Wednesday, July 29, 2015

13 Points Designs Rips The Ripper!

13 Points Designs - Art by Adam Warnick is producing limited runs of these awesome pins that are a must have for the skateboard riding Grateful Dead fan in your life! The second drop was just released and the numbers are limited, order yours today.

Saturday, July 25, 2015

New Plank

My Fickle custom has arrived! This 10" by 34" deck sports a 15.25" wheelbase with a 6.75" tail and 7" nose. The shape is a subtle fish shape that resulted from my conversation with Lew, a conversation in which I expressed my absolute love of board shapes during the period of 1989 - 1991.
So, what was happening at that time that was so important that I would want to step back 25 years to pick a shape for my newest board? Well, board shapes were changing, evolving if you will. But, while evolving, most skateboard decks still held some common characteristics. The evolution of board shapes beginning in 1989 was the result of innovation. Skaters at the time wanted a double kick board with a longer nose. Schmitt's 15 degrees was "a big kick in the nose" at the time but it was just the beginning. Boards were beginning to have 5 to 5.5 inches of nose and by 1990 and 1991 we were seeing a lot of double drilled boards being produced to give skaters the option of a few more inches of nose. It was never really advertised as a "dual wheelbase," it was all about the nose.
The other part of the shape evolution during this time is that the ever popular fish shape board started to get a little more subtle. There was still some width behind the front truck but the rails were starting to become a little more parallel. And the tails of most boards were starting to taper in as opposed to flaring back out like its predecessor.
Take a look at the early Blind boards or the Dogtown boards of this time period to get a good idea of what I'm talking about here. These were some of my favorite shapes of all times so when it came down to having a board handcrafted by someone who cares about what you ride, it was a "no brainer" that I went with a modern version of a basic shape of what I consider to be one of the most innovative periods in skateboarding in regards to board shapes and riding styles, one influencing the other and vice versa.

Saturday, July 11, 2015

Gnarleston's "social" Documentary on DVD

Trace at Gnarleston Goods worked for over a year on this documentary film which focuses on how social media has changed skateboarding. The short film is comprised of lots of skating along with interviews with local skaters of varying ages describing the role social media plays in their skateboarding lives. Social is a worthwhile watch for skaters in today's digital age and is available on the Gnarleston website. Order yours today.

Sunday, July 5, 2015

Wax Off, Gloss Enamel On

For years I have complained about how sticky this curb gets during the Summer months. Between the heat and the humidity it becomes sludge covered and stops you quicker than a pebble. A friend suggested lacquer, clear gloss enamel to be specific. I scraped as much of the wax as I could off of the curb and coated it with the gloss. It's more like a shiny new curb that can actually be skated now! Thank you friends at The Parking Block Diaries facebook group. St. Elmo's fire?