Custom skateboards have always been at the heart of what we do at CalStreets BoarderLabs. Long before “custom completes” became a buzzword, riders were walking through our doors with ideas, influences, and very specific feelings about how they wanted their board to ride. Since the shop’s earliest days as Skateboard Central in the late 1970s, the focus has never changed: listen to the skater, respect the culture, and build something that actually works under their feet. Every custom board that leaves the shop is a reflection of that mindset, whether it’s a kid’s first setup or a seasoned rider recreating a board they skated decades ago.
Over the years we’ve built everything from old-school cruisers inspired by Dogtown and G&S shapes to modern street setups dialed for technical skating, plus surfy hybrids and longboards meant for carving Vancouver pavement. Some riders come in chasing nostalgia, wanting period-correct decks, trucks, and wheels that feel like the boards they grew up on. Others are looking forward, blending modern wheel formulas, contemporary trucks, and fresh shapes to create something entirely their own. That mix of past and present is what makes each build special, and it’s why no two completes we assemble are ever the same.
A big part of the process happens at the counter. Wheels are spun, trucks are swapped, deck shapes are compared side by side, and conversations drift from skate videos to terrain, body size, stance, and how the board is actually going to be used. A pool rider needs something very different than a commuter cruiser or a park skater, and that’s where experience matters. We don’t just bolt parts together. We help riders understand why a certain wheel size changes speed and roll, how truck geometry affects turning, and why deck width and wheelbase can completely change how a board feels. Potential builds are nearly endless. We regularly put together compact cruisers with soft wheels and responsive trucks for city riding, classic reissue setups that honour skateboarding’s roots, performance-driven street boards tuned for progression, and longboards built for smooth carving or distance pushing. Some riders want bold graphics and eye-catching colourways, while others lean toward clean woodgrain, subtle stains, and understated hardware. Every option is on the table, and the final result is always shaped by how the rider wants to skate.
What truly ties all these builds together is the community around them. The smiles when someone holds their finished board for the first time, the stories behind why certain parts were chosen, and the pride of rolling out on something that feels personal and intentional. Those moments are the reason custom builds have remained such a huge part of CalStreets BoarderLabs for decades. Skateboarding has always been about self-expression, and our custom boards are simply another way riders get to tell their own story—one setup at a time.
Custom work at CalStreets BoarderLabs isn’t limited to brand-new builds either. We regularly rebuild, restore, and re-imagine boards that already have stories behind them. Older decks get brought back to life with fresh grip, modern wheels, or period-correct hardware. Sometimes it’s about preserving a board exactly as it once was, and other times it’s about updating it so it can actually be skated again instead of living on a wall. There’s something powerful about taking a well-loved setup and giving it a second life, especially when it still carries scars from sessions past.
We also take a lot of pride in helping younger skaters and first-timers find their footing through custom builds. For many kids, their first proper skateboard comes from a conversation at the shop, not a prebuilt off a shelf. We size boards correctly, choose forgiving wheel setups, and make sure everything rolls smoothly and safely. Watching a young rider light up when they realize their board was built specifically for them is one of the most rewarding parts of what we do, and it’s how skateboarding stays strong generation after generation.
Looking ahead, custom builds at CalStreets BoarderLabs continue to evolve. New wheel formulas, refined truck designs, and innovative deck constructions constantly open up new possibilities. At the same time, the foundations never change. The goal is still to build boards that skate properly, feel right, and mean something to the person riding them. Whether it’s your first board, your fiftieth, or a one-of-a-kind setup inspired by decades of skate history, custom work remains one of the clearest expressions of who we are and why CalStreets has lasted as long as it has.
