Date of Birth: October 10, 1976

Local Spot: My backyard

My Setup: Depends on the terrain. Vert: 8.5 board, don't really know what size trucks, Ricta 60s. Street: 8 board, don't really know truck size, Ricta 54s. Mega: 8.5 board/Big Wheel base, 215 Independent Trucks, Ricta 60s.

What inspires you to skate? Learning something new.

Who do you skate with? Lincoln Ueda, Danny Way, PLG...a lot of guys are fun and some push you to progress. No one pushes me like Danny Way does.

If you could go on a skate trip anywhere in the world, where would you go? China is pretty amazing, Shanghai to be specific. The huge skatepark over there and there's rad street spots. Always easy to travel with Bruno Passos to film and skate with. Brian Flick for photos and skating with, and my wife Veronica to help me with her physical therapy skills and her love. Anyone else who's open to new terrain. Rune Glifberg is one of those guys.

Name two things that are lame: Skating when you're injured and skating all day and not making anything.

Name two things that you love: My family and learning something new.

Things you wish you could do on skateboard: A kickflip ollie 540 would be nice.

Last Words: I hope these aren't my last words.

Bob Burnquist finishes second to Jake Brown for second straight year at X

They say it's not a fashion show. But come on, it kind of is. And on the opening night of X Games 16, Bob Burnquist's look was nothing if not fashion forward.

If you didn't catch it on prime time, Bob lost to Aussie Jake Brown in Skate Big Air for the second year in a row. He just missed landing a 900 on his final run which would have virtually clinched the win for him, and fell short of the gold by 0.66. But as much attention as Bob might have grabbed for his neck-and-neck race for the gold with Brown, his built-for-Hollywood entrance might have turned just as many heads. Using Bob as its model and the Big Air venue as its runway, Hurley unveiled its new Hurley/Tron Collaboration line -- due out in stores on November 15th, 2010, a month before the new movie drops on December 12th. Bob skates again tomorrow, along with fellow Hurley family member 14-year-old Curren Caples, in the Men's Skate Park portion of the contest, airing on ESPN and ESPN3.com, from 2-5pm.

Footage from Bob's summer-in-training.

Slated to compete in both X Games 16 and the Maloof Money Cup Orange County in a nine-day span, Bob Burnquist's summer has consisted of training, training and, well, more training. Check out this video to see what Bob's been working on.

....with Bob Burnquist. Mega ramp crazy stuff. Video: Bruno Passos

The winner of our "Upgrade Your Boardshorts" Event No. 2 is announced at Surfside Sports. Photos: Beau Roulette. Video: Edd Flynn

Two in, three to go. That's today's talk around the water cooler as 26-year-old Chris Palombo bought the lucky pair of Phantoms with Nike Flywire at Surfside Sports on Saturday. The second of our "Upgrade Your Boardshorts" events, Surfside Sports proved to be another great venue for food, folks and Phantoms.

Rob Machado, Brett Simpson, Bob Burnquist, Yadin Nicol and a slew of other Hurley family members were on hand, as a few hundred attendees ate free burgers and dogs, customized boardshorts and tees, won free prizes at the Phantom Fortune kiosk and tried their luck at the grand prize: a trip to Kandui Resortwith a friend and the Hurley Team.

Even more people anted up for this event, with a solid pack of people hanging around and waiting for the 6 p.m. announcement. Andre Genovesi pulled the card, Rob Machado read it and Chris Palombo, a registered nurse from Encinitas who bought his Flywires just 10 minutes before the cut-off period, threw a power fist. He was joining Chris Hardt as the second Phantom Sweepstakes winner at the Kandui resort. "Is this real?" he said. "There's no way this is real."

Yes, it is, Chris. Better get your quiver ordered. Because come October, you'll be splitting peaks with Rob Machado. In Indo.

Three more events to go! Be sure to stay tuned to our "Upgrade Your Boardshorts" page for details on our upcoming stops. And be sure to follow our Phantom truck, which will most likely be coming to a neighborhood near you.

The first of our Phantom Sweepstakes winners is announced at ZJ Boarding House. Check the video highlights here. Video: PK. Photos: Michael Lallande

What a weekend for a barbecue. Eighty-degree temps, slack winds, decent little waves...and a healthy Spring Break crowd looking for some fun. A few hundred found it at ZJ Boarding House on Saturday afternoon, as the first of our Phantom True Performance "Upgrade Your Boardshorts" events kicked off in style.

Great day for a barbecue...and some boardshorts. PHOTO: MICHAEL

Peter King kept us entertained on the bullhorn, Timmy Curran, Bob Burnquist, Curren Caples and crew served up gourmet burgers and dogs for free. And, best of all, throngs of people lined up to trade in their old boardshorts (which will all be donated to a local charity), buy a pair of Phantom with Nike Flywires at half price, and be entered for a chance to win a trip to Kandui Resortwith Rob Machado and the Hurley Team.

Of course, there wasn't just one winner. Everyone who attended had a chance to customize t-shirts and boardshorts at our Phantom truck or try their luck at our Phantom Fortune machine. But those who purchased Flywires hung around ’til the very end to find out their fate with the Indo Dream Trip. Keep in mind this trip — which will take place in late October and will host five winners plus one friend each — is no Publisher's Clearing House odds. In this case, it was about 1:150, which would beat a trip to Vegas any day. Just ask Marina Del Ray resident Chris Hardt, who went to Sin City last weekend and had a shocker. "It wasn't a good trip for me," he said.

A few good men: the ZJ crew and the Hurley Team. PHOTO: LALLANDE

But he attended our "Upgrade Your Boardshorts" event, had a burger, then bought a pair of Phantoms with Nike Flywire. When the evening wrapped up, Tim Curran stuck his hand in a plastic bin, pulled out a stub and announced the winner. "Chris Hardt!" he said.

Hardt was in disbelief. His buddy, standing right next to him, is also going on the trip, and they immediately started texting their bros. "This is real, right?" he said. And then, when he was assured he wasn't about to be Punk'd, he said. "This is the best 100 bucks I've ever spent."

(Special thanks to ZJ Boarding House for making it all happen. Keep track of our Phantom Truck, coming to a beach near you.)

A 60-second tour of his ramp wonderland. Video: Bruno Passos

The vert guru defies the Mega Ramp once again. Video: Bruno Passos

Making an appearance at the Bowlarama at Bondi

Last week Bob Burnquist was out in Oz for Bowlarama at Bondi... The week was epic, in the end he got 3rd in the event with up and comer Pedro Barros taking the win. Amognst the event Bob did a few promo's for SDS and also got to hang with Hurley up-and-coming team rider Curren Caples... The pair had a skate and enjoyed the summer times of Sydney...

Attached a few shots but for more go to lifewithoutandy.com.

Peace. --MR