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 Girl Skateboards × Sanrio blind bag collection brings together two giants of culture, each with a legacy that shaped their worlds in totally different but equally iconic ways. Girl Skateboards was founded in 1993 by Rick Howard, Mike Carroll, Megan Baltimore and Spike Jonze, emerging at a time when skaters were craving a rider-owned […]
Chapter 18 – Not the Final Chapter I have to admit something that most of you will find quite remarkable. When I started this manifesto, I wasn’t quite sure where it would take me. But back in May, something happened that took things in a whole new direction. It is vital that you understand what […]
The Wheels Come Off – Chapter 17 If that last chapter has you confused, join the club. The truth is that it’s been over seven years since I sold Concrete Wave Magazine, and I am still processing what happened. In the 2011 edition of the mag, I wrote “statistically, only 10% of magazines make it […]
Career Opportunities Decade of Blur Chapter #16 It’s somewhat difficult to explain my life from about 1993 to 2003 because it was a blur. But this was not a “fun blur” that you might see in the movies – it was twenty years of career mayhem and side helpings of uncertainty, fear and doubt. This […]
Almost Less Than Zero – Chapter #15 As some of you might recall, back in 1996, I decided to host the world’s first “old school skateboard reunion.” Despite getting a listing in a major newspaper and having 10 minutes on Breakfast Television here in Toronto, ZERO people showed up. It was a humbling experience. Three […]
Thunder has been woven into street skateboarding for decades, standing as one of the most reliable and rider-driven truck brands ever built. Born under the Deluxe Distribution umbrella in San Francisco, Thunder emerged in the 1980s just as street skating was exploding and the need for lighter, sharper-turning trucks became undeniable. Where other companies chased […]
Spitfire has been shaping skateboarding culture since 1987, born from the gritty streets of San Francisco and built on a reputation for durability, speed and raw street credibility. As part of Deluxe Distribution, Spitfire quickly became the wheel that serious skaters trusted, thanks to a commitment to urethane innovation and a team stacked with some […]
ORIGINS AND EARLY ROOTS Freestyle skateboarding is one of the earliest and purest forms of skateboard expression, built around flow, balance, footwork, and creativity rather than obstacles or terrain. Long before massive handrails and concrete bowls defined the image of modern skateboarding, freestyle was already flourishing on smooth asphalt, driveways, and parking lots. In the […]
The portal reopens — and this time, it’s glowing brighter than ever. Santa Cruz Skateboards and Netflix’s Stranger Things have returned for Drop 2 of their massively popular collaboration, and this round pushes everything to the next dimension. Fusing the energy of 1980s skateboarding with the dark magic of Hawkins, Indiana, the Santa Cruz x […]
FROM VENICE BEACH TO GLOBAL STREETS Few names in skateboarding hardware spark instant recognition like Grind King. Born in the gritty alleys of Venice Beach during the early 1990s, Grind King reshaped the truck landscape forever with the invention of the inverted kingpin — a revolutionary design that reduced hang-ups on grinds and changed how […]