UPDATE: In the wake of the passing of Steve Schneer some 7 years after this post was written, I feel it’s important to point out the title of this post is a reference to his famous Ho Ho plants and how these magnet embedded skateboards would make it so much easier for kids to do this trick. There’s no disrespect intended towards Steve, and in fact in meeting him a few times in my capacity as editor at S&A he was always very friendly and never mentioned it.
My kid plays with these little toy figures that have magnets in their feet that stick to small skateboards. They are called Tech Deck Dudes and there are something like 60 of them now. They are fun to play with for both of us, although I can’t figure out why some of the guys have weapons too. They obviously call to mind the old Sky Hooks, which you can still actually buy from no less than three (Count ’em. 1, 2, 3.) manufacturers. Apparently there’s no current official trademark holder. But Sky Hooks are so 70’s, and magnets make for a more up to date dork session. Besides, you could just change shoes if you didn’t want to engage them on your regular board. There was a company that actually manufactured these things under the name Magnatron a few years back, but they disappeared quickly. Apparently one of the guys involved with that company (as a skateboarding advisor) is carrying on. For $60 he’ll retrofit your deck and shoes and turn it into a Magnet Skate. No word on whether it will cause creepy, unexplained flesh colored blurs to appear over your face like they do on his web site.
The real skateboard world may never be ready for what could be conceived as a gimmick in skateboarding since it’s altering it and doing it in a different way. But never the less with or without magnets, kids will still be trying things like we did. Duct taping their feet to the board, using inner tubes from bikes and lifting their boards with them etc.
That about sums it up. More pictures and video after the jump. Thanks to Bob Mechtly for the tip.
The Magnatron
It’s a good thing I snagged a picture of this when it was still available, because the Magnatron web site is now defunct. I think it might have lasted a couple months.
I don’t know how long these things will be available, so I’ve archived a few of the pictures here. The funny thing is that most of the action pictures on the web site are indistinguishable from non-assisted skateboarding since the binding system is invisible.
Magnet board video.
http://youtu.be/UhxHOGnh1V4
Yeah, this is goofy stuff to be sure, but it’s also good for a laugh. Imagine the tweaked Benihana variations you could pull in front of an unsuspecting crowd. I dare you.
43 comments
Elo Tracy
Haters gonna hate. Douchebags are afraid to try anything new. It’s like they invented skateboarding or something and you’re going to ruin their great idea. The reality is some things are probably easier and some things are probably impossible either way you gonna still have to practice to get good at it. It’s not like you could just do anything you could think of like in some kind of zero gravity Nerf world. Who’s the guy claiming the 1080s?(i’m sure has never even pulled a 540). I’d love to see that. That’s got to be good for some hard slams. Come on, nobody’s even talking about rodeo flips. My first thought was the quad rodeos , duds been pulling that rock them binders that connects um to a snowboard. Pussies!
Changeezyubeezy
Bought this board and shoes with shoebox at a yard sale. Still has that new shoe smell. Can
chamgeezyubeezy
Just bought this thing from a yard sale. Looks brand new with new shoe smell and box!!!!!! Can
Seattledude
Holly crap his style sucks.
penjuen
Yeah tis is gret idea but i prefer the francais empress 4size
kilwag
I hear inline skates are fun too. You should pick up a pair. It might help youto get over your homophobia too.
john
its about having fun u cockbags. are you telling me none of you have ever cheated in a video game? o btw if u want to go down that road wtf is with the game rockband y not just learn how to play? o yea thats cuz not everyone is a pro at everything so y dont u just suck it faggots
jose
where can get them
JAKEANDANNOY
Dude, Que Hablar?! Puedo ver algunos de espanol se…
Que es “wena”? “ken no la ac”? “la wea”?
nac0x
wena asi ken no la ac
nach0x
mas chamta puro iman la wea
cccccccccooooooooolllllllllllliiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
whats this even about?
skaterhusseindave
Just don’t look at, or talk to the Danny Bearer thing…
michael
I thought this magnetron worst dude ever shit was so a few years ago. I thought concussion pretty much covered that shit. sizzzlor sucks
Simply Stupid
You made the magnet boards Danny?
nweyesk8
dude,Danny, get off it… we don’t want your crappy re-issue board from the 60’s….
Danny Bearer
Ask the owner of MAKAHA SKATEBOARD AND SKI CLUB Shawn Bryant at phone # 1-407-375-7293 for the brand new DANY BEARER SKATEBOARD MODEL ~~~ Thank you, Very truly yours, Daniel Bearer
memo
it is fucking awesome skateboarding but in my city is a fucking crime do you think?
Simply Stupid
Holy shit can you imagine trying to nolli with that shit? I like the 1080 idea, its the best out of all of them. Can my picture be on the annoying kid of the month? I’ll send it in. These fags need to ride the magnetic plank.
rubo
it
jahmeik
tech.deck collll
Robert
I’m going to use that to pull the first 1080 on a skateboard! Shh! Don’t tell anyone. Haha! I am sure any good skateboarder would have a lot of fun with that… At least for a short while. If you want to see a product thats lame, check out the Ollie Buster on youtube! Ridiculous!
Zed-word
“that is what you get for joining the good ol
Becks
Lol I think this magnet thingy is going a bit too far man! Lol you may be bad at skateboardin’ (like me) but that’s no reason to just be lazy and get a stupid board with magnets on your shoes! Just switch to snowboarding or somethin’
Larry
plus the amount of money you save from not getting razor tail! you dont even have to tailtap on your ollies. now if there was a way to skate while sitting in your easy chair with a sack of ruffles, everyone would be doing it.
Larry
when you slam you might get some sideways looks, with your head in the flatbottom and board on your feet while laid out on the tranny.
Aiden
OMG! WEN I SAW DIS I HAD A GREAT IDEA!
INSTEAD OF BUYING THIS $100 SKATEBOARD, I GOT MY OLD BOARD AND A PAIR OF OLD SHOES AND SCREWED DA SHOES 2 DA BOARD! ITS JUST AS FUN BUT WAS FREE! 😛
Ryan Heckler
that is what you get for joining the good ol’ US Military monster, maybe you should learn to snowboard instead, Bro…at least then you fit in with the rest of the strap-on crowd…
Arron
There like tech dech dude feet and board for people!!!
LinuxMaster9
People who use these things are using them mostly because they have no skill but still want to ride so stop bitching at them and saying they should be shot. you should be shot for being a frickin bigot. The whole reason magnetic skateboards are out there is to make skateboarding available to anyone who wants to. I’m disabled and I still skateboard even though I can not ollie due to my injuries while in the ARMY. I’m getting one from France that is better cause I can remove the magnets from the shoes turning it into a regular board and vice versa. With the skateboard I can once again ollie and enjoy myself on my skateboard so lay off.
Big Dave
I’m Trying to find Steve Schneer, any ideas how?
I used to be a friend of his in Guin Foss grade school in Tustin California.
If you know him or where he can be found, email me at bdnwtkfg@wans.net
Thanks!
David N.
Eric
I want to try one just for the fun of it. I bet on a trampoline it would be dope for body flips if the magnets stick good. Looks like they do.
david
it’s like the board is atached to there feet
321
Magnatron decks rock but you cant even flip the board and its not even a challenge to learn sk8boarding with magnets…
Lmobb
just saw the worst dude ever,lurking in kansas city..we kept clowning,waiting for the magnets to make an appearance…thank god that goonsac chose not break em out..
almost had him convinced to sign both concussion articles..thx davoud… it never ceases to amaze me…the kook level ____ maintains…
jaymeericle
I remember the magnatron. I think Aug Dog got kicked out of Burnside for riding these there multiple times. He was sponsered by them for a sec. years ago.
The bails were truely comedy. You thought grip tape was sticky, Steping off aint no joke.
Easy way to do airs & ollies with no pop, but without Really learning how.
If they had a button to turn the magnetic Powers on and off it would really all be over.
Lol
Carl
First they wrangle the board pressing industry, now this.
Kilwag
Some Chinese skateboard blog just translated this entry and posted it on their site, embedded the images served from this site, the little bandwidth thieves… I changed the file name to foil them.
davoud
Worst Dude Ever right there. Thanks for turning me onto his blog, this oughta be as good for a laugh as Michael Brooke’s blog..
Thor
So thats how Grover does his backside ollies.
skatebroke
WTF
egbert
There is no God.
DaveV
Thats whats rad about skateboarding today. The diversity. Now that skateboarders have innovative products such as magnet boards and energy drinks the limits are endless…new awesome airs and manuevers are happening daily. Seriously though,I can’t believe S—- B—- is still at it. He’s been hyping up magnets for years. Looks like he has some new “recruits” on his “team” too.
I was at the Vans skatepark in Milpitas when some of that footage was shot. After telling anyone that would listen (usually pre-teens) about his amazing professional skills and awesome products…he would proceed to put on a one man demo for any toddler, adolescent or parent in the park. He usually got some room to put on his demos cause everyone else that was skating would get bummed out and leave…a win/win! Imagine him beaming at you after one of his pattented ollies…this guy is a real lemon.