Frankly the best skateboard

When this came up for auction I made myself stop following it because I was trying to save money and my basement is already filled with all kinds of bullshit. Now I’m kicking myself because it sold for only $40, although I think shipping was something like $20 if I recall correctly. Still, for the money, this is the kind of bulshit I should have added to my collection. On the surface, the board is nothing special, but on closer inspection the truck and wheel combination is pretty interesting. It’s got 60’s style Chicago Trucks with the sheet metal baseplate, and yet it has 70’s era urethane wheels. Then there’s that awesome color sticker with a hotdog skateboard that says “Frankly the Best.” The icing on the cake is the 2 color screen printed graphic on the box. They were really giving this thing the hard sell.

– Thanks to David Maes for the tip.

Here it is in all it’s glory.

R.S.I., or Roller-Sports, Inc. out of Jacksonville, Florida. I think I ‘ve featured an RSI deck before, but I couldn’t place it. I don’t think they are still in business though.

This sticker is kick ass. Surprising that they spent the money for something that would/should be immediately taken off prior to riding. I can easily envision the remnants of paper and glue left on the top deck. Why put a hotdog on the sticker? Is it because the color of the board resembles a cooked hotdog? Was it a point of sale marketing tool? What good would it it do if you couldn’t see it until it was out of the box?

A closer view at the Chicago Trucks, commonly found in the late 60’s and early 70’s. How that is attached to the deck is anyone’s guess. It looks like a rivet, but I can’t imagine that would hold unless they poured the deck with the trucks in place. Come to think of it, I guess that’s how they made all those vintage (pre-Penny era) plastic banana boards.

Open bearings and RSI branded wheels.

Lastly, take a gander at the excellent packaging. Recommended age group 6-18! How generous!