From Ron Jon to Nash Bash - @nashville_fb
It's been a while since we sat down with a collector for a proper, unhurried conversation about fingerboarding. For this episode of Collector's Appreciation, we spoke with Justin, known to many of us as Nash @nashville_fb.
Nash first picked up a fingerboard in the late '90s, back when the shelf held only a handful of options and Tech Decks were just arriving. He returned to the hobby during COVID, and his collection has since grown in every direction: hard-to-find OG Tech Decks, hand-shaped decks from makers he now calls friends, and a Lab wheel collection nearing 200 sets.
We talked about the brands that pull him in, the one board he'll never set up, the sets he's still hunting for, and what hosting Nash Bash in Nashville taught him about the people who keep this community running.
For all the collecting, his conclusion is a simple one. A fingerboard is a tool, and its value lies in what it can do. Here is the conversation with Nash on collecting, riding, and community.
(NY) Please introduce yourself to our readers!
(N) Hi! I'm Justin, but I also answer to "Nash." You and your readers may know me as @nashville_fb on Instagram.
(NY) What was the first fingerboard you bought, and do you remember what drew you to it over everything else on the shelf?
(N) I am a self-described fingerboarding elder, so I have to go way, way back for this. It was a Precision Board fingerboard I bought at my local Ron Jon Surf Shop sometime in the late '90s. I had a friend who had one at school, so I begged my parents to get me one. I can't remember the specific graphic I got, but I remember it was a Toxic Branded cruiser. There wasn't much to choose from at that time in fingerboarding history, so it would have been my favorite of whatever the minimal selection was. Chris Daniels actually brought an in-pack example to Vous a couple years ago as part of his fingerboarding history presentation, and that was the first time I had seen one in well over a decade. He was kind enough to let me check it out. The same company also made a half-pipe, which I bought. It was basically popsicle sticks glued between two half-pipe-shaped side profiles. I still remember how terrible it felt and sounded.
Very soon after that, Tech Decks arrived on the scene, and it was game over for me.
(NY) Do you collect around a theme — a shape, a graphic type, an era of the scene — or does it follow wherever your eye goes?
(N) What I actually collect now evolved over time, and really, it's a little of all of the above. For context, I got back into fingerboarding around the time of COVID. It started with me just wanting to try different products to figure out what I liked. I came from Tech Decks, so all this fancy stuff was a lot to wrap my head around. Once I started to figure out what I liked, there was an inherent scarcity mentality mixed with my need to customize everything, and my impatience to wait for some specific part to arrive. So I just tried to buy up what I could so I would always have something to shred. I found some old OG Tech Decks along the way, some of which were incredibly hard to find.
Aesthetically, I'm drawn to companies that somewhat embody the art of the '90s skateboarding scene. I'm really drawn towards brands that have an undeniable vision. Beast Pants is a fantastic example of a maker with an absolutely clear brand identity. No matter what the graphic is, you know it's his artwork. For me, the Coffee Phantom is a gleaming example of a graphic that looks like it always existed. It fits so perfectly on the deck. It's an icon, and I love it.
Once you go down the collector rabbit hole, you go through periods of needing to have one of everything ever produced and then staring at a drawer full of stuff you don't really care that much about. Now, it's pretty simple. I collect what I like. That doesn't necessarily come from one single brand.
(NY) Which setup in your collection actually gets ridden the most, and is it the one you'd have expected when you bought it?
(N) Right now my main is an acid green Cozy Woob with Joycult/Independent trucks, Lab Poison Vitamins, South Soft tuning, Blossoms Titanium Party Pack screws and FBS tape. I've recently been choosing one deck to ride pretty much all the time. It's a mix of wanting to get better, and also I love the way the decks look when I have absolutely shredded them. They turn into tools at that point, and that is when I feel the most connected to them. When I first got this particular deck, I had been maining a different Woob and definitely didn't think this one would become my favorite.
Something to understand about Woobs is that they are all hand-shaped, so even though you get a "34mm," you really get something between 33.6mm and 34.5mm, and the more you ride, the more those little variances can make a big difference in the way a deck responds to your movement. The shape is always very similar, but again, different. Of course, you get used to these little changes the more time you put into each deck. This particular deck is actually 33.88mm wide and 95.5mm long, and I love it.
(NY) Do you buy for the product itself, or does knowing who made it, where it came from, or what it represents change how you feel about owning it?
(N) In fingerboarding, I think so much of the product is who made it. The relationship to the maker is close — at least in the products that I buy. There are many brands I don't resonate with for various reasons. I love attention to detail. I love knowing that someone cared about this little stack of wood before I had it.
(NY) Have you ever met the creator of the brand behind a piece you own? Did that change how you look at it, or how you ride it?
(N) I think this is my favorite part about this community: meeting makers and getting to have direct conversations with them. If you ever have the chance to attend one of the larger world events like Vous or Fast Fingers, I highly recommend it. Definitely attend anything within driving distance, even if it's a smaller community meetup.
A couple years ago, I had the great pleasure of hanging out with Zac (Woob) and Charlie (Bonk) at FlatFace the day before Vous, not to mention a solid group of guys who all enjoy both those brands. At that point, our relationship had only been online, but that weekend we became friends. I will always support those guys however I can. It's easy for people to look from the outside and see some big company because of the following they command (or the price they charge), but really, everyone is just sitting at home trying to do the best work they can while supporting their family.
At that event, I received a very special board. I had worked out a deal for Zac to make a cool paper graphic for me to shred. It was never intended to be anything fancy, but when he handed it to me, I saw the extra time and effort he had put into it. The top ply was a split ply made from different veneers that Charlie from Bonk had dyed. It melded two brands I loved into one. The graphic was a spoof on the Alien Workshop Spectrum graphic with one simple change: "Alien Woobshop." The cool thing here is that Zac had printed this out years prior. Three existed. Zac had one, Charlie had one, and one was still just a sliver of paper tucked away in some drawer for years. It was such a surprise, and it really touched me. It remains the most special piece that I own to this day. I think being handed this special little thing by Zac, in the FlatFace warehouse, at my first Vous, elevated its emotional value in my mind. It's one of the only pieces I don't think I'd ever set up. It was made FOR ME. Nothing feels better than that.
(NY) What is it about wood, graphics, or shape that pulls you in — do you find yourself drawn to a particular design or profile, and why?
(N) For graphics, it's usually about good composition. I like bold imagery. I'm into traditional tattoos, and in that world we live by the motto "Bold will hold." I'm a sucker for branding in that way. I like bright colors when it comes to wheels but simpler color schemes on graphics. Shape-wise, I've come to love a larger nose (square or round), a short wheelbase, and kicks and concave on the medium-to-high side. Most importantly, I love a taper in the shape. I don't know if it's because it's what I've become used to riding or if it's actually "better," but it's just my preference.
(NY) Do you think of your collection as objects for riding, as collectible art, or does that line stop mattering once the collection grows?
(N) I've always collected as a means to have a product on hand for when I want or need it. My largest collection by far is my Lab collection. I'm nearing the 200 mark on those. It started as a humble attempt to get the colors I liked in case I needed them. Turns out I might need a lot of wheels, haha. For me, collecting is more of an experience. The hunt is such a big part of it. Speaking to people who nerd out on stupid things as much as you do can really spark some interesting friendships. There's nothing like the little endorphin rush you get when you find something no one else has been able to. I haven't officially posted them yet, but I've shared some photos of my rarest set: the one-year anniversary Raw Silver Surfers.
(NY) What's the product you haven't found yet — the one you're still chasing, and why hasn't it turned up?
(N) Mannnn, there are a lot of Labs I'm looking for. Mostly old Raws and Legacy. The hardest to get by far have been the different colorways of the OG Legacy shape. There are a few sets in particular I have been searching for: the original drop opaque Poison Legacy (solid neon yellow), a black/green swirl Legacy, and Gargoyle Tears in the Raw shape. I think the hardest part of looking for old Labs is that the OG Legacy shape is hard to distinguish from Legacy Rs for a lot of people. The Gargoyle Tears were made in low numbers. I know of one pristine set out there, but they're safely in the hands of another collector. Oh, and of course, the elusive original micros. They were hand-shaped from the Legacy shape. Peter called them orbs.
I think there are a few reasons it's hard to find old Labs. Mostly, I think it's because they're such good wheels that people have either shredded the crap out of them or simply don't want to let them go. Still, I've been lucky to get hold of some really special sets.
Also, I should state this in case any of your readers wanna help me out: I am ALWAYS looking for old Coffee Phantom Splits. Give them ALL TO MEE!!!
(NY) What was it like to host your event, Nash Bash? At a personal level, did you feel anything different or new about fingerboarding when you met people who shared the same enthusiasm and love for the tiny board?
(N) Nash Bash was the culmination of so many things. The whole event centered around the launch of a park designed by me and built by Evan Lacey here in Nashville. Throwing the event mostly gave me a new appreciation for everything that goes into this hobby. So many people give their whole heart to this community: building parks, lending parks, lending space, donating prizes or just showing up. All these things take time and money. There was such a nostalgic feeling for me. A bunch of people got together to make an idea happen, with the only motivation being that it sounded cool.
I know I collect these things, but at the end of the day, fingerboards are just tools. Their value to me is 100% what they can do: transport me to being 13 again, or just give me an excuse to hang out with my friends.
Justin, a.k.a "Nash"
Instagram: @nashville_fb
