from http://www.ussoccer.com

Today USA had a match with Algeria that would determine whether they stayed in the FIFA World Cup or not. I’m not usually a big sports person, but I played soccer for a good part of my childhood and it’s probably my favorite team sport, shortly followed by curling (don’t judge… either know curling is awesome, or else you’ve never watched a full match). The reason I’m blogging about this match is that it was one of the most immensely frustrating yet ultimately rewarding matches I’ve seen in a long time. I’ll spare you the play by play, and cut to the meat of it.

Twenty minutes into the first half, USA player Clint Dempsey scored a goal that was nullified because the refs called him for being offside, however instant replay shows it was valid. Over the next 70 minutes, neither side scored a goal, although there were some close calls and the tension was incredible. After the 90 minutes of the match were up, play was extended for stoppage time (time lost during substitutions, injuries, etc). One minute into stoppage time, Landon Donovan took a shot, was blocked, and on the rebound slammed it into the net. The stadium went apeshit, and the game was over. After being robbed a goal, and for the rest of the match feeling like all hope was lost, that one point felt like breathing for the first time.

Go Team USA.

I just finished assembling it and took it out for a little ride. Its smooooooth and has a ton of pop.

View more photos on my flickr slideshow

Les Spécifiques

• ELEMENT MIKE V AVIARY DECK – 7.88 width – On sale, and its a helium deck, so its lighter and stronger.
• TENSOR RODNEY MULLEN CUSTOM MIDS TRUCKS – Mullen is my all-time favorite skateboarder and he personally designed these trucks.
• SPITFIRE OLSON LIFERS WHEELS – 57mm, 97a durometer, for a smoother ride over crappy asphalt.
• FKD SAWBLADE SPEED BEARINGS – ABEC 5, IMHO the best balance between speed and durability. These ones have a clear shield so you can see inside, with a red spacer for a little extra bling.
• BLACK MAGIC GRIP TAPE – of course!
• MYSTERY RISERS and hardware – No real difference in performence, but they are white and complemented the trucks nicely.

Now to go work of those extra pounds!

Its a Bike Messenger race in NYC, and there are some insane squeezes and close calls. Notice the “skitching” (grabbing onto a moving car so they can pull you along) at about 3:10. And here I used to think motorcyclists had a death wish!

Can you say “I Want One!” kiddies? I can:

Its a motorized snow-skate created by some engineering kids at the University of Waterloo, and its really, really awesome. Check the video out via MAKE.