Countless Experiments, One Result - Lab Wheels

Noah Yang
18 minutes ago
8 min read

In any discipline driven by feel rather than scale, progress is rarely dramatic. It arrives quietly—through repetition, patience, and an almost obsessive attention to detail. Fingerboarding is no exception. Though miniature in form, it demands the same (or even more) sensitivity to material, balance, and motion that defines its full-sized counterpart.

Lab Wheels operates within this narrow margin. Built around experimentation rather than spectacle, the brand approaches wheel-making as an ongoing process rather than a finished statement. Each iteration reflects a commitment to tactility, durability, and restraint—values shaped less by trends than by lived experience within skateboarding culture itself.

In this conversation, we speak with Peter Philippov, the scientist behind the Lab table about beginnings, materials, and the discipline of refining a single result through countless experiments.

(NY) Could you begin by telling us about your journey and what led you to start making fingerboard wheels?

(PP) My fingerboarding journey goes way back — around 2005 or 2006. At that time there were no skateshops in my city at all. We only had a couple of small stores that sold random teenage stuff: hacky sack, extreme sports magazines, some clothes, accessories - typical early and mid-2000s vibes. One day my brother came home and told me that one of those shops was selling a miniature skateboard that you could do tricks on just like a real one, but using your fingers. That idea completely blew my mind.

I already knew a bit about skateboarding back then, mostly thanks to playing THPS on the PS1. I had some pocket money saved up - sometimes I’d skip school lunches to save some money. so I went straight to that shop and bought one of those mini skateboards. Back then it was literally called a “mini-skate.” I didn’t even know the term “fingerboard” yet. The one I got was made by a brand called No Rules, with one of their characters printed on the deck. I’ve never managed to find that exact board again, but I’ve seen some similar ones online.

When I got home and opened it, I honestly thought I’d just put my fingers on the board and start doing tricks right away. Reality hit pretty fast — I couldn’t even get anything close to an ollie. That was the moment I realized this wasn’t going to be easy. It was going to take time, patience, and a lot of practice.

A bit later, the first real skate shop finally opened in my city. From that point on, I’d occasionally buy Tech Deck fingerboards with the money I saved from lunches. A couple of my classmates and I were constantly practicing on school windowsills. It was a really fun time. At some point fingerboarding just exploded — suddenly a lot of people were into it and part of the scene.

That’s basically how it all started and kept growing, alongside everything else — the internet, online communities, new content. Around 2009, I was really inspired by videos from Daniel Lindqvist when he was riding for Yellowood. His clips were incredibly impressive to me at the time and pushed my motivation even further.

Fingerboarding has been with me ever since that very first mini-skate. Like anyone else, I’ve had different periods in life. There were years when I didn’t ride at all and wasn’t really following the scene. But I always knew it was still there. It’s part of who I am and a real part of my life.

As for the second part of your question — what inspired me to start making wheels — I’ll be completely honest. My biggest inspiration at that moment was Joycult, and especially the way Matt Watkinson presented the brand. When I first saw their Instagram, my reaction was just “wow.” I ordered a set right away, and when they arrived, I was genuinely blown away. They were the OG shape — and if I remember correctly, back then they didn’t even have a bearing lock system yet — but that didn’t matter. I loved them.

For a long time, I had this idea in the back of my mind that I’d like to make skateboard wheels someday, but it was always kind of a passing thought. Then, as fingerboarding kept evolving and more and more new brands and ideas started popping up on Instagram, I thought to myself — why not try making fingerboard wheels too? That’s really where it all began. It started with inspiration from the people who had already done it, and from the idea that I could try creating something of my own.

(NY) When it comes to materials, what considerations go into selecting the right compounds for fingerboard wheels? How do these choices differ from skateboard wheels?

(PP) Honestly, it was all about testing, testing, and more testing. That was the biggest part of the process. It was really important for me that the material’s characteristics matched exactly what I had in mind. I didn’t want to just make another set of wheels — I wanted to create a truly premium product.

First of all, it had to be something that I personally liked. I would never feel comfortable selling something to people if I didn’t genuinely enjoy using it myself.

If we’re talking about the main difference between fingerboard wheels and regular skateboard wheels, I’d say it comes down mostly to hardness. The material needs to be harder so that under your fingers you get a feeling that’s closer to what real skateboard wheels feel like under your feet.

At the same time, the material also has to be very elastic. It needs strong structural properties so the wheel doesn’t crack or fail over time.

(NY) Can you describe the process of creating fingerboard wheels from scratch? How much of it is handmade or custom-crafted?

(PP) I can’t really go into every step of the process from start to finish - there are some things in our secret lab that have never been publicly shared =) But what I can say is this: our methods are quite similar to how real skateboard wheels are made.

At the same time, there’s a huge amount of hands-on work involved. We put a lot of physical effort into the process, and most of the production is very detailed, careful hand made using all the proper tools needed to create each wheel.

(NY) What challenges have you faced in scaling down the properties of skateboard wheels to a fingerboard scale?

(PP) Oh, without a doubt - it was developing the bearing lock system. That was probably the biggest challenge back when we were working on the first prototypes.

(NY) Many skateboard wheel brands have a unique identity or culture behind them. Do you find that the same thing exists within the fingerboarding community? How do you connect with that culture through your brand?

(PP) Yes, absolutely - I definitely see it. I think fingerboard culture evolves very much in parallel with skateboarding culture.

Honestly, I’ve always felt like we’re talking about the same thing anyway. I’ve always seen fingerboarding as a part of skateboarding culture. It’s like one big tree — with the same roots, just different branches.

And when it comes to how a brand interacts with that culture, in the end it’s really up to the community. If people choose our wheels and decide to ride them, that alone is already a form of interaction.

(NY) Do you have any specific branding elements (logo, color palette, packaging) that reflect the ethos of your company? How important are these details in building brand recognition?

(PP) Definitely. If you visit our IG page, you’ll notice that every image has something in common with the others — there’s a consistent feeling running through all of them. In a way, I think that style is really shaped by my personal interests. Everything that has inspired me in the past, and everything that inspires me now, plays a role in forming that visual identity. It’s an ongoing process — something that’s always evolving.

To make it easier to understand, I can give you an example. At one point I watched anime 1995 “Ghost in the Shell”, and I loved it so much that I decided to name a special wheel release after it. Another example — I once styled the LAB logo to resemble the PS2 logo, simply because I love that console and the whole aesthetic of that era.

Everything influences everything. What I really put into the LAB, first and foremost, are the things that I personally love. That’s basically my philosophy — to create these products with passion, care, and soul.

(NY) For people new to fingerboarding, how would you explain the significance of high-quality wheels? What should they expect when they upgrade?

(PP) For beginners in fingerboarding, my advice is simple - just try it. If you get the chance, borrow a complete setup with good components from someone, maybe at a contest, and feel how it rides under your fingers. Honestly, there’s not much to explain — the feeling itself will tell you more than any words ever could.

As for wheels specifically, when you switch to higher-quality ones, you’ll immediately notice the difference. You’ll feel the smoothness, the grip, and that distinct polyurethane sound under your fingers.

(NY) Where do you see fingerboard technology heading in the future? Do you think fingerboard wheels could continue to evolve, and if so, how?

(PP) I can see that 3D technology is developing very fast, and a lot of brands are already using 3D printing to make wheels. Even now, the quality of those wheels is at a really solid level.

But for me, Lab wheels are about something different — they’re about making something entirely by hand, from start to finish. That’s a core part of the identity. Because of that, we don’t use 3D printing in our production now.

As for the second part of your question — yes, definitely. We’re going to see more new materials, more wheels with high-quality graphics, and overall a lot more innovation in the future.

(NY) As both a designer and a business operator, how do you manage the technical and creative aspects of the business? Which part of the process excites you the most?

(PP) It’s a lot of hard work - and anyone who runs their own business will definitely understand that. Since 2021, my brother has been helping me with the production and making the wheels. The two of us handle every single drop together, so every set wheels you own was made either by me personally or by him. There are just the two of us - no one else is involved in the company in any way.

What inspires me the most is the positive feedback from the fingerboard community. There’s a lot of it, and I’ve always said - and will always say - that the people who support the LAB are literally part of the LAB itself. We work for them, and in return they show us a lot of appreciation. That kind of connection is incredibly motivating.

(NY) Fingerboarding is a niche market with passionate followers. How do you approach marketing to this unique community?

(PP) I don’t really follow any business models or marketing frameworks. I just focus on making things that I personally like - products that I myself would want to buy.

I believe our wheels are about giving people emotions, and that’s what really matters. You know that special feeling you had as a kid when you opened a long-awaited toy, or a brand-new comic you’d been dreaming about? That kind of excitement - that’s exactly what I mean.

And if someone opens a fresh pack of labwheels and feels that same spark, then it means we did everything right.

(NY) Lastly, is there anything else that you would like to add for our readers?

(PP) Trust your ideas and do what you love! Thanks to all our fans - we’ll keep experimenting for you!

Special thanks to our friend Eric from Hong Kong, who many people know as Guaiguaichai. He has supported and helped us tremendously over the past four years. We are truly grateful to him—our deepest respect.

Have a wonderful day!

Peter Philippov
Instagram: @labwheels