The War on Blanks – Skate and Annoy

Machines for Skateboards

I thought these heat transfer machines were like 10k or something, but apparently they go for $3,500 to $5,500 depending on whether or not you want to transfer one side at a time or two. These guys sell everything. Skateboards, plastic skateboards, Griptapes and Hardwares [sic.], trucks, skate tools and yes, heat transfer machines. Machines […]

Dwindle shows you how their boards are made

This video tour of the Dwindle wood shop narrated by Rodney Mullen is fascinating on several levels. I’ll start with the elephant in the room, the factory location. Sure, the wood comes from Canada, but the labor appears to mostly be comprised of girls just old enough to compete on the Chinese gymnastics team. Next, […]

La rampa vertical tendrá la capa original de skatelite

Earlier there was some discussion about whether or not anything good ever comes from the X Games. I brought up the fact that they sometimes leave their ramps behind, and John Aguilar pointed out that such is the case in Mexico City. Mexican skate rag ReSkate reports that last year’s X Games vert and street […]

Skateboard Project

A first glance at the web site for Penn State Industries makes it look like the company exists solely to supply a burgeoning cottage industry of making wooden pens. No, I’m not kidding! Hidden among the woodworking projects are two skateboard kits. Skateboard Project Kit. Here’s a chance for you to make “awesome” custom skateboards. […]

Embroiled: When “Cali” isn’t California

CBSC does not embroil itself in the China vs. USA or Europe manufacturing debate. Simply we are American Skaters living in China, for almost a decade, that have pain-stakingly established quality manufacturing supply channels that allow us to 100% always control quality on-site. From the regular stream of business opportunities that come to our inbox. […]

Walls Street Journal weighs in on blanks

The Wall Street Journal has an article on the blank skateboards titled “Avid Boarders Bypass Branded Gear: The $15 ‘Blank Decks’ Work Just Fine — A Marketing Challenge for Industry.” Zoo York riders scored the photo incentives. If you’re hoping for the old school pen and ink renderings that they used to use for illustrations […]

Skate Sporting: We are looking for international sale agent with self-employ

I received more spam from Chinese skateboard manufacturer. Not very remarkable except for a few things. The first thing I noticed was a picture of an assembly line for completes. Are those children or small women on the line? Look at the shot of the factory. I swear those are soldiers guarding the entrance to […]

A world without “A world without pros”

Looks like the World Without Pros web site has been removed. I’m calling doublespeak on their reasoning. If it created a healthy dialog and the point was still valid, why not leave it up? My guess is they were not happy with the amount of ridicule and bad press it was generating.

Chinese manufacturers fight back.

retailers, don’t limit yourselves to what they want you to sell. sell what’s best for your shops needs. push the limits. don’t conform. Chinese manufacturers fight back… with North American hardwoods, dubious slogans, and innovative shapes. See more of these fantastical, mind-blowing innovative shapes after the jump.