Pass this on and check here for updated info on this event…

Comet is officially opening its first retail store to sell skateboards, apparel, and accessories.  Our retail space is located on the second floor at 126-B on the Ithaca Commons.  The ribbon cutting will take place at 3:30pm on Friday, April 27th followed by an open house at the Comet store.  On Saturday, April 28th, Comet will also host the first ever Ithaca Slide Jam on Buffalo Street followed by a party at Bandwagon Brew Pub, where the new Comet skateboard line will be on display for the rest of the summer.

Events Summary:
4/27 Friday 3:30pm - Ribbon Cutting Ceremony - Outside 126-B The Commons, Ithaca, NY
4/27 Friday 4-7pm - Grand Opening - 126-B The Commons, Ithaca, NY
4/28 Saturday 11am-4pm - Ithaca Slide Jam - East Buffalo Street (top of the hill), Ithaca, NY
4/28 Saturday 4pm - Party at Bandwagon Brew Pub - 114 N Cayuga St, Ithaca, NY

ITHACA SLIDE JAM

Come skate the most iconic hill in Ithaca with shredders from all over the map!

Until Friday, available at the Comet online store are discounted early bird entrees for the slide jam — both pro division at $35 and amateur division $25, which are $40 and $30 on the day of, respectively.

Pro Level is unrestricted.
You don’t need a corporate sponsor or fancy gear. Both Amateur Level and Pro Level skaters will be skating the same hill all day. The only difference is that, as a Pro skater, you are competing for a cash prize. $10 from your entry fee goes directly to a cash pot and Comet will match that $10. So, for example, if we have 20 Pro skaters, you would all be competing for a $400 pot.

Simply Shred
We are keeping the event super simple. Grab your board and take as many runs as you like. The hill is steep and smooth, and we’re filling it with shred-worthy goodness. We look at this hill every day and wish there were no cars on it. On Saturday, that will come true and we are stoked to skate it with you.

Ithaca Slide Jam 2012

• Closed hill slide jam
• Freshly pavement at a consistent 15% grade
• Skate park terrain
• 5 hours of open shredding fun
• Additional shred time before and after
• As many runs as you can skate
• All wheel durometers welcomed – this is an equal duropportunity event
• Curbside lunch
• Prizes for longest slide, overall style, individuality, and more.
• Cash prizes for Pro skaters
• Lots of swag
• Skating with Comet, Kebbek, Earthwing rippers
• After party

COMET STORE SALE
We are selling the rest of our 2011 skateboards for 20% off and we have a rack of graphic misprints and other factory seconds ranging from 20% to 50% off!

If you have any questions about the event, contact us at team@cometskateboards.com.

We hope you join us in celebrating the start of a new era in Comet history!

Coming soon… Comet cruisers designed by Ira Garrison.

There are only FOUR (4) of these boards born from the retired but legendary Ye Olde Cosmic Shred mold.  Ira cut the boards out and designed each one by hand using tape and spray paint.

We will be releasing these cruisers in the coming weeks via Facebook.  We expect them to go fast, so join our facebook page and follow us on twitter to be the first in the know when they go on sale.

Ira Garrison is one of Comet’s pillars.  He and Arlo were Comet’s first hires since moving operations to Ithaca, NY back in 2008. Starting on the ground floor of a 3-person manufacturing business, Ira has learned to run every machine and perform every function in the skateboard manufacturing process.  A month ago, I would have said “almost every function” because Ira had not put graphics on our skateboards… until now.

These mashups are one of a kind boards you’ve never seen before!

Each and every board is totally unique. They’re the result of countless hours spent experimenting with the layering of graphics. A freestyle flurry that fuses the diverse dimensions that Comet’s creatures inhabit.

I started experimenting with different screen combinations, ink colors, and purposeful accidents that in the end are one of a kind and completely their own… like every shredder out there. You may find a pagan spirit emerging through multiple layers of chaos, colors that only exist on that particular board, even patterns and shapes that arise from the ether. Grab a mashup for a look behind the curtain, the place where interdimensional creatures meet and humans rarely go.

If we have any mashups in stock, you’ll find them in our Specials section.

Alright, Comet riders.  Here’s a pic of the Wheelbase Graphic Challenge board.  We have done some of our own graphics treatments to get the brain swelling.  Check these mashups by Comet’s own Kaya Keys.

The Wheelbase Graphic Challenge (a.k.a. “The Challenge”) is a variation of what we have done before at Comet, but it’s a definite refinement.  The Challenge began with a Loki Flush.  Back in 2010, Liam and I cut out a topmount / flush version to see what the geometries would feel like.  Byron and Davis were super into that board, and i became apparent from the constant pressure from Shawn that this board must come to life.

Through a series of text messages, I took input from Byron about where to put the “sweet spot” on the board.  The deepest part of the rocker and widest of the board is just behind the front truck.  Normally that could have a weird effect on the way the front truck reacts, but we were able to run a flush mounting system that keeps the trucks in longitudinal plane with each other.  This is very important if you are riding precision trucks like the Aeras that Byron is rocking.  At a perfect zero degree the truck mounts will yield the exact degree that you intended when you chose your trucks.  Lorren Hammond, Comets’ chief CNC designer and engineer, was able to create gradually deepening wheel wells that interact perfectly with the zero degree flush mounting system.  The interaction of the front foot pocket with the flush mounting yields next level control.

We’re sending the first dozen of these board out the Comet team members for some final feedback.  Then it is off to the Challenge!  Speaking of that, get your graphics in to Wheelbase.

The Challenge is a graphic contest put on by Marcus Bandy at Wheelbase.  Wheelbase tells it straight, so go there to read about what is up in skateboarding right now.  Anyway, here’s the deal.  Marcus put Comet, Caliber, and Divine together to stoke people out and throw some new graphics by the skate community on some Comet decks.  With Comet’s rich history in community design, this is a natural fit for us and we thought it would be a great way to launch a new board.  Entry time closes on Jan 8, so get your pencil out and paint or photoshop all sorts or colors.  The board will launched in late January / early Feb through Comet, Wheelbase, Rip City, and Muir Skate.

Get at it!!!

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).

The Benefit Corporation legislation passed unanimously by the house and senate of NY.  On the eve of the bill being vetoed many of us barraged the governors office with phone calls until it was signed by Governor Cuomo.  Definitely want to thank G Cuomo for taking a leadership role and big thanks for efforts of the B LAB and businesses in support.

The legislation that passed paves the way for Comet and fellow B Corporations to be recognized legally as an asset to communities and the environment.  We hope that with this legal entity in effect, government will begin to channel funds toward businesses doing good for the economy, environment, and community instead of large multinational businesses that do not need any more subsidies and have arguably led to the the downturn that we are in right now.

Today December 14, 2011, we are kicking off the R&D efforts in full effect.  The above photo show’s University of Vermont PhDs Wenbo and Guorong testing out a new glue formula.  We pressed several blanks and had our presses heated up to 160 C to test some of the gnarlier stuff.  The glue that we are working on will be totally waterproof and able to be boiled for 4 hours.  That will assure that it can take any heat or cold scenario normal conditions on Earth.  The glue is zero VOC and zero Formaldehyde.  One of them is edible, although not appealing.  Bob from e2e Materials joined us, and together we discussed what this research could mean for the next generation of skateboard manufacturing.

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!

We also have factory 2nds including upside down graphics, wrong graphics, and warped boards.   These boards are marked 20%-50% off. Take advantage of being a local and having a skateboard factory in Ithaca!! Come by soon to get the best deal on the board you want.  If you are shopping for others, ask us about Comet gift certificates which can be sent by email and used for purchases through our online store!

During this sale period, our doors will be open on the days and hours listed below:

Monday Dec 12        12pm-5pm
Tuesday Dec 13       12pm-6pm
Wednesday Dec 14  12pm-6pm
Thursday Dec 15      11am-7pm******
Friday Dec 16           10am-2pm
Saturday Dec 17       11am-7pm******
Sunday Dec 18         12pm-4pm
Monday Dec19         12pm-5pm
Tuesday Dec 20       12pm-6pm
Wednesday Dec 21   12pm-6pm
Thursday Dec 22       12pm-5pm

We’ll be closing our doors at 5pm on Thursday, December 22nd and we’ll open them again on Monday, January 2nd, 2012.

******On Thursday, Dec 15 from 11am-7pm, you’ll find Ira Garrison running the Comet Retail Store.  Ira is both a veteran street skater and a skateboard builder for Comet.  He’ll be here to answer your questions, get you set up with a new ride, or help you tune your current set up.

******On Saturday, Dec 17 from 11am-7pm, you’ll find Comet team rider Anthony Flis running the Comet Retail Store.  Anthony just got back from his epic road trip.  Check out this video teaser. Come ask Anthony about the growing downhill scene or talk with him to find the perfect ride for you.

For those of you who haven’t been by recently, our store has expanded (more info here).   You’ll also find that we’ve now hung the Comet archive of boards from 1997 to the present in the hallway outside the store.  These are not for sale, but we invite you to stroll through skateboard history and see how our manufacturing has evolved.

Hope to see you soon!
Here’s to a happy and healthy 2012.
Keep on shredding
The Comet Team

Check out Comet’s new YouTube channel.

We’re currently featuring our newest video “Ithaca Summer 2011″ featuring Liam Morgan and Anthony Flis skating hills in Ithaca, NY.  We plan to release many new videos in the near future highlighting team riders and new products.  Keep an eye out for old classics as well. Videos will be updated on both our YouTube and Vimeo channels.

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.

Wow.. Yosemite, where to start?

So Friday September 30th I packed my thing’s and met up with Blake Smith so we can rally to Oakland together to meet Georges Siddiqi, and Liam Morgan. We arrived in Oakland around 4 and waited for an hour for Liam. After Liam arrived we went to Safeway to buy food for the trip and I realized I forgot my wallet… (blowing it). Thanks Georges for spotting me.

Anyways we packed the car and were off to pick up another rad homie Joa Ladwig. Met Joa at In-n-Out by Manteca Waterslides, ate, and headed to Yosemite!

When we got to the campgrounds around 10pm, we didn’t make reservations for a site and just swooped one. After setting up camp and the fire we all relaxed, and got ready for the long day ahead. I also got Joa and Georges to take G-hits!

The next morning October 1st, we packed up and left the park, but ended up paying for the site we stayed at. We all watched Liam slay Old Priest road, which I must say was the most shredding I have ever seen in person. After a few variety of roads killed, we decided to venture to the highlight of the trip, Tioga pass. We got there and the winds were epic, when I let go of my gloves they blew five car lengths away from me. After warming up to the road which is about 50mph+ the whole way, Liam and I filmed a run.

That particular run rocks had fallen from the cliffs. Each time we descended the mountain it was filled with fear and smiles. After skating the mountain pass for about three hours we decided to set up camp by the river and head to Lee Vining for dinner.

The next morning, we all woke up early, packed up, and headed up Tioga for some morning runs before saying good bye to the National Park. We were homeward bound but needed to make a couple of stops on the way home.

1. Someone had a sweet idea to visit a ghost town in the middle of nowhere, and we find out we had to pay to get in so we turned right around at the gates and headed back to the road.
2. Sonora pass, Liam got gnarly, Blake got artsy, Georges got pitted, Joa got scared.
3. Crab tree was fun as hell to watch the homies kill the hill.

At the end of the day, we all headed our own ways back to reality. If you have never had the chance to visit the Sierras, do it. It will change your perspective on what the Earth has to offer. Lastly I would just like to thank Blake for getting this thing together, and Georges for renting the mini van which made the trip.