http://www.bamboosk8.com/interns/2010/07/a-long-long-time-ago/ – click to see photos and read about it from our German intern Uli’s perspective.

http://www.bamboosk8.com/interns/2010/07/a-long-long-time-ago/ – click to see photos and read about it from our German intern Uli’s perspective.
Special thanks to Kyle from the band Breathe Carolina who did this painting on our bamboo skateboard and autographed it for Kevin’s charity at the Vans Warped Tour. Check out www.breathecarolina.net – Fearless Records – So So Happy
Pacific Beach Surf Shop @ 4150 Mission Blvd.
RSVP: marketing@bamboosk8.com
Sponsored by: Bull Taco, Rock Star energy, Sanuk, Clif Bar, Kicker, Rerip, H20 audio and many others.
Music by Seth Petterson and the Undertow, BOOMSNAP
http://www.vanswarpedtour.com/warpedtour/news.asp?xid=16522&id=1765497 – please leave a positive comment on the site.
Check out www.bamboosk8.com/store for the latest bamboo decks including our brand new OCTOBOMB deck, with $5 per deck going to support the National Wildlife Fund to help with the gulf oil crisis. Completes will be ready in a few weeks featuring Randal trucks and high-quality custom BambooSK8 corn/urethane wheels.
http://www.hookit.com/members/eddiebanian/ - one of the top viewed athletes on hookit.com
BambooSK8 was proud to help Eddie get to Camp Woodward this summer to tear up the skate ramps!
We (Geoff and video intern Michael) arrived at the Home Depot Center around 11:30am to a line of about 2000 spectators waiting to get in. Lucky for us, we were on the guest list so once we had our wrist band, we got some assistance to jump the line right at the front. Whoo! That saved about an hour! We next met up with team rider Jeff Wright to give him some new bambooSK8 decks to shred on the mini-ramp. Jeff ended up taking 3rd!! We then finally found our booth which was lost among a zillion booths. BambooSK8 joined up with Concrete Wave this year as part of their passport program along with a few other key skateboard brands. Over 350 attendees got a chance to get a passport and then had to visit a series of non-profit booths and get a stamp (just like visiting a foreign country). Once they returned, they put their hand in a bag and pulled out a card redeeming a myriad of prizes including skateboards, t-shirts, patches, and tons more. We also spent a few hours passing out our Green Washed Ritual postcards which gives people 20 free music downloads, as well as stickers, which fans were happy to wear. I’ve never seen so many little punk rock girls, but it was a blast as they were very into a few of the bands. The first band that really captured my attention was Dillinger Escape Plan, who had incredible passion for every note. I love seeing bands that truly feel the music. Another major highlight was seeing Tom Morello with his band Street Sweeper Social Club. Now, I’ve been a fan of Rage Against the Machine for more than 18 years, when I first saw them in Detroit with House of Pain, and then have seen them 6 or 7 times over the 12 main years they were together and met him last year at a charity event – super cool guy. Tom is another genius musician who has taken his sonic madness to a whole new level. Another great legendary punk band was Fear, who were still pretty tight and the singer was spot on. Other than that, many of the bands were just insanely screamo or just didn’t offer up anything new that hasn’t been done already a million times before…but that’s cool – they are doing their thing and they had some fans! The list of fun things goes on and on as we were represented on the 1st leg of the Vans Warped Tour. Video to come soon. For now, here’s some photos. We’ll be at the Ventura event on Sunday, June 27th.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Geoff Koboldt info@bamboosk8.com
INDUSTRY LEADER IN SUSTAINABILITY TAKES ACTION BY JOINING PASSPORT PROGRAM WITH CONCRETE WAVE MAGAZINE AT VANS WARPED TOUR
Oceanside, CA – Thursday, June 24, 2010 – BambooSK8, an industry leader in sustainable skateboards is partnering with Concrete Wave Magazine and the Vans Warped Tour this summer to present the first-ever “Passport Program.” The program was designed to increase awareness and social responsibility in society’s youth.
BambooSK8 President Geoff Koboldt stated, “We at BambooSK8 hope and pray that fans of the Warped Tour will be inspired by the passionate energy that each non-profit exemplifies and that they will grasp the message and in return do something themselves that serves others in their community.”
At the Concrete Wave/BambooSK8 booth attendees will be able to pick up their very own paperback “passport.” From here they will go around to each booth and learn about the different non-profits; Music Saves Lives, Greenpeace, PETA, Keep a Breast, Rock for Autism and many others. After a brief rundown of the company the person will receive a customized stamp from each designated booth. Once the passport is filled the “traveller” will return to the Concrete Wave booth where they will then be entered to win over $105,000 worth of prizes, including bamboo skateboards and bambooSK8 t-shirts.
BambooSK8 will also be giving out tens of thousands of stickers and Green Washed Ritual digital music cards, which gives 20 free songs, along with promoting and educating fans on the paradigm change from sustainability of bamboo skateboards versus traditional maple deforestation.
BambooSK8 plans to Twitter the locations of skateboard decks hidden around the venue which will be free to those who find them. Follow their tweets at www.twitter.com/bamboosk8.
This year’s Warped Tour will travel for 43 dates with an expected 750,000 attendees.
The event will start at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California on June 25th. For a list of tour dates and locations, visit www.vanswarpedtour.com
Click here to view a virtual passport on WarpedTour.com.
About BambooSK8
BambooSK8, a bamboo manufacturer to the skateboard industry is breaking new ground (without hurting the environment) with a patent-protected process involving a truly sustainable eco/green source: bamboo. BambooSK8 is a superior choice for the high-impact, active skateboarding warrior who wants to be at the forefront of a true revolution. Bamboosk8 is headquartered in Oceanside, CA and has collectively over 50 years in action sports. For more information, please visit www.bamboosk8.com
Have you ever stopped to really think about the impact of GO SKATEBOARDING DAY? While obviously it’s to promote our sport (yes, I think its now a widely respected sport), I also think that it’s a nice reminder for us to just go have fun and be free, with no limits, no constraints, etc.
Being that we are based out of Oceanside, our gang took the liberty to spread thy message of bamboo all around Southern California. Team 1 consisted of Nick and Jen, Team 2 was Brian, Uli, Stephen, and Heather, and Team 3 was Dana, Alex, and Jessee. The rest of us just rolled down the local street…
Team 1 recap: The Orange County/LA Team
Jen went to Venice, completely packed, a lot of crazies, met some guys that own a clothing company that were interested in getting bamboo skate decks – we like people who want our decks!! Nick hit three parks in Chino and Rancho Cucamonga!!
Team 2 recap: Uptown Team
They hit five different parks, making a big loop starting in Oceanside, heading south to Carlsbad and Encinitas and rounding things out in Poway. Oceanside Bishop was packed with younger kids, they had a small event going on with Osiris and Chipotle, everyone was really friendly and the head guy even announced that “BambooSK8 is here too!” Carlsbad was really fun, lots of kids and parents wanting information, Encinitas we stayed at the longest because of the size of the park, they were BBQing and DC was supposed to show up but never did. We had the kids demoing boards, taking stickers and fliers as well as lots and lots of coupon codes. We finished up in Poway, which had a lot of skaters that were much older, ranging from about 15 to 25 years old, we definitely pushed the launch party on them as well as having them demo the decks and offered them codes. We took lots of pictures at each park of both us and the local kids with our stickers and boards.
Team 3 recap: Downtown Team
They ended up hitting four parks starting with Crownpoint park’s Sector 9 event, then Ocean Beach skate park, Washington Street skatepark, and then Embarcadero Marina Park. Embarcadero was the most busy, the interns were swarmed with kids wanting stickers and fliers. They video taped a lot of the events and will edit and post those soon.
Overall Go Skate Day was a total success – just having fun skating and promoting the skateboarding culture.
PHOTOS COMING SOON!
http://www.bamboosk8.com/misc/music.php
We are gearing up for our 2nd Green Washed Ritual music compilation… if your band or someone you know has high-energy, unique music they would like to contribute – send us an email. Check out the link to learn more about the 1st compilation brought to you by Out of Step Entertainment and New World Artist Management.
Bamboo Sk8 Pop Video from Chris Vasey on Vimeo.
We are expecting our new batch of bamboo skateboard decks to be ready around June 30th. We will have tons of stock on 7.5, 7.75, 8, 8.25 and 8.5″ decks, as well as our brand new locker decks. Also, we will have brand new bamboosk8 high-quality wheels made with corn. Yes, it’s an eco revolution as we now displace some of the traditional urethane! Soy wheels –> Corn wheels! We’ll be using Randall Trucks on our longboards – can’t get any better than that!!! New eco-friendly t-shirts in a multitude of designs are also being developed. We apologize for running low on inventory this month – sales are booming beyond what we predicted; thank you to all who have purchased and continue to purchase. We can’t do this without you!!
We like to give shout outs to good skate shops in our community that sell our product. K5 – check out their bamboosk8 decks with a rasta-inspired logo.
K-Five Quality Boarding Equipment
280 N. El Camino Real
Encinitas, California 92024
760.436.6613
http://www.k5.com
K-Five Quality Boarding Equipment
12630 Poway Rd.
Poway, California 92064
858.679.6822
http://www.k5.com
BambooSK8 is super stoked to join the Vans Warped Tour this summer. Please make sure you stop by and visit the Concrete Wave booth where we will be featured with a few other great brands and non-profits. Concrete Wave has introduced the “passport” program for the tour so make sure you get your passport and get it stamped. We will be giving out free stickers, green washed ritual music cards for 20 free songs, bamboo shirts and bamboo skate decks.
We are looking for serious fans of our brand to help out if possible. You will be responsible for purchasing your own ticket (sorry we only get a few tickets ourselves) but once in, you can help pass goodies out at the booth. Geoff and Wyatt will most definitely be at the California dates so stop by and say hello!!!
| Fri | 04/09/10 | Key Club | West Hollywood, CA | 9 | ||
| Fri | 06/25/10 | Home Depot Center | Carson, CA | 326 | Buy Tickets | |
| Sat | 06/26/10 | Shoreline Amphitheatre | Mountain View, CA | 258 | Buy Tickets | |
| Sun | 06/27/10 | Ventura Country Fairground At Seaside Park | Ventura, CA | 188 | Buy Tickets | |
| Tue | 06/29/10 | Cricket Pavilion | Phoenix, AZ | 221 | Buy Tickets | |
| Wed | 06/30/10 | N.M.S.U. Practice Field | Las Cruces, NM | 149 | Buy Tickets | |
| Thu | 07/01/10 | AT&T Center | San Antonio, TX | 174 | Buy Tickets | |
| Fri | 07/02/10 | The Showgrounds At Sam Houston Race Park | Houston, TX | 270 | Buy Tickets | |
| Sat | 07/03/10 | Superpages.com Center | Dallas, TX | 328 | Buy Tickets | |
| Mon | 07/05/10 | Verizon Wireless Amphitheater | St.Louis, MO | 238 | Buy Tickets | |
| Tue | 07/06/10 | Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre | Indianapolis, IN | 214 | Buy Tickets | |
| Wed | 07/07/10 | First Niagara Pavilion | Burgettstown, PA | 246 | Buy Tickets | |
| Thu | 07/08/10 | Time Warner Cable Amphitheatre | Cleveland, OH | 251 | Buy Tickets | |
| Fri | 07/09/10 | Arrow Hall | Toronto, ON | 187 | Buy Tickets | |
| Sat | 07/10/10 | Parc Jean Drapeau | Montreal, QC | 154 | Buy Tickets | |
| Sun | 07/11/10 | Comcast Theater | Hartford, CT | 182 | Buy Tickets | |
| Tue | 07/13/10 | Comcast Center | Mansfield, MA | 385 | Buy Tickets | |
| Wed | 07/14/10 | Darien Lake P.A.C. | Darien Center, NY | 236 | Buy Tickets | |
| Thu | 07/15/10 | Toyota Pavilion | Scranton, PA | 197 | Buy Tickets | |
| Fri | 07/16/10 | Susquehanna Bank Center | Camden, NJ | 189 | Buy Tickets | |
| Sat | 07/17/10 | Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum | Uniondale, NY | 250 | Buy Tickets | |
| Sun | 07/18/10 | Monmouth Park Racetrack | Oceanport, NJ | 161 | Buy Tickets | |
| Tue | 07/20/10 | Merriweather Post Pavilion | Columbia, MD | 201 | Buy Tickets | |
| Wed | 07/21/10 | Virginia Beach Amphitheatre | Virginia Beach, VA | 219 | Buy Tickets | |
| Thu | 07/22/10 | Verizon Wireless Amphitheater Charlotte | Charlotte, NC | 309 | Buy Tickets | |
| Fri | 07/23/10 | Vinoy Park | St. Petersburg, FL | 171 | Buy Tickets | |
| Sat | 07/24/10 | Cruzan Amphitheater | West Palm Beach, FL | 248 | Buy Tickets | |
| Sun | 07/25/10 | Firestone Amphitheatre @ The Lot | Orlando, FL | 276 | Buy Tickets | |
| Mon | 07/26/10 | Aaron’s Amphitheater at Lakewood | Atlanta, GA | 296 | Buy Tickets | |
| Wed | 07/28/10 | Riverbend Music Center | Cincinnati, OH | 260 | Buy Tickets | |
| Thu | 07/29/10 | Marcus Amphitheater | Milwaukee, WI | 184 | Buy Tickets | |
| Fri | 07/30/10 | Comerica Park | Detroit, MI | 269 | Buy Tickets | |
| Sat | 07/31/10 | First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre | Tinley Park, IL | 366 | Buy Tickets | |
| Sun | 08/01/10 | Canterbury Park | Shakopee, MN | 238 | Buy Tickets | |
| Mon | 08/02/10 | Sandstone Amphitheatre | Bonner Springs, KS | 150 | Buy Tickets | |
| Thu | 08/05/10 | Northlands Grounds | Edmonton, AB | 147 | Buy Tickets | |
| Sat | 08/07/10 | Utah State Fairgrounds | Salt Lake City, UT | 107 | Buy Tickets | |
| Sun | 08/08/10 | Invesco Field | Denver, CO | 201 | Buy Tickets | |
| Tue | 08/10/10 | Cricket Amphitheatre | San Diego, CA | 258 | Buy Tickets | |
| Wed | 08/11/10 | Pomona Fairplex | Pomona, CA | 215 | Buy Tickets | |
| Thu | 08/12/10 | Sleep Train Amphitheatre | Marysville, CA | 149 | Buy Tickets | |
| Fri | 08/13/10 | Idaho Center Amphitheatre | Nampa, ID | 60 | Buy Tickets | |
| Sat | 08/14/10 | Gorge Amphitheater | George, WA | 219 | Buy Tickets | |
| Sun | 08/15/10 | Washington County Fairgrounds | Hillsboro, OR | 183 | Buy Tickets |
To learn more – visit www.vanswarpedtour.com
http://www.grindtv.com/skate/video/bamboo_vs_maple_skateboard_stress_experiment/#51629
These are bamboosk8 bamboo decks – sold to Spiral Threads in 2009. If you are in Europe – hit them up.
SHOP PRE-BOOKING NOW!!
9.25″ x 31.5″ locker/cruizer longboard “octobomb” made from bamboo featuring a Japanese octopus with polynesian styled body, designed by Los Angeles artist D. Leamon.
BambooSK8 offers 2 versions – A. alternating bamboo vertical top or B. clear natural vertical bamboo top; both with bamboosk8 logo on the nose; deck has a surf-inspired kick tail. We also have the decks without the graphics.
Available mid-June, along with completes featuring Randall trucks + high-quality custom wheels; shop pre-booking now!!!
Also available in 7.5, 7.75, 8, 8.25 and 8.5″ – decks will be available mid-June; shop pre-booking now!!
We read this interesting article today in Transworld business which raises a lot of questions about where skateboarding is going in the future as well as to where it is at right now. We invite each of you to please contribute a comment so that your voice is heard; this is your industry – speak freely! We have already left our comment…
http://business.transworld.net/35856/features/friday-free-for-all-core-shops-vs-ccs/?cmpid=daily0430
Every day, we receive feedback from fans on our bamboo skateboard decks who submit their feedback via our online dealer feedback form: http://www.bamboosk8.com/dealers/dealers-feedback.php
Here’s an example from 4/24:
What style and level of skater skated the deck? Street skater and intermediate
How was the POP? The pop was excellent! I popped my highest ollie on the Bamboo deck.
How was the razer tail? The tail has not shedded a layer yet.
How long did the deck last? I am currently skating the same deck after 3 weeks.
How was the performance overall? Overall the deck is great and I am performing tricks I could barely land on a maple deck.
Would you give a thumbs up to these decks? If not, Why? Yes!
Here’s another example from 4/23:
What style and level of skater skated the deck? Well, I’m a decent street skater, and a pretty tough ramp skater. I skate mostly stairs and ledges, steering away from rails.
How was the POP? The pop was…well…weird. It’s hard to explain. Let’s just say, Bamboo gives POP a whole new meaning. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to maple…
How was the razer tail? The razor tail was not bad at all. I broke my bamboo deck before I could get too bad of razor tail.
How long did the deck last? Actually, the deck itself outlasted my spitfire classics…so as you can imagine, these boards stand the test of shred
How was the performance overall? I’m an avid skater, and you can’t really tell, being that it was a bamboosk8 blank (you couldn’t see the scratch marks on the bottom). The only wear you could see were some scuff marks and a little razor tail. I usually get major razor tail, scratched up graphic, and chipped everywhere…but with bamboo, everything is peaceful.
Would you give a thumbs up to these decks? If not, Why? I want you to imagine the episode of “MINUTE TO WIN IT”, where the guy had to stack three golf balls on top of each other…Remember how many divits and dimples the golf balls had? That many thumbs up. =]
BambooSK8 was proud to be a part of the 2010 Nickelodean TV land awards celebrity event this past Saturday in Hollywood/Studio City. Photos coming soon of celebrities and their families learning about BambooSK8′s sustainable bamboo skateboards. The highlight was most definitely when the lightbulbs went off in peoples heads recognizing exactly the infuence that we are making on a new generation of skateboarders in the paradigm shift from maple deforestation to sustainable bamboo. A few of the celeb’s took a moment to just simply say “thank you” which was very kind. Look for photos of the celebrities with their kids skating a bamboo skateboard.
We would like to extend our gratitude to Sutsu in the United Kingdom for the variety of great ecological responsibilty skateboard graphics they provide. Also, we would like to thank Impress Design from France who also puts out some great graphics with a sustainability focus. For those of you in Europe that skate, hit these guys up and show your support of their bamboosk8 manufactured bamboo skateboards.
Sutsu Ltd.
United Kingdom
http://www.sutsu.com
Impress Design
France
+ 33 (0)6 09 96 55 78
http://impress-concept-design.fr.gd
Cows-Kids-and Pro Skater, Christian Hosoi
By Ron Stebenne – Freestyle Promotions International/BambooSK8
Tunnel Hill GA – You would never expect to see a cow skateboarding anywhere in Georgia. Almost as unusual is to see a world renowned professional skateboarder in Tunnel Hill, Georgia. However, on Saturday, April 10, both a cow and Christian Hosoi where skateboarding in the same place, the North Georgia Skate Park in Tunnel Hill. The ‘Cow’ was indeed skateboarding on the ramps courtesy of the event sponsor, Chick Fil-A of Walnut Square Mall in Dalton. Christian was brought to the park by the owner, Loretta Scriven to provide an equally unique opportunity for skateboarders to see, hear, and experience Hosoi’s life journey through wealth, fame, prison, and his redemption.
Hosoi’s journey began when he was just a young teenager in the early 80’s. His bold skate tricks, movie star looks, and his aggressive nature put him on the fast track to fame, money, and all the world had to offer, including drugs which eventually led to his arrest for possession of 1 ½ pounds of crystal meth in January of 2000. He served 4 years in prison in San Bernardino California Central Detention Center. Prior to his arrest, Hosoi was Tony Hawk’s biggest competitor in contests. Millions of kids watched Hosoi and Hawk battle it out on ramps. In 2000, these two skateboard greats went in two very different directions.
In many ways, Hosoi’s arrest saved his life and created a whole new life for him. Hosoi says, “ I traveled the world 10 times over and no one told me about Christ. It’s weird but I invented a trick they call the “Christ Air”, my nick name is Christ, but no one told me about Christ. When I finally hit rock bottom, I was open for Christ to come in.” Since his arrest, Hosoi has been clean and sober. He is married and has 4 children and is dedicated to his family. Moreover, he turned his life over to his Lord, Jesus Christ, and freely shares his journey with those who will listen. Now as a pastor for The Sanctuary Church in Westminster, California, is travels the world to proclaim his faith, share his life, share the Gospel, and skate in contests and shows in the hopes of changing the lives of young skaters worldwide.
On Saturday, Hosoi was at the North Georgia Skate Park in Tunnel Hill for a purpose beyond just hanging with the kids as a pro. “I wanted to come here and see if I could make a difference in the people’s lives in this community and influence them to do something positive, to steer them away from the kinds of things I went through. I now know it’s about making the right choices, knowing good life-skills, and being good members of society rather than going down the roads that a lot of kids don’t make it out of.”
Park owner, Loretta Scriven, made the event possible because she felt the kids needed to hear these words from someone they respected and looked up to. By the response from the crowed of young and older skaters, she was right. After Hosoi’s talk, dozens of youth and adults crowded around Hosoi to pray with him and be close to the legend. Later they crowded around him to get his autograph and ask questions. Hosoi patiently talked to everyone, had pictures taken with the kids and even skated with them.
Loretta Scriven hopes to have more events and guest pros in this new facility. She and Christian have the same vision, to bridge Christianity and skateboarding, to positively impact the youth in all of Georgia and beyond, and to provide a safe place for kids and families to truly recreate themselves in mind, body, and spirit.
Those interested in visiting the North Georgia Skate Park should visit www.northgeorgiaskatepark.com
You can also visit: www.c3tvradio.us for a live broadcast of the event.
BambooSK8 is heading out to the Indio desert on April 17th, Saturday to see some great music, art and culture at the coachella music festival. This is a great experience for people of all ages. Anyone who wants to join us, let us know by emailing @ our contact form; we encourage carpooling. We would skate there but its like 2 hours and it’s really hot; so bring your sunscreen, a hat, and lots of money so you can buy us some food.
Marty, our intern from Canada (da yooper) was forced around the office and street with a bow and arrow to his head to perform strange photos with our bamboo skateboard with the capped langur graphic. He smiled politely most of the time! Enjoy the photos of us having fun at the office… just a normal Monday in Oceanside.
http://business.transworld.net/33170/features/catching-up-with-bamboo-sk8s-ron-stebenne/
Click to read an interview with Ron Stebenne of Oceanside, California BambooSK8 talking about the ecological benefits of bamboo as a superior choice for building skateboards. Thank you transworld.
March 3, 2010 | by Skope Staff
http://skopemag.com/2010/03/03/buck-brothers-we-are-merely-filters
Guinness World Record holding (Most gigs in a 12 hour period) London-based punk powerhouses Buck Brothers are the greatest thing to come out of a Buddhist Disco since pacifist whack-a-mole. Their sophomore effort “We Are Merely Filters” has the same infectious hook-driven melodies with hilarious lyrics filled with far-spanning references and witty wordplay that was featured in Me.
Although, going through several line-up changes over the years and having more drummers than Spinal Tap. The Buck Brothers have found gold in their current line up consisting of the only original member Andy Duke (Vocals and bass), and new members Craig Welsh (Drums and vocals) and Dom Beckford (Guitar and vocals).
“We are Merely Filters” is an all out assault on your brain. Perfectly mixed, it can be enjoyed waiting for the bus with headphones, or even better by going to one of their concerts. You’ll find that this Brit pop/punk/rock mix is bound to have you dancing halfway through the first track.
From the bloody brilliant “All I Want To Do” with its mantra “Life is cool. Religion sucks. All I want to do is dance.” To the non-sense “Pop Muzik” that echoes DEVO and The B52’s. Buck Brothers latest is bound to have you screaming “Encore! Encore!”
Stand Out tracks:
“You’re so Good, Good, Good you’re great” –A chronicle of the downfall of a public figure, its tragic story mirrors the life of the modern celebrity.
“When I Look At You. (All I Think About Is Sex)” With lyrics like “Your love may be king/Your love may be queen/But we’re not in a monarchy/And thanks to civilisation Procreation’s recreation/We’re more than just the birds and bees” how can you not love this song?
“Deeply Shallow”- A comment on modern society, you’ll find yourself humming it later on the day.
www.myspace.com/buckbrothers
www.buckbrothers.net
You can check out the Buck Brothers on our music page:
http://www.bamboosk8.com/misc/music.php
We’d like to thank all the wonderful people who came out and supported our fundraiser at the OC Tavern in San Clemente this past weekend. Special thanks to the bands Frame of Mind, OFFWHITE, & Soul Rebel Alliance for performing. This fundraiser was set up to help offset the costs of an after school program we are developing with another agency for 3 schools in the San Diego area. Stay tuned to another event very soon!!
February 20th… Drove down from LA to Orange County for the Musink tattoo convention which featured over 300 tattoo artists from all over the world. In the barn, they had a mini half pipe and a stage for a host of bands to perform including NOFX, the Cult, the Damned, the Buzzcocks, and many more. Around 5pm, all the legends came out to tear up the ramp – Hosoi, Alva, Olsen, Dresden, Demontrond, Reategui, Salba, Peters, Vallely, etc. It was a blast to see these guy in the same room let alone on the ramp.
Check out these awesome art skate clocks from our friend Ando over at search+resQ. Some of these were done on bamboo decks.
http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/01/12/reclaimed-wood-eco-clocks-keep-time-in-the-urban-jungle/
BambooSK8 will not be displaying their products at the ASR trade show in February. We have made a strategic decision to put our money into alternative ways such as our support of a booth at the Vans Warped Tour this summer. We are planning to visit ASR/Crossroads on Wednesday February 3rd though and would be happy to meet with all interested shops, distributors and individuals. You can meet us near the Starbucks around noon. Email info@bamboosk8.com
BambooSK8 contributed some charitable goods that went directly to the LAYN organization kids at the shelters and some stuff for the celebrity gift bags (if all went as planned) - check out www.layn.org for more on helping out kids who have been abandoned by their families and need hope. We also gave 2 bamboo skate decks to Slash for his kids!!
What a spectacular night of rock star celebrities coming all together to help out this wonderful cause. Imagine if you can, Slash on guitar with Dave Navarro from Janes Addiction, Travis Barker of Blink 182 on drums, Duff from GnR/Velvet Revolver on bass, Ozzy Osbourne singing, Billy Idol singing, Chester from Linkin Park singing, Andrew from Wolfmother singing, Tom Morello on guitar, Perry Farrel of Janes Addiction singing, Steven Adler from Guns and Roses fame on drums, and many more… a mixture of covers from Led Zepplin to Black Sabbath to Janes Addiction. Wow! The event was hosted by George Lopez, who was incredibly funny. I wish I could tell you all the hilarious dirty jokes he said, but this wouldn’t be the forum for that. Another funny moment was when Slash’s wife and one of the kids was on stage asking people to text to LAYN to donate $10 and not too many people were dialing, so the kid grabs the mic and say’s, “start texting mother fr’s.” The crowd just erupted in laughter and finally pulled out their phones. The event was hosted at Avalon in Hollywood on Vine Street – across from Capitol Records building. It started out with each of the celebrities doing the red carpet horse and poney show for all the TV cameras and other press before going in and rocking out. I was fortunate to meet up again with some of my guitar heroes – Dave Navarro of Janes Addiction (who is never that friendly to strangers with his “I’m too cool for the world attitude”) and Tom Morello of Rage against the Machine (who is always super cool). The silent auction involved a variety of items up for auction including a really great one in my opinion – Anthony Keidis donated his 4x gold Canadian (4 million copies) certification and autographed it. It was a huge framed item that I believe only went for $600. Other items included autographed guitars, bamboo stuff, vacations, etc. Tickets for this event ranged from $85-500 for the VIP experience, with around 800+ tickets sold. Thank you Fez for making it happen!!
So where do I begin when it comes to the music? I’m a huge music fan…
I will start off by saying this – OZZY Osbourne takes it to mach 10 within 3 seconds of getting on the stage and the crowd just couldn’t keep up. His pitch was still relatively well but its his passion that just wreaks havoc on the crowd considering his age and mental state (?) – he comes alive like a little kid with eyes that just possess you. It was awesome!! Billy Idol was rocking hard as the crowd chanted “Rebel Yell” – always great to see him; I hope he never lets that punk attitude die. Watching the chemistry of Perry Farrell and Dave Navarro as they did “mountain song” and “jane says” was memorable, as it always is to see them connect again. Andrew from Wolfmother – what a voice; enough said! They covered Wolfmothers hit “woman”…which is so Led Zepplin but still so cool. Chester from Lincoln Park – hits some high notes but not that impressed overall – granted, he just flew in from France, so I got to give him cred. Tom Morello on guitar – who else can scratch a guitar with metal and make you hum along to it? Always great to see Tom, who is incredibly upbeat and even watching him from the side of the stage – he was so into watching Billy Idol and Ozzy…feeling every bit of the emotions put out. I can remember seeing Rage Against the Machine in 1992 with House of Pain in Detroit – I knew it wouldn’t be long before they took over the world. I then attended about 7 more shows over the years until they split, then came back, then split, then came back. Travis Barker – this dude is sick… he played 90% of the night with 110% – seriously, he’s one of the best drummers out there and always a super cool guy with no ego. I had just saw Travis a few weeks back at the Tony Hawk charity event in Beverly Hills. Duff from GnR fame… always keeping the groove locked down. Even GnR’s Steven Adler came out to hit the skins as they covered “Paradise city”.
The night ended around 11:30 to all of the celeb’s being bombarded by paparazii outside of the venue… thankfully no one got hurt.
Great job Slash, LAYN, Fez, and others involved!!!! May this money donated multiply in blessings for children in need.
http://laynrocks.eventbrite.com/
BambooSK8 just recently donated a variety of goods for the charity auction as well as skate goods straight to the teens who stay at the various shelters through the Los Angeles Youth Network. We look forwarding to see those who can attend this Sunday at Avalon in HOllywood. Performaces by Slash, Billy Idol, Travis Barker, Tom Morello, Dave Navarro, Chester from Linkin Park, Perry Farrell and hosted by George Lopez.
Dr. Bamboo will be tweeting all day tomorrow…. find out what its like to run a skateboard company minute by minute. http://twitter.com/BambooSk8 - click on the link and start following bamboosk8 on twitter.
Flea receives the SIMA Humanitarian of the Year Award from Tony Hawk and Izzy Paskowitz during Liquid Nation Ball 6, La Jolla California, September 11, 2009
I have been a fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers for over 20 years… I’ve seen the Chili’s at least 10 times in my life and have met Anthony and Flea on different occasions in LA. I can’t even describe what it’s like to be in their energy field other than an amazing sense of gratitude for the music they make and the love they spread through the world. If you would have told me 20 years ago this band would sell millions of records – I would have said ”no way” despite being a huge fan. If you grew up in the 80′s, then you would know how important this band was to skateboarding and how much they loved skateboarding.
Anyhow, Flea says, “What i do is what you are suppose to do…be kind, love people, treat them fair, etc.” We can all learn something from this humble individual we call Flea. Nobody weird like me…
Green Events is excited to be hosting Ecofficiency.org’s first annual Endless Summer Benefit Concert and you’re invited! Please join us Saturday, October 17th for an evening of live music, art, food, and fun at the Boathouse Collective in Costa Mesa (map). BambooSK8 & BambooBuddy will be there along with Australian artist Krystie Sargent painting on some decks…
Bands Marc B., Pawnshop Kings, Humanlab, Allensworth, and Kacie Yoshida will be performing live, local artists, including Jesse Miller and eVocal, will be displaying art and creating live art pieces for your viewing pleasure, DJ’s will be spinning using the power of the sun courtesy of an Akeena Solar portable system, and organic eats and drinks will be had by all. There will even be eco exhibits to view and a silent auction with original art and other sustainable items benefiting Ecofficiency.org.
Thanks to our sponsor Tru Organic Spirits, a tree will be planted for every cocktail poured making this a carbon neutral event!
Tickets are $20 and include two free drinks of your choice. You’re practically getting your money back while making a donation to a worthy cause! Buy tickets ahead of time at www.ecofficiency.org for front of the line access or simply come the night of the event. Doors are set to open at 7pm.
This is a 21+ event open to the public, so feel free to pass this invitation on to your friends. We look forward to seeing you there!!
BambooSK8 was proud to join the Tony Hawk foundation for the 2nd time by attending another charity event in Beverly Hills. This event took place at Billionaire ROn Burkles humble abode; yes, I said Billionaire. I believe that only 800 people are allowed to attend based on starting donations of $350 but additional money is raised by numerous auctions such as an autographed fender bass from the Dave Matthews band or a guitar signed by Social Distortion to autographed skate decks to vacations to sport memorabilia to a vehicle (spiced up by DUB), etc. In addition, around $50,000 was raised for the watts skatepark just from pure donations on the whim. 20 at-risk youth were brought in thanks to donations. In fact, one of our little Loopd Eco Tribe skaters made a donation, so I made sure I got him a special autograph from Tony Hawk. Reality is, this event is filled with a mix of celebrities and rich folks but all of which who enjoy doing their part to help the skateparks, all the while doing the horse-and-pony show for their kids who get to meet Tony Hawk. I must say Tony does a great job keeping it real and down-to-earth. In fact, Tony went for a 900 not one, not twice, not even three times but more like 5 times – pulling it off until running off the side of the ramp. Dude is over 40 and killing it out there for the crowd! Bucky Lasek, Andy Macdonald, Kevin Stabb, PLG and a few others joined him on the ramp. About a dozen booths were set up from organizations or companies like Yo Baby / Kick flipper, UFC, Best Buy, DUB magazine, Pinks Hot Dogs, Nixon, etc. Literally, you walk away with bags of goodies including shirts, hats, stickers, belts, drum sticks, guitar picks, shoes, and tons more. This year Blink 182 performed, which was really cool to finally see them live – not that they are even remotely talented in light of other musicians, but they have catchy songs and are incredibly funny with their interactions with each other onstage and with the crowd. Tom joked, “This song was a hit in the 90′s.” I do have to say that Travis Barker is a mad man on those drums and I have the utmost respect for him, as a drummer and as a businessman. Many years ago, I looked at buying his house out in Corona… in fact, it was right down the road from me at the time. Anyhow, other celebrities included Jeremy Piven, Eric Estrada, Vern ’mini me” Troyer (who gave $1000 for TOny hawk’s shoes and deck he skated), Chuck Liddell from UFC, Perry Farrel (Janes Addiction), Johnny Knoxville, Holly Robinson Pete, Tom Green, and a bunch more. A special shout out to the entire crew that makes this event happen…from the valet guys at the front gates to the mansion, to the food crew, to the security, to the organizers and promoters, to the Tony Hawk Foundation, Ron Burkle, and all the people who generously donate year after year; without these folks our youth might not have a safe haven to go skate at. It is these skateparks that keeps kids out of trouble and gives them hope for a better life while also keeping them healthy and positive.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHgao6mXnhE – video of Tony Hawks 900
Visit the sk8 store… new 70% bamboo skateboard decks are finally ready and they are selling like hot cakes!! These have incredible strength (over 400 psi) + tons of Pop. Each deck bought online gets you 20 free music downloads. Loopd Eco Tribe skaters all get a discount with their coupon code + grip tape + stickers + zine + music downloads.
New venice beach skate park was happening on Saturday with tons of skaters and fans coming out to see a lot of the old school pros tear up the bowl. It was so crowded, which is often the case as every local kid wants to be a part of the experience and there just isn’t enough room. Reality is, this thing is 16,000 sq. foot + and it is right on the beach, which is so rad to skate and look at the ocean. I was expecting a big hoopla of tents and more pro skaters but it was really low key for the most part – taking all the “commercialism” out of it and just focusing on the skating.
Officially named the Dennis “Polar Bear” Agnew Memorial Skatepark (one of the original Dogtown skaters), the design mimics Dogtown’s world of empty swimming pools and urban landscape that gave rise in the importance of modern skateboarding as a sport and culture. A big thanks goes out to Jessie Martinez and Geri Lewis and others at the VSA who made it all happen… I know the kids will enjoy this for many years to come!


While we are at ASR, we ran into my old pal Preston who use to skate for me over at Grind King a while back… anyhow, my boy has a new show out that we want to help promote because we will be featured on it in the fall.
“PUSH” TV Promo Featuring: Preston Pollard (ASR Highlight Reel) from John Darko on Vimeo.
PUSH, hosted by Preston Pollard and co-host Stephany Rose, is an inspirational and entertaining new show with a truly cutting edge of culture, music, ministry, and extreme sports, including skateboarding, BMX, and motocross.
This Christian based show will showcase some of the biggest names in the professional skateboarding industry, such as Jeremy Rogers and Greg Lutzka, as well as feature the hottest artists that make up the popular Contemporary and Rock Community.
PUSH will revolutionize the extreme sports scene. Through “a day in the life” with the most popular pro figures, PUSH will give youth the opportunity to spend time with their role models, providing them the direction and inspiration needed to pursue dreams and use extreme sports as a healthy outlet. Giving back to the community, the PUSH crew will be giving presentations at middle schools and high schools, and be providing selected students with the tools needed to break into the skate or BMX scene, such as boards, bikes, helmets and overall inspiration.
The show will demonstrate how dedicated and passionate the featured skaters and bikers are about their sport and their art, and they will extend their stories, inspirations and steps for success to youth through a school involvement program. PUSH will provide viewers with the positive messaging that we all have a God given potential for greatness, and no matter the limit always PUSH for success.
Premiering Winter 2009, PUSH will air weekly to an audience of 10 million people worldwide on TBN/JCTV. Additionally, the show will air on DirecTV and Dish Network throughout Southern California.