Fundraiser for Josh

I went to the fundraiser for Josh on Sunday and had the oil changed on Scoot!'s SYM HD200. I find it a pain to change the oil without a chock r way to tie it down, so this event was perfect timing.

There were about 40-50 people there. Clubs like Vespa Club Los Gatos, San Francisco Scooter Girls and the Royal Bastards were there to see Josh, wish him well and have a BBQ & oil change session. Curt Fargo brought a fancy BBQ and his trailer filled with goodies and his tools. When I checked with him last he said that he had done about 10 oil changes in a row.

Curt was able to pause in the action to see Bosco (our postal volunteer and San Jose Vespa rep) get his head and grizzly beard shaved. That shaving raised about $500. That's great and he didn't even have to take his clothes off!

I'm not sure how much was raised on Sunday, but when I put my cash in I saw lots of $20 bills in there.

I'll see Josh tonight at our Scoot! meeting and will get an update on his condition and medical bills. For now, here are two pics from the event.

Facebook Flair

Just a reminder that you can "represent" Scoot! on your facebook pages with our very own Piece of Flair. Just add the Pieces of Flair application and search for "scoot" or "vespa" or "lambretta".

It's easy. These images are old, but now 18 folks have posted the Scoot!logo pin. Woo-hoo!

Erin from Esurance rides a Lambretta...

Saw a new Esurance.com commercial tonight which has their animated spokesperson, Erin riding a stylized Lambretta. Check it out:

I couldn't figure out how to embed the video from their site so I used Youtube, but you can
see a better quality version here.

Vegas Photo

DocBob XYL from Kentucky sent me this photo of my BF Jon, me and super-tuner Tony Simoni taken at the Vegas rally. I wonder what we were talking about when it was taken, but I suspect that Jon was awed by my stunning beauty at the time, thus his hand over his mouth out of sheer disbelief. Or maybe he was yawning and I have misinterpreted it. Anyway, here are some suggested captions. Feel free to submit your own, but keep 'em clean, folks!

#1
Jon: Is 9am too early to have a beer?
April: What is Tony saying? I don't understand a thing about two-stroke tuning...
Tony: OK, I can tell by her blank expression that she doesn't understand a thing about two-stroke tuning...

#2
Jon: Too...much...beer...last...night.....ugh.
April: "uh-huh"
Tony: I never noticed before that April had alien antennae

#3
Jon: OMG please say you are binging back the Chickn Wing...please say you are bringing back the Chicken Wing...!
Tony: So, I'm thinking of bring back the Chicken Wing Pipe..

Well the last sccenario will only be funny to SouthBay folks, but I laughed as I wrote it.

Win a Trip to Italy or a Vespa

Pasta Pomodoro is an Italian restaurant chain in California and Arizona. They have photos of Vespas in their locations and use images of scooters on their menus and to-go bags. They are currently holding a contest where winners can win either a trip to Milan, a Vespa or a 10-person dinner.

You must be a legal resident of California, over 18 years old and enter by April 30th. So get to it! Follow the link above or go into one of their locations and enter.

Local Fundraiser for Josh

Curt Fargo and Bosco (Scoot!'s volunteer mailman) have combined forces to do a fund raiser for Josh. If you are in the Silicon Valley and need an oil change, come on by.

DATE: Sunday April 6th

TIME: 11:00 AM Sharp Scooter Ride
1:00 PM Oil Changes & BBQ
4:00 PM Oil Changes Stop
5:00 PM We let Boscos Neighbors have back their complex.

LOCATION: 250 N 1st. Street
Campbell, CA 95008

This fund raiser is open to all, you can partake in any part or all of it. At 11am sharp we will be doing a local scooter ride (staying out of the hills) and afterwards at 1pm we will have a Hamburger, Hot Dog and Chicken BBQ. At 1pm we will also be doing oil changes on Modern Vespas.

All of this is FREE but hopefully you will ad some $$$'s to the donation can.

Pedro Zaragoza- Impressed with a Vespa

The man credited with creating packaged holidays and bringing the bikini to Benidom, Spain has died. The Times newspaper ran an article about him which relates how he gained support for his approval of bikinis on the beaches, by riding his Vespa for 9 hrs. to appeal to Franco. Apparently, his stunt worked and earned him reprieve, and bikinis came to grace the beaches, despite the church's disapproval.

Mercy Me & Audio Adrenaline Scooter Video

On the Mercy Me band blog, they recently posted a fun video of the bands (Mercy Me & Audio Adrenaline) riding scooters on one of their breaks in the midst of touring. It's fun to watch and makes you want to get on your scooter and go. If you are a fan of the bands, pick up our article in issue # 40 (Summer 07).

Scoot! @ Euro Motor Show & Swap 3/29

I'm a little behind on posts as I was in a car accident this past weekend and then promptly came down with a cold. I think I need a vacation...

If you are around the San Jose Bay Area this weekend, stop by the European Motorcycle Show & Swap at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds. It's put on by the Ducati Vintage Club, but it open to all European bikes, including scooters and mopeds. With all that has been going on at Scoot! we'll still have a small booth there. I would attend the event anyway, so we might as well throw up our placard, too. If you are there, stop by and say hello!

Vespa Canada ad

Find more videos like this on AdGabber


Not sure if this ad is web-only or runs on broadcast media, but it is kinda cute. However, it does what most Vespa ads do, rely on nostalgia or cuteness rather than the practicality and versatility which I think is most important. Especially when the economy is starting to tank. Scooter sales should be picking up because of gas prices & the economy. I hope that US scooter manufacturers will get it together to launch a concerted campaign push this year.

Reminder: Wear a Helmet

I often see article about scooterists being seriously hurt in crashes. Most of these articles I find through internet searches. I follow the link from the 2-sentence lead to find out if the article cites what type of gear the scooterist was wearing. Here is a recent one from the Arizona Republic:

2 injured in scooter crash

Zach Fowle
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 21, 2008 10:09 AM
A man and a woman suffered serious head injuries Thursday when a car collided with their scooter.

Charles Herin, 49, and Christine Flores, 42, were riding a scooter near 15th Avenue and Highland Road when a driver of a Volkswagen sedan failed to yield and crashed into them Thursday afternoon.

Herin is in serious condition and Flores is in critical condition. Neither was wearing a helmet, police said.

Those type of articles burn me up. Nothing about the reporting; everything about the stupidity of someone who doesn't take the most simple form of protection to heart: wear a helmet.

So, it sounds as if the accident was the car driver's fault. Even if the scooterists were practicing the best driving techniques, they couldn't help it if there was another person who is careless, stupid, clueless or just a terrible driver. Wearing a helmet and protective gear give you a chance. Not wearing a helmet puts you at a disadvantage.

Awed by the outpouring of love

I just checked to see what has been raised by the Scooter Relief fund for Josh and was amazed that it was over $14,000. It is really a very touching thing to see scooterists and others coming to the aid of another scooterists who is in a bad situation. I've heard that his contributions have even come from other countries. Amazing.

I visited Josh on Sunday and brought him cards and letters sent to him. He was very moved by how so many people cared about him and his situation. I imagine it must be boring, painful, frustrating, depressing, and dispiriting to be stuck in a hospital bed for weeks on end. Our friend Giggy went over and built several ramps so that Josh coul dmove around in a wheel chair. Hearing that almost made me cry. I know that Giggy is a kind an caring person, but the amount of effort people are making for Josh is truly touching. They are good tears, of course!



I took this photo when I visited him. He has a hospital-style bed and an upgraded Netflix membership. You can see the leg immobilizer on his right leg. He's got a good attitude, even if they had to cut his long hair to make it easier to care for. He said that even 2 weeks after the accident he still had road grit in his hair as he can't shower. Only sponge baths. So away went the hair.

Josh Update

Josh's wife, Katie sent out an update to his condition. I'll repost it here:

Hello to all!

Many of you have called or written to know how we are doing and what is going on, so I thought I would do another en masse email to cover all of my bases. I apologize for not addressing you all individually, but I sure you can imagine how long that would take! :-)

Josh is doing well, albeit struggling with the physical limitations of his injuries and the mental struggle of not being able to do what he wants, when he wants, and with any sort of self-reliance. He was discharged from Regional Medical last Monday and has settled nicely into my parents living room in South San Jose. Luckily for us, they had just finished a large-scale remodel of the back of their home and so the room was empty of furniture and large enough to accommodate the hospital bed and other accoutrement's required to help rehabilitate him. Delilah, our Olde English Bulldogge, has moved in with him to keep him company and lift his spirits (although she promptly had an allergy attack and now they have to take care of each other!) Our condo in Downtown San Jose was deemed "too small" for this new lifestyle, so I am desperately trying to find a one-story home that we can all move into together to help restore our happy little family unit.

Josh's mother, Lynn, has graciously come down from her home on California's Northern Coastline to take care of Josh while I go back to work. Her generosity and patience in managing his day-to-day needs and requirements has been more of a blessing than I could ever hope for. While she can't stay forever, I am certainly grateful for the weeks that she is putting in to get us "back on our feet". Since I have returned to work, life has seemed to evolve into a constant spin of driving, working, visiting and trying to sleep. Hopefully it will slow to steady pace that we can all keep up with much easier!

While we have somewhat left the woods, we are definitely not out of the forest yet. Josh's injuries turned out to be more severe than we had originally thought and will require additional surgeries in the near future. In total, he had a compound open-leg fracture to his left femur, a compound fracture to his left radius, a dislocation of his left wrist, a dislocation of his left shoulder, a fracture to his left shoulder, and he tore the ACL and PCL in his right knee. His left knee is badly swollen, but doctor's are suggesting an MRI in the next week or so to determine further damage. Surgery on his right knee is scheduled within the end of the month and he has an appt to go in later this week and have 20-something staples removed from his legs. This has drastically increased his recovery time, and we are now looking at 9-12 months before he can walk unaided....

All in all, we are doing well. Not fabulous, but not horrible either. This has definitely been a large transition for us and a test to our marriage, relationship, communication and friendships. We both so appreciate the outpouring of support and concern that has come our way and wanted each of you to know just how much love we have realized in these last 3 weeks. This will probably be my last update for some time; I don't want to crowd your inbox's with our every move! :-) Thank you again to each and every one of you for everything that you've done, emailed, called, etc. It's times like these when you realize the full-extent of your friendships with others!

Another Fab bit 'O Flair....

I've made another Flair button for Facebook. It is one of the actual buttons that you can buy from the Scoot! Magazine webstore. Add it to your profile and represent!

Scooter Accessories

Sometimes a nifty new scooter item an put me in a super mood. I just ordered the wallet shown above and can't wait for it to arrive. I hear about it from ScooterSwag but also found a larger version at
Secret Garden gifts.



and a cosmetic bag, too!


and a coin purse!

The products are made by Espe, a Canadian company.

If you want something that is more flashy, then consider the Betty Boop handbag. You may recall that a large, mid-priced figurine was for sale last year with Betty on a scooter. This is more affordable and practical, but not to my taste.


A wallet also exists...



I haven't seen these in stores, just online at Lune Blue, so I'm not sure if they are available in the USA. So when I say that I don't know where to get them, I really mean it. So, don't email me or post comments asking me where to get them. :)

One final item is another scooter wallet and it's one cool cat!
I found it for $16 at bella & lina. They have other cool things like knitted cupcakes. Check them out!

Now, if only I could find a bunch of cash to stash in those lovely wallets...

Scooter Pillow..bring your wallet!

Found this pillow online. You can get it at Amazon for $39 + $11 shipping. Not sure if I want it that badly, but....



Does it surpise you that Neiman Marcus charges $70 for a pillow? Ugh! Maybe $39 doesn't look so bad!

Custom Flair for Facebook

I just started a Facebook profile and it makes me feel old. One cool thing is that a girl that I work with introduced me to Piece of Flair. You can use it to create your own buttons which go on your profile wall. So, I tried it out and created a scooter pin. Check it out:


So, if you've got a Facebook profile and want to "represent!" then add our Flair. And make your own. Be sure to let me know about any scooter pieces that you create!

I spy wid my little eye....

I found these two items at a a local vintage shop that also has some new stuff. A Red Vespa belt bucks for $18 and some resin bubble pins for $1.99. Guess which one I bought?

Vespa S Model finally launched

Piaggio announced the arrival of the S Model. A new smallframe. We've tested the European version, as the US version was not available, and found it to be a fun little ride, one that brings back the excitement of scootering. I'm digging the sport seat and the decorator kits that are available. It isn't without some faults, but to hear about those (and some more cool things, too) you'll need to check our our next issue which will be on stands in April. Mwah-mwah-waah! Oh, and bring your checkbook, it sells for $4,099.

Lats Chance for Calendar & Skateboard contests!

Just a quick reminder that we're still accepting entries into our 2 contests:
1) win a skateboarding prize pack from Geoff Rowley and Flip skateboards. Check out a photo and my original post.
Send your entries in care of "Scoot Free Skate Hard" to the address below.

2) ScootRS 200 Calendar. Win a cool desktop calendar. There are still plenty of months left in 2008! Send entries in care of "Calendar Contest".

Mailing address is
Scoot! Magazine
P.O. Box 9605
San Jose, CA 95157
Entries are due by March 15.


Good luck!

Message from Josh

Got home from the scooterist meeting tonight & found this message from Josh:

I'm indeed out of the hospital. I'm at the in-laws in south San Jose
the door is open for visits.

You all know I'm pretty f*cked up. but I don't have many needs right
now I'll keep you posted on additional needs. I'd say same standards
apply visitors till 9pm

thank to everyone for their support and visits.
in short I'm not going to be mobile for 2-3 months and wont walk for 6.
everything is well on its way to being resolved but I just wanted you
guys to know where I was and that I'm OK (relatively)

just to ensure my safety I've only give the address to VCLG members
and April, so if you want to come pay a visit contact one of them and
we will tell you were you can find me. I heard there was a lot of
trash on the boards and I want to avoid any issues.

Let's hope he has a speedy an complete recovery...

Josh out of hospital!

Spoke to Josh today and he is recuperating at his in-law's house.
Thanks to everyone who called, visited and sent greetings. Will update
with more info later.
April Whitney + Sent from my iPhone

PEEPS film contest

This is such a cute idea! The contest is hosted with Urban Outfitters, so I expect some creative entries. I hope some of our scooter-folks will step-up with some scooter-themed video. Maybe "Roman Holiday" with PEEPS as characters?

Checkout the PEEPS on Film Contest

Scoot! Keeps a Rolling, albeit slower pace

Just an update to how things are going at Scoot!.
Fisrt, Josh is still in the hospital. We hope that he will be released on Tuesday or Wednesday. He is having a better time with mobility and was able to get out of his bed with help and sit in a wheelchair for some time today. The hospital will not discharge him until he get in & out of his bed with only 1 person to assist him. He will recuperate at his in-law's home as their house is better suited to mobility issues. Thanks again to everyone who has expressed their well-wishes. It means a lot to Josh and our crew!

The magazine is moving along, although 1/3 of our team has been knocked out of the action. Our next issue is at the printers and we're trying to take over for Josh as far as running the office goes. Currently, we are only processing orders on Sundays and mailing on Mondays. I would suggests against selecting expedited shipping during this time as we cannot ship on that type of schedule.

The content deadline for the next issue is Mar. 15, so get in your contributions, soon. Rally reports, and Show Us Your Scoots contributions can be sent to me.

Well, I'm off to process orders & clean out the cat box. Ah, the fancy life of a magazine editor!

Josh Update

I spoke with Josh today & heard that they fixed his dislocated
shoulder (relocated it?) and discovered a fracture at that time. His MRI
confirmed that his right knee is messed up. An ACL injury, I believe.
So, these developments will only add to his recovery time.

must...get...some....sleep z z z zzzzzzZZZZZZZ

Further update on Josh's condition

I just got this email from Josh's wife, Katie:

Josh is having surgery tomorrow for a dislocated left shoulder and his
MRI today confirms that he ripped his ACL & ECL in his right knee.
Surgery for that injury will be in 3 weeks. This will drastically
increase his recovery period and we will now be looking at close to 9
months before he is walking. Still, can't believe he made it out
alive...

He had been complaining about lots of pain and no wonder...a dislocated shoulder for 2 days...ugh!and both legs with problems. I can only imagine how long it will add to his recovery.

I also heard from another scooterist who was airlifted from an accident that the cost was $26,000. I hope that the motorist has some excellent coverage. Keep it going, folks...

TGB Laser versus Lexus...guess who loses?

If you guessed the Laser, give yourself a pat on the back. This photo from Rich who stayed around long enough to see the scooter get pulled up the steep embankment that it had launched down.

Josh Accident Update

I'm sitting here at 12:30am and it seems as if Josh's accident on Sunday was a week ago. The whole ordeal of that day was really exhausting and I'm just beginning to feel it. Of course, it's nothing compared to the pain and shock that Josh must be feeling.

I spoke to three friends who went separately to see him today. Of course he is in pain, but I'd guess that he appreciates the concern the folks are showing for him. Although I imagine he needs his rest. I heard that a loud, stinky homeless man was in the spot next to him. Maybe I should bring him some ear plugs.

Our friend Chudu is a scooterist and an ER nurse who works at the same hospital. It was great to have him on duty when Josh was there. It made it much easier to deal with everything knowing that someone we knew could keep us abreast of everything.

I thought that when I got home from the hospital last night I would email Gregory at ScooterRelief.org to request a fund be opened for Josh. But when I logged on I discovered that it had already been done. Thanks to whomever initiated it. But I must say I was totally floored by how quickly people have come to Josh's aid and given their own money to help. As I said before, he was transported in an ambulance *and* a helicopter, so I can only imagine what that i going to cost over and above the physical therapy and rehabilitation he will need. I really am touched by the generosity of our scooter friends. I have donated my own money in the past to the fund, but never thought that maybe one of my own friends would be in need. Thank you! For those who have asked how else they can help, you are welcome to send a card or greeting to our office:
Scoot! Magazine
re: Josh Rogers Accident
P.O. Box 9605
San Jose, CA 95157
Those who have inquired about donating funds can also send them to that address, but be sure to indicate that it is for Josh's accident fund. You don't want us calling you to see if you wanted to book an advertisement. :)

For the foreseeable future, it will be harder to run the Scoot! office without Josh around. We have a great crew of interns from San Jose State who help out in the office, but they can't do everything that Josh did. So, if you need to call in or email us, please be gentle with our office crew. They are eager to help, but don't have all of the answers. We'll do our best to make sure orders get processed as quickly as possible and that inquiries are answered to the best of our ability.

Finally, our friend and fellow member of Josh's scooter club, Lisa took a photo of the car that hit Josh. You have to see it to believe it. It looks bad, but when you consider that he was it while riding a TGB Laser scooter which weighs less than 300lbs, it really sinks in how hard he was hit. Josh weighs over 250 lbs. and was going up a steep hill on a 150cc scooter. Oh, and yes, that is his scooter skirt sticking out from under the hood. Notice where the car came to rest; completely in the next lane. The man in jeans & a green jacket is Bob who is leaning over Josh. A few of us stood over him trying to shield his eyes from the sun.

I'll keep you posted as things develop.

Yesterday, Josh Rogers (Scoot!'s co-publisher) was involved in a serious accident while on Vespa Club Los Gatos' monthly ride. I posted this to several boards to let scooterists know about his status.
****
I just got back from the hospital. Josh is out of surgery and will
likely stay at the hospital for a few days. He is doing well for
someone who took on a Lexus head-on and we're lucky that he didn't
sustain more damage.

What he did sustain was a broken femur that pierced his skin, a
seriously dislocated wrist and numerous lacerations, some deep.
The doctors told his wife Katie that the femur break was very clean and went back together well. They expect him to be able to put weight on it
within a week. Imagine that. However, he will likely have to undergo
therapy to walk. It could take 3-6 months to get back to normal.

The good news is that the police gave us the impression that the Lexus
driver was totally at fault. While those on the ride who saw the
accident knew that already, it's good to get that echoed by the
police. Hopefully the driver was well-insured. For those who have not
heard- on a curvy uphill area of Hwy 9, a driver crossed the line and
hit Josh head-on. The car came to a stop just before the shoulder
facing the wrong way in the wrong lane.

Josh is at the Regional Medical center at McKee & Jackson. Visiting
hours are until 9pm, but I forgot to see when they begin.

Josh will need help in the coming months. Some may just be mental
support, some may be financial support. A helicopter flight to the
hospital can't be cheap. So, I hope that we can lend both spiritual
and financial support when we can. Perhaps we can do a fundraiser of some sort to help out.

I'm sure that Josh is thankful for all of the care and assistance that
everyone gave today. It was very inspiring to me to see how so many
people; including the scooterists, drivers who stopped with first aid
kits, motorcyclists who directed traffic and the emergency services
personnel all came together with the one goal to help another in
distress.

I'll post information as I find out more.

-april

PS you can help by donating to his ScooterRelief.org fund.

Samuel looks cute in doggie helmet

When we got these helmets to test for the magazine, we found that dogs with ears that stuck up or protruded just wouldn't work. I needed to find a round, smooth head with flopping ears. Enter my mom's dog, Samuel.

He's a very distinguished smooth-coated dachshund with a calm demeanor. He can sit very still when anticipating a cold cut or some other tasty treat, which my mom was dangling in front of him when I took this photo. She also set a Motorscooter Samantha controller next to him for added effect. It matches his collar.
I think its adorable.

Battlescooter may still have some available if you want one for your dog.

Scoot! Swap Meet Cancelled

The weatherman says that the sky shall open up and it will poureth!
So, we're proactively canceling the Swap Meet with a promise to reschedule. Check back on my blog for news as it develops.

Win Geoff Rowley's Stuff!

In the current issue of Scoot! I interviewed some legendary skateboarders that also have scooters; Geoff Rowley, Lance Mountain, and Matt Hensley.

Geoff Rowley & Flip skateboards donated an insane skate pack for one lucky Scoot! reader. It includes: a Rowley deck, HKD Red Wheels, Independent trucks, a Union Jack t-shirt, Militia socks and some stickers. How awesome is that? To enter, send a postcard with your name, mailing address, phone number to:
Scoot Free, Skate Hard c/o Scoot! Magazine, P.O. Box 9605, San Jose, CA 95157.

Entries must be received by March 15. A winner will be randomly selected. Good luck!

You can also see a video of Geoff skating & sitting on his P200 here:
Vans Website. Select the video in the lower left with the black/white arrow.

Vectrix in Sacramento, CA

The city of Sacramento is trying out Vectrix scooters for their Parking and Police departments. The announcement was made this week that four bikes would go through a 3-month trial lease where the city pays $1 per bike and has the option to buy after the period. Vectrix did something similar with the NYPD. I'm not sure if the trial period is over for that city, and if they will buy the scooters afterwards.

I test rode the Vectrix, and think it is a great vehicle for police. It is quiet, so you can sneak up on evildoers, and when they stop for coffee, they can plug it in for a recharge. It is also an unexpected vehicle. Everyone knows the silhouette of a police care and always behaves when they are a round, so the police can probably catch more people in the act (of whatever it is that people do). Finally, the bike is more versatile and nimble than a car or one of those big Harleys.

Hopefully the cities will go forward with the scooters and not just use them for some short-term PR.

Ride to Baja

Some friends are embarking on a trip to Baja by scooter. From the San Francisco/ San Jose area it would take about 12 hours to drive a car on the freeway to the border of California/Mexico, so you can imagine how long it is going to take on scooters!
Brian Holm will periodically post updates to his blog if you are interested in checking up on the group.

The ride isn't just scooters, there will also be motorcycles as the ride is lead by the San Francisco Motorcycle Club which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2004 (!) They have a close relationship with the SF scooter clubs and participate in the annual Mods vs Rockers event.

I wish them lots of fun!

Vespa Cafe in Turkey

The Turkish Daily News has run an article about a new Vespa Cafe in the Nişantaşı/ Teşvikiye area of Turkey. It sounds like a small, quaint place with a fun Vespa theme. They apparently even sell some scooters from a separate menu.


If you find yourself in Istanbul craving an American-style hamburger and a gander at a Vespa, stop by...

Vespa Cafe, Orhan Ersek Sokak, Şimek apt. No. 1, Nişantaşı Istanbul


I tried mapping it out on Google, but wasn't sure if I got it correctly.

Another Vegas shot

Modified's scooter offerings have grown. Look at their impressive table. I bought a little kid shirt for a friend's new baby.

Spring Catalogs Love Scooters

I was flipping through the pages of two catalogs recently and found some scooters. J Crew (which I wish I could afford & fit into) has a Rome theme going and combined it with their wedding line for a scooter wedding shot, complete with a trail of tin cans. Keeping with the Rome theme, they chose the popular P125 Vespa.

Lands End also chose to use a scooter in their recent catalog. It's a yellow Vespa GT. Both catalogs are using scooters to illustrate the sunny, carefree feelings of spring, of which I am all for...even if it is raining and windy outside as I type this. How I long for one of those breezy, sunny days!

Scooter Cutting Board

Check out this cutting board with a scooterist on it. Cute! Found it on Elsewares for $38. If you are truly obsessed with scoots and even want to think about them when making dinner,this is an item for you. Or maybe you are a scooter-riding chef like Jamie Oliver or Rocco DiSpirito who mike like the fusion of both interests. or, maybe you just like it. : )

Vegas Update

This year's High Roller Weekend has been fun. The weather is beautiful, no rain this year. Smaller attendance than in the past, but the quality of bikes is mind-blowing. Several owners have spent lots of time and money tuning their bikes. A last-minute addition of some dyno testing revealed the two bikes put out 32hp! Not to mention noxious fumes....

Since we couldn't bring bikes, we missed out on the rides, which should have been gorgeous with the desert scenery and clear blue skies. It feels much like spring here, except that nights in the desert can be frigid.

We've met folks from Phoenix, LA, Cleveland, Montreal, Boston, Sacramento, Boise and even Wyoming. Apparently all roads lead to Vegas.

Today is a poker run & a hang-out at the Star Trek Experience for some drinks at Quark's bar. The main event which is the raffle, awards and BBQ, happens in the afternoon. I'm eager to see which bikes will take the top prizes.

En route to Vegas...

Scoot! Intern Ashley had these cool magnet logos made for Jon's
Element. We look pro!

April Whitney +Sent from my iPhone

Vegas,Baby!

Who's going to Vegas for the High Roller's Weekend...show of hands! Well, I can't really see your hands, but feel free to post a shout-out here if you are going. We were lucky enough to get a room at the main hotel, which was a miracle since I booked my room a week & a half ago.

This will be my fourth year attending, as I took the past 2 years off. One of the years I was in Indianapolis for the Dealer Expo. Josh does the Dealer Expo and this will be his 4th year in a row. If you are at either of the shows stop by to say hello to one of us!

"Penelope" Puts Ricci & Witherspoon on Vespa

I'm eager to see the new film, Penelope, starring Christina Ricci. There's been lots of media coverage about the fact that Ricci plays a girl born with a pig's nose, but I'm more interested in the scooter that she and Reese Witherspoon ride. For some reason (and this happens a lot) pictures of scooters in films are elusive. But, I did a sneaky screen grab off of the movie's official website for this pic of Witherspoon with the Vespa.

While I doubt I could sit through Fool's Gold, I think this film will be an enjoyable one to watch. Not to mention that there is something oddly appealing about a scruffy James McAvoy. I am such a sucker for accents. Let's hope I never have to work in the UK. People could steal my purse and I'd never know...I'd be too charmed by the accent.

Back to my original post....you can go to the film's official site and see the trailer which has a few shots of the actresses riding. But for the full thing, you'll need to see the film which opens February 29th.

Scoot! # 44 February 2008 Now Available!

Well, actually it has been available for a few weeks, but I have slacked on posting about it, which is silly since I am so excited about this issue. We've got some great content in the issue:
* Scoot Free Skate Hard: Three professional skaters who are household names in the skateboarding industry spoke with me about their appreciation for scooter. The cover shot was taken by Dan Bergeron who went toSkatelab in Simi Valley and got this shot of a grom pulling a sweet maneuver over Todd Huber's Vespa Rally. Todd is partial owner of Skatelab and also a member of the Westside scooter club.

*Cool contests: Readers can enter to win a cool skateboarding prize pack donated by Geoff Rowley and Flip Skateboards. Other Readers can win one of 10 calendars from ScootRS.

* Scooter Reviews: We ride the Vectrix, Yamaha Majesty and Genuine Rattler

* I Married a Scooterist: ladies and gents, the duly betrothed...get some hints from Josh's wife Katie on how to incorporate scooters into your ceremony.

* Ask Hot Rod Al: takes on performance mods in baby steps for vintage Vespas and Lambrettas.

The issue is available now, but hasn't been updated on the website. You can get it at your local scooter shop, bookstore. Subscribers should have it by now, or the end of February, depending upon if your postal carrier reads your magazines first.

Singing & scooting...

Today, it is very windy and overcast in San Jose. The dark rain clouds that dumped rain upon us over that past few days have receded and it's just a gloomy day. On days like this I sometimes lookout the window an try to image what it will be like in a few months. Clear blue skies, dry, hot air and sunlight that causes me to shade my eyes or don big sunglasses. When the weather seems likely to get me down, I try to remember those days--look out at the view from my house and actually try to recreate in my mind one of those spring or summer days.

One of these moment got me thinking about what rides I'll want to go on as soon as the weather turns. And that got me thinking about one of my favorite *secret* pastimes: singing while I ride.

I am a terrible singer. I know lots of people say that in mock humility, but I really do suck at singing. I've been to karaoke and got up to sing-- not because it brings me pleasure, but mostly be a good sport and not be a party-pooper. But, I've discovered that it really is best for all involved if I just stay seated and clap politely for those who do a mediocre to fabulous job. Once, I was singing karaoke at a friend's house--a pretty ego-safe location-- and when I got a few lines into the song, a few people poked their heads in from the kitchen to see who was beating a cat or trying to dull drill bits. That was my last karaoke effort.

So, singing and scooting is a great combo for me. I love to just sing out loud to songs that I love. Doing it in the car is too risky, unless you wear a bluetooth earpiece and make it look like you are talking on the phone.

But, on a great ride, when the temperature is mild and the air is clean, the roads are inviting and my scooter is dialed in, I really just feel like singing. And since I have the wherewithal to wear a full-face helmet, no one is the wiser about my *secret*.

What do I sing? I'm partial to "25 Miles" by Edwin Starr. Can be very appropriate, especially on a long ride, although it is usually my butt rather than my feet that is "hurting mighty bad." Sometimes, the day can be so beautiful that other songs come to mind. Perhaps, "Astral Weeks" by Van Morrison for a sweet summer morning ride through the grassy hills around San Jose. During the summer, when the air is filled with the smell of BBQ grills, my appetite gets going and I think of "Bar-B-Que" by Wendy Rene that you can get on that Rhino Boxed set.

What songs do you sing when you're riding? Comment on your suggestions for cool scootin-n-singing songs.

Make Your Own Scooter Wallpaper

Years ago, I lived with a scooterist friend who has a large poster made of a very famous black & white photo of a man racing a Vespa around a track. It looked like a huge photocopy, with the grainy pixels noticeable. While I don't recall he exact dimensions, it was two long sheets of paper that when put together were something like 3 x 5 ft. It was impressive and gave us a cool scooter house advantage.

Now, with technology making custom printing more accessible, the dream of having a cool, but well-done custom wall treatment is simple. Check out Wall Collection, a Danish company that can create custom wallpaper for you using your own artwork.

Checkout some examples of what they have done:


and



While prices aren't listed on their site, they do charge $60 for shipping to the US. May be a cool ay to turn your basement or spare bedroom into a scooter shrine.

New Storage Cabinet

On New Year's eve, Jon and I went to Ikea in search of a new display cabinet for my scooter collectibles. While there was a huge cabinet that would have looked great, the $300+ price tag was a bit much just to store my scooter toys. So, I ended up settling on the smaller Biby cabinet. It came in white or red, and while I was leaning towards Red, Jon convinced me that the white would look more industrial, almost like old dentist's furniture. So we got it and put it into Jon's new Honda Element. Once home he and our friend Christian put it together while I cooked out new year's eve gluten-free feast.

While our GF pot pies cooked, I stocked the cabinet and tried to divide my collectibles between the two cabinets. After about an hour I had my new cabinet stocked. The old cabinet (also an Ikea product, which is no longer produced) still had lots of stuff in it, all in disarray, but I was tuckered out and still had to serve dinner.

After dinner we celebrated the new year with some Dom Perignon and a roaring fire in the fireplace. I still haven't finished tidying up my old cabinet, but I'll post a photo of it anyway. : )

Wanna share photos of your collectibles? Send me an email!

Louisville, Kentucky is a scooterist town...

A recent article in the Courrier-Journal
talks about the scooter scene in Louisville, Kentucky. One of the accompanying photos featured an issue of Scoot!. Sweet!

Swap Meet: February 24th

Need parts for your project? Building your ride for Cannonball?

It's that time of year again!

Scoot! Magazine & Vespa Club Los Gatos present
SCOOT! MAGAZINE SWAP MEET

When : Sunday Feb. 24th 2008
Time : 9:00A to 3:00P
Where : Scoot! Magazine Headquarters
190 Martha Street, San Jose CA
Phone: 888-337-2668

* The cost for entry is free!
* All scooter types and riders are welcomed!
* Food and drink will be available for lunch!
* Bring the schwag you don't need!
* Arrive early to get the schwag you DO need!

For more details, visit www.vespaclublosgatos.com
Questions? E-mail us at vespaclublosgatos@yahoo.com

Scooter in Fool's Gold

The new Matthew McConaughey Kate Hudson film Fool's Gold has the leads riding a scooter off a cliff into the water. The film is about treasure hunting ex-spouses and promises to be an action/adventure/romantic comedy. Can't imagine it will be that great, but I may rent it for the scooter footage.Opens February 8th. If anyone sees it & wants to pass on a mini-review, lemme know.

Thanks to Josh for the tip!

Scoot! in New Countries

We just found out from our new distributor that Scoot! is now being sold in some new countries. Although I won't get a breakdown of which shops are carrying it, I do know that we're in the following countries:
Austria
Finland
Australia
Taiwan
New Zealand
Singapore

I'll see if I can find out where. This is super exciting news as people from all over are often asking us for distribution in their area.

Got a better collection?

Rolf's toys Pt. 2

If you think that you've got a better collection than Rolf? Send me your pictures and prove it! : )

Rolf's toys Pt. 1

Weebles Wobble but do they Scoot?

Apparently they do! Jon said he heard that there was a scooter out there for the Weebles. We didn't see it at Toys R Us, but I did find it on the Hasbro site. $9.99 for the set.

Get yourWeebles Weeschool Playset.

Japanese Scooter Delights

Jason from Battlescooter just got back from Japan and brought me 2 cool toys. I love getting scooter stuff that I couldn't get here. I just hop he didn't get walloped by the exchange rate.



The first item is a Lambretta which is listed as a 1953, but Jon thinks it is actually an earlier model. It is very detailed and quite precious. I'm leaving it in it's packaging. The Yen price tag is cool.



The second item is a commercial scooter rickshaw-like thing. Neither of us read Japanese, but Jason suspects that it is a model of a scooter that was in a movie. The graphics on the packaging look like kitchy 60s-style movie poster stuff.

Groovy Girls ride-on scooter

Groovy Girls $149

Took this photo with my cell phone. I need a new camera phone, methinks!

Calling all scooter collectors!

I'm working on an upcoming article series focusing on people that collect certain scooter collectibles or who make items that are scooter collectibles. If you are an exceptional collector or specialize in a particular type of collectible (i.s. owners manuals, chocolate molds, stamps etc...) then I would love to speak with you.

My deadline is coming up, so email me asap. If I can include you in the issue, then I'll need some high-resolution photos of some of your collectibles and of you, too.

Also, if you collect scooter memorabilia and other stuff and have an impressive display of your collections, I'd love to see them. If I get enough good quality photos, then I can do a photo spread in the magazine. Sweet!

Lucky Jeans Scooter Shirt

Thanks to Michelle H from Erico Motor Sports for sending me the link to his cute scooter shirt from Lucky Brand. The shirt is cotton and sells for $38.
Buy the shirt from Lucky.

Here's a detail of the scooter, which has a Lucky emblem instead of a Vespa badge.

Scoot! Contributor's Deadline 1/15

If you are thinking about contributing to the next issue of Scoot!, your deadline is January 15th.

How can you contribute? Send us a good photo of yourself with your scooter for our Show Us Your Scoots section. If you've got an exceptionally custom or unique scooter, submit a Reader's Ride by filling-out the questionnaire and submitting several high-quality photos of the bike. Send us a report on a rally you participated in.

For more information on how to contribute, check out our contribution guidelines on our website.

Show Us Your Scoot: Blog-style!

Edward Moniz of Titusville, FL sent us a photo of himself with his '66 Vespa SS that he restored himself and rides daily.

Nice bike, Edward!

If you've got a bike you want included in the magazine's Show Us Your Scoots section, send us an image at the highest resolution possible (at least 300 dpi) to my email address (see previous post). We really enjoy seeing & sharing our reader's scooters.


Blog entry soundtrack: "Jump into the Fire" by Harry Nilsson