Do you have absolutely no clue where the city of Grand Prairie is in the state of Texas? Well you aren't alone on that one. And whoever said skateboarders needed to study geography? But what sets this sleepy little community apart from pretty much any small town in the Midwest is that it has a first rate skate park.

The GPX Skate Park has a very advanced course—so advanced that it played host to the X-Games skateboarding qualifiers in 2001 and 2002. As this course is pretty rough you have to wear a helmet at all times and youngsters under 18 are required to wear elbow and knee pads. Fortunately there is a beginner section set aside for the clumsy or uncoordinated.

This proliferation of rules across our country merits concern as to what skate parks are going to ask these poor kids to do next. Wear banana yellow tube socks up to their knees with old school Element skate shorts? Okay, that might not be such a bad rule.

This epic outdoor skate park features a huge 40x12 vertical ramp, countless quarter pipes, half pipes, bank ramps, hand rails, flat bars and a whole lot more. The most interesting part of the GPX Skate Park is that the advanced and beginner courses are near identical with the starting course designed with challenges that are just a little bit smaller physically. So even if big brother is getting massive air on the big vertical ramp, little brother can still try out a smaller version.

The GPX Skate Park was paid for by the city of Grand Prairie as a place for local youngsters to hang out. Even though this skate park cost $1.2 million in taxpayer dollars this city should be commended for trying to create a safe, fun environment where entire families can come to learn the art of skateboarding.

Who in their junior high and high school days didn't at least own one pair of slip on Vans shoes? These comfortable, long lasting and easy to slip-on shoes are a part of our national heritage. Sitting in homeroom, doodling in pen on the rubber edge of your Vans is possibly the most 80's of memories.

Well, now you can relive those glory days even in some of the retro-80's checkerboard styles with the Vans Classic Slip On Core Classics. These shoes are guaranteed to bring back memories and make your life a whole lot easier. Because let's be honest, who has time for shoelaces? You didn't have time for them back then and you definitely don't have time for them now.

Styles
Vans Classic Slip On Core Classics are so affordable you could easily buy a different style to suit your every mood or one for each day of the week. There is the retro checkerboard in black/white, red/white, pink/black and red/black. For more of a preppy look go for the blue, white or black. There is even a version so white that you could probably hit the skate park in the dark and the cops could still see you.

Materials
These shoes come with classic Vans EVA insole support to help cushion heavy landings when grinding, shredding or just jumping off the roof. They have a cotton drill lining for extra comfort and breathability. The sole is Vulcanized to repel heat and to make it durable. And as always there is the gum rubberized outsole that is a Vans trademark—you could probably even still write in pen on it.

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Well, with sales of his all encompassing skate apparel line booming, Mr. Rob Dyrdek might be getting seriously close to being able to buy the whole world, Dr. Evil style. We all know he at least has his "Fantasy Factory" on MTV where each week the man shows off his toys and how he likes to abuse his staff. (Only in Jest, to be sure! The fights on that show are more staged than the plot of "The Hills.")

In just a few short years, the interlocking D and C for "Dyrdek Collection" has become one of the most sought after logos in the entire clothing industry, to say nothing of skate apparel. To put it in perspective, the Dyrdek Collection's DC has almost become as recognizable as the two GGs were for Gucci in the 1980's. And just as Gucci did in the 1980's, the Dyrdek Collection is also trying to branch out from a previously successful logo into an entire brand filled with fashionable goodies. Because life unfortunately sometimes requires more than just a hooded sweatshirt.

Oh, but DC does make a great hoodie now doesn't it? First is the"Electric Blue Dimensional Fleece Zip Hoodie" (perfect for winter) featuring a totally unique design over the front but the usual Rob Dyrdek quality. No interlocking DC logos here but it somehow still looks like a piece from this skate company.

Now the Dark Gray "Regain Fleece Zip Hoodie" still features the well known logos but this time styled much differently almost as if someone had put a hand-full in a blender and hit puree. Again, this is one warm and stylish hoodie.