Hi-Fi New York

• These Wednesdays With Reda features are dope. He catches up with photog Gabe Morford in the latest version. (The Berrics)

• The Beauty and the Beast Tour hit Lincoln City, and Rick McCrank, Robbie Russo, and Peter Hewitt hit the big wall. But the tastiest segment? The five-dollar foot long freestyle. (Thrasher)

• Rick Howard, Max Schaaf, Tony Trujillo, Robbie Russo, Alex Olson, and Peabody turn park ‘crete into the Beauty and the Beast 500. So fun. (Thrasher)

The Lakai guys stopped off in Tokyo to show off their new joint and Rick McCrank checked in with Crailtap from the Far East with a gallery of candid goodness, featuring Eric Koston, Alex Olson and others. (Random, but young Olson bears a striking resemblance to Josh Hartnett, no? Not that I stay up at night thinking about these things, mind you.)

• FOOTY: Runaway full-pipe? Leave it to the Germans. You gotta see this ish. (Tailtap: Skate Daily)
• FOOTY: Allow a three-flipping Jason Lee to welcome you to the new Stereo site. (TT: Skate Daily)
• FOOTY: A preview of the next Epicly Later’d featuring John Cardiel. Even more of a must-see than das Deutsche Krazy-Pipe ding. (TT: Thrasher)
• NEWS: Cancer Dan will now be draping his bones in Elwood threads. Drehobl joins Kenny Anderson and Anthony Pappalardo.
• FOOTY: Zoo York gets after it in China. I watched the podcast, but I’m pushing the YouTube. Featured riders include Zered Bassett, Brandon Westgate, Anthony Shetler, Matt Miller and Donny Barley.
• SOUNDS: Rick McCrank has an audio podcast interview thingy at Mumble Magazine. (TT: Slap)
• Q&A: Brandon Biebel talks to Kingpin about the making of Fully Flared. (TT: Slap)
• FOOTY: The latest installment of éS’s “Where’s That Spot?” takes Rick McCrank, Justin Eldridge, Danny Garcia, Bobby Worrest and Silas Baxter-Neal to some public art in Poland. Goes down like a fine wine. Take a sip. Oh yeah, this is also downloadable via podcast. (TT: Slap)

I know I’m a few weeks behind, but I recently saw a post on Skate Daily that linked to a news story on skateboarding getting bumped as an exhibition sport at the 2012 Olympics in London.

I’m sure a huge portion of the skate community is behind this news, as everyone’s favorite anti-sport was granted another four-year reprieve and can stay true to its underground roots. I get that argument.

But I think it’s outdated.

Skateboarding’s become too commodified to stay out of the spotlight for much longer. Anytime you see this much money being generated by a “hobby,” “pasttime,” “activity” or what have you, then it will grab the attention of those who govern large-scale sporting events, such as the Olympics.

So my solution? Well, since street skating is way too advanced for the average “viewer” (sorry to use that term) to understand, and half-pipe skating is … uh, half-pipe skating, I’d hope organizers would consider bowlriding as an option. Think about: it takes place in a controlled environment, it’s more creative than half-pipe skating, you can work in some street-type moves into your line (mannies on the platform, etc.), and - perhaps most importantly - it would keep that guy in the photo above from capturing the first-ever Olympic gold medal in skateboarding.

Not that I have anything against the red-headed action sports wunderkind. I don’t. Truly. He seems like a nice guy. I’d just much rather have Dan Drehobl, Chet Childress, Rick McCrank or someone like that find their way into the history books.

I mean, the idea of Luda-Crooks standing on an Olympic platform with a medal in one hand a beer-can in the other? I think we could all get behind that.