Tony Hawk’s story is inseparable from the modern history of skateboarding itself. Born in 1968 and turning pro as a young teenager, Hawk rose through the Southern California vert scene during a time when skateboarding was still fighting for legitimacy. By the early 1980s he was already redefining what was possible on a ramp, combining […]
Ray Barbee holds a singular place in skateboarding history, defined not by aggression or spectacle but by flow, creativity, and an unmistakable sense of joy. Emerging in the late 1980s, Ray arrived during a formative moment for street skating, when the discipline was still finding its identity. His skating helped expand what street skating could […]
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, […]
Ryse Fingerboards is a brand born from resilience, built with intention, and fuelled by community. Founded in Ontario, Canada by Age Teles, Ryse began during one of the most difficult chapters of his life. In the search for a way to keep moving forward and to channel grief into something constructive, fingerboarding became more than […]
When fingerboarding crosses the line from hobby to obsession, the details start to matter. The feel of a setup, the smoothness of the roll, the way a truck responds mid-line — all of it adds up. The Blackriver Trucks Dual Bearing Edition sit right at that intersection of feel and function, representing years of refinement […]
The release of the Thunder T-II trucks marks one of the most deliberate evolutions in Thunder’s long history, blending decades of raw street performance with a modern rethink driven by one of skateboarding’s most uncompromising figures. The T-II is not a cosmetic refresh or a marketing tweak. It is a ground-up refinement designed to feel […]
On December 20th, Cloverdale Skate Park in Surrey, BC will be the place to be as Sinclair’s Shredmas Jam rolls through for a full day of skateboarding, music, community, and holiday stoke. Presented and hosted by Chadd Sinclair, this festive skate jam runs from 12–4pm and is all about bringing people together and celebrating skateboarding […]
Origins in the NHS UniverseWhen you talk about urethane that shaped generations of skateboarding, OJ Wheels is one of the names that always rises to the top. Born inside the NHS universe out of Santa Cruz, OJ began in the late 1970s as an experiment in bright orange slalom-style wheels designed for speed, grip and […]
The Longboard Gift Shop & Swag department at CalStreets BoarderLabs has become a celebration of skate culture beyond the deck, a vibrant corner of the shop where curiosity, nostalgia and personality collide. What started as a few fun extras has grown into a full-blown universe of collectibles and lifestyle goods, offering everything from quirky plush […]
The Roots of Blackriver and Fingerboarding CultureFingerboarding has grown from a pocket-sized novelty into a full cultural movement, and no company has been more central to that evolution than Blackriver. Founded in Germany in 1999, Blackriver was built by real skateboarders and early fingerboarding pioneers who wanted to create obstacles that felt authentic, functional, and […]
Early Life in Dogtown Natas Kaupas’ story begins in South Santa Monica, in the stretch of coastline the world now knows as Dogtown. Born on March 23, 1969, to Lithuanian parents, he grew up surrounded by surf, street, and the raw creative energy that shaped early West Coast skate culture. As a teenager he wasn’t […]
John Lucero was born and raised in Southern California, right in the centre of skateboarding’s earliest boom. Growing up in the late 1970s and early 80s, he found himself drawn to the rebellious charm of skate culture long before it had any mainstream recognition. Lucero started skating as a kid on rough neighbourhood streets, soaking […]