11. dimple wimple

Farhan Roy Rani

who owns the lion's mane.

The sky has no limits. Go break a leg.

HELMET FLEW OFF AT SCOTTS VALLEY PARK

By Ken McLaughlin

Mercury News

A beloved professional skateboarder died this week after a freak accident while apparently not wearing his helmet properly, leaving Northern California skateboarders in grief and shock.

Eric Costello, 34, was demonstrating a maneuver to a skateboarding class in a Scotts Valley skate park when he fell and lost his helmet. He slammed his head on the concrete of the skate bowl and fell unconscious.

The Scotts Valley resident was airlifted to a Santa Clara Valley trauma center with severe head injuries early Saturday afternoon. He died Monday.

``He just couldn't hang on,'' said Rich Harris, owner of Dislocated Skate Shop in Scotts Valley.

``It appears at this time that he either didn't strap on his own helmet properly or put on a helmet that was too small and unable to be strapped,'' said Scotts Valley Police Chief Steve Lind, who emphasized that the investigation was still preliminary.

Josh Bollom, 14, of Felton, was skating at the park when Costello lost his balance and the helmet flew off his head. He said one of the students asked Costello to demonstrate a complex maneuver that local skaters had dubbed the ``Costello gap,'' and he obliged.

On Tuesday, young skateboarders, their parents and Costello's friends and family converged on the 20,000-square-foot park to reminisce. They signed huge cards as they cried and tried to comfort each other.

``He was the best friend of everyone you knew,'' said Kyle Todd, 14, of Ben Lomond. ``He was always positive and made you feel that you were the best skater in the world.''

Issac Yanez, 14, of Felton, said Costello was known not only for ``being a great supporter and always pushing you to go farther'' but also giving kids used skateboards and parts for free.

The irony of such an accident for a teacher who consistently prodded his students to wear their equipment correctly was not lost on the mourners at Scotts Valley's Skypark. One posted signs reading: ``In respect to Eric, please wear your helmets.''

Costello was under contract to the city's parks and recreation department to teach skateboarding several days a week. He also taught kids at local skate shops.

Costello's accident caused the first serious injury or death in the popular skate park, which opened in September of last year.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 104,000 people were treated in hospital emergency rooms for skateboard-related injuries in 2001, the last year statistics were available. But skateboarding has a lower overall injury rate than baseball, football and bicycling.

``This was such a tragic accident involving a really nice young man,'' said Lind. ``It just points out to kids that it doesn't matter how good you are, you should always be wearing the proper equipment.''

Harris, the skate shop owner, said Costello had been skateboarding for 30 years. He had recently picked up several corporate sponsorships.

Mike Marquez, a lifelong friend of Costello's from Santa Cruz, said he was ``just good at everything.'' Aside from skateboarding, Costello was also an accomplished reggae drummer, surfer, snowboarder and skimboarder, Marquez said.

Marquez, 36, said Costello grew up in Santa Cruz and recently moved to Scotts Valley. He leaves a 14-year-old son, Taylor, also a skateboarder.

``Eric was the best parent on planet Earth,'' Marquez said.

Friends and family were planning a memorial for him Sunday at the Scotts Valley Community Center. As of late Tuesday, the time was not set.

***story taken from skaterscafe.com

"R.I.P Eric Costello.. =("

Archives: December 2004 / January 2005 / February 2005 / March 2005 / April 2005 / May 2005 / June 2005 / July 2005 / August 2005 / September 2005 / October 2005 / November 2005 / December 2005 / January 2006 / February 2006 / March 2006 / April 2006 / May 2006 / June 2006 / July 2006 / August 2006 / September 2006 / October 2006 / November 2006 / December 2006 / January 2007 / February 2007 / March 2007 / April 2007 / May 2007 / June 2007 / July 2007 / August 2007 / September 2007 / October 2007 / November 2007 / December 2007 / January 2008 / February 2008 / March 2008 / April 2008 / May 2008 / June 2008 / July 2008 / August 2008 / September 2008 / October 2008 / November 2008 / December 2008 / January 2009 / February 2009 / March 2009 / May 2009 / July 2009 / August 2009 / September 2009 / October 2009 / November 2009 / December 2009 / January 2010 / February 2010 / March 2010 / April 2010 / May 2010 /