Dorian Hargrove suffers life-changing skateboard accident

Thank you for sharing your gripping, horrifying and inspirational story with a readership that I hope will take a lesson from it. As a 23-year-old carefree inline skater, it took a concerned boyfriend who worked with traumatic brain injury patients to convince me to wear a helmet EVERY time I skated. Now as a 40-year-old bike commuter, I cringe every time I see a helmetless biker or skateboarder out on the roads and trails of San Diego. There are so many, and there seems to be no understanding that the sidewalks/roads don't get any softer just because you're "just going a few blocks". I actually managed to use your story to successfully convince my partner, a longtime surfer and former skateboarder, that coolness and convenience were no excuse for biking without a helmet. Just on a sidenote,I've seen some posts about helmets giving a "false sense of security." I've seen this in bike safety circles as well and have to respond. Of course a helmet will not protect a skater or biker from all traffic and environmental injuries. Of course common sense and other precautionary measures are needed. But the fact that a helmet doesn't fix everything should not obscure the fact that it preserves a very important thing--the structural integrity of the wearer's skull and brain. For months I've been planning to do a post on my bike commuter blog www.virtualroadkill.com inspired by your story, and upon further review I realize I should just DO IT rather than continue to be silent on this issue. Thank you for sharing and best wishes for your continued recovery.
— November 6, 2010 1:50 a.m.

Yo Ho, a Pirate's Hat for Me

Apparently in publishing 4 months after the event (it was the first weekend in May) Mr. Board lost track of some key facts. Even his own YouTube video confirms the identity of the movie in question as Better Off Dead. The event was in O.B., not P.B. Jesse wasn't just "talking about" local surfboard maker Vertigo Surfboards, it's HIS COMPANY. And it might be a good idea to credit and identify your interview and photo subjects a little better--you had every opportunity in the last 4 months, at the very least I am available consistently by e-mail and as the person inviting him I would have appreciated some sort of courtesy followup. In addition, "6'9" Guy" and I did not appreciate having our out-of-context comments and very bad photos used in one of the interview segments a couple months ago.
— September 28, 2008 2:15 a.m.