Wow, two skateboarding articles within just a few days found in the mainstream media.  You can’t beat that.  Tony Hawk, doing an interview with the other less significant LAT, the Los Angeles Times, talks about his upcoming video game with Activision.  Can you believe that he’s been in the video game, game, for about ten years now?  That’s crazy.  He’s released about a game a year I suspect. 

As you probably already know, video games generate billions of dollars annually and Tony’s games have definitely contributed its share.  Even shmo’s such as myself who usually could care less about video games got really into the Tony Hawk Pro Skater series.  I used to cut class to play Pro Skater at the Virgin Megastore in Hollywood for six hours straight.  I must say I got pretty good at it regularly scoring a million points.  That’s how savant I am. 

But those games didn’t just have a (positive) impact on me as a kid cutting class, but for thousands of skaters everywhere improving on their shred skillz.  You can’t deny that those games had some kind of influence on how skaters skate today with all the noseslide, to manual, to kickflip out renditions.  Sometimes when watching some of the videos today, I could swear I’ve seen runs reminiscent on Tony Hawk Pro Skater. 

Check out the article over at the LA TIMES.  If any skater were to reach a billion dollar net worth, it would have to be Tony.  He or Willy Manaloto Santos.  But not because of his skating, but for his acting chops.  That’s right, I have to give another shout out to my favorite skateboard film of all time, THE SKATEBOARD KID II. 

One of the O.G.’s of surfing Gerry Lopez has a pretty in depth interview in the LOS ANGELES TIMES today.  Now 60 years old, you might recognize Gerry for a number of things.  In the 70’s, Gerry was widely regarded as one of the best, if not the best, tuberider in the world by winning the Pipeline Masters two years in a row.  Or you might recognize him for his innovations in surfboard designs.  Lopez created the simple but eyecatching LIGHTNING BOLT jag that every surfer in the ’70s wanted.

But not me.  I don’t recognize him for those things.  I don’t even surf.  I recognize Gerry for his groundbreaking film role as “SUBOTAI” in one of my favorite films of all time, CONAN THE BARBARIAN starring California’s Governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger.  That film really showed the ruggedness that can only be portrayed  by an extreme sports athlete.  He is by far, the best thing about that film besides Conan himself.

FYI, Gerry has also appeared in other films such as Big Wednesday,  North Shore, and Riding Giants.

Check out the interview over at the LA TIMES.