TRASH.

SCOTTISH SUPERSTAR JOHN RATTRAY JOINED THE ZERO army following a stellar performance on the Circa Euro tour. Jamie is reportedly so stoked on his new team rider, he shipped him a three-chip and death lens so he could begin working on his Dying to Live part immediately.

Vans is rumored to be interested in acquiring Shorty's. Considering that Alloy in New York is said to own CCS, this may be seen as a harbinger of another round of consolidation and vertical integration.

Element has joined forces with Billabong International to create a merchandising monolith which will clothe and provide boards for the world in one fell swoop marked by efficiency and attractive colorways. Long-time Volcom rider Bam Margera turned in his stone to wholly endorse both the Element board and clothing brands. Matthew Perrin, the Chief Executive Officer of Billabong International says, "This partnership is a milestone in our industry as three great companies combine their strengths to take skateboarding to a new level of a truly global business."

The Wall Street Journal--indisputably the most mainstream business chronicle in the land--recently examined what they termed "The Extreme-Sports Industry's Risky New Challenge." In their estimation, "Maintaining Rebel Appeal While Building Profit Proves a Tricky Move." The piece goes on to discuss the Walt Disney Company's Joint venture agreement with Camp Woodward to "build additional extreme-sports camps elsewhere that don't fit the outlaw image." As a point of reference, Disney owns ABC which owns ESPN which owns the X-Games. The relevance to the camp in the Pennsylvania hills? Camp Woodward will be a site for this summer's X-Games. Do not be astonished to see Mickey and Minnie Mouse at a family-oriented non-rebel skatepark near you soon. These large trademarked, synthetic fur rodents are there to comfort you and to promote mass consumer consumption.

Number one big media of the month: Rolling Stone presents "Skateboarding's PUNK KINGS." The title reveals all: "The Gang That Couldn't Skate Straight. Meet Skateboarding's Newest Stars, The Piss Drunx, the Most Dysfunctional Degenerates Ever to Bust An Ollie." Revelations spew forth within this primer of moral turpitude. Greco throws up shiny yellow socks of vomit. He lives to be baraka and toss down hammers. Elissa Steamer, who was educated at the dog track, punches Grecs in the grill for urinating on her new car. Knox Godoy had no mother but two fathers. Andrew Reynolds rolls a 2000 gold Eldorado and cashes 100 thousand-dollar video checks. Jay Strickland was raised in a biker-dude family. Jeremy Fox, the manager of Flip, says there are no rules in pro skateboarding Dustin Dollin was the Spawn of Satan. Hawk says Jim is chaos. Somewhere the genius in charge of this cross-promotional stroke is massaging his wallet in glee. These riders should demand another pay increase immediately. How did this deep "repor tage" manage to miss the fact that Grec's nickname back in Connecticut was "Boy Toy"?

RIP: META. aka Margaret Kilgallen, succumbed to liver cancer in San Francisco. The influential street and fine artist is being honored in a number of posthumus tributes to raise funds for her and husband Barry McGee's child, Asha. Contributions can go to: The Asha Kilgallen McGee Fund--Bay View Bank. attn: Mark Harris, 443 Castro Street San Francisco. CA 94114-2019

The Hosoi saga continues with the incarcerated skater's in-custody marriage to Jennifer, which took place in the hallway of the courthouse. Pony shoes are said to be cutting an endorsement deal with Hosoi, who is scheduled to be sentenced in September. Hope remains that the judge will look kindly upon Christian's desire to be paroled to do a youth ministry with at-risk youth. Greg Macias and Danny Kwock are doing a TV profile of Hosoi's life for the 5-4-3.2-1 program. Observers will recognize those names as being key Quiksilver operatives.

Jay Adams may be looking at a release from institutional life in September. Talk has him working for 1984, maybe as a team manager.

Three separate Jason Lee movies are coming around: Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Big Trouble, and Vanilla Sky. Vanilla Sky has the promise to be widely seen as it features involvement by such personages as Tom Cruise and Cameron Crowe. Even such curb whackers as Bruce Gilbert have labored on this film.

Swiss Mister Chany Jeanguenin has joined T-Bone and the boys over at Osiris with a signature shoe in the works.

NASCAR manifests itself as a current concern with both Caballero and Hawk turning 130-mile-per-hour-laps at Loews Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina. Koston backside kickflipped over Mike Skinner's #31 race car while Kris Markovich also flipped it with finesse.

FTC turned 15, and commissioned several artists to do decks for the occasion. Included were Damon Soule, Bigfoot, PNUT Galinsky and Evan Hecox.

Wing Ko, who is supposed to be working on the Rodney Mullen documentary feature, has been spending his time in the LA Chinatown club Firecracker where he was seen DJ'ing techno love mixes, and sometimes masquerading under the moniker of Arthur Yen.

Dave Swift lectured Bryant Gumball and Jane Clayson on the history of the world. Also guesting on CBS' Early Show were Expedition One members Chany Jeanguenin and Chris Lambert.

Arto Saari is still a happy eS team rider with a pro model on the way. Camarillo hot shoe Mikey Taylor has allegedly joined the team. Meanwhile, eS ex-pat Ronnie Creager is starting a shoe line through Apollo backpacks, with fabulous team riders to be announced posthaste.

HESH FEST

News around Imperial Distribution is the departure of Dynasty am Robert Lim who has joined the recently constructed Monkey Stix board company, an offshoot of the popular Monkey Grip and Nuts conglomerate, which also counts Barcelona's own Enrique Lorenzo among its new board company team riders. Other Imperial happenings include the elevation of Vertical Vagrant Darren Navarrette to 151 team manager and the ejection of dirt-bags-come-lately Josh Falk and Shorty, with Falk finding a new home in Pageau's Army over at Lib Tech. Hessians who can skate rails should send their tapes tc 151. attention Navarrette. Despite contrarians, Peter Hewitt does not ride for Anti Hero, and is sweating out the OB liquor ban as a proud 151 rider. Maple stepped up the program and added Ventura terror Dan Roberts to the am squad.

Duffs may have lost Mumford, but they've gained BMX legend Matt Hoffman, the only bike rider ever to get an interview in Thrasher.

In other Mumford-related developments, Trainwreck has left November clothing (of which Mums and the Mule are heavies), only to be replaced by Vinny Vegas.

Brazilian Think rider Alysson Castro has found a home on Airwalk with Danny Fuenzalida, and can be seen over at Cherry Park blasting over the can in a sweet pair of 900 Farenheits.

STONE COLD

Rumor-mongers have East Coast wrecking ball Chris Cole off World and on Enjoi, whose much-anticipated Shit Bag Town Tour has been held until further notice.

Reports from France have Tom Penny going ballistic for Fred's sole-fully wandering long lens, with hammers dropping steadily towards the Flip vid deadline. In sadder news, it appears Ali Boulala has been bitten by Sid for the last time After leaving the dog with Fred without asking, the fed-up Shiner gave him away to some hippies in Denmark.

Cannuck terror Ryan Smith has quit Brigade or Powell or whichever one he rode for to try his luck as a free agent. Stay tuned next month to see if you'd put him on your team.

With back problems behind him, Alex "Mouly" Moul has been tearing up LA spots with his distinct brand of ultra-pop and magical flippery.

Think Arizona is all cacti and Frimus haircuts? The new Cowtown vid, Sidewire, indicates there may be something else going on in the desert.

Flies on walls report T-Mag/Danny Way reunion sessions at Danny Way's new DC ramp with the H-Street soundtrack blaring. No Sanner or Monihan sightings have been reported at press time, but a recent Masters win in Germany means Tector may be close to his old form.

FIRED LINE

"A true skater can have more fur on a few feet of curb than six people can all day at Disneyland."

Flissa Steamer

"And if I get got, oh well guess that's just the price of ice" --Rob Dyrdek

"We have to market the idea that these sports car be done at top level only in the best facilities, in specially designed skateparks and not on street corners." --Steve Van Doren Vans

"The relationship makes absolute sense Now we will have a balanced global skateboard brand."

Steve Douglas, president Giant Distribution

"It important that you do not make any comments to the press or competitors."

Primedia Inc