Official Announcement of Bolts of Thunder's Next Video!!!!!!!

This post is a celebration of youth, or at least being young of legs. Weston Colton, for example, might not be the youngest kid on the block, but he can still launch himself through the air on his skateboard because of his young legs. So these are a couple pictures from our skate outing this last weekend, taking advantage of practically perfect weather in every way and having fun. It was good fun, we got to take some pictures and film some stuff... I think I might as well just come out and say it now: Bolts of Thunder is going to make another video this next summer! Yes, we have decided that it is once again time to show the world what old men on skateboards are capable of doing. So this is a callout to all thunderbolts that do not live near us (Dan, Dave, Nick, Brandon - you guys know who you are) to film what you can in our absence and send it our way, and you'll still be a part of our next adventure. We wouldn't think of doing it any other way... So we were out this weekend and Weston, as usual, tore up whatever he decided to tear up, and we had some fun skating. These two kids in that last picture were really cool. They hung out with us and cheered us on as we discovered new ways to pull hamstrings and bruise heels. We told them to check out Bolts of Thunder and that I'd put their picture on the blog. I kept my end of the deal, kids, are you keeping yours?...

I will end by telling the everyone the world over to be on the look out for the next edition in what is apparently becoming the Bolts of Thunder trilogy this next summer. Probably around July. Probably mid July. As in July 15th. Specifics to follow, so stay tuned...

Strange talk

Since the beginning of time, passion has driven mankind to accomplish wonderful things. Like nosegrinds on rails into banks. That's all I can think of, but I'm pretty sure it's inspired other stuff too. That intro has nothing to do with the rest of this post, but I couldn't think of any other way to start it... So Ben and AJ are Bolts of Thunder's newest recruits, they just don't know it yet. I keep telling them that they're trying out for Bolts of Thunder and that there's only room for one person on the team. I don't know how that's possible when Bolts of Thunder is more of an idea than a team, but it keeps them going. So they've both been strutting their stuff lately, trying to catch the camera's attention and hopefully land them a spot on the team. Well don't tell them that they don't have to try out, we pretty much have an open door policy, because we want them to keep shredding. So this picture was taken the first time Ben and AJ skated together, and we told them that they had to compete for the spot on the team. Ever since that day, I've taken scores of pictures where either AJ or Ben is skating and the other one is lurking maliciously somewhere in the background or foreground, plotting their next move to overtake their foe. This is the first example, and there will be many more to come. Don't believe me? Alright, here's another one:

Believe me now? But don't get the wrong idea, either. Ben and AJ are tight as might, thick as thieves, they just really want that spot on Bolts of Thunder. Again, don't tell them they're both on, or they might turn down the fire a notch, and we don't want that...

So I heard some other people yesterday talking about this new Bolts of Thunder video that might be coming out in July, or something like that... It was an old guy at the Chinese imported spices health food store. No joke, he had virtually no facial hair but the two hair follicles that grew on either side of his upper lip and hung several feet down. Wisdom radiated from his very presence, and reason flowed forth from his lips. He never opened his eyes, but he pointed at his shelf where he kept his personal items. Only, for being a man of considerable age, he owned very little as far as personal items, for how can one really own something, man?... All he had on his cherished shelf were two dvds, the first and second Bolts of Thunder videos. Good choice, if you're only going to own two things in this world... In pointing at the shelf, the old man asked me, "What do you see?" "Two videos of great value," I responded. "Yes... good, good... But what is missing?" In gazing upon the shelf, I noticed a third dvd case, but it was empty. "You are not whole until this case is filled. Fill the case my son, and you will fill your wandering soul..." the old man told me. "Look, I just came here for ear candles, not a lecture! You just lost a customer, old man!" In leaving the shop that day, I vouched never to return... But then I went back in and got my ear candles. Actually, that's a lie, I don't use ear candles. Anyway, so there's all kinds of strange talk from strange folk about strange videos made by strange people coming out some time soon. I'm just telling you what I heard. Again, not that I know anything about Bolts of Thunder. I mean, what do I know?...

No more messing around: Announcement of Bolts of Thunder's next video?

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to announce or phantom skater from Monday: BEN!!! Yes, that's right, Ben. No, he does not have a last name... Actually he does, but I don't remember it. But it's Italian, I can tell you that. So thank you Zak and Benny for your guesses. Zak, Matt filmed this trick, so I think you get points. Benny, your name has Ben's name in it, so you get points too. And I'm pretty sure Ben likes cookies and someone somewhere along the way might have called him "Cookie Monster", so I think you get two points. You win!

As you can see from Rachel's expression and that slur of cuss words proceeding from her mouth, we are no longer messing around. With good weather on the way, we're heading into full skating swing, including filming, photo taking, and skating all the time. There's even talk of another Bolts of Thunder video coming out to fulfill the trilogy... But who am I to say? I don't know anything about Bolts of Thunder... But look at that 5-0. I mean, are we messing around? It doesn't look like it. All faces in the photo agree that we are not messing around. And if we're not messing around, then what are we doing? Making a video is not messing around... I'm just talking now, I really don't know anything about Bolts of Thunder, so I'll just stop right there. But yes, people, Ben is the Phantom Skater, and he 5-0s crazy skinny rails with American Flag back drops...

The Future

I know I'm getting to you late today. School requires it. And also volunteer time at the canning place. I smell like spaghetti Os and vomit, which are pretty much synonyms for each other. Anyway, by way of a reminder, you have one more day to guess who our mystery skater is before I unveil the shocking truth tomorrow. If you're confused as to what I'm talking about, read yesterday's post. For today's post, I am giving you a preview into the future of skateboarding for us all. Yes, Matt is paving the way for the 21st century with his raptor armed spin arounds, and he's doing them in style. Rodney Mullen would be proud...

Phantom Skater

Like I promised, we're back with all new stuff. A fresh start, if you will. We were starting to stink and, well, be unfresh. Yes, we were not fresh at all. Stagnant, very stagnant. I'm actually thinking of the causes of malaria, not the blog, so I will get back on track. Ok, a fresh start to this blog, not malaria... So today's featured Thundie is a phantom skater, one that appears and disappears without a moment's notice, leaving all bewildered in amazement at the stealthness and awesomeness of his appearances. And in keeping his identity stealth and awesome a few days longer, I will not tell you who that is skating that rail. I took the picture out of focus with only his legs in the picture on purpose so that you would have to guess as to who this phantom skater is. I will announce his true identity on Wednesday, so you have a couple days to respond. Those who guess right will have their names go down in the Bolts of Thunder hall of fame archives, which is a highly coveted place in history to go down. So you best get guessing on it, you've got two days to comply...

Lessons learned

Yes, I'm back from my little trip this week. I know you're all wondering what I've learned at this informative meeting, so I'd like to share with you some of the highlights:

-I'm better at pretending like I know what I'm talking about than we had originally anticipated
-Eating 3 solid meals a day and not exercising all week wreaks havoc on your digestive track
-Snow-showing gets your bowels moving
-Snow serves as a suitable substitute for toilet paper while snow-showing/skiing/snow recreating in general
-Whoever designed hideaway beds did not try them out before he made millions selling his idea. He would not have put the bar in the middle of the flimsy mattress if he had

There were other things, but those are what's really sticking out right now. Anyway, I should be back and at it all next week, and I've got a new little stash of pictures I need to put up, so keep on the look out. For now I will leave you with Dan Shaw pushing through a back lip in a halfpipe. I'm excited to put up these pictures because I'm going to see Dan in a couple weeks! Word on the street is that Brandon, his cousin, might be there too, which would be awesome. Yes, we need a good old fashioned reunion skate session...

Mezzo Giorno in Paris

I was just watching the bonus features of Bolts of Thunder Gone Wild, and I remembered a picture I took back in the summer of Dave in Paris that I never put on the blog. Don't ask me how I forgot it because it's such a rad picture. And don't ask me how I just remembered because I completely forgot it. And don't ask me why I'm watching the bonus features of my own video. It's like sitting at home on a Saturday night to watch home videos... Anyway, I looked up on my hard drive, and sure enough, there's the picture of Dave doing a front board on one of the ghettoest rail rigs you've ever seen in your life. We supported it with crates that we wedged in between the rail and a pole that stuck out of the grass. It was super ghetto and wobbly, and it scared the crap out of me to skate it. But I had to because we spent forever setting it up, I was in Paris so I might as well have, and I told Dave I'd back him up if he went for a 50-50, which he did. Yeah, Dave's crazy for all of you who don't know him. His a great friend too, so he's not so crazy that you can't have tons and tons of fun with him. Because you can. And you do. Anyway, I wanted to put up these pictures, then I saw that one of Matt hanging upside down to film Dan, and I couldn't not put that up.

Another item of business. I'm going to be out of town most of next week, so I might not be able to write all that much. I won't be far from town, but I won't be in town. It's a school trip... If I have time to write, I definitely will. If not, then I'm sorry, and I'll write as soon as I'm back. Promise.