Below, you will find text descriptions for some of the boards we have collected with links to photos and other information.

101 Adam McNatt Peanuts Family – This is probably the coolest board ever made! Sometimes the best stuff comes from a simple idea. This is a prime example. Sean Cliver (the artist) has created hundreds of incredible and intricate skateboard graphics. The guy is amazingly talented (can I possibly suck up any more?), yet this easily rendered graphic may be the one he will be remembered for most. Why? Because he took a previously benign/loveable group of comic kids and twisted them into an imfamous group of hippie killers? Could be. I don’t know the answer, but I love this board. These decks were made in very small numbers and were impossible to find until Sean made a new batch of six boards. Yours truly was fortunate enough to be included in the lucky few (See? It never hurts to suck up.) Here’s a shot of the top of the board.

Alva Leopard – This deck has been on our want list since day one. Dating from about 1979, the Alva leopard was one of the earliest examples of punk/new-wave graphics, and spawned hordes of imitators (notice the Vision leopard in our collection, or the Beer City Duane Peters full-size). I dont think Alva has ever made a cooler deck than this one. The shape is a classic late-70s pig, with the wide middle, narrow nose, and square tail, with a maximum width of about 10.5″. As an added bonus, the top features three cut-out Alva logos with a fade background. The board is in really nice shape, with just a little nose damage. We were very fortunate to make a trade for this board (thanks Rich!), because we could NEVER afford one on ebay. We had to give up a lot, but it was definitely worth it! Recently someone did some re-issues of the Leopard and Punk Splat. They’re not exact copies. They are concave, the wheel wells are different, and they’ve been drilled for new school trucks, but for the money they make a good looking substitute. Here’s my Leopard re-issue.

Alva John “Tex” Gibson – John Gibson was one of the most radical skaters to come out of Texas, and one of the first pros to ride for Zorlac. This board was made by Alva, presumably after Gibson jumped ship sometime in the mid to late 1980s. The cowskull graphics are reminiscent of Gibson’s old Zorlac design. It has a really spacious nose, which is great if you have big, clumsy feet, and a cool looking cutaway tail.

Alva Longboard – Yeah, I know, this is supposed to be a site for OLD boards, but I decided to include one of my current favorites. This board is 9.25″ X 36″, but the long nose makes it feel like an old school deck. The concave is STEEP, especially compared to our 80s decks. BOTTOM LINE: Tony Alva rides one of these, and he is a lot cooler than you or anyone else!

Arrow Dave Hackett Grinder – Arrow skateboards were the brain child of English millionaire businessman Chris Clayton-Wright. He started out building the Arrow Skatepark in Wolverhampton and then went on to build a world class skateboard team. The team included: Jay Adams, Paul Constatineau, David Hackett, Shogo Kubo, Bobby Piercy, Jerry Valdez, and Kent Senatore. This board was Dave Hackett’s pro model, the same model that he won the Oasis Pro comp on in ’79. I’ve never seen this board (even in used condition) so I was VERY pleased to be able to add this to the collection. Thanks to Steve from the British Skateboard Museum for sharing his knowledge.

Bad Co. Curt Kimbel – Bad Co. was a short-lived manufacturer who signed up a ton of big names right before the bottom fell out of the skate market in 1980-81. Some might remember their Skateboarder ads featuring pros dressed up like 1930s gangsters, posing in smoke filled rooms. Curt Kimbel was probably the biggest name to line up with Bad Co., having won a number of slalom competitions and downhill races. He was also a damn good pool skater. This Bad Co. Kimbel model features a classic pig shape, with a glossy black glassed top and bottom, and nicely executed wheel wells. These are REALLY REALLY rare boards, and especially in NOS condition! REALLY, have you seen one?

Badlands Bullet Steve Alba Model – A very special board from the mid 70s. I was told that these boards were not sold with fibreglass, but Salba had them specially make these for him with glass on top and bottom. That’s right, this was one of Salba’s personal decks! The guy who sold this to us (Bill) got it from one of Steve’s x-girl friends. It had been sitting around for 20 plus years, then some fool decided to drill it full of holes and generally thrash it. Bill saved it and got Steve to sign it when he was in town for a Vans exhibition. Good luck finding another one…

Big Pimp Limited Edition – As far as I know, this is the only “pro collector” model available anywhere. This is a killer longboard designed by Dogtown artist Wes “BullDog” Humpston. This model was made for the Skateboard Pimp, a guy that has probably the best Dogtown collection on planet earth, although I’ve heard the Vatican has one of everything in every color combo. The Pimp only made 100 of these, and if you’re lucky you might find one available through his website www.skateboardpimp.com. The boards are signed and numbered by Wes. Good luck…

Beer City Duane Peters – I’m very happy I got one these since Duane just left BC for his new team – Black Label. This was Duane’s last and coolest Beer City pro model. I love that fact that they actually actually had the balls to do something unique in today’s skate scene. Not only did they make a wider popsicle stick with a squared off tail, but they routed out hand rail and wheel wells! From what I understand they didn’t make too many routed models either. Only a little over 100 made it out of the wood shop before Duane split. I can’t wait to see what Black Label has in store for Duane’s new model. Also joining him on the Label is his old Santa Cruz teammate – Steve “Bulky” Olson… Black Label rules!!!

BirdHouse “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” Collection – Here’s an awesome new set of decks that Sean Cliver did for Tony Hawk’s BirdHouse label. I love the idea of taking old graphics and doing spoof versions like the Blind Powell decks. Much like Weird Al Yankovich doing a version of a band’s song, you’ve hit the big-time when someone does a spin-off on your original. Sean really outdid himself on this set too. First we have Tony Hawk’s model which plays off the classic Steve Steadham Powell model and pokes fun at Tony’s signature McSqueeb haircut that he had during the 80s. Next we have Jeremy Klein’s Dream Girl locked in Lucero’s cell. Then we have a couple Donny Barley models – the Neil Blender spoof and my favorite of the lot, the Oops Again… model which follows the Pop Art, Lichtenstein-style of the original that showed the Challenger disaster. After those two comes Willy Santos’ Natas-style graphic with dope leaves and Brian Sumner’s Roskopp target homage. The last two are the Lasek Dogtown-inspired Sin City, and the Vinnie Vegas alla Pushead John Gibson graphic. That is probably my second favorite of the bunch, but it’s tough to choose. Cliver rules and these decks are just the tip of the iceberg.

Black Label Red Cross boards – During 2002, John Lucero’s company Black Label signed a couple of my favorite old school skaters. Both Duane Peters and Steve Olson are now on board with John and Jeff Grosso. These four guys make up Black Labels sub-label Red Cross. Now is where things get tricky. Almost before the boards could hit the streets, John got cease and desist letters from lawyers representing the American Red Cross. Now they are selling the boards under the name Red Kross. Anyway, I was able to pick up a couple before they pulled the plug. The first one is Jeff’s mid-size model. Now, I’m probably too big for it, but I really liked the art on this one best. I also picked up the Olson and the new smaller Red Kross model with a great cut-away shape. This will probably be my next rider. The “small” one is about 9″ wide (not small at all by today’s standards), but the other one is huge (approx 11″ wide). It’s tempting to set them both up.

Blind Powell Knock-Offs – Back in 1991 there was some seriously bad blood between the new skater-owned brands that were emerging and the old masters. Probably the ugliest and most public was the back and forth shit-flinging between Mark Gonzales’ Blind and George Powell at Powell Peralta. George was none to happy to see his talent (like Rodney Mullen) jumping ship to start up their own companies. He ran an ad with Lance Mountain and a couple other remaining team member making fun of small companies. Gonz shot back his own ad with the large headline “Dear George”. The ad went on to say, “After seeing all the ads lately (especially yours) making fun of new or small companies, I realised how stupid I was being for having one. Dude, you were right, small companies are out. Anyway, I’ve talked to Json and Rudy, and we all agree we should try to be big-time just like you guys. Here’s a picture of our new graphics and logo. I hope they’re OK. And if there’s anything else that we’re doing wrong, just make another ad and we’ll change it. Sincerely, Mark Gonzales” The logo was the Powell triple P turned upside down with the word blind over it in Powell’s typeface. The boards were pro models for Rudy Johnson, Jason Lee and Mark “Gonz” Gonzales. I always thought these were the best rip-offs ever done. Mine are repros, and I had the Gonz made without the dumb outline shape because that’s the way I like it.

Boulder Custom Pig – This is a special board. Boulder was a company based in Boulder Colorado that made some of the coolest and most wanted decks from the late 70s. Dogtown’s Shogo Kubo Airbeam, Jim Muir Triplane, and Duane Peters models were all produced by Boulder. All the cool routed Variflex decks from that period came out of the Boulder shop too. I believe that this board was a protoype for Variflex’s first Eric Grisham pro model. The routings are in the same configuration. Here’s a shot of the top.

Brand-X X-Con – This is the original X-Con (“con” as in concave). The art is incredible and an homage to the surf/psychadelic artist, Rick Griffin. The printing on this board was revolutionary at the time (1985) for a number of reasons. First off, the industry standard was 3 color or 4 if you were really pushing it. This deck has 8 seperate passes. Also, soem of the inks are translecuent, creating that signature shadow effect that Brand-X decks had.

Brand-X X-Con II – This deck was the follow-up to the previously described X-Con and came out at the same time as Sean Goff’s first model. The X-Con 2 featured a “super-scoop” nose and a strong concave. Again the art is killer and the printing is top shelf. We’re very happy to have these two in the collection.

Brand-X Vertical Hold – This is my (Tim’s) favorite new old deck! This deck has everything I like in an old school board. First of all, the shape and size are just right. It’s a wide pig with a mild concave. Secondly, and this is where this deck excels, the graphics say early skate punk to me. It reminds me of some of my favorite old school Santa Cruz decks. The simplicity of the geometric pattern of Steve Olson’s checkerboard, or Duane Peter’s diagonal stripes. Very cool pig!

Brand-X X-Terminator – Another classic pig from the Brand-X folks. Much like the Vertical Hold, it’s wide with mild concave. I love the graphics too. That little red x just makes the design perfect, doesn’t it?

BT’s Beast from the East – This is a classic East Coast pig from the late 70s. BT’s was a surf shop that made boards that were sold exclusively on the right side of the country. I remember my local shop, Bethesda Surf shop, and a couple shops in Ocean City carrying them. The top repeats the art from the bottom with custom cut grip tape. There are some scratches on the bottom because it never had rails, but the wood is almost perfect.

Bulldog hand-drawn longboard – Ever since I first saw Wes’ one-off decks show up on eBay and other collector’s sites a few years ago, I’ve always hoped to get one for myself. Finally worked out a trade with the Pimp for this PIMP AZZ ride. Damn that’s goofy. Sorry.

Bulldog Old School Skate Jam – Wes helped make a few dozen of these for the first Old School Skate Jam that went down at Skatelab in February of ’01. Check here for info on the 2nd Annual Jam. The top features another Humpston illustration. Very cool deck! Now I just need to figure out a way to get to the 3rd Jam and get this thing signed.

Bulldog Shogo Kubo Model – One of the first in (hopefully) many old school revival decks. Wes Humpston has gone back to the roots of Dogtown to bring us a cool new ride. This one is the longer 34″ model. There is also a 32″ model. Rumors has it that there will be a Caster Inouye remake out in the near future. I hope it happens!

Bulldog Santa Monica – Wes produced these in a limited run to finance a new skateboard business venture. I got number 49 out of 50 and should be picking up one from his next run too. Click here to visit the Bulldog Skates site. The graphics on this board give homage to Wes’s roots and the area where modern skating was born. Pretty bad-ass, huh?

Bulldog Sabertooth – Another killer Wes Humpston graphic! This is the second run of 50 boards that Wes did to get Bulldog Skates off the ground. I got number 3 of 50 from Rich. Thanks bro! Hope Shogo is enjoying the Gullwings.

Bulldog GasHead pig – This is one of my current favorites. Bulldog is making a couple flat pigs just like the old Dogtowns from the 70s. Love the shape and the graphics too. The top features die-cut grip with a red prismatic sticker underneath!

Caster Inouye IPS repro – Wow! I’ve been hunting for this board for a long time. I’ve seen one or two that were completely trashed, but nothing that even approached mint available anywhere. These repros were done by Wally and Ed Economy. Wally actually hand cut the grip for these. What a job that must have been! Caster made some of the best boards during the 70s and early 80s. They used a layer of fiberglass sandwiched between the wood plys to add strength. Caster was also the first company I know of that did this shape. I love it! The Santa Cruz Stinger and Sims Andrecht both borrowed from this design.

Conspiracy Alien Shot – Dana Buck (Zorlac) and Lindsey Kuhn started this company in ’93. This board is a current model and one of the best (IMO) graphics from Pushead since the Texas years with Zorlac. Killer art! Maybe there is hope for the future.

Deck Crafters Duane Peters – Don’t know the history behind this one at all. I’m guessing that it came between Duane’s sponsorships with Think and Beer City. Classic design in the ever-cool yellow and black. Rock!

Dogtown Scott Oster – Scott Oster was another one of Jim Muir’s local finds. When Dogtown came back in the mid 80s, Jim looked around the Santa Monica area for the best young talent he could get his hands on. He found Scott Oster, Eric Dressen Aaron Murray and a somewhat forgotten Micke Alba. Muir drove them around to all the California contests and promoted the team in magazine ads. As street skating began to dominate the market, Dogtown was on the rise again. This deck is another Wes Humpston’s killer designs. It makes a nice mate to our Micke Alba…

Dogtown Micke Alba – Micke Alba has been skating (and winning contests) since the 1970s. This is a really beautiful deck, and the graphics really stand out against the natural wood finish. Wes Humpston had ironed out his differences, with DT head Jim Muir, and was again creating killer art for the famed manufacturer.

G&S Dennis Martinez Flying Aces – This is an early version of this deck, evident from its narrow (10″) width, shape, and the fibreflex logo on the top. Dennis Martinez was a great all around skater, who later jumped ship to Variflex.

G&S Doug Saladino Pine Design – Doug “Pineapple” Saladino was one of the most popular skaters of the 1970s. The Pine Design shown here is his first pro model. It is very similar to the Proline 300, except that it is larger, has the cool two-tone blue plys laminated, and it features the oh-so-critical Pine Design stickers. Again, the grip tape is factory cut around the top sticker, but this time the top sticker is a smaller version of the Pine Design logo that adorns the bottom of the deck. What else can be said of the Pine Design logo, it is an icon of the era, a masterpiece of marketing and design, the merging of skateboarding and offshore produce. I don’t know how many pineapples were sold, but I do know that this was one of the most popular decks of the 70s. Of course, you may have a little difficulty trying to find one now. We were fortunate to have a chance to ask Pineapple a few questions. Check it out!

G&S Saladino Street Cruiser – This is Doug’s last pro model with G&S from around ’82-’83. Doug got really into the lowrider scene at the start of the 80s and the original version of this deck had a lowrider graphic. That was way too cool for G&S so they replaced it with something a little more their speed. Don’t get me wrong, this is an awesome board. The shape is very nice with an old school surf board kind of shape to it and even the graphics aren’t too bad. Doug rules! If you want a new board, I highly recommend that you check out Doug’s company Deathbox. They make cool shapes with great graphics.

G&S Frank Blood – Wow! What a killer board this is. This was as good as G&S ever got in my opinion. This pig measures a little over 11 inches at its widest point. The rail routing run into the wheel wells (which may not have been the sturdiest design, but looks really fuckin’ cool. To add strength to a fairly light board (for its size), G&S added a beam down the center of the board. The top has some cool old stickers under some clear pizza grip. This deck is in amazing condition, and I’m very fortunate to have it.

G&S Foil Tail – The Foil Tail was another teamrider deck for G&S. It was also the first pro model for Mark “Gator” Rogowski, only his model said “Gator” across the stacked cubes. Notice how this board and Gator first Vision pro model are nearly identically shaped. The graphics are as lame as you’d expect from G&S! Shades of Q-Bert.

G&S Neil Blender Faces – Neil Blender was one of the first skaters that got to put his own art on his pro models. This is his “Faces” model, and came out around ’88. Neil, along with being an artist, was the most creative vert skaters we’ll ever see. He’s created so many zany, innovative (and sometimes just foolish) tricks that many have never been done by any other rider.

G&S Fibreflex 38″ Longboard – This is my (Tim’s) carving deck. I love the feel of this board. It’s set up with Exkate trucks and wheels. The board is grippy, fast, and can turn on a dime. The flex is there, but not overwhelming, which was important to me (weighing in at 225 pounds). Check out the grip tape and logo on the top…

Kryptonics Steve Alba K-Beam – Wow! I never thought I’d find this board in this kind of condition. The Kryptonics K-Beams were the coolest and best engineered (IMO) boards ever. The beam was created by sanwiching vertical plys between the standard horizontal ones. This gave more strength down the center of the board (where the trucks are and the strength is needed) while allowing the rest of the board to be thinner nd lighter. The top features the circle-K logo under the original clear pizza grip.

Liberty Mike Smith – Not sure what they called this one, but it was out around ’91 and was featured in the same World Industries & Friends catalog as the Vallely Barnyard and Rocco III models. I like the use of day-glo inks and weird abstract composition. Great stain too. Here’s a shot of the top. Here’s another Liberty Mike Smith model signed by the man.

Madrid Mike Smith M-Tech – We were extremely happy to find this one still out there. This is a huge pig-style board measuring 10.75″ across. The pictures can’t possibly describe the 80s hot pink day-glo paint job on this one. You have to see it in person, my camera won’t go there. The top of the board has the classic Madrid wings logo. The bottom design harkens back to the Van Halen’s logo, or someone’s airbrush detailing on a 1980 Chevy Van. Don’t come knockin’ if this Van is rockin’!!!

Madrid Mike Smith Duck – Yes, another Madrid Mike Smith. I always loved the graphics on this one. The shape on this is old school, but later than the pig-style M-Tech. What else can I say…

Madrid Explosive – This is another of the classic Madrid decks of the 1980s, similar in concept to the Santa Cruz R/S. This was a “teamrider” deck, with a very versatile 10X30 shape, and a gentle concave.. I used to ride one of these years ago, and I still think it is the best deck Madrid ever produced. The graphics are OK, but why would anyone go to the trouble of using a multi-color silkscreen in order to simulate the look of a half-assed spray paint job. On the positive side, this deck looks better as it gets beat up. This was one of the models used by Jack Smith, Paul Dunn, Gary Fluitt, and Bob Denike on their 1984 cross country skateboard journey.

Powell Peralta Ray Bones Brite Lite – This is it! This is the first version of the first pro model that Powell Peralta ever produced. It’s a snub nose Ray Bones Brite Lite. I am very fortunate to have come across this one. Thanks Garrett! The board is in excellent condition considering everything, and of course it features the Brite lite logo on top.

Powell Peralta Jay Smith (Brite Lite) – Jay Smith was a very stylish skater (he probably did the best laybacks of anyone, ever), but he didn’t do enough technical tricks, so he never won any contests, and his pro models never sold real well. This is an early pro model of his, based on the Powell Brite Lite decks. I paid a shitload of money for this board (although, compared to the Rodriguez snub that just sold on ebay, I got a major bargain). Why? Because in 1981, this was the first decent skateboard I ever owned. I saved my money when I was 12, and my mom drove me to Bethesda Surf Shop, where I purchased this deck. Everyone always thought it was the Jay Smith spoon-nose, and they were disappointed to find that it was flat. But I had never seen a concave board, so I was perfectly happy with its flatness. And I never saw another one like mine, until I saw this one. The shape is very 70s, with the wide tail, wider waist, narrow front, and long pointy nose. And speaking of 70s, dig the “spin art” graphics on the bottom!

Powell Peralta Pig Reproductions – First up is this killer repro of a Ray Bones Snub Nose with the original Brite Lite logo on top. Man if this were real I’d probably shit myself. As it is I have a hard time controlling my bowels. Next we have a really well done reproduction of Powell’s second pro model – the iconic Alan Ollie Gelfand tank. Nice blue stain on this one, and the dragon logo on the top. Last is Mike McGill’s first pro model. I’ve always liked this one better than the Skull and Snake that Powell produced for so many years. The Skull and Snake just seems so forced. Not cool like the Ray Bones Skull and Sword or Hawk Birdskull. Anyway, this was Mikes first pro model. Not VCJ’s best illustration, but a nice compliment to the Ollie Tank. This one features the Powell dragon in red and black which looks really good on the natural finish. These boards may not be the real deal, but they look almost as good on my wall…

Powell Peralta Rat Bones – This is one of my favorite team boards ever. Great design by Dogtown artist Craig R. Stecyk! These images, much like the Dogtown cross, were appropriated from the graffiti painted walls around Santa Monica. The top of this one has the classic Powell dragon in gold and black. The stain on this one is brilliant. It has a metallic flake in it covered by a beautiful teal blue, yet the wood grain shows through nicely!

Powell Peralta Rodney Mullen – This was Rodney’s second pro model and his best graphic. This particular deck was used only long enough to lightly scuff the tail. The top has the classic Powell dragon and the original die-cut grip. Awesome deck!

Santa Cruz 5 Ply – The 5 Ply is a very early plywood board, produced at a time when most boards were either made of fiberglass (Z flex, G&S) or solid oak (Logan, Sims, etc.) Plywood decks were found to be the best combination of lightness, strength, and snappy flex. This particular deck features some very nice birds eye figuring in the bottom ply of maple, and unlike the more common 5 plys, this board has the logo silk screened on the bottom.

Santa Cruz Street Skate – This is by far the earliest version (my guess is ’77) of the Street Skate I’ve ever seen. The board is a wood and fiberglass laminate and is set up with very early 88mm stage 1 Indys and early 80s OJ Street Conicals. I love the color fade screening and the simple logotype graphics. Here’s a later, more recognized version of the Street Skate from the early 80s. This deck came along with the first wave of concave decks from Santa Cruz. If you have the version between this and the early one, drop me a line.

Santa Cruz pig – I’ve never seen this one before. It may be the first wide pig that Santa Cruz marketed. It would have come out before or close to the same time as the Stinger. The top has the Santa Cruz USA logo under clear pizza grip. Awesome!

Santa Cruz Stinger – Very happy to have reacquired this in a trade. This is a classic late 70s board. The Stinger was the unofficial pro model for George Orton. Love the art and shape of this one. What more do I need to say? These are extremely rare in any condition. I’ve NEVER seen another NOS example.

1980 Santa Cruz Steve Olson – Whenever I think of Santa Cruz, or Steve Olson, this is the deck that comes to mind. Although it is not the first Olson deck made by Santa Cruz, it is definitely the best Olson deck ever made. The graphics feature the debut of the classic Santa Cruz dot logo, superimposed on top of Olson’s trademark checkerboard background. Simple, stylish, and supremely cool, this deck epitomizes the 1979 era of skateboarding. I wanted one of these so badly when I was 11, and it just got worse as I got older. I wish it was in better shape (in fact I would trade any two boards on this site for a NOS one) but I have never seen another one offered for sale or auction.

1982 Santa Cruz Steve Olson – This is my second favorite Olson pro model. Like Rick Nielsen’s multi-neck guitar or Jeff Spicolli’s shoes, this board screams BIG 80s. “That’s my head…I’m so wasted!” Steve Olson has always been one of my favorite skateboarding personalities. Like Duane Peters and Tony Alva, Steve was one of the people that made skating cool and brought counter-culture to skate-culture. This board features a full board checker pattern, some very early (stage 2) Independent trucks, and nice Kryptonics 50/50 conicals. What’s not to like? Don’t bother asking us to sell this beauty. It’s not going anywhere.

Santa Cruz Steve Olson Special Edition – I believe that this board has just relegated the previously mentioned board to 3rd best. As a 3rd child, I know what a drag that can be, but you get over it. This board is a very rare board indeed. This board came out in 1982 and was one of the two concave models that Santa Cruz made for Steve. I love this board, so don’t even ask.

Steve Olson Skates (SOS) – These were the first decks issued by Steve Olson Skates (Santa Cruz actually made these decks) in 1984 or thereabouts. I believe they are called the Stinger and the Bomber. The shape of the Stinger is descended from the old Santa Cruz Stinger (remember those?) with the cutaway tail. The Stinger has a nice, deep concave over the full length of the board, and a definite old-style flavor with the pointy nose. The graphics on the bottom of the deck are very 80s new wave, especially the paint splatters. All in all, it is a really cool piece, and feels tremendous under your feet. Steve had a very similar board with Skull Skates which we recently picked up in mint condition. It has the Stinger shape with throwback checkerboard graphics! Check for it a little further down this page. The Bomber is shaped like the earlier Steve Olson models made by Santa Cruz (if you have a checkerboard Steve Olson deck, please contact us) with a much more spacious nose area, and a longer tail than the Stinger. The concave is also less steep. Also, note the stylish “butt crack” at the end of the tail. Functional? No, but definitely cool looking. The Bomber’s graphics are a cool street type motif, with pavement lines and tire smudge marks. To top it off, the deck is bright orange, and the graphics will look much better once they get scratched and scuffed.

Santa Cruz R/S (5 styles) – These are standard issue Santa Cruz teamrider decks, and some of the best decks ever made (in our opinion). R/S stands for Ramp/Street, and like the name implies, these boards are versatile, and comfortable on any terrain. These boards probably never got the respect that they deserved since they were cheaper than the pro models, and a lot of people thought that meant they were inferior. Nothing could be further from the truth! The earliest one has the well-known Santa Cruz “dot” logo on the bottom, and is probably the most recognizable of their boards. The next one is adorned with multiple dot logos, as is the third version. (The multiple dot ones are pretty rare!) In the mid 80s, Santa Cruz returned to the classic single dot logo for the R/S Concave, which features the best shape and concave that I have ever ridden. Some of you may remember seeing ads for this deck on the inside cover of Thrasher. The ads ran for about 2 years, and featured Rob Roskopp in various action packed skate scenes! The last one has a sort of optical illusion graphic on the bottom, and is less common.

Santa Cruz Duane Peters decks – Anyone who followed skateboarding in the 1980s knows that Duane Peters was the coolest skater who ever lived. He was innovative, aggressive, fearless, insane, and unbelievably radical. He was the living embodiment of punk rock back in the days when you could get your ass kicked for having spiked hair or a Misfits t-shirt. In short, Duane was the real thing, he was the originator, and he is still skating and still playing in a rockin’ band. Who says there aren’t any heroes anymore? As for the boards, the first one is the second Duane Peters deck manufactured by Santa Cruz. It has the red, white and blue parallelogram design on the bottom, a deep concave over the length of the deck, and a short tail. The board has square edges, and is surprisingly lightweight. The second one is the third generation Duane Peters deck made by Santa Cruz. It is 5-Ply construction, with a great old style shape: Fat in the middle, less fat at the tail, and skinny at the nose, just like an old Alva pig. The edges on this board are very rounded. And lastly, Tim has set up a Beer City Duane Peters vert model for riding at the local Vans park. This is a new school double kick deck checks in at 9.25 inches wide, and has Independent trucks and Krypto Pro II wheels. We definitely like the old style fighter graphics on this one. Plus it ties in with Duane’s band name, US Bombs. Check out the old school Peters-style parallel stripes of black and clear grip Tim did on the top of this deck.

Santa Cruz Bevel – This was the last version of the legendary Santa Cruz Bevel, which was introduced in 1979 as a Steve Alba pro model. This particular board was produced around 1984, and measures a hefty 11X31. It features a concave that is steeper than many drainage ditches, and some classic graphics. The board is in really nice condition. The board is set up with the old school Indy 215s (beware of snapping hangers!) and original Powell Rat-Bones in the 97A durometer. I have wanted a Bevel since they stopped making them 15 years ago, and I am VERY pleased to have this one.

Santa Cruz Rob Roskopp Target Series – I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have these boards. While this series of boards was extremely popular, very few of these decks remain in good condition. Part of the reason for this was that these decks didn’t stay on the shelves collecting dust, and Santa Cruz kept replacing/updating the graphics and modifying the board shapes. I have only seen one NOS Roskopp 1 in a collection, and when the opportunity to make a trade for it came up, I jumped at the chance. The boards I had to give up were tough to let go of, but this deck was well worth it. The Roskopp 2 I had only seen mint in NHS’s collection, so I was fortunate to get this beauty on eBay. The natual finish was somewhat unusual for this one. I scored this mint Roskopp 3 and this killer, NOS Roskopp 5 from my good buddy Sean. Now, I have finally scored a mint Roskopp 4, so I can sleep better at night knowing I have completed the set. This Roskopp 4 is one of the Air Tech decks that SC did (like the Foam Core Slasher). These boards featured a pretty extreme concave with a great spoon nose, but they were incredibly weak, and printing on them turned out to be quite tricky. Most of the decks actually had the graphics applied as a large sticker. This deck is one of the few that was screened on the board, and apparently was the actual deck used for the photo shoot for a Thrasher Product Patrol article. Jim Phillips hit a home run with these graphics. This is definitely the coolest series ever.

Santa Cruz Kendall Graffiti – Jim Phillips strikes again. This was another classic design that Santa Cruz had out during the late 80s. Jeff is still working at NHS, and they’ve just re-released this graphic in a limited run for the Santa Cruz 30th Anniversary. If you’re a fan, you’d better hurry up and get yours…

Santa Cruz Salba Witchdoctor – Here’s a mint Steve Alba deck from around 1988. Salba, who started skating professionally in the mid 70s, was able to extend his pro career into the late 80s and beyond. Nobody will ever do a better frontside grind or edger than Steve Alba, you can bank on that. This board features one of our favorite 80s graphics from Santa Cruz head artist – Jim Phillips.

Santa Cruz Salba Tiger – Another classic late 80s deck from Lord Salba and Santa Cruz. I don’t know if I can say enough about the art that Santa Cruz screened on their decks during this period. Again Jim Phillips cranks out a killer design for this one. I liked the art on the top so much, that I had to buy the original ink. Check it out.

Santa Cruz Claus Grabke – We definitely like the “clockwork” graphics on this deck, and the shape is pretty functional as well. Claus Grabke was one of the first European skaters to get his own pro model from an American manufacturer (and I think it was a Madrid). This board is the current choice of Tim’s wife Val. She’s got it set up with blue Tracker Ultralites and old Krypto C-62 Slalom wheels. We’ve gripped it with clear tape to show off the top graphics, and the pretty pink color of the deck.

Santa Cruz Hosoi Hammerhead Collage – I’ve always liked this hammerhead better than the others. Don’t get me wrong, I’d dig a Skull Skates Hammer for sure, it’s just that the “art” if you can call it that on the others is just boring. This beauty was illustrated by the old master – Jim Phillips. Lots of stuff going on and super bright colors. Why the hell not?

Santa Cruz Bod Boyle Race Car – This is a rare late80s/early 90s pro model for British phenom, Bod Boyle. I really dig the Speed Racer rip-off graphics. Don’t know too much about this one, but I’ve never seen it anywhere else!

Santa Cruz Fuck You Bod Boyle – This rare early 90s Bod Boyle pro model features artwork by Kevin Marburg. Very dark and very funny. The top graphic is cool too.

Santa Cruz Ron Whaley – This is a killer mid 90s Santa Cruz pro model for Ron Whaley. The graphics on this one are some of the coolest I’ve ever seen. The Betty Paige style devil girl dancing in front of the flaming turntable slay me.

Santa Cruz Tim Brauch – Here’s another rare 90s pro model from SC. Tim Brauch was a great skater and very likeable guy that unfortunately is no longer with us. R.I.P.

Santa Monica Airlines Natas Panther – This ’86 board was Natas Kaupas second pro model. The quick rundown on Natas pro models goes something like this: His first model (by Kevin Ancell), then this one was the same with the addition of banana leaves, third was the elusive self-portrait model, fourth was either the Wes Humpston or Jim Phillips drawn models or the Jim Phillips one, and after that I lose interest. This is one of the cleanest versions of this board I’ve ever seen. It apparently was only set-up and used a couple times. I especially like this sea foam base color. Don’t even ask…

Santa Monica Airlines Natas Panther – This was Natas Kaupas fourth/fifth pro model (it came out around the same time as the first Jim Phillips designed model) drawn by Wes “Bulldog” Humpston. This one isn’t my favorite Natas model, but it is pretty cool and the shape is killer.

Santa Monica Airlines Natas Panther – This was arguably the fifth Natas Kaupas pro model with art by Jim Phillips. Definitely the best in my humble opinion. This particular board came from Jim and is signed on the top.

SMA Jesse Martinez Man Size Model – This is an extremely rare Jesse Martinez deck from ’89. I’ve seen the mini before, but this is the first full or “man size” model I’ve come across. The board declares that 1989 is the “Year of the Mess”. Jesse was pretty big in ’89, so maybe that’s true. The top has a cool illustration too.

SMA World Industries Think Crime – This is one of Steve Rocco’s first boards after Sims dumped him in the late 80s. Story goes something like this: Steve finds himself without a sponsor and with encouragement from Skip Engblom and about a $10,000 loan from the bank starts a company that will dwarf the big boys in less than a decade. The top has a citation written out to Steve and says “If skateboarding is not a crime then why am I getting a ticket?” You don’t have to like Rocco, but you have to like this deck.

Schmitt Stix TA”RAMP”ULA – OK, so this isn’t the prettiest graphic ever to grace a board. So what? What I really like about it is this board exemplifies the mid 80s re-birth of skating. When the parks closed at the beginning of the 80s, skateboarding hit the skids big time. Skating came back slowly (at first) through the ingenuity of kids that bought, borrowed and flat out stole the lumber they needed to turn their backyard into the envy/scourge of the neighborhood. The backyard ramp was KING. I practically Lived on the damned things during my high school years. This board is a very early board from a grass roots company that built it’s reputation selling great rails. The top features the orignal Schmitt Stix logo.

Sims Andrecht Kustom – I got this board from a guy that said his friend bought it from Atlantic Skates (the shop that bought Kryptonics name in the early 80s and proceeded to produce some of the ugliest decks ever made) as an unprinted Andrecht. He said he later learned that Sims had sued Atlantic to stop them from making knock-offs. I decided that rather than perpetuate a lie, I’d make a one of a kind out of this classic shape. It’s still a work in progress, but I’ve already added the metallic leopard skin inserts to the rail routings. Anyone trying to sell this board as a legitimate Sims Andrecht is a pole-smoking scam artist like Vertburt. This board is a knock-off!

Sims Bert LaMar – Skateboarding was completely off the map in 1982. Action Now had all but eliminated it from their pages, and Thrasher was thinner than an LP jacket. The number of manufacturers had dwindled to an all-time low, and 90% of the parks were closed. You had to be a real freak, like me, to start skating at that time. Boards from this era may not be quite as cool as their 70s counterparts, but they are definitely a lot less common. This LaMar is mint, but has some missing ink. The shape features classic oldschool styling side cuts in the tail, and a big, rounded nose. If you have an Andrecht or a Bowman from this era, we want it!

Sims Mike Folmer – Awesome snub-nose board from 1981. This deck was part of the Epoxy concave pro series, like the Bert Lamar board above. This decks are extremely rare because Sims did not make a lot of them, partially because Mike Folmer was not as popular as the West Coast pros, and partially because skating was thought to be in a dead period. All in all, a great piece. Check out the top too. You can see the shape of the concave around the nose of the board.

Sims “Dork Wave” – I cannot find out the actual model name for this board, but I know it was something similar to the Sims New Wave and the Sims Street Wave. Unfortunately, Sims chose to hire Helen Keller to do the graphics on the bottom. How else to explain the color choice? But don’t go away mad, there is still a lot to like about this board. For one thing, it has a shape that flat pisses in the face of new school skating. Double kick you say? How about NO nose. You could barely fit a nose guard on this thing. The blimpish outline is very comfortable, and the concave is mild. For another thing, this was one of the last boards made by Sims, before Sims became a subsidiary of Vision, and their boards turned to shit.

Sims New Wave – This is the father of the aforementioned “Dork Wave”. O.K., we know the other board is really called the “New Wave 2”, but Dork Wave works better and we don’t care what you think! Back to this board, which is a very nice early 80s snub-nosed pig. The shape and concave are identical to our Mike Folmer deck so I’d say this deck is the same vintage (circa 81-82). It’s a Sims Epoxy board (you know – the one’s with the “E” next to the logo on top). Epoxy was much better than the standard wood glues most companies used. The design is not as annoying as the Dork Wave, but still holds a special place in 80s folklore. Just the name conjures up images of Flock of Seagulls and Thompson Twins. Don’t get me wrong, there were some great new wave bands, but most of them came along years before this board or the 80s new wave craze. Similar graphics adorned many a surfboard or Hawaian shirt of the period.

Sims Hosoi Repro – Here’s another bad-ass reproduction. This is one of the most recognizable designs ever to be printed on a board. This repro was made recently using old Sims blanks, so it is right on. These boards usually/always? came with a white base coat. The natural finish makes this board rather unique. I wish I had a “real” one, but the price tag (if I could ever find one) would be too rich for my blood. It features the classic Sims E (epoxy) logo on top.

Skull Skates Steve Olson Skates – A couple listings down I rave about how the Hackett Street Sickle is my favorite all-time deck from Skull Skates. Well, I do love that board, but I’m an idiot. This Steve Olson model crushes any hopes of there ever being a cooler deck. The graphic and shape totally rock and that safety orange on black checkerboard motif is the best. I guess I could make a case for this deck not really being a Skull Skates model since SOS was sort of a sub-label, but you’d still think I was stupid, so I won’t. The top of the deck also features the SOS logo. This board is sweeeeeet!

Skull Skates Gang Green – This is probably my favorite band deck ever. Gang Green was a killer hardcore band, and you have to love the Budweiser rip-off art. I was fortunate enough to find this unused early pig. It features the Hardcore logo on top.

Skull Skates DieHard 2 – Great board with simply the Skull Skates logo and a little type. I love the shape of this board. I’ve always wondered if the Die Hard models had anything to do with Dave Hackett. Die Hard was one of Dave’s nicknames, and he rode for Skull for a few years. I think it’s just a coincidence…

Skull Skates Dave Hackett Street Sickle – This is my favorite all-time deck from Skull Skates. Great graphics, and the shape is one of a kind. Dave was a great pool/street skater that grew up surfing in Malibu and bank/poolriding with the Z-boys in Santa Monica. Dave won the 1975 World Title in Jr. Mens Slalom, and the ’78 US men’s pool/bowl riding contests at Kona. He was the first skater signed to Tony Alva’s label in the 70s, and won the first pool and halfpipe contest at the Oasis Pro Bowl. His company, Deathbox Skateboards, is responsible for bringing some old school shapes and riders back to the scene.

Skull Skates Duane Peters Tub Tech – Awesome deck from ’87. The Master of Disaster was part of the Skull crew during their time in California. These were both the best and worst years for Skull Skates. They made pro models for many of the old masters and several Punk bands. They also went through a lot of shit during those years including their shaper torching the factory for insurance money. After about 5 years in California they returned North to the frozen caves of Vancouver where they still make boards today. I just picked up the larger pig model in near-mint condition. Pretty damned sweet!

Skull Skates Dead Guys – Here’s another cool, rare teamrider from the Skull crew. I’ve never seen one of these available before, so I jumped at the chance to grab it. The shape is great and the graphics are weird/funny. I’d love for someone to explain to me how they chose the dead guys to feature on this one. They are all, in fact, dead. I guess the one that really doesn’t fit for me is Albert Einstein. The other’s are sort of pop idols. I guess I just never realised that Al had that kind of following. Here’s a shot of the top.

Skull Skates Jonny Ray Team Skull – This is another one of my favorites from the guys at Skull Skates. Great graphics and a very distinctive shape that features a “Bat Tail” design. Skull always had cool designs and cooler riders. In their heyday the team included Steve Olson, Duane Peters, Dave Hackett and Christian Hosoi. Not too shabby! I’m looking for other Skull Skates decks if anyone can help me out.

Think Duane Peters – Killer mid 90s pro model for the Master of Disaster here. This board is totally punk! I love the leopard print combined with Duane’s signature red and black stripes. The top has a small tag with safety pins. Too cool…

Uncle Wiggley Argyle – Both Adam and I rode an Argyle in the mid 80s. Uncle Wiggley started making decks in the dark days of skating, right after all the skateparks closed and before the Bones Brigade exploded into mega-stars. They put out quality stuff using epoxy resin instead of glue and adding layers of fiberglass to strengthen their boards. They also added rivets to stop the nose from delaminating. We both were pretty hard on our boards, so all these extra touches were not lost on us. This deck has never been set-up… it’s wide with minimal concave, and the argyle motif always reminds me of my favorite socks!

Uncle Wiggley Tony Magnusson – Wow! This is a rare early Tony Magnusson pro model. Tony had a few models with Uncle Wiggley. I’m still looking for the model with the hexagonal grid on it. E-mail me if you can help. Tony went on to create his own company Magnusson Skates and then H-Street. Those companies started out in the UWS woodshop and featured the same killer quality that made Uncle Wiggley the best.

Uncle Wiggley Team Epoxy/Glass – I’m not sure if this one had a name, but what it is, is the Tony Magnusson model that I always wanted, but these were made after Tony moved on. I guess UWS sold a good number of Tony’s pro model, so like Sims did after Hosoi left, or Powell after Ray Bones, they kept making the board with the skater’s name removed. God, I love these simple geometric graphics. Maybe less really is more?

Uncle Wiggley Fish Stik – A true classic. This was the first fish shape that UWS did and other than the Alva Hosoi, one of the earliest fish shapes from any company. Great, simple graphics. I think that’s what I like most about Uncle Wiggley boards.

Uncle Wiggley Dave Schultes – Never seen this one available in any condition. Love those throwback graphics and the thick big dot screening on this one. Dave had several models with UWS, but this is the coolest by far. Nice shape too…

Uncle Wiggley Vicky’s Street – Another mid 80s Wiggley with killer graphics. The guy in the pic reminds me of Ash from Evil Dead.

Uncle Wiggley Brad Smith 2 – This model from 1988 features UWS’ Series VIII concave (a 15š/30š tail, a 4š/8š/11š semi-elliptical body concave, and a 4š/7š flip nose). Needless to say, Uncle Wiggley made the best quality boards by utilizing the strength of wood and the flexibility fiberglass laminated with quality epoxy resins. This board rules. From the construction and shape to the very early process inks graphics, Uncle Wiggley shows their innovative spirit. Wish we had something like that today!

Vision Animal Skins Leopard – This was one of the first decks manufactured by Vision in the 1980s, along with its zebra and alligator companions. Too bad it isn’t the Alva version! Personally, I think that most Vision decks are pieces of shit. They used cheap, weak, wood, and dressed it up with bright paint jobs and a massive ad budget. I remember Vision Gators breaking all over the place (to the point that Transworld Skateboarding ran a TOTAL industry shill piece on how board breakage was due to people not knowing how to ride! That was the day I stopped reading that rag!) Anyway, this board was made before Vision’s quality went down the toilet. We think its pretty cool. It has the Animal Skins logotype on top.

Original Vision Gator – Here’s a link that tells the sad tale of Mark Rogowski. He went from making big money as a skater and model, to raping and murdering his ex-girlfriend’s friend and winding up behind bars. Evidently, his life went to shit right after he became a born-again Christian. Something to remember for all you kids out there. This deck was released somewhere around 1983. Vision sold millions of these boards, and rightfully so. The shape was cool, the graphics were trippy, and the ads were plastered all over the magazines. My friend Andrew had a pink and black one back in 1984. This is a really nice NOS example, in a pink/black finish.

Vision Tom Groholski Heavy Metal – Rare mid 80s Groholski pro model. I really like the Eddie Van Halen treatment on this one and the Judas Priest style type. Rock and fuh king roll!!! Here’s a picture of the top.

Z-Flex Z-Woody – Round about 1983, Tim and I see an ad in Thrasher for Z skateboards. The ad shows the famed Z-Pig logo, and ordering information. We both order decks immediately, thinking that we are getting something along the lines of an old Z-Pig or Z-Winger, something cool, something stylish. This is what we got instead. The natural finish is nice, the silkscreening is third-world primitive, the concave was almost non-existent, and the deck weighed a TON! On the positive side, they were unbreakable, and made for a great cutting board. We both sold ours after about 2 months. OK, this is what I really hoped I was gonna get when I ordered that Z so many years ago. The Wes Humpston designed Z-Pig! Nice snub nosed design with that classic pig graphic.

Zorlac Double Cut – As Zorlacs go, this is THE one. Old school decks don’t get any better than this one. The underside displays one of Pushead’s finest and most recognizable graphics, the Shrunken Head, while the top features the famous “Shut Up and Skate” logo. And the killer double-cut shape is one of the best EVER, in my opinion. I don’t want to go overboard here, but I have to put on Depends undergarments every time I touch this deck. It is so unbelievably cool and so perfect, it causes me to soil myself involuntarily.