Latest Update: August 25, 1999

Great White Shark Spotted At Stinson
Almost a year to the day that a boy was bitten by a great white shark at Stinson Beach, CA a large dorsal fin was spotted off shore from the popular beach just North of San Francisco. This great white is estimated to be approximately 14 feet in length.
--Beach closed after siting.
--The shark caught on video.

More Dr. Laura/Big Brother Fall Out
Dana Parsons has some advice for Dr. Laura on being thoughtful on the airwaves. How she should have thought before she mentioned Beach Access. But there's no hope of that.

Thrasher's Golf Magazine in LA Times
It's got all kinds of nasty stuff in it, plus golf. The Schwing! staff includes a guy from No Doubt and another from the Vandals. Looks like Orange County punk was just a pose after all.

Crime Beat San Fernando, CA District
300 block of West Valencia Avenue: A 15-year-old Burbank boy was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon Thursday at 4:15 p.m. The boy allegedly hit his 17-year-old half-brother in the back with a skateboard and sprayed mace in his face. --from the LA Times.

Curran and Abubo Win in Lacanau
Californian Tim Curran and Hawaii's Megan Abubo overcame odds which were heavily stacked in Australia's favor, taking first place in the 1999 T&C Lacanau Pro in France today

Marker Files Chapter 11
The maker of DNR snowboards, Marker Bindings and more files for bankruptcy protection, but claim it's all part of a new deal they're doing.

Technology Billionaire Invest In Gotcha Glacier
Henry T. Nicholas, the founder of Broadcom Corp says he's investing in the indoor surf, snow, skate, rock climbing facility in addition to buying the Ducks.
--Tiny Chips, Big Success
--Boardcom CEO More Than A Fan

Surfer Magazine Knows What's Cool?
Orange County Weekly's Steve Lowery thinks so. He stopped by their offices to see just how surf culture is changing the face of marketing to young people. Apparently no one told Steve that Surfer is only read by those over 35. Joke's on Steve.

Random Quote
"After a 3-year-old was nearly run off the boardwalk, half a dozen complaint calls were received Sunday about motorized skateboards, police said."--LA Times Orange County.

A Skateboard as Rape Bait
A 14-year-old boy in Renton, Washington used skateboards and inline skates to lure young girls away from school then sexually assaulted them.

Teens Attack Homeless With Skateboards
Kids in Seattle are killing homeless people. One 14-year-old used a skateboard and pocket knife to kill one man. What is it with 14 year olds, skateboards, and crime?

Dr. Laura Served With Demand for Retraction
A Lawyer for Beach Access the shop which Dr. Laura said was selling "pornography" has served the batty old talk show host with papers.

Strange Tattoo
"He has multiple tattoos: a dragon on his right shoulder down to his forearm, a skull-and-crossbones on the biceps of his left arm, a skeleton in a champagne glass holding a skateboard on his left inner forearm and an anchor on his left wrist."--SF Chronicle's description of brain-dead motorcyclist found on the 880 freeway.

Fast Lane Boardshop Fighting AMC Theaters
Dan Wonser says he's not selling his land to the developers of the $76 million Burbank Entertainment Village until they offer him a reasonable price.

Jane Taylor's Custom Hawai'ian Prints
Want a custom, handmade Hawai'ian print shirt? This is the woman to call. Or visit her website right here: www.islandshirts.com.

The Word Police: Two Counts of Misuse
Janowitz, the literary brat packer of yore, is now Tama the mama, so she has a few other things on her mind--not least of which is raising a multicultural child--as she surfs the wave of buzz for her sixth novel. --LA Times Review of Tama Janowitz sixth novel, A Certain Age.

``Audiences say that the silence between my words keeps them going inside,'' he says. ``I'll tell you what I'm doing -- I'm surfing the silence.'' --Ram Das on his speech patterns after his stroke in the SF Chronicle.

Teens Open Skate Shop in San Lorenzo
A grant from the city for young entrepreneurs allowed four kids to open their own skateshop in the parking lot of a church. Sounds like the plot to a sitcom.

Stalking the Sewer Leak In Huntington
Workers still can't figure out where all the sewage is coming from even with a round-the-clock effort. And the beach is still closed as it has for almost three weeks.
--Surf Shops Worry about effects of closure.
--Another Mile of Shorline Closed.
--HB Keeping People out of the Water
--Looking For Leaks In All the Wrong Places
--Surfers Pissed Off About Beach Closures
--Questions and Answers

Mission Viejo Skate Park Opens
That's right. A public skate park behind the Orange Curtain. Will the wonders never ceases. How did those dirty skaters slip one by the Religious Right? We may never know.

Surfing Doctor Helps Save Fijian Girls Life
Pollution and Small Waves End Contest
--Answers to beach closing questions.
--Sanitation workers can't find sewer leak.
Artificial Swelling in So Cal

Previous Bags o' Crapola:
-August 16, 1999
-August 11, 1999
-August 6, 1999
-August 4, 1999
-July 30, 1999

Special thanks: to Jim Romenesko's MediaGossip.com.