OSIRIS.com
By MURAKAMI
July 28, 2009

I tried to get a little interview up with PLG after the Maloof Cup, but PLG is a hard man to track down. It’s a little late, but you know what they say, ” Better late than never.”

I’ve watched a lot of contests in my time, but this one seemed like one of the best. How did you like the mini mega being added to the standard vert contest?
The Mini mega rail really added something new and original that is really appealing to street sk8ers cause they can relate to it a lot more than vert walls… It’s really comparable to a handrail or even a really big flat bar and the tricks that went down are similar that what you would see at a street contest !

Some crazy sh** was going down all day long. Alex landed his kickflip 50-50 and Bob landed his back 180 switch 50-50 grind on the rainbow rail. Is it hard not to sit back and become a spectator when such great skating is happening?
I think that we all feed off each other and when the level of sk8ing gets higher, it motivates us to try gnarlier stuff !

The contest only heated up when it moved to the vert ramp. Alex, Bob, and yourself were all neck and neck and all throwing down big tricks. Was there anything you wanted to try but didn’t have the time to?
As far as single tricks, I’m really satisfied with what I pulled… I was really hyped on the nollie heel flip indy 540 and the kickflip b/v Mctwist but I would have wanted to take longer runs and do more trick combinations …. But the heat and the fact we sk8ed the rail jam right before ( I slammed pretty hard on my right knee) made it a lot harder on our legs and more difficult to with stand long runs.

You put together some great runs and ended up in second with a load of money and some cool prizes? What are you going to get me for my Bday? It’s in 8 days.
Man, I lagged so much on responding to your email… I’m pretty sure I’m late for your B-day… Sorry.. But I’d be happy to take you out for dinner this week or after X games ! Are you in ?
Attention everyone. PLG is taking me out for a Bday dinner and you are all invited.

So what’s next for you?
I just got done with the first stop of the Dew Tour in Boston and now just getting ready for X games in LA this coming week end… Dew Tour started well with a solid 2nd place behind Bucky and I’m just wanna keep it positive for the vert finals at Home Depot center on Saturday…!

BNQT.com
by COLIN BANE
June 11, 2009

There was a time in my life when I would have given my left nut to see a concert like this weekend’s Harmony Fest with Bad Brains and Dead Kennedys on the bill. Bad Brains have mellowed but are still worth seeing. Dead Kennedys are sans Jello Biafra and, so, not really Dead Kennedys, but still: Good to see some old school punkers still at it.

Also on the bill at Harmony Fest: The Eco Cup, some kind of scaled down “Mini Mega Ramp” contest, featuring Bob Burnquist, Pierre-Luc Gagnon, Andy Macdonald, Jake Brown, Omar Hassan, Lincoln Ueda, and Adam Taylor, with $40,000 on the line and judging by Steve Caballero and Christian Hosoi. The event is sponsored by SLAP, Fuel.TV, Peta2, Guardian, Comcast, and Verizon Wireless.

The “Mini Mega” has a 30 foot roll in, 25 foot gap, and 18 foot quarter pipe – much smaller than the X Games’ beast – and should be interesting. Looking forward to seeing some footage!

June 12-14, Sonoma County Fairgrounds, Santa Rosa CA.

Here’s some press release hilarity on why this event has been folded in to the 31 year-old Harmony Festival:

Programming Director Sean Ahearn explains, “The common connection is a shared enthusiasm and respect for the environment, great music, and social activism. Producing the Eco Cup skate zone is our way to reach out to youth and action sports fans and show them that there is indeed a common path to a conscious alternative that is hip, cool, and based on mutual respect, which is what Harmony is all about.”

Shanti Davidson and Michellee Senn of Rude Boyz Present agree, “Skaters have a very organic awareness of their place in the natural environment. They re-purpose and utilize traditional spaces like abandoned ditches and freeways for their personal expression. Skaters generally are not overly materialistic or part of the consumer culture; they use recycled blocks, wood and other found materials as props for jumps. Their skateboards get passed down, reused, recycled. But what’s cool is that they don’t know how eco-aware they really are, they don’t typically evaluate their lives like that.”

Darryl Franklin from MegaRamp Productions adds, “Danny Way and Bob Burnquist, the founders of MegaRamp, are also founding and board members of the Action Sports Environmental Coalition (ASEC), a team of action sports athletes and industry professionals all dedicated to raising conscious and environmental awareness among young people. Bob is also well known as an organic farmer. The Harmony Festival is the perfect place to debut the first mini-MegaRamp contest in America.”

Harmony Festival CEO Howard Sapper and Founder Debra Giusti chime in, “The Eco Cup is our opportunity to break down the stereotypes of traditional Harmony folks and the new generation, represented by skaters who will lead the alternative lifestyle into the future. We see the Harmony and skater communities as two conscious and spirited groups of like-minded people. And in their own distinct ways, both groups clear their minds before ‘dropping in’.”

Don’t miss the Eco Cup at the 2009 Harmony Festival in Santa Rosa – June 12-14, 2009.   Scheduled to ride are Bob Burnquist, PLG, Jake Brown, Andy MacDonald, Omar Hassan, Lincoln Ueda and Adam Taylor.  Demo and Judging by Steve Caballero and Christian Hosoi.  More information : rbpresent.com

Watch Adam Taylor Rodeo Flip on Mini Mega Ramp in Sports |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Christian Hosoi, Steve Caballero, Andy MacDonald and Adam Taylor skate the MiniMegaRamp.

Watch Mini MegaRamp – ASR San Diego  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

A new version of the MegaRamp was unveiled for the first time at the ESPY’s pre-party in Hollywood at the Roosevelt Hotel. Stay tuned…more to come. Check out the photos from the event