MAG MINUTE

check this Mag Minute out.

Dude has some skills.

http://theskateboardmag.com/watch/nick-dompierre/

late.

MONDAYS SUCK

This is the first Monday of the new year... we should still be keeping up with our "resolutions" and still working out, not smoking and only eating "healthy foods", right? Well, most of us are keeping up and some of us have fallen off the wagon.... it's not to late to start over.

This edition of MONDAYS SUCK is about the current economic status of the action sports industry... namely Skateboarding.

This was quoted from an industry business website that I like to look at.


December 30, 2008 09:02 AM

"December has been a brutal month for the industry, and for all of retailing, as several key reports released today and this week show.
It was the worst Christmas week for retailers since 1970. Consumer confidence is dropping, not reviving, as some economists predicted as recently as yesterday. And a new report predicts that 73,000 more stores will close in the next six months...."

(If you need the source of this information, send me an email and I will give you the link.)

Just based on this comment alone, you gotta wonder how in the world any businesses will last. Just the other day I saw that Applebees, here in town, closed their doors. I can name at least a handful of "local businesses" that have closed there doors in the past month or so. It sucks. They poured their heart and soul into it... and they gotta shut down.... total bummer.

Why is my blog just doom and gloom?

Well... unfortunately it is reality. Turn on the news, read a newspaper, look what's going on in the world. People are getting "downsized" and layed-off. Real Estate is in the tank. Even giant corporations are in trouble and closing down... Circuit City just closed a week and a half ago and the auto industry is looking for the government to bail them out. That alone, pisses me off... why do they get help and the little "mom and pop" stores and restaurants don't get any help?

Basically the answer to that is: if there are no big companies are around, then that means less jobs and no money to spend at the little mom and pop places.... it's deeper than that; but that's the short answer.

With that said, it is more and more difficult for the little guy to stick around. Mostly it's because there is no loyalty anymore (I'll save that topic for a different blog).

Admit it. You shop where you can get it for less... not where you know you'll get good service. Wal-mart is loving the economic woes.... people are flocking to the "cheap" guy.

Now that the rant is out of the way.

The weather should hold up great this week. So... go ride that skateboard!!!

Ride it because it's what you are.

Ride it because it's what you do.

Peace.

FORGOT MONDAYS SUCK

Look, it's the week of Christmas... what could suck?

Well, maybe you haven't gotten anyone any presents? Maybe you're wondering if you are on the naughty or nice list...?

Christmas is awesome! It's a time for families and friends to gather and enjoy being together. Giving gifts, if you can or want to, should be out of the kindness in your heart.

I'm not going to go religious on here or anything. So, with that said.... there are a lot of people out there that care about us. There are tons of people that do nice things for us and maybe we don't even know it. It might be our parents, our brother/sister, aunts/uncles, grandparent(s) or just some random dude that felt like doing something nice. Those people seem to care about us. Even the gnarliest of human beings has someone out there that somewhat cares about them... so, be nice.

If there is someone out there that has done something nice for you... return the favor. Christmas is the perfect time of year to not be a public nuisance. It's only for a short time, so chill out for a minute...enjoy the season.

Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays... depending on which way you go...

Hope you all get something to assist you in your ability to shred the concrete!

Skaters eat tacos

Down to some really important business... Mexican Food in Parker blows. Fourtunately for all of you, we have found some solid Mexican Food not too far from home. What makes good Mexican Food, you ask?
1. Cheap
2. annoying Mexican music in the background
3. Solid basics, like beans and carnitas
4. Really good chips and salsa, and lots of them, as soon as you sit down
5. Cooked with Lard, none of this low saturated fats crap
6. Shut down by the health department every so often

Now, this place we found does not meet the lard and health department criteria, however, it is the best we have found here. We had Carnitas Tacos and Fish Tacos and both were solid. Plenty of chips filled us up early on but we managed to pound some dessert too, Apple Empanadas and Mexican Rice Pudding (Arroz con leche). Both were great (Empanadas were our favorite). Be sure to tell the manager, Ross, that we sent you but don't mention us if you are going to be annoying and get kicked out. We also couldn't help but notice the virgin ledges all around the building. This will change.

Check it out:
Real de Minas
at S. Parker Rd. and Arapahoe by Sunflower Market and the big new Target

www.realdeminasrest.com

SKATE LEGEND TAKES IT TO THE STREETS

Seriously... I came across this today and thought "I gotta see this".

I grew up not far from the streets of South Los Angeles... maybe a 30 minute drive... I knew it existed, but didn't know how real it is.

I was in Southern California for the riots in April 1992. It was crazy. I never understood it totally. I get it, a bit, now.

Some individuals think they are sooo hard... well, just want to say... your not! This is hard.

It's a serious issue and Stacy Peralta, who I admire a ton, gets in deep and really takes a street level look at this. Check it out. See for yourself.

What's this got to do with skateboarding? Read the interview Stacy does with Fuel TV. There is a code, you may not understand it now, but maybe you will. Skateboarding has it... most of you don't quite understand it... maybe you will someday...

Respect it. It's real.

Peralta Takes on L.A. Gangs in New Documentary

SKATE 2 - COMING SOON!

Here you go...

SKATE 2 is coming and here is a little video to show who will be featured.

Some serious sick skating is going to go down on your TVs!!

Get your thumbs all warmed up!

MONDAYS SUCK

Here you go. It's Monday and it sucks!

First things first. It is so freaking cold that is sucks my will to even step outside... forget about stepping on a skateboard today. We set a record overnight for the low temperature... 15 degrees BELOW zero. This morning, when I was driving my kids to school it was -9!! The sun is out and from indoors, it looks like a great day... then you step outside and your nose hairs all freeze with the first breath.

Second, it is Monday.

Third, it's the busiest shipping/mail day of the year. I tried to drop off some Christmas cards at the post office and the place was a zoo. People wrapped around the place trying to get stuff sent out to family and friends. Man, it's great to not have many friends sometimes...

I guess it's not all bad. Thrasher Magazine had their "Skater of the Year" party over the weekend... And the winner is: Silas Baxter-Neal

Most of you probably already knew that, but did you know Too Short busted a few rhymes.

Here's a link to some photos of the party. Looks pretty gnarly...

http://www.thrashermagazine.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1686&Itemid=77

Oh, I almost forgot....

DANNY WAY IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL?

The Wall Street Journal does not seem like the place where you would find a skateboarder...

I was in the Staple Center and personally witnessed Danny's numerous wrecks and the famous "shinner heard round the world" front flip into the quarter-pipe.... Dude is a stud in my book.

He's always been the man of skateboarding and never feared anything! Now he shows us he's not afraid of the Wall Street Journal.

Danny, You da man!

Check it: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122894639433295903.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Short Bus to Texas

I came across this a little bit ago...

It is a somewhat humerous read and a little bit on the "holy crap" side.

This in no way expresses the views of 8 Track Ride or it's owners.

So, here you go. Something random to read.

http://www.thrashermagazine.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1640&Itemid=38

MONDAY SUCKS

Here it is Wednesday and I still am reeling from Monday that I haven't written my Monday Sucks... or is it MondayS suck? Either way, they suck!

Had a great Thanksgiving. Hope all of you did too. Nice long weekend to relax and hang out with family.

Then, you realize that you have to get out of bed on Monday morning... that is what sucks. But, it's gotta be done and no one else is going to do it for you. No matter what day it is... no one else can do what you do... by you, for you. So with that said, just do what you do. Hopefully it is better than what someone else would do for you... because it's you. Be good at what it is that you do. Aw, who am I kidding? Oh and another thing.. what the hell am I talking about? I'm not even sure anymore.

Giving Thanks

I have been pretty negative over the last few posts... So, in honor of the Thanksgiving holliday I am going to give thanks.

I had an epiphany last night. You just asked yourself, "what is that" didn't you?

Here you go:
a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.

Now you know what it is. I realized that I have a ton to be thankful for in the skateboarding world.

I am thankful for:

the sound "ga-gunk, ga-gunk, ga-gunk".
the smell of concrete.
the feel of grip tape on my thumb.
the ability to see art in motion.
urathane.
7 or 8 plys of wood.
the old school.
the new school.

8 Track Ride
the amazing brands.
the videos that show us what mind blowing trick the next big thing does.

My Team.... they rule!
My wife... she rules more!!
My kids... they rule, too.
And importantly, not forgotten, all those that skateboard because it's IN them.

Hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving Day!

MONDAYS SUCK

Here is this weeks Mondays Sucks:

This weeks Monday Sucks is quite simple. Today, Monday, sucks because I drove by the skatepark this morning and saw the Town of Parker Public Works people crawling all over the park. I decided to stop and see what was going on. I thought maybe something happened that they were there to see the aftermath of.... Well, something did happen, or didn't happen... i guess it's how you look at it.

It seems that they are getting very tired of paying there employees overtime for all the extra trash that they have to clean up every week. C'mon, is it really that much of a bother to go throw your trash in a can? Are you serioulsly that lazy? You'll bust your ass to learn or land a trick, but you won't give one push and roll over to the trash can?

The head of the Public Works, showed me all the bags of trash, all the trash that was still lying around the park and he used some rather interesting words to describe the masses that have been skating and enjoying the park. Normally, I would take offense to someone calling the skaters a bunch of no good s.o.b's. Today, I didn't take offense. I saw it. It was offensive.

Next week, I am meeting with the town and the PD to "discuss" the issues that have been a pain in the ass of the town. You can only imagine how excited I am to and defend you lazy bitches, so they won't turn the lights off... or worse.

One thing that really pissed me off, was to see all the Go Fast energy drink cans and all the flyers that were strewn all over the park. It pissed me off because they thought that they came from my shop... I had to tell the good folks cleaning up the park that it was not from my shop. And that I am in no way shape or form attached to the shop that this crap was from. They were a little shocked to hear me say what I said. I will not bore you with all the details. However....

I am tired of sticking up for the chad community. I will usually take the high road and be politcally correct, and not say something very negative. Well, that is over. Anyone who has ever been to an 8 Tack Ride event knows that we leave the park, parking lot, surrounding areas cleaner than when we got there. We recognize that we could lose what we have and we take care of our business. What the hell are you doing? Anything except merely taking money and stoking out the next bro?

Back in the day, when some shop owners were like 4 years old, we didn't have sick ass parks to skate at. We built our own stuff in our back yards or we took it to the streets to find a curb or a little ledge. If we were lucky, we could skate for 30 minutes before somebody called the cops. We'd keep moving to find the next spot that we could skate and not get busted. Now, we have an amazing park.... but we don't seem to want to take care of it.

Pick up your f-ing trash and put it in the cans or you may find a weeks worth of trash dumped into the bowls to show you what pigs you are! I'm not asking to pick up someone else's trash... pick up yours. Put your trash in the can. If we all take care of our own trash.... no trash in the park. Very simple concept.

Until next Monday Sucks.... Have a very Happy Thanksgiving! Keep checking back for more info and updated blogs. Oh, feel free to comment. We would love to hear what you have to say... good, bad or indifferent.

Issues

I was just informed by the Town of Parker and by a Crime Prevention Officer in the Parker Police Department that there have been some issues at the skatepark.

Seems that many of the people that have been enjoying the park are not taking care of it. They are not putting trash in the trash cans and that they are using at a place to indulge in some underage activities...

The town will take action if it continues. What does that mean for you? Well, it could be a lot of things. Some that were discussed in town and police meetings were: turning off the lights-so they don't come at all (not just go off earlier), putting a gate around the entire skatepark and requiring pads/helmets, or the one that would hit most of us in the nuts... shutting the park down completely. How many of you want that? I know that I sure as hell don't!!

What's the solution? How do we keep these from happening? It's quite simple really... TAKE CARE OF YOUR BUSINESS! Trash goes in the trash can. It does not go on the grass, the corners of the ledges, under the benches or down in the bowls! The town is going to add six more trash cans around the park... which should make it easier for us lazy losers to throw stuff away rather than just drop it on the ground.

If you have a better solution than not being lazy, hit me up with it and I can forward it on to who ever should hear about it. Meanwhile, the town does not want to take action, but you have pretty much put them in a bad position. So, take care of your crap and the park will remain open. Those of us that are locals should take some pride and ownership in the park. Take care of it or we lose it...

8 Track Ride promo

After some delays and some set backs, here you go....

MONDAYS SUCK

I am generally a happy person; however, there are plenty of things that get under my skin. So I am taking Mondays as a pissed off day. Today's suck is this...BLANKS.

Buying blank skateboards is lame. If you consider yourself a skater in any sense of the word, yup, even you longboard gnarlies, you support skateboarding. You love skating and let it drive your life and what you do and what you are. So, why do you ride a deck that does not support anything except deforestation? You like getting those killer free stickers and posters for your locker? Free videos and product tosses from your favorite shops? How many of the companies that sell blanks give you free videos or stickers? If you buy blanks, you are not a skater. You don't love skating enough to support the industry, you want cheap crap and then you are still gonna whine about getting free stuff and besides, blanks don't even look good... they look so plain. That's what is great about graphics on decks, they have some style, some individuality. They are the avenue to express the artistic side of the industry. Real skaters spend lots of time designing and choosing a deck graphic that best fits them, whether it is bloody skulls, artistic spew or even a cool shop graphic. So next time you see someone skating a blank, help them out by telling them they are a tool.

In a nut shell, support the industry you love. Don't whine and cry about it. Just do it (see, even Nike is telling you to support it). What do you think about shops that sell blank decks?

Pictures of the new Parker Railbender Skatepark

Here are some pics of our new park. It really does have it all, don't you think? Great Hubbas, rails, stairs, big 4-block and a serious little peanut bowl. I'll put up some pics of the big bowl soon, it is the most amazing one I've personally ever seen! People have asked how it compares to the other parks around. It's not quite as big as Denver but people love that it's not got the slick coating. We've been loving the 7-stair and the hubbas and seen things going down there that we've never seen at Castle Rock or Trails. The variety of terrain is really unmatched and we know you agree...we have seen some unnamed kids there that we're pretty sure have not been home since last Saturday so the only thing that needs to be added is a water fountain and some vending machines cuz' they gotta be getting hungry.

New Park, New Blog

Welcome to Parker Skateboarding! This blog is created and maintained by the good folk at 8 Track Ride Skateboard Shop in Parker, Colorado to connect and unite skateboarders from all over and to support skateboarding in Colorado and beyond. Your comments are welcome and, while we cannot always respond to everyone, we will try our best to address comments and questions. Thanks for visiting!