Skateboards made in the shape of fraternity paddles. From the standpoint of capitalism, it’s a great idea, they’ll probably sell a ton. The decks are just flat wood so it’s not like it takes any real skill to make them. You can get custom vinyl graphics with fantastic bullshit like “George Homophpobe – Big Brother.” Of course there are flasks and t-shirts. Great niche marketing though. Even if I had thought of it first, I don’t think I could bring myself to actually make and sell them. Their tagline is “Frat hard. Shred hard.” I can’t make this stuff up. Maybe if Fratboards had been around when I was in college my old man might have finally connected with me…

[Source: The Daily Dickfoot]

Version 2 Lab doens’t have much of a web site, but they have put images and videos on Facebook. Of course, there’s a kickstarter in the works too, but it’s not live yet. They sure are shiny. 5 lbs of lacquer may offset the carbon footprint benefits of recycled paper. Check out their “Maco” board (after the jump or on Facebook) which is actually kind of cool, except shouldn’t it be called “Mako?” It’s odd actually, the only picture on the web site make them look crappy arts & crafts projects, while the extra photos on Facebook make them look like polished products.

– Thanks to Jeff Barrett for the tip.

Best Friends skateboard. You know, like the little girl’s necklaces. By Carlton Dewoody, for sale on Grey Area. The price tag is absurd, but my hats off to Carlton for having the hutzpah to get it done and listed for that amount.

…when I saw someone else had already done it. This first half of the sentence is a direct quote, but the second half isn’t, although it should be. The creator of BabyDubz even managed to get a patent out of this. Maybe it has something to do with the pouring method, maybe it’s just a clear cut case for patent reform. The creator looks a lot like McLovin’ which works to his favor I guess, because it makes me want to cut him some slack against my better judgement. They also come in a gold plated version, because nothing makes more sense than spending a lot of money on something you’re going to throw out in 3-6 months. Maybe they can sell some to Lil’ Wayne. I shouldn’t have to mention this, but of course there is a Kickstarter page. Also awesome: Dad, can I film my video in your office? I wan to look like a bidness man.

– Thanks to playa Seth Levy for the 411.

Swear to Glob I saw these before somewhere but I can’t place it now. These Wheel Shields are supposed to prevent wheelbite and, I don’t know, mud splatters on you new kicks? These are pre-release photos. No web page and gasp, no Kickstarter either! Just a lowly old Facebook page. Update. There is a web site, but with a different name. Marketing message needs focus guys!

– Thanks to Seth Levy for the tip.

The Ground Surf from 1135 Garnet looks like it might be a design concept and not an actual product as of yet. There are next to zero details on the site. Sensors supposedly adjust speed by weight placement, which seems like it might be hard to control. Good news though, if you fall off those sensors will apply the brakes. Nice neo-art deco design. If Deckard rode an electric skateboard, this is what it would look like.

[Source: The Khooll] – Thanks to Kathleen for the tip.

This one actually looks pretty good too, able to go uphill, but certainly not as powerful as a Gnarboard. This is probably the nicest looking electric skateboard to date, it doesn’t look like a longboard with a brick strapped to it. It’s the first ever to use regenerative breaking too. Breaking recharges the batteries a little bit. Hella expensive (Yes, I said “hella”) though. Boosted Boards has raised $297,763 do date on Kickstarter. Their promo video is heavily biased towards green transportation vs. skateboarding fun.

Monster truck version of a skateboard? You can buy that at Toys R Us, but Juicebox built a lowrider skateboard in the spirit of the dork session. Juiceboxforyou.com is actually a site focusing on car culture in Ireland, so go figure.

Taking a break from people reinventing the skateboard, here’s the umpteenth take on reinventing skyhooks, ollie bands, straps, etc… Krainkn was “invented” by Kevin Rains – get it? K-rain-kin! Guess what? You’ll never believe this, not in a million years. He’s on kickstarter. What’s actually hard to imagine is the fact that he has allegedly squeezed a patent or two out of this idea that dates back to the 70’s and has even been updated in the last 5 years or so. I’ll even go out on a limb and say it looks fun (shocker!) but come on man, you’re detracting from kickstarter programs that are actually interesting, like the Molecule Synth.

– Thanks to Sarib for the tip.

UPDATE: New videos added since the old one disappeared.

I collect a lot of skateboards that are, quite frankly, whack. I have not been able to bring myself to purchase this one, and apparently nobody else has either. This item has been on eBay for a couple of years running. Yes, I’ve been following it that long. I actually saw a kid on one of these at a skatepark some time circa 2001. The question is, did the Gonz get his inspiration from this or did these guys copy him?