Knight Riders and FU Boards

Skateboarders Given Stylish Ride By Glow-in-the-Dark Compound

Err.. Yeah. Whatever you say, Marketing Man. I hope RTP Inc. feels like they are getting their money’s worth from you. This line of skateboards is actually called “FU Boards”, which is exactly what I am predicting the buying public will say about this product. Thanks go to field reporter Rich from EPM for this tip.

Bell Innovative Products of Sylmar, CA would like to shed some light on the world of extreme sports, or at least some extreme light on the sport of skateboarding. Bell’s new line of FU Boards uses RTP Company’s glow-in-the-dark (GITD) technology to create an extreme look never seen before on this style of transportation device.

Picture a skateboard equipped with a built-in ground effects lighting kit! The light in this case is courtesy of GITD material ingeniously used on the underside of the board.

Ground effects. Awesome. Just what we need, more lugheads who are into skateboarding. Hey, don’t forget about the new acronym! Where can I buy my GITD technology turns me on. bumper sticker?

High performance boards are often manufactured from seven-layer maple laminate. For brute strength and durability, maple is an outstanding choice of materials. While plastic boards exist, they typically lack necessary strength and rigidity, limiting them to the market’s lower end. In an effort to change this mindset Bell Innovative began using an RTP 100 Series glass-filled polypropylene compound for its skateboards.

Whew! It sounded like they wanted to make plastic skateboards, but glass-filled polypropylene compound means fiberglass, right?

The material exhibits a tensile strength of 11,000 psi (76 MPa) and a flexural modulus of 0.65 psi x 106 (4479 MPa), yielding desirable structural properties for a skateboard. “Performance and strength,” says Mark Bell, President of Bell Innovative, “are our overriding concerns and this material is the strongest we’ve seen. Previous trials with other resins and different glass and mineral combinations just proved inadequate for skateboards.”

11,000 psi? Sure dude. Sounds strong to me. I need all the PSI I can get. Hella PSI, fool!

Bell Innovative did not develop plastic boards just to prove a concept. With tool design and manufacturing, injection molding, graphic arts and printing capabilities, they envisioned a completely integrated manufacturing process. “Our integration is essential to a successful product. Our graphics, enhanced by the GITD technology from RTP Company, really set us apart from other boardmakers,” says Bell.

Ah Hah! They are trying to sell plastic boards. Sounds like a toy to me.

RTP Company incorporates high intensity, long-glow duration pigments into its Type 1 line of GITD compounds. The materials take an initial charge quickly and average both 10 times the brightness and 10 times the glow duration of typical GITD materials. Pigments used are non-toxic and non-migratory, making them safe for ordinary landfill disposal. In contrast with older technology, the pigments are light stable, meaning their glow properties will not fade over time.

RTP Company sets a good example for Bell’s own company, as a supplier that is able to offer many services to its customers. “RTP Company worked out our structural requirements, then helped us to explore the GITD materials that help make us unique,” Bell said. “Knowledge, materials, and assistance. Like us, they provide the whole package at once.”

Blah blah blah. Bell Innovative Has a logo that looks a lot like the Bell Helmets logo, although the web site seems third rate. I would be surprised if the companies were related. Although, that would explain the skateboard connection since Bell Helmets has hooked up with NHS to sell skateboard helmets. One of the links from Bell Innovative is for FU boards web site. There is just too much there to make fun of in the same post, so I’ll have to do that later. This post has made a lot of work for me. There’s also a Gratuitous Tony Hawk appearance in the skateboard helmet announcement.