austin skate notes

Following the successful footsteps of Mustache skate shop in Round Rock, it looks like some clever entrepreneurs executed on the opportunity and have leased retail space near the site of Austin’s next public skatepark. No idea if it will be open before the skatepark is built, but hopefully they’ll help cultivate a positive scene at the park. Did you know that Mustache Matt held a cigarette butt contest where he awarded a deck to the skater who picked up the most butts at the Round Rock skatepark?

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This mini-ramp is listed for free on craigslist.

The Statesman showed up on Thursday’s pour @ Patterson and shot photos. One of them made the online ‘photos of the day‘ feature.

The new Indiana Jones movie is absolute garbage. Lucas needs to have his Hollywood privileges revoked. After the Star Wars prequels and now this, I think that’s at least four or five strikes..

Thrasher has posted essential footage captured during last weekend’s event at Mabel Davis. Congrats to Schmale for getting some coverage out at Bastrop’s Grinder Ledge. 5-hip clip, too.

As you can see from the poll options to the right, I anticipated a healthy showing of pro skaters at this weekend’s Mabel Davis contest. When I heard that none were coming on Friday, I couldn’t help but be a little disappointed. That disappointment lasted just until the first heat started Saturday morning…

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The readers have voted and it looks like the smart money is on Todd Falcon to win tomorrow’s contest at Mabel Davis. Wow. It’s already here! I gotta post this story so I can hustle down there to watch the pros practicing.

Todd Falcon has a new video out. Yeah, that trailer IS unbelievable. I hope he’ll be at the Houston Public Skatepark grand opening.

The Patterson Park Miniramp is nearing completion. The volunteers have been kicking ass out there. To clarify, this DIY concrete project has received zero funding from the city and has been built with donations from Vans, the Austin Parks Foundation, and frog design. If you go out there and see volunteers toiling in the sun, don’t ask them when it’ll be done. Ask them if they prefer Lonestar or Tecate.

The Patterson Park Miniramp project is nearing completion thanks to the countless volunteer hours put in. Grand Opening is scheduled for Go Skateboarding Day, June 21.

• A blurb promoting this weekend’s chili & skate competition at Mabel Davis appeared in the Food & Life section of today’s Austin American Statesman.

• Tuesday’s Statesman used Mabel Davis photos to illustrate the heat that has arrived in the area.
• The Huck Jam tour kicks off in San Antonio in July and also boom-booms in Houston and Corpus.
• McRad is scheduled to play at the Broken Neck next Friday. There’s also a film festival there this weekend, but I don’t have details because mySpace is total fucking bullshit that I don’t have time for.

Mabel Davis’ Chili Bowl contest is likely to bring a spectacular collection of pros to Central Texas later this month, but the chili cook-off is just the warmup. The Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark opening in Houston the following weekend looks like it will be the pro skateboarding spectacle the likes of which hasn’t been seen in Texas since Shut Up and Skate 1988. I spoke with Jason and Jenny Espeseth this past weekend in Patterson Park where I heard the following list of names given as possible demo participants: Lance Mountain, Benji Galloway, Jeff Grosso, Ben Schroeder, and Christian Hosoi. A lot of these guys will arrive as particpants in the 30th Anniversary Independent Team Tour. Since the tour is scheduled to be in Phoenix the same weekend as the Chili Cook-off, it’s hard to say which of these pros will be in Austin for that contest.

Here’s a map to the behemoth public skatepark in Houston.
Here’s a listing of other stuff going on in Houston that day for traveling companions who don’t care to see Ben Schroeder do an alley-oop nose-pick grind.

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If you’re thinking you’ll skip the crowds on June 1st at the Houston Skatepark and are planning to wait a month to visit July 4th and maybe swing down to Galveston, forget it. The Numbskulls in Houston government are closing the skatepark for six days to turn the facility into a launchpad for the city’s July 4th fireworks display. No info on when Galveston’s skatepark will officially open, but it’s nearing completion.
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Northwest Austin skate residents have an opportunity tonight to request that our city’s Parks and Rec department locate future public skateparks in their neighborhoods. Parks and Rec. has been holding these input meetings to determine funding priorities based on requests from the public. So far, a few skaters have showed up at these meetings asking for skateparks and been met with support from other attendees.

According to this flyer created by Michael Sieben, it looks like Mabel Davis might see its first pro bowl contest. Also its first cooking competition!

Chasoi is floating ollies around Austin again.