Road tax.

THE 2006 KING OF THE ROAD CAME SCREECHING TO A HALT at the Santa Monica triple set, ending the most intense cross-country thrash-a-thon since Fish stepped over the edge of the mighty Buddha-Buddha wall so many years ago. After all the tapes were scrambled and the 40-year-old saliva quietly festered into incurable cold sores, Zero was again declared the winner--a three-peat the likes of which may never occur again.

Though the footage was viewed only briefly under the trees at the raging Boost-sponsored Pink Motel party, early reports have Harmony slaying the Gilley kinker, Tommy lipsliding a 17 naked, Rattray landing the 540, Cole making a backflip, Drew frontside flipping 14, Greco ollieing 20, Paul Trep landing the Mariano dream, and Chet catching the blunt frontside flip like he never left the Bones Brigade summer tour. Cheek the Web for updates, or just hide in the closet until it comes out in the next mag. It really was the gnarliest King of the Road ever.

Some shake-ups over at Element, with big guns Colt Cannon and Jake Rupp unceremoniously parked. While the critics might understand Rupp's dismissal (which came just after he quit IPath to ride for the new Element shoe squad, unluckily), many are scratching their heads about Colt. He may march to his own drum, but damn it if he did not just drop one hell of a good Circa video part. Other Element news includes pro model shoes for hot shoe Tosh and the living legend of gnar: Mike Vallely. Meanwhile, those rumors of Darrell joining the squad, are, at press time, just that, as are tales of high-flying Jeremy Wray getting knocked down to board sales.

Cairo Foster quit Popwar for Enjoi, which is weird considering Popwar was supposedly his company. Lots of rumors but no facts on the 'War's status, and that of its many ripping riders, such as worldly Kenny Reed, high-speed Justin Strubing, and Aussie Dennis Durrant.