Skateboarding Reviews - Videos & DVDs

This review of "Strangenotes Ozfest: Creature in Australia" is based on the free DVD packaged with the September 2006, Issue 30, of The Skateboard Mag.

I won't say I'm razor sharp or that my mind is like a steel trap, but I was fairly certain I could figure out what Strangenotes is. I've seen their web site, but was confused with the free DVD that arrived with my subscription to The Skateboard Mag. It seemed like a video-magazine sort of thing, much like 411VM. Oddly, there's little mention of what the hell the connection is. The Strangenotes site looks like a news site for NHS' distribution of several sk8 product lines. So why the vid-mag DVD?

It's also worth asking: should someone bitch so much about a free DVD? The answer is no, but I get pissed off when I can't figure something out. For example, Can I expect to get another Strangenotes DVD? If I want another one, how do I get one? It's a cool disc - I'd pay for it. I can't expect a free one each month. Hey, wait! Do they make this thing monthly, like monthly issues or something? The truth of the matter is I have not been able to figure out what this thing is.

Plain and simple, that's bad marketing / branding. A product should be fairly obvious as to it's intention and purpose.

Take for example the latex love-dolls made by RealDoll (www.realdoll.com for those who haven't heard). Their product is fairly obvious as to its intended purpose. You screw it. No questions asked as to it's purpose. You may ask who'd pay $7,000 for a latex-lay, but you'd certainly know what to do with one if it were shipped to your door. You'd hop on and give that clammy cold-to-the-touch babe a proper poking. Clean-up would be another matter, but this is a skateboard site, not a how-to-despunk-your-love-doll site. Anyway...

Further analysis brings us to corporate competition. You wouldn't think a company producing $7,000 love-dolls would have much, if any, competition. Welcome to America, home of the entrepreneurial whacko. Another company, Super Babe (www.superbabe2000.com) came along and said, "Wait a minute. We can make a better latex love-doll than you guys".

So, now there is a healthy competition for the creation of the best latex love-doll removing the former monopoly from this narrow latex market. I'm sure there was a consumer affairs intervention at some point. Hell, they wouldn't let satellite radio be a monopoly.

The Krux Trucks team visits the largest skatepark in the world (as of 2006), Jiangwan Skatepark. Nope, you won't find it in SO Cal. It's in Shanghai China of all unlikely places. Incidentally, it would cost a fortune to have a RealDoll shipped to China.

The stupid tricks section with Chris Haslam finds him inventing a new trick he tentatively calls the witch Banana Split. I'm sure five minutes of reflective thought will reveal a much better name.

There's an in-depth look at Colt Cannon's Krux commercial. The little guy (dwarf may be the proper term, although I prefer gnomes) in the commercial is into a lot of stuff from weight lifting to skating and motocross. As a former power lifter, pound for pound, he was the strongest guy in the world... so he claims. Whatever, George Lucas cast him as an Ewok in Return of the Jedi. How cool is that?

They show Bryan Botello's sponsor-me tape which would have been more interesting if I'd ever heard of him. Chaz Pineda rides several pools and bowls then we are treated to the Phoenix Am contest. The Krux team does a demo at which some chick cries until she gets a free shirt - lame. Lizard King rips a cool set of old school tricks in a Checking In feature. The also do one on Ted DeGros.

Finally, the Creature team invades Australia. The landscape down under looks way cool. Might be a cool place to live some day.

This review of "Strangenotes Ozfest: Creature in Australia" is based on the free DVD packaged with the September 2006, Issue 30, of The Skateboard Mag.

I won't say I'm razor sharp or that my mind is like a steel trap, but I was fairly certain I could figure out what the fuck Strangenotes is. I've seen their web site, but was confused with the free DVD that arrived with my subscription to The Skateboard Mag. It seemed like a video-magazine sort of thing, much like 411VM. Oddly, there's little mention of what the fucking connection is. The Strangenotes site looks like a news site for NHS' distribution of several sk8 product lines. So why the vid-mag DVD?

It's also worth asking: should someone bitch so much about a fucking free DVD? The answer is no, but I get pissed off when I can't figure something out. For example, Can I expect to get another Strangenotes DVD? If I want another one, how do I get one? It's a cool disc - I'd pay for it. I can't expect a free one each month. Hey, wait! Do they make this fucker monthly, like monthly issues or some shit? The truth of the matter is I have not been able to figure out what this fucking thing is.

Plain and simple, that's bad marketing / branding. A product should be fairly obvious as to it's intention and purpose.

Take for example the latex fuck-dolls made by RealDoll (www.realdoll.com for those who haven't heard). Their product is fairly obvious as to its intended purpose. You fuck it. No questions asked as to it's purpose. You may ask who'd pay $7,000 for a latex-lay, but you'd certainly know what to do with one if it were shipped to your door. You'd hop on and give that clammy cold-to-the-touch slut a proper poking. Clean-up would be another matter, but this is a fucking skateboard site, not a how-to-despunk-your-love-doll site. Anyway...

Further analysis brings us to corporate competition. You wouldn't think a company producing $7,000 fuck-dolls would have much, if any, competition. Welcome to America, home of the entrepreneurial whacko. Another company, Super Babe (www.superbabe2000.com) came along and said, "Wait a minute. We can make a better latex fuck-doll than you guys".

So, now there is a healthy competition for the creation of the best latex fuck-doll removing the former monopoly from this narrow latex market. I'm sure there was a consumer affairs intervention at some point. Shit, they wouldn't let satellite radio be a fucking monopoly.

The Krux Trucks team visits the largest skatepark in the world (as of 2006), Jiangwan Skatepark. Nope, you won't find it in SO Cal. It's in Shanghai China of all fucking places. Incidentally, it would cost a fortune to have a RealDoll shipped to China.

The stupid tricks section with Chris Haslam finds him inventing a new trick he tentatively calls the witch Banana Split. I'm sure five minutes of reflective thought will reveal a much better name.

There's an in-depth look at Colt Cannon's Krux commercial. The little guy (dwarf may be the proper term, although I prefer gnomes) in the commercial is into a lot of shit from weight lifting to skating and motocross. As a former power lifter, pound for pound, he was the strongest guy in the world... so he claims. Whatever, George Lucas cast him as an Ewok in Return of the Jedi. How fucking cool is that?

They show Bryan Botello's sponsor-me tape which would have been more interesting if I'd ever fucking heard of him. Chaz Pineda rides several pools and bowls then we are treated to the Phoenix Am contest. The Krux team does a demo at which some chick cries until she gets a free shirt - lame. Lizard King rips a cool set of old school fucking tricks in a Checking In feature. The also do one on Ted DeGros.

Finally, the Creature team invades Australia. The landscape down under looks way cool. Might be a cool place to live some day.