by Jason Salfi

Alright, Comet riders.  Here’s a pic of the Wheelbase Graphic Challenge board.  (more…)

In the last month, I’ve had the opportunity to present Cradle to Cradle design principles and the Comet Way to the people of Brazil, help push Benefit Corporation legislation in New York State, and present on progressive business strategy at the Healthy NY conference to policy makers, academics, and business people.  Then, back at Comet, we kicked off a new R&D effort in new wood adhesives in collaboration with researchers from the University of Vermont: Professor Mingruo Guo and his two PHD students, Wenbo and Guorong (shown above).

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Starting today, Monday 12/12 and continuing through Thursday 12/22, we will be selling all decks, components, apparel, etc. between 10% and 50% off!

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Check out Comet’s new YouTube channel.
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by Anthony Flis

The past two days have been plagued with rainy conditions. The humidity has been keeping the roads in the mountains wet, totally screwing our original plans up. We’ve been having fun though and keeping it real taking in the Southern vibe.

Skatesgiving in full effect from SkateHouseMedia.com

Monday we had an awesome trip to Waffle House after finding the Breastworks totally soaked. After that delicious meal we headed south to Roanoke, VA to session a hairpin laden neighborhood run and shit shoot some photos before we ran out of day light. Max stepped in dog shit necessitating a trip to the local skate shop to get new shoes. The shop was cool and we dropped some stickers and knowledge while learning how to get to a skatepark that had lights. It was a modular park with metal ramps and the most awkward rollers ever but you could flow around and hit everything in one line if you wanted. The local kids were stoked and we had a best trick contest to give out a Comet street deck. After skating the park we turned on the christmas lights inside the van and headed down to Blacksburg, VA to stay with our good friend and Beast Coast webmaster Madison. Ludo’s clutch started smelling but we thought it would work out. The next morning it was still making funky smells which meant we had to stay in Blacksburg an extra night to get it fixed.

Tuesday was spent mostly at the Blacksburg skatepark which is a pretty good concrete park. The bowl is 9feet in the deep with two 6 foot pockets. I owe Max a six pack for doing a frontside air over the coping first. It’s always fun skating parks with downhill skaters who don’t do it very often. Mclovin board slid a rail over a small gap with was rad. Some grinds, airs and sketchy rollins were had. All in all it was a good day of skating we just got screwed with the car and wet roads for a third day in a row. This morning though the wind is pushing the clouds away giving some little glimpses of sun and hope for today to go better.

Eli McEndarfer
Okay.  So, I was just notified that there’s a brand new guy named Eli that I hadn’t yet met.  Pretty crazy for a small company.  Quick interview…

I’ve heard some call you Elvis?
Elvis Refley.  I’m a women’s flat track roller derby referee.

So, you just started working at Comet.  What had you been up to before this?
For the last 18 years I have worked in newhome construction, timberframing, remodeling, cabinet making, wood working, with a little blacksmithing/ornamental iron work thrown in.

Do you skate?
I street and ramp skated all thru highschool. My first skateboard was an Alva, Fred Smith. I have kept a board since but it has been used mostly as a way to get tools back and forth from truck to jobsite. I currently have a Comet Ethos 37.

Liam Morgan
Comet team rider visiting and interning with Comet for a couple weeks.

How long have you been riding?
I’ve kind of been riding skateboards as long as I can remember, but its been the biggest part of my life for about three years.

What attracted you to Comet’s boards?
I was attracted to Comet in the first place because of their shapes and strong roots in the Bay Area.

You just interned with Comet a second time.  How did it go?
This summer at Comet was pretty different than the last. The facilities this year are relatively new, so I played somewhat of a different roll. I focused more on screen printing boards, making t-shirts, working in the retail shop, and responding to emails.

Tell me a bit about the scene on the west coast.
The current scene on the West Coast is crazy. The levels of skill and progression are of the charts, new events are popping up all the time, and so many kids are getting into it! I have such high respect for my fellow riders and  the skating they are doing.

On March 18th, 2009, Comet team rider Kawika Omoto set out to the Colorado hills looking for another great downhill session with friends.  The tragedy that unfolded shook the Colorado community, everyone here at Comet, and riders from all over who caught the bad news.  Equally shocking was Kawika’s heroic return, which seemed to us from afar to be as sudden as the original accident.  I recall saying, “What do you mean Kawika came in fourth?  Isn’t he in the hospital?!”

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Cody Austern-Aceto
A Comet intern and soon to be senior at Lehman Alternative Community School (LACS)

What was it like growing up in Ithaca?
I actually spent my first eleven years in Trumansburg, NY moving to Ithaca before sixth grade. It was nice spending my early years running around in the woods and then experiencing a small city once I got older.

How does Lehman Alternative Community School compare to a typical high school?
LACS has a big focus on doing things differently, and once a week all the students meet to discuss proposals that modify how the school is run.

How long have you been working at Comet?
I worked here in the summers after eighth and ninth grade, and I started again midway through this summer.

How did you land this job?
When I was 14 I signed up with a program called Youth Employment Service that funded job opportunities for teenagers. Comet had just moved to town, and I was interested in sustainability, so I asked to be placed with them.

What do you think of the job and of Comet?
I love it. I get to work part time in the print shop silkscreening. I love Comet’s mission.

Tell me a bit about the Ithaca Youth Council.  What is your role in that program?
I’m the chairperson of Ithaca Youth Council. It is a government group for teens through the Youth Bureau. We work with common council and city government to advocate for youth issues. We also hold workshops for teens on subjects like how to interview for a job and how to manage money.

What might you be doing a decade from now?
I’d like to be working for an environmental non-profit.

Shubhendu Kumar Gami
A junior at Ithaca High School and new intern at Comet.

Where did you grow up?
Nepal

How did you end up in Ithaca?
I came to Ithaca when I was six years old, because my dad got a PHD opportunity at Cornell in soil science.  Currently my dad works as a researcher at Cornell and my mom owns a grocery store so we’re settled into Ithaca.

How do they compare?
Nepal and Ithaca are totally different.  The environment and the way of life contrast in so many ways.

How did you land this job?
I got in contact with Comet from the youth employment services at the Ithaca Youth Bureau.  They fund the program so that students like me can get work experience in the real world.  I wanted to work with Comet because I really wanted to learn about manufacturing and how a company sustains itself.

What do you think of the job and of Comet?
I really like Comet and my job.  I got to see and experience the whole set up of the factory and I liked watching the skateboard go from just veneers to actual working skateboard.  The experience has been a thrill.

Tell me a bit about the Ithaca Youth Council.  What is your role in that program?
Ithaca Youth Council is a youth organization that advocates for youth in the Ithaca community.  We try to create projects that help local youth.  Last year our theme was healthy youth, and next year it will have something to do with anti-apathy.  In the Council, I participate in different projects and help it run.  Next year I will be the secretary of the Ithaca Youth Council.

What might you be doing a decade from now?
I want to become an engineer.