Cats of CalStreets – The Legendary Skateboard Pets ️
From tugboat stowaways to fingerboard fanatics, these skate cats weren’t just along for the ride — they ran the show.
Spike & Flash: The OGs of Lonsdale Meow Street
Before skate decks lined the walls and fingerboards filled the tubs, there were Spike and Flash — my very first feline companions and the original CalStreets co-founders (whether they knew it or not).
Spike was a force — the biggest of the litter, built like a salmon-powered tank with the attitude of a queen. She wasn’t just a shop cat — she was a local legend. Every morning, she rode shotgun to 11 Lonsdale, where she ruled the street.
And yes, she had routes.
She’d strut into the Greek restaurant next door, meow just right, and come away with fresh salmon tributes like it was owed. She would sunbathe in neighboring store windows like she was doing an appearance, and she regularly took herself on Seabus adventures, returning like a seasoned commuter. One time she even boarded a tugboat, lured by the fishy scent. The captain called the number on her collar: “She’s chilling. She’ll be back when the tide changes.” Absolute boss energy.
Back at CalStreets, she wasn’t just a greeter — she was the welcome wagon. Her meowl was how customers knew they’d arrived somewhere special.
She had her own line of stickers, t-shirts, skateboard hardware, risers, and yes — her face even graced a collectible Slotch Watch (you know it’s the ‘80s when that happens). Her sticker became our most popular ever. And in 2015, we dropped a tribute deck to honor the original kitty of skate.
But behind every queen, there’s a real one waiting at home — and that was Flash.
Flash was the quiet contrast to Spike’s bold street presence. While Spike held court at the shop, Flash kept the home fires burning — the one Spike came home to after a long day of customer-wrangling and Seabus hopping. They were inseparable — the OG bonded pair that showed me just how deep into catland I was heading.
Flash was gentle, affectionate, and intuitive — always knowing when I needed grounding. While I was buried in early UNIX programming, trying to wire up barcode systems before Safeway even thought about it, Flash would sit quietly beside me, watching the screen like she understood the mission.
She was more than a comfort — she was a constant. She made me realize I wasn’t just a guy with cats — I was a certified cat person, and proud of it.
Spike and Flash lived long, beautiful lives — Spike to 21 and Flash to 23 — and their companionship helped shape everything from how I ran my business to how I balanced life. They were the first family of CalStreets, and I still think about them every day.
️ Blade & Critter: From Farm Fields to Fingerboards
Raised on a Langley farm and gifted by the legendary Jay Addison (you know, the white-bearded MC at Fingerjam), Blade and Critter strutted into my life like they owned the street.
Critter? The gear inspector. Nothing went out without her purr of approval.
Blade? A fingerboard fanatic. If there was a deck in the bathtub, that was her zone. She had a distinct blade-shaped patch on her nose and a serious passion for play.
That energy inspired me to ask, “If I build it, will they come?”
So I did.
And that’s how Blade Fingerboard Park was born.
More than a decade later, it’s still going strong — a dedicated fingerboard pro shop and park, and a community hub for fingerboarders young and old. Entry fee? Cat food. Which we donate to local cat rescues to keep Blade’s good karma flowing into the universe.
Blade is featured in photos, deck graphics, and stickers for our Fingerjam Contests. Her pawprint is literally on the park’s history — and her legacy shreds on.
Critter, meanwhile, was a fighter. She outlasted Blade and made it clear: she wasn’t done just yet. She slept beside me every night, and her presence was a comfort I can still feel. When the day finally came to say goodbye, it was one of the hardest. Brandon kindly offered to drive me to Burrard Animal Hospital. While I waited for the ride, I let Critter enjoy her last afternoon playing downstairs. She knew what was happening — but something incredible happened. She started running around like a kitten again, pouncing and climbing the stairs with energy I hadn’t seen in ages.
When we arrived at the clinic, I held her close, and she purred with full force. I looked at the vet and said, “This can’t be the time — look at her, she’s full of life.” The vet examined her, paused, and said, “You know what? I don’t think we need to do this today.”
I walked out of there — Critter still in the carrier — and the look on Brandon’s face was pure disbelief. That moment? It made my year.
What followed was a beautiful, unexpected gift — ten more days filled with love, cuddles, and purrs. As a tribute to the compassion shown by the team at Burrard Animal Hospital, I gifted them Critter’s Skateboard Pro Deck — an epic board that now lives proudly behind the front desk in full view. It’s my heartfelt thank-you to the doctors and staff who gave us that extra time together. When her time truly came, it was bittersweet. But the universe had given us just a little more time, and I’ll never forget those precious extra moments with my girl.
Pepperazzi: The Security Guard with a Siren Meowl
Pepperazzi — sleek, grey, and constantly on high alert. Her favorite toy? A foam Thrasher Cop Car designed for human stress relief. Didn’t matter. She tore into it like she was dismantling the system — full claws out, no squeak required.
Her main gig? Security operations. The moment anything moved on the shop monitor, she was leaping and pawing like a four-legged alarm system. No intruder stood a chance.
Even better? She was my Cuddle Coach. When I worked too long at the desk, her lung-powered meowl would escalate until I caved in and picked her up. Without those cuddle breaks, the CalStreets website might still be sitting in dev limbo. She helped keep me human.
Pepperazzi wasn’t just a companion — she was the glue that bonded Beamer and Raynebow into a true trio. She was the “secret sauce” that turned two cats into a family.
When I traveled, I needed to make sure my trio was safe and well-fed, so I created a system called SkateboardPets.com. I rigged up a webcam setup in my Kitsilano apartment and called it the CatsNKitties Bistro. It featured a German-engineered automatic feeder that dispensed food every four hours for Critter, Blade, and Pepperazzi. The live stream ran online so I could check in with them on the road — and fans could tune in too. It became a hit in its own right, bringing joy to other cat lovers and helping people connect with the CalStreets spirit on a whole new level.
Pepperazzi passed on September 25 — a deep loss felt by both Raynebow and Beamer. The trio had become a tight furry fam, and now we keep the third bowl ready, waiting for the next companion the cat distribution system sends our way.
She lives on through her glitter fingerboard and will soon feature on some Pepperazzi tribute decks. She was the balance. The love. The one who meowed us all into harmony.
Raynebow Mary Pineapple: The Hug That Changed Everything
I had a full day mapped out — SPCA, Cat Cafés, rescue centers. But the first stop was it.
At the Vancouver SPCA, I opened an enclosure and this cat launched into my arms, wrapped her paws around my neck, and started smothering me with headbutts and kisses. Game over. Raynebow Mary Pineapple had picked me.
She came from Prince George, BC, and I was lucky enough to be one of the very first to meet her that day. Lucky me for sure — because the note on her enclosure read “UBER AFFECTIONATE” in big, bold letters. And wow, they weren’t kidding.
She’s truly the most amazing cat I’ve ever had — my constant companion. If I call her, she comes running. She’s never far away, always rubbing, headbutting, kissing, and demanding affection like it’s her full-time job (and she’s working overtime). She is full of heart, full of energy, and full of love — truly a once-in-a-lifetime cat.
Her triple name?
- Raynebow: Honoring a past kitty of my landlord Mary.
- Mary: My sweet surrogate grandma in the building.
- Pineapple: Because her very symmetrical butt markings look like one. Nature has jokes.
She’s my affection grenade. First thing when I get home, she flies through the air into my arms like a furry torpedo of joy. She’s freakishly smart, hilarious, and instantly beloved by anyone who meets her.
♂️ Beamer: The Norse Goddess of the Lounge
Rescued during the B.C. floods, Beamer was just a kitten when I got a text from Deena (from one of our local skate suppliers) with a single photo. That was all it took. Graham and I drove to Maple Ridge, met her, and boom — she came home with me.
Plot twist: she grew.
Turns out she’s a Norwegian Forest Cat — built like a snowplow and with the kind of poise that screams Viking royalty. She’s gentle, massive, and best friends with Raynebow, despite being twice her size.
They roughhouse. They cuddle. They team up to push things off shelves. The perfect duo.
The CalStreets Cat Roster (1978–2025)
- Spike & Flash – Lonsdale legends, shop mascots, and tech supervisors
- Critter & Blade – Langley-born, gear inspectors turned fingerboard icons
- Pepperazzi – Security queen, cuddle enforcer, livestream star, and emotional glue
- Raynebow Mary Pineapple – The pineapple-butt princess of love
- Beamer – The Norwegian powerhouse with a kitten heart
From programming code to building ramps, these cats weren’t background fluff — they were co-creators, stress relievers, security guards, cuddle providers, and inspiration for skateparks and websites alike.
Whether you’re skating, fingerboarding, or just chilling in the shop, know that the spirit of these kitties is woven into every turn, every graphic, and every meow from the past 40+ years.
Three bowls. Two cats. One spot left. Stay tuned.
The next legend is out there.
