stop off at Starbucks on your way to work/school may be required.

The thing that I find interesting about the YikeBike is that without battery power – it is totally useless. Take a Skateboard for example.. you just push, stand, push, stand. No power needed apart from your leg. The YikeBike will take you for 5 miles and then you will have to carry it! Not perfect.

Someone needs to design something that will double as a motorised device that can also be pedalled or pushed if required. Something like a electric bike perhaps?

The New Zealand makers say that the YikeBike will be available in 2010 and will be the saviour of people who commute and have to deal with congested city travel.

So. The same as the Sinclair C5 and the Segway then…

I have just been taking a trip down memory lane and reading The Evolution Of Skateboard Wheels over at the Skateboarding Magazine website.

They break down the types of wheels by age, starting with the oldest “Steel Wheels” first from 1955 and finishing with the ultra high tech 1992 “street skating wheel” which is used to this day.

I guess I came into the sport around the time of the 1985 “Ramp Wheel” which was developed by Steve Caballero so he could roll faster across Animal Chin (when they found it).

I wonder what will be next on the agenda? Will we see 2011 “Hover Wheels” appear on the chart next or a set of cross-bones made from some Alien sourced material?

Time will tell…

Speed Skateboard Wheel Ball Bearings Racing Fast ABEC-7 $4.58	RANDAL Trucks, ABEC 11 Wheels,LONGBOARD,Skateboard 84A $79.98	CADILLAC OLD SCHOOL SKATEBOARD WHEELS Dogtown 70mm blk $41.97
Ad40 - Spitfire Skateboard Wheels Fire Red Devil Iron $0.99	Skateboard TINKERBELL Free D Wheels TINK Disney Pin $% $2.25	G-Wheel Wheelman Motorized Skateboard $417.00

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News from Gamecom, the current games industry show, reveals that the Tony Hawk Ride board will come complete with sticky, spongy bits that will let you use the digital lolly-stick on a hardwood floor without it scratching it too much.

Think of the old “grab pads” and plastic rails from the 90’s and you will be on the right track of what to expect.

The spokesperson from the Tony Hawk Ride team says that the recommended way to enjoy the game is to use it on a carpeted area, rather than your Mum’s new laminate flooring or 16th century floorboards.

It’s a bit of a no brainer really…

Tony Hawk: Ride (Xbox 360, 2009) BUNDLE FREE SHIP $64.52	Activision Tony Hawk Ride For Xbox 360 Live New N/R! $17.00	Activision Tony Hawk Ride For Xbox Live 360 New N/R! $19.19
Tony Hawk Ride Game w/ Skateboard Controller XBOX 360! $44.99	Wii Tony Hawk Ride w/ Game Wireless and Skateboard $43.99	PARTS:ActiActivision Tony Hawk: RIDE w/ Skateboard Wii $104.99

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This product is amazing! The new Magic Wheel Foot Scooter takes the idea of a unicycle and then improves it, turning a simple bike wheel into something unique, stylish and cool.

The Magic Wheel foot scooter is the brain child of a European inventor who has taken the ideas from a bike a skateboard and a scooter and put them all together in a sleek, simple, easy to use device.

Put the Magic Scooter between your legs and rest it up against your inner thigh, which gives you extra support and balance. Put your foot on the footrest on one side, then push off with your other foot and when you have gained speed, you can put the foot on the other footrest and you are good to go!

The Magic Wheel scooter can be used in all different situations, from commuting to riding the seafront. Take it to the skatepark and you have the ability to carve and shred with the rest of the skaters.

The customer testimonials say it all:

I just wanted to say how grateful I am that you have made the magic wheel so agile. I was weaving in and out of people in the streets of cambridge obviously with some very intrigued people staring at me.

My 2 sons are over the moon and now their friends want one. They are even learning tricks and they ride them to school.

Wow this is so cool and Im already attempting stunts on it! All my friends want one and I beat them to it!

Designed to be portable too, the Magic Wheel foot scooter can be picked up easily to be carried up some steps for example.

• Weight: 6.3 KG
• Max Height: 29 inches
• Wheel Dia: 26′ / 20mm
• Rear direction wheel:125mm x 25mm
• Wheel used: Professional sports wheel
• Frame: High quality reinforced ABS plastic
• Colours: Black & Red & plain Black
• 90 days warranty, User manual (Paper & DVD) included
• Rider Weight: Maximum 120 Kg
• Suitable for users aged 12+

Get one today from eBay and be the envy of your friends. This is likely to be the MUST HAVE skateboarding/scooter gift this christmas.

NEW MAGIC WHEEL SCOOTER SKATEBOARD MAGICWHEEL UNICYCLE $65.00	Magic Wheel Scooter- Skateboard- Fun Kick Scooter $65.00	Magic Wheel Scooter- Skateboard- Fun Kick Scooter $65.00
Magic Wheel Scooter- Skateboard- Fun Kick Scooter $65.00	NEW MAGIC WHEEL SCOOTER SKATEBOARD $80.00	IT'S HERE The Magic Wheel Scooter Skateboard MagicWheel $149.00

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There comes a time in life when it is time to hang up your skateboard, pack away those knee pads and wrist guards that your mother tried to make you wear and settle for a life of family, mortgage and taxes.

This does not mean that you have to give up the skater lifestyle though!

Being older (and fatter) also usually means having more money and you get to spend out on products such as a used segway to fill the gap that skateboarding left behind.

In case you have not been around for a while, a Segway is a “self-balancing human transporter” that allows the user to ride effortlessly using only simple, basic motions to maneuver – such as leaning forward to make the Segway go forwards and leaning from side to side to make the Segway turn. The Segway only has 2 parallel wheels, but manages to keep itself upright all of the time.

If you want to buy a used Segway, then the best option would be to head to a site like eBay where there are usually lots of Segway vehicles available as well as many spares and accessories too. Owning a used Segway will cost less overall and you will know you are getting something that has worked and someone else can vouch for. After all, not many people will be pulling 360’s on these babies – but you can off road them, so best to ask for more information before you buy.

Disney Around The World At Epcot Segway experience pin $5.00	Segway Commercial Cargo Package $499.00	Information to build a Segway Balancing Scooter $9.99
$110 Gift Certificate (Good for 2) to Segway of Oakland $35.00	$110 Certificate (Good for 2) to Segway of Oakland $35.00	$110 Certificate (Good for 2) to Segway of Oakland $35.00

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