Hi-Fi New York

I went to dinner last night with my wife and a couple of her co-workers. After about an hour of polite conversation (which isn’t easy when you’re an outsider at a work outing … sorry, honey, just sayin’), I zoned out and started checking my Twitter feed (via Twitterific) on my iPhone. Rude, I know. But the Tweets that were taking place were actually pretty riveting stuff. One of my contacts was watching a hoops game on TV in LA, while the other had just seen a pedestrian get hit by a van in NYC’s East Village. Both were pretty excited, but for very different reasons. And when both feeds were juxtaposed on Twitter … well, the end result was pretty interesting.

Here’s how it played out:

@lvlewitinn: Pedestrian struck in middle of street on Third Ave between 9th and 10th. Doesn’t look good. Ambulance called, not here yet.

@lvlewitinn: Still no ambulance but there are cops and a fire truck. Doesn’t look survivable

@JonesOnTheNBA: Why do the Magic continue to forget about Dwight Howard late in games? Jeeeebuzzzz!!!

@lvlewitinn:Van driver’s windshield is smashed from the poor victims head. Victim appears to be white female in her 20s. Possibly an NYU student.

@lvlewitinn: Even if victim survives, she will have brain damage/paralysis, Van driver will have this on his conscience for the rest of his life.

@lvlewitinn: Victim “such a beautiful girl”, says Black and White barback.

@JonesOnTheNBA: So I guess Shaq was right about Stan Van?

@lvlewitinn:Hit of victim let out an audible “thonk” (I heard it half a block down). Ambulance just left scene. Victim was bleeding from mouth.

@JonesOnTheNBA: Celtics showing the heart of a champion.

@lvlewitinn: Accident occured as van driver tried to rush a yellow light.

@lvlewitinn: Police claims victim’s condition “not as bad as it looks”.

@JonesOnTheNBA: Dwight has to learn to be more like Shaq and demand the ball. People hated Shaq for his “big dog gotta eat” statements, but twas necessary.

@lvlewitinn: One of victim’s shoes was found underneath the van’s rear wheel several yards from where she landed. Cell phone, other belongings scattered.

@JonesOnTheNBA: Stan Van has managed this game very poorly. Sorry, it’s the truth.

@lvlewitinn: As the girl lay bleading in her white blouse and khakis, about a dozen witnesses converged around body, forming protective ring from traffic

@JonesOnTheNBA: RT @Unsilent: Time to bury Stan Van.

@lvlewitinn: Third Ave now back to normal as if nothing happened. City That Never Sleeps is also City That Stops For Nothing.

Mark Gonzales T-Shirt as featured at the front of the adidas Originals Store down on Wooster Street in Soho. (They also had a framed photo of Gonz looking all bearded and cool. I should’ve snapped a photo of that as well. Next time.)

• GOODS: Holiday shopping? Limited edition Dennis Busenitz adidas!
• GOODS: Not feeling the Busenitz kicks? Limited edition Gonz adidas!
• GOODS: Spend your hard-earned scrilla at Caliskatz and get a free Strange Notes “Tastes Like Awesome” DVD. Sorry, forgot the exclamation point!
• NEWS: Girl Skateboards? Nah. Skateboards for girls. Evidently, gals don’t need that pesky seventh ply. At least Cool Girls don’t.

Well, I know everyone’s all up ons Lakai’s “Fully Flared” right about now, seeing how it dropped last night and all, but I wasn’t lucky enough to get a ticket to the premiere (not am I lucky enough to live on the left coast … nor am I fortunate enough to actually know anyone remotely affiliated with Lakai, Four Star, etc.), so this Krooked “Naughty” trailer is all I’ve got for now.

Which is actually plenty. If this trailer’s any indication, Gonz is really putting his mark on the Krooked vids: quirky and impressionistic, with some 80’s-ish pop-type-stuff. But the best part is seeing some of his animations come to life. I’d purchase the DVD just for those alone.

Anyway, seeing Gonz in a bandeezie (I think it’s him, at least; the pixelated video makes it hard to tell) left me hoping he films his next part in a pair of zebra-striped weightlifting pants. That’d be enough to lift anyone’s spirits on a rainy, cold Saturday afternoon.

• PHOTO: Why is Crailtap the greatest site ever? Because they get access to photos like this one of the Gonz in the snow in Tokyo … which sound like lyrics to a great 80’s song if you think about it.
• PHOTO: Speaking of the Gonz and songs from the 80’s, NAUGHTY!
• Q&A: Wanted to write more about this, but sometimes life gets in the way of blogging, you know? Either way, Thrasher has a Burnout interview with he of short-shorts, dreads, bare feet and gobs of personality, Daniel Haney.
• FOOTY: Flip demo in Sun Diego! Mark Appleyard, Geoff Rowley, Rune Glifberg, Curran Caples, Louie Lopez, David Gonzalas, and Luan De Oliveira join forces to save the planet.
• Q&A: Slap talks to “the only NorCal dude on Zoo York,” Matt Miller.
• NEWS: If you’re in New York, there’s an Autumn Bowl benefit on Friday. Ayep.
• NEWS: And if you’re in Oregon, Osiris will be premiering their video “Feed the Need” on Saturday.
• SHOP: Deluxe put their holiday catalog online. Sweet.
• FOOTY: Via Marina trailer. Watch.
• FOOTY: Pretty Skateboards’ Girl Talk trailer. Great stuff. And I’m probably only making an ass of myself by mentioning it, but I’m sure they know about this guy, who, I’m sorry, but shreds harder than any one of you. In his own way, of course.

An absolute classic from the YouTube vaults. Above is the first heat of Jim’s Ramp Jam, a must-see 1996 mini-ramp contest that features the likes of John Cardiel, Gershon Mosley, Chet Childress, Dan Drehobl, Mark Gonzales and many more. The highlight for me is the footy of Crooks and Cancer Dan as young’uns. Also be sure to check out the second heat (featuring Tim Brauch, Chris Senn, Max Schaaf, Chris Pastras and more) and then, natch, the finals. Good eats.

In trying to think of the most appropriate way to launch a skateboard blog, it’s probably best to pay homage to your heroes, no?

So with that in mind, here’s a photo I snapped of Gonz in the East Village a few years back. I saw him from down the street with Bobby Worrest. They were doing slappies on a curb and just clowning around. I didn’t want to interrupt, but couldn’t help it. I ran over to get the photo and was grinning like a fool the whole time. And trust me when I say I’m past the age of product tosses and getting autographs at demos.

Anyway, so here’s to celebrating one of the game’s true originals, and a guy who always seems to do it his way.

And so it goes … welcome to Champeen.