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Hi, this is Noah here. Thank you for visiting our online catalogue once again, and welcome back to another episode of Collector’s Appreciation . For today’s episode of Collector’s Appreciation , we invited another fingerboard enthusiast, more importantly a good friend of mine from Switzerland. His name is Lionel Serquet, who you may also know him as @this_is_lionel  on Instagram. Lionel is an explorer who has a passion for photography, League of Legends, and electro music. Here is the story behind Lionel’s appreciation for fingerboarding. Photo by: Lionel Serquet (NY)   Please introduce yourself to our readers! (LS)  Hello, my name is Lionel, I’m from Switzerland, I’m 27 years old and I’m currently working in a surface treatment company. (NY)  When and how did you get into fingerboarding? (LS)  I think like almost everyone else, I started fingerboarding at school with a TechDeck instead of listening to the teacher. I’ve watched a lot of videos on YouTube as well, which helped a lot to learn tricks and make handmade ramps to start fingerboarding. Photo by: Lionel Serquet (NY)  What was your first set-up? (LS)  My first setup was obviously a TechDeck, then I wanted to try a Close-up because my close friend had one of them. I really didn’t like it. The shape was way too deep. I almost preferred the TechDeck I had before. I was impressed by the joy this tiny object gave me. Then for Christmas my grandmother offered me my first Berlinwood with 29mm Black River trucks and Winkler wheels. It was the orange PornStorm graphic, which is still one of my favorite graphics ever made. That changed my life and the perception I had for fingerboarding. Every trick was simpler on that setup. Photo by: Lionel Serquet (NY) Can you share the story of how you started collecting fingerboards? (LS)  It was in 2015 when I started following Frostie on Instagram. (This guy had and still have the best collection ever in my opinion). I’ve started my apprenticeship and earned some money for the collection I currently have. (NY) How many fingerboards to you have in your collection? (LS)  I currently have approximately 200  decks in the collection but only 20 pairs of trucks and 45 pairs of wheels that I change every time when I take the pictures of the boards. It’s not worth wasting $65 for 200 trucks when you don’t even use them. I also painted some of my trucks to match the decks and wheels together (Spray painting for metallic things, to those who ask). (NY) Why do you collect fingerboards? (LS)  I collect fingerboards because I’ve started it and still don’t have an end of this beautiful story. It’s also a big part of my life. Every single deck has its own story. And I love talking to everyone about the brands, the experience and everything that touch the fingerboard world. Photo by: Lionel Serquet (NY) What do you look for in a product or a brand (e.g. quality, history, etc.) when adding it to your collection? (LS)  I look for the rarity, craftsmanship, and of course the hard work behind every single board. Every company has their own unique method and different type of work. And of course the more it’s hard to get, the more it’s interesting for the collection. Photo by: Lionel Serquet (NY) In your collection, which product(s) has the most meaning to you? (LS)  The red Prete my grandmother bought me when I visited The Black River Shop in Berlin for the first time back in 2014. (NY) Do you have any advise for people who are starting to build their own collection? (LS)  I would say just take care of your money, it’s not worth wasting all your money for that I think. It’s also cool to give a chance to smaller brands. Lastly, don’t buy what you don’t like  even if it’s a really cool piece for a collection. (NY) Lastly, apart from fingerboarding, who are you as a person? (LS) I am a calm person who pays a lot of attention to my friends, family and colleagues. When I start something I do it until the end and the best I can. My mother and sister have taught me everything I need to have the best possible education and the best possible life. I wouldn't change a thing in my current life. In my spare time I love going out, discovering new places to explore, I love taking photos, playing league of legends and taking time for my little cat that I love so much.The thing I love most is music, especially anything to do with electro. Lionel Serquet Instagram: @this_is_lionel

Photo by: Noah Yang This one is truly a special one for me. And I am not only saying this because of the external quality of this delightly crafted piece of wood. I have always been a big fan of Peter and his work with @pretedecks . I’ve always dreamt of having the pleasure to shred a 32mm Prete maple bottom ply with Nico Frank’s engraving on it. Simple, yet elegant. Yes, I know this is a very specific fantasy of mine. But I am certain that I am not the only one who has a similar thought in mind. Photo source: Nico Frank Instagram ( @nicofrankfb ) The marks of all the wear and tear on that natural maple bottom ply is truly one of the best things I have ever seen in fingerboarding. I think that is when the “Prete bug” bit me. I would watch the short clip on Instagram of Peter sanding one of the decks with a disk sander over and over again, and when I started seriously making boards around 2019~2020 Peter was one of the biggest inspirations for me. That clip was like a tutorial video of how to properly  sand decks with a disk sander (not to mention, it is much harder  than it looks). Photo source: Prete Decks Instagram ( @pretedecks ) So one day (I believe it was around mid~ end of 2019), I sent Peter a message. Back then I was a young boy who was purely an admirer of him and I wanted to ask him if he would be interested to trade a board with me. I didn’t have high hopes that he would reply to my message. because you know, I was just a kid and Peter was like a celebrity to me in the fingerboard community. But some time later, I got a DM. Before I checked the message, I could see the preview on my lock screen of who sent the message. And it had the Prete logo on the side. It was Peter. I could not believe it. Photo by: Noah Yang As a kid there is nothing more exiting than when you are talking with someone you admire. We had a good chat, and Peter was down to do a trade with me. It was an unbelievable moment for me. A few weeks have past, and I got a package in the mailbox. It was a package from Germany. I knew exactly who sent it, and what was in this package. I opened the package, and WOW… just wow… The classic Prete wood-printed graphic was glowing right in front of my eyes. Even the packaging was perfect. It was exactly what I have imagined. Actually, it was better. I carefully took the paper packaging off of the vinyl bag, and held the deck in my hands. The side of the deck was so smooth, the finishing was incredible. And I flipped it over. On the top ply, there was an engraving of ‘Prete’. But what I didn’t expect was on top of that. There was ‘Word’ engraved as well. ‘Word x Prete’. Photo by: Noah Yang I think this deck is the textbook definition of what qualities a fingerboard deck should possess. Craftsmanship, functionality, and unique characteristics that you can’t find in other decks. The combination of the maple veneer and the engraving of this deck couldn’t be more aesthetically pleasing . Along with the bright red middle plies in the curve of the infamous 6010 mold. The harmony of the red plies and the shape is just remarkable. These qualities and ingredients individually  are not what makes a deck special or unique. This is similar to the field of specialty coffee. Any barista can use the best quality coffee beans, the perfect temperature of water, or the best coffee machine. But what differentiates great coffee from good coffee is the skills, knowledge, and the experience of the barista. Skills and knowledge cannot be acquired without experience. Any deck-maker can use red died veneer, wood-printing techniques, or an engraver. But where the specialty in the deck emerges is from the combination and harmony of these ingredients brewed by the deck-maker. Photo by: Noah Yang This deck is more than just 5 plies of veneer pressed and shaped into a popsicle. With no exaggeration, this deck for me meant an opportunity, a motivation, and a inspiration for my personal deck-making passion. It was a whole new way for me to perceive craftsmanship and appreciate the value of the time and effort that contributes to crafting such delicate (but at the same time, strong) piece of art to another level. Again, thank you Peter.

Hello, this is Noah here. I am pleased to welcome you to another episode of Collector’s Appreciation . Today, we are delighted to share the story of another fingerboard enthusiast from Colorado, United States. His name is Kevin M. Byrd, a good friend who I’ve personally known for a while now and a much appreciated supporter of my own deck-making passion since the Word Decks era. He is a person full of passion for fingerboarding as well as the craftsmanship that goes into every aspect of it. Here is the story behind Kevin’s appreciation for fingerboarding. Photo by: Kevin M. Byrd (NY)   Please introduce yourself to our readers! (KB)  My name is Kevin, I’m 34 years of age, and I live in the beautiful state of Colorado with my incredible wife and our little guy. (NY)   When and how did you get into fingerboarding? (KB)  Well, I first found out about fingerboards in elementary school when tech decks became popular. I was into action sports so I naturally gravitated to them. I really liked the idea of them and had a lot but could never do any flip tricks or anything. Then I lost touch with the hobby for years. I picked it back up again in probably 2015, just more tech decks. It wasn’t long after that I discovered wooden decks were an actually thing (thanks to IG) and to be honest, I didn’t want to front the cash for one initially as I didn’t think it could make that much of a difference. So, like many, I eventually caved and picked up a wooden P-rep board and it was eye opening at the difference! At this point it has opened the door to many of my friendships. Photo by: Kevin M. Byrd (NY)   What was your first set-up? (KB)  Entry was a Tech Deck, then a P-rep setup. My first “pro” setup I guessed you’d say was a yellowood deck with x5 ytrucks and some of his wheels. (NY)   Can you share the story of how you started collecting fingerboards? (KB) When I first got back into fingerboarding I collected tech decks, I think mostly for nostalgia purposes at the time. As I got more embedded into fingerboarding I just wanted to try out products from more companies and the collection essentially started itself haha. Photo by: Kevin M. Byrd (NY)   How many fingerboards to you have in your collection? (KB)  Somewhere around 130/140? Still working on getting many of them displayed. (NY)   Why do you collect fingerboards? (KB)  After receiving an item where the craftsmanship itself speaks for the time, effort, and amount of love put into it, you gain a whole new appreciation for the item(s). I feel they really do become functional pieces of art at that point. Who doesn’t like to collect art? Photo by: Kevin M. Byrd (NY)   What do you look for in a product or a brand (e.g. quality, history, etc.) when adding it to your collection? (KB)  I think for me, it comes down to the craftsmanship and quality. The craftsmanship will speak for itself, but the quality goes beyond the product. For me, it includes a lot of things, but first to come to mind would be their style, their interaction with their customers, how they might handle issues when contacted, if it seems like they like to give back to the community in some sense, and not just trying to make a quick buck. Photo by: Kevin M. Byrd (NY)   In your collection, which product(s) has the most meaning to you? (KB)  I have a deck Loz ( @flint_ltd ) made that is truly special and means a lot to me that my wife gifted me after our son was born, I was absolutely mind blown when I received it. (NY)   Lastly, Do you have any advise for people who are starting to build their own collection? (KB)  Don’t rush it. Collect what you choose to collect out of appreciation for the brand and product, not hype.  Kevin M. Byrd Instagram: @kevinmbyrd

How many of you are willing to have a brand’s logo tattooed on your body? When someone has a tattoo of anything, not to mention a brand’s logo, that shows their commitment and the enthusiasm towards it, essentially making them “inseparable”. For today’s episode of Collector’s Appreciation , we invited a fingerboard enthusiast from the United Kingdom, a Beast Pants  enthusiast to be more specific, to talk about his fingerboard collection. His name is Joe Jones, also known as @blinkyyfb  on Instagram. Here is the story behind Joe’s appreciation for fingerboarding (and Beast Pants). Photo by: Joe Jones (NY) Please introduce yourself to our readers! (JJ) Hello, my name is Joe Jones and I’m 24 years old from Newcastle, United Kingdom. I am living with my amazing girlfriend, two cats, and a gecko. (NY) When and how did you get into fingerboarding? (JJ) I initially got into fingerboards back when I was about 10 years old after a friend gave me one of his tech decks, from there I would spend all my birthday money on them. Growing older I would watch the Blackriver  videos and YouTubers unboxing these crazy professional set ups which I never had the money for, but always dreamt of owning them. I fell out of the hobby but kept up with the content of the community until about 2018, when I came back and started again on and off until the pandemic came around. That was when I fully got back into fingerboarding. Photo by: Joe Jones (NY) What was your first set-up? (JJ) My first set up when I was younger was a standard tech deck  complete, nothing special. In 2018, I got my first professional set up which was a Berlinwood complete 33.3mm x-wide low shape with Blackriver street wheels. Then 2020 came along and I fell in love with my Beast Pants 34mm ‘domesticated’ deck, with Blackriver trucks in 34mm and Oak Wheels  minis. (NY) Can you share the story of how you started collecting fingerboards? (JJ) When I first decided that I was going to collect these miniature skateboards, it didn’t occur to me that I would end up having enough to put them on a shelf one day. Once I did, I realized how cool it was to have all of these high quality miniature skate products on display. Photo by: Joe Jones (NY) How many fingerboards do you have in your collection? (JJ) I currently have 62  decks in my collection, some are used and some are still new in their packaging. I also have some limited edition sticker sheets, engraved tape, and hand drawn pictures and notes. Photo by: Joe Jones (NY) Why do you collect fingerboards? (JJ) I collect fingerboards because when I discovered the company Beast Pants, I bought one and then started waiting for Chris’s drops to try and get the other shapes and sizes he made. Nothing compared in my eyes and that is when I became strictly a collector of his products. I have Beast Pants items made in 2013 to his most recent decks in 2024. (NY) What you do look for in a product or a brand (e.g., quality, history, etc.) when adding it to your collection? (JJ) As long as the company is putting out quality products and looks after their customers that’s all that matters to me. Graphics and split plies are also amazing in a company as well, but you could sell me a blank deck if you’re a nice guy and have great customer service. Photo by: Joe Jones (NY) In your collection, which product(s) has the most meaning to you? (JJ) There are some special decks in my collection like a black, white and purple “BEAST” logo deck that Chris gifted to me after I got his logo tattooed on me to show my support to the company. I also have some really unique pieces like a fabric bottom ply fur stripe graphic made by Beast Pants from the army camos of a good friend in the community called @squawky_nuts  that he wore whilst serving his country. All these decks hold a special place in my heart as they are little reminders of different points in my life like a checkpoint. Photo by: Joe Jones (NY)  Lastly, do you have any advice for people who are starting to build their own collection? (JJ) Just have fun collecting, you don’t need the most rare or the most expensive decks to start a collection. Collect what you want for the reasons you want to. As long as you’re enjoying what you’re doing and not hurting anyone how can you complain? Joe Jones Instagram: @blinkyyfb

Fingerboards and watches… When you see these words side by side, you may wonder “what do they have to do with each other?”. Well, by reading this column hopefully I can get you more familiar with the subjects and their similarities. As a both fingerboard and watch enthusiast, I always wanted to write about the values that these two subjects have in common. The value of a well-made product, the story behind each pieces, and where they can lead you to. If you are a watch enthusiast yourself, hopefully this will be an entertaining article for you to read and empathize with. Photo by: Noah Yang Let’s begin by talking about each of their physical characteristics. From the late 1990s to early 2010s, the vast majority of the size (particularly the width) of fingerboards were 28~30mm wide. This was basically the only size that fingerboard decks were made in. Over time, around mid 2010s, the width of the decks became more wider, becoming available in 32, 33, even 34mm. When fingerboard brands started making 34mm decks, it was a big change in the market. Of course, when we think of a 34mm deck now, it is one of the most common and most popular size for a fingerboard deck. Similar to the evolution of fingerboard decks, wristwatches back from the early 1900 to the 1970s were also small in its size. The majority of watches in those era was 31, 32… 35mm at the largest. Cartier Tank / Photo credit: Hodinkee Until 1972, when the Swiss watch maker Audemars Piguet  introduced the Royal Oak “Jumbo”, with the size of a 39mm in diameter. “At 39 mm, the Royal Oak  5402  was the first Audemars Piguet watch produced in series and belonging to the oversized category” ( Audemars Piguet Heritage team, Le Brassus, 2022 ). Watches since then grown in size gradually, now the size of 40mm in diameter became the “average” size for men’s wristwatch. AP Royal Oak “Jumbo” Ref. 15202BC / Photo credit: Hodinkee In terms of design, the variations for both fingerboards and watches are endless; the incorporation of new color combinations, new materials, and designs makes the concept of the product like a whole new thing. In the context of fingerboards, new variations of shapes such as cruisers makes the product unique to its brand identity. Brands also use materials such as carbon fiber, sometimes even metal. Watch brands release watches with different colored dials, also changing its variety of case materials from stainless steel to gold, titanium, ceramic, and platinum. Designs such as split plies of a fingerboard deck can be reflected as the “skeleton” dial of a watch. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked in Black Ceramic / Photo credit: SJX Watches There are reasons why professional fingerboard decks and luxury watches cost as much as they do. Mostly is because they are hand made, with a limited quantity produced. The thinness of the veneer used to make decks, the thousands of parts that construct a mechanical movement… It is not only about the cost of materials that decides the cost of the product; it is about the time and skills that contribute to creating one of those art pieces by hand. Hanok Split ply / Photo by: Noah Yang However, while the ‘price’ of the product is measured by the seller, the ‘value’ of it is measured by the customer. As Hermann Simon says, “[p]ricing is about how people divide up value”, moreover “[t]he value we perceive changes as the product ages”( Confessions of the Pricing Man ). The most frequent question asked to watch enthusiasts is “why do people still buy mechanical watches for that money when they can just check their phones to tell the time?”. The answer to that question is rather simple. It is because the watch is more than just a machine that tells the time. It contains sentimental values of the watch’s history, its struggles, and it reflects the owner’s story. The most valuable watches are the ones that have a meaning to you, a reminder of a particular event or a story. Such as your parent handing down their watch from worn for decades, or when you are gifting yourself a watch as a celebration for something special. Sometimes, even surviving through a war with it.  Fingerboards also reflect the person’s taste in art, functionality of the board, the tightness of the trucks, how the wheels feel on the surface, etc. Some watch collectors may only collect watches that costs tens of thousands of dollars, while others may enjoy the value of a $20 Casio watch. It’s not about the cost of the product, what really matters is what that product means to you. It doesn’t matter if you ride a $5 Tech Deck or a $200 fingerboard. If you enjoy it, that’s all that matters.

Brands focus so much on the products themselves that they often forget the significance of what surrounds that product and how it is presented to the customers. If you think about it, the first thing that the customers touch is the packaging of the product, not the product itself. Photo by: Noah Yang Imagine you are going to a job interview. You’ve invested so much time and effort in preparing for this interview, but have you considered how to present yourself when you meet your potential employer face to face? This is the importance of first impressions. Dressing up for a job interview is a sign of respect, not just for the company but more importantly for yourself. Yes, dressing up in a suit or a dress takes more time than just wearing a grey t-shirt and jeans like Mark Zuckerberg. But putting the extra time and effort into dressing up visually shows that you are committed to this goal, and you invest in yourself. Your customers are like interviewers. In fact, they already are your employer because customers opening your product means that they paid money for your hard work and dedication. Photo by: Noah Yang Packaging is more than just a box that contains the product. It’s a symbol, an icon. For example, the orange box of Hermès, and the slowly opening box of the iPhone. There are some iconic packaging in the fingerboard community as well. The cork packaging of Flint , the tissue paper of Woob , the package design of Beast pants , silk bag of Skowood , and more. Each packaging represents the brand’s unique identity, and how customers remember them. “Packaging that taps into emotional triggers such as nostalgia, joy, or belonging can evoke robust responses, driving purchase intent and brand affinity” (Robinson 2024, Forbes ). The packaging and the unboxing experience is what transforms a customer into a fan. Photo credit: MVC Magazine Product packaging represents respect  for the time and effort that you put into your work. The small details reflects your dedication. Imagine that you buy a bag from a luxury brand and it’s packaged in a cheap container that obviously shows the brand didn’t put much care into. Would you think that your hard-earned money was well spent? Photo credit: MacRumors This is why luxury brands such as Hermès, Patek Phillipe, and Rolex constantly invest significant amount of resources in their packaging and how their products are presented to their loyal customers. Because the packaging represents the brand’s value, culture, philosophy… and most importantly, it represents the memory that the customer creates through the experience of receiving and opening the product. Photo by: Noah Yang According to a survey conducted in 2018, “most Americans agree that the design of a product’s packaging (72%) and the materials used to package a product (67%) often influence their purchase decisions when selecting which products to buy” (Niv and Harris, IPSOS ). As much as the content of a book is important, the cover of a book is equally important because it is the first thing that readers come across to decide whether to read the book or not. “People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care” - Theodore Roosevelt

The cold weather is just around the corner ready to say “I’m back!” (at least here in Canada). For fingerboarders, this is just another great excuse to stay in your cozy pajamas and fingerboard all day with a cup of hot cocoa on the side. Our guest for today’s episode of Grind&Slide  is the perfect guide to show how to maximize your fingerboard experience at home; from fingerboard tips, creating TikToks, and hosting podcasts. For this episode of Grind&Slide , we invited Christopher Vargas, also known as @fb.christopher  on various social media platforms. We had the pleasure to invite Christopher to talk about his journey as a content creator, his observations of the trend in the fingerboard scene, and more. Here is the conversation with Christopher Vargas. (NY)   Please introduce yourself to our readers! (CV)  Hey! I’m Christopher Vargas, or if you know me from my social media, I’m Fb.Christopher. OR Facebook Christopher if you ask Dave England! Anyway, I was born and raised in Southern California. More specifically the Montebello, East LA, and Whittier areas! Growing up, I spent most of my time trading Pokémon cards, skating with friends and playing music. Now, I’m a full-time social media content creator/vlogger / Podcast host focusing a lot on fingerboarding — something I’m super passionate about! I live in Whittier, CA with my wife and best friend, Jolene, and we love spending our free time hanging out with our two awesome kids Nickson and August! FlatFace Rendezvous / Photo by: @flamingo.fb (NY)   How did you start fingerboarding, and what was the motivation behind creating content on TikTok? (CV)  Aside from trading Techdecks in middle school, my first real experience with fingerboarding came in January 2021. We were at a small get-together for my son’s 2nd birthday when my buddy Andy pulled out this wooden fingerboard with metal trucks and bearing wheels. He said, “Check this out,” and ollied over a soda can right in front of me. I was immediately intrigued. Within a few minutes of messing with his fingerboard, I accidentally landed a kickflip—and that was it. I was hooked! It’s important to know that I’ve always been super into skateboarding; even long after I stopped doing it regularly, it’s been a huge passion of mine. So, to find this new hobby that was so closely related to skateboarding was incredible! When it came to TikTok, it just felt natural to share this new rad little hobby of mine. I’ve always loved creating content and sharing it online, and fingerboarding gave me a fresh outlet for that. I’ve told this story a bunch, but it never gets old. I was sitting in my room with my fingerboard and an obstacle I made from tile and some broken wood. Honestly, I was terrible—just flicking the board around aimlessly. My wife walks by and says, “You should post that on TikTok.” I was like, “Why? Who would even want to watch this? I suck!” But she was like, “Just do it, people will watch!” A few days later, I posted my first TikTok and yeah, my page shortly after took off! At the time, TikTok was blowing up, especially with everyone still locked down from the pandemic. It felt like everyone was on the app, so it was easier to reach people, even those who’d never heard of fingerboarding. It’s been a blast connecting with a community that’s just as hyped about it as I am! Behind the scenes of the BigSpin Podcast with @ramon_angelow (left) / Photo by: @jakepfb (NY)   Aside from TikTok, you also host the BigSpin fingerboard podcast . How do you approach creating content for these different platforms (content wise and lengthwise)? Do you see them serving distinct purposes? (CV)  In my mind, I break my content down into short form and long form. For short-form content—like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts—I focus more on quick, informative content mixed with some paused humor. The goal here is to catch people’s attention (maybe make them crack a smile), especially those who are new to fingerboarding or just discovering it! It’s about being punchy and engaging to draw in new followers. My long-form content, like “The Chris Files” vlog on YouTube or podcast episodes, is more for people who are already into my content and fingerboarding in general. It’s for those who want to dive deeper and get to know me and my friends, who for the most part are also content creators or people who run fingerboard brands, on a more personal level. Short-form content grabs attention, but the long-form stuff is where I really get to connect with the community. Photo by: @ big_m_films (NY)   What is a moment from your fingerboarding journey that you feel best represents who you are as both a fingerboarder and a creator? (CV)  This is such a rad question! I’ve been lucky enough to have had so many incredible moments throughout my fingerboarding journey but being a part of FingerboardCon 1 is at the top of the list. In October 2023, Blackriver , Slushcult , and 6Skates  hosted the first-ever FingerboardCon here in SoCal, and it was a game-changer for the fingerboarding community. At this point, I’ve worked with Blackriver and Slushcult on projects before, but I never imagined they’d ask me to MC the event or host my own panel talking about creating fingerboard content on social media. It was surreal, and it’s an experience I’ll never forget. Honestly, FingerboardCon, especially the first one, feels like it’s going to go down in fingerboard history, and I’m so stoked I got to be a part of it! I can’t thank Blackriver, Slushcult and 6Skates enough for allowing me that opportunity! Photo by: @jakepfb (NY)   What’s something about running a fingerboard podcast or creating short-form content that might surprise people? (CV)  Two things come to mind. First is the time! People often think creating content is easy—like you just pull out your phone and film. But even for short-form content before I even film one clip I’m already into a video about an hour or so of “work” before I even start the actual process because planning and brainstorming your video concepts is key to decent content! Then when it comes to filming, finding the right lighting and angles can take another hour. Most of my videos are sped-up clips with fast cuts under a voiceover, which can take 15-60 minutes by itself. And don’t forget to write a decent caption, add hashtags, and get it posted across three platforms—by the time it’s all done, I’ve easily spent close to three hours on a 60-second video. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve posted some raw, point-and-shoot videos that did pretty well. But for the most part, production value really matters, even with short-form content! Even with the podcast, there’s a lot more that goes into it than people might think. Writing a show build, researching the brands, and coordinating a time that works for me, the guest, and the production crew (Jake and Jolene aka The Pod Squad) at a location that fits everyone’s schedule—it’s all super time-consuming! But don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. I love what I do and wouldn’t trade it for anything. It’s just something that might surprise people! The second thing is something I think might surprise people—I’m not doing this for “views” or “clout.” I was making these kinds of videos long before I had a following, and honestly, even if all the views and followers went away tomorrow, I’d keep making content. I truly enjoy the process and love sharing it with the community. It’s not about the numbers for me, it’s about the passion and connection! I’ve said that many times and stand by it! Photo by: @jakepfb (NY)   Can you walk us through your creative process—from ideation to final cut—for a single TikTok or podcast episode? (CV)  For the most part, every video starts with a general idea. Let’s take a Dollar Tree budget obstacle build video as an example. I’ll usually start by walking around Dollar Tree, checking out random items, and imagining how they could be turned into a fingerboard obstacle. I don’t like to force ideas just because I think they’ll be popular, so I let the inspiration come naturally. Once I decide on a build, I film a few clips while picking up the items, then head back to my makeshift garage studio. Fb.Chris HQ! Lol From there, I set up my phone on a tripod, get the angles and lighting right, and start filming myself unboxing everything and putting the obstacle together. After filming, I load all the clips into my editing app, mute them, speed up certain parts, and cut out anything unnecessary. For short form content, I try to keep the video under 60 seconds for Reels and Shorts. But since TikTok doesn’t pay for videos under 60 seconds, I’ll render a second version just over the 60-second mark for TikTok. cause you know, Taco Bell isn’t cheap! Once I get to the voiceover, I mostly freestyle, but I keep notes handy if there’s anything specific, I need to mention, like product specs or events dates or whatever. Since social media moves so fast and people scroll quickly, I tend to speak fast to keep viewers engaged. If needed, I adjust the clip lengths to match the voiceover, then add any sound effects. After double-checking the edit, I render the video. Since I post on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, I try to write a caption that works across all platforms, along with hashtags. And yeah, even though it annoys some followers, I use trending sounds because, like it or not, that’s how you get your videos pushed! The Almighty Algorithm! (NY)   How do you see the landscape of fingerboarding content evolving in the next few years, especially with newer platforms and trends? (CV)  I think the landscape of fingerboarding content is going to keep growing and evolving, especially as new platforms and trends pop up. We’ve already seen short-form content take off on TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, and I think that trend will stick around. I also see more people creating high-quality, long-form content, like vlogs, tutorials, and podcasts, as the community keeps expanding! (And that’s not to say there aren’t the OGs in the community who have been posting gnarly content for years now) I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, I would love to see more fingerboarders and fingerboard brands embrace social media and create content! Also, I think we’re heading into a time where a lot of young, up-and-coming fingerboard brands are leaning into social media and building content around their brand. I could see this putting some pressure on the older, more established brands that haven’t fully embraced social media marketing yet. Whether we like it or not, we’re at a point where having a solid social media presence is essential for building or maintaining a brand. If you’re not active online, it’s easy to get left behind, especially with how fast everything moves now. (NY)   If you were to start your creative journey all over again today, what’s one thing you’d do differently? (CV)  If I could do one thing differently from the start, it would be to stay true to myself and not worry so much about what others thought of me and my content. In my first year of creating, I was insecure about what I posted because I didn’t want to be seen as the “cringe content creator”. I was more focused on being recognized as a fingerboarder first and a content creator second, and honestly, I just wanted to be accepted by my peers in the community. Looking back, I realize how flawed that mindset was. I was way too hard on myself and overthought everything. I’m in a much better headspace now and understand the importance of just being myself, regardless of what others think. (NY)   Aside from fingerboarding, who are you as a person? What are you passionate about? (CV)  Aside from fingerboarding, I’m a husband and dad first. My family means everything to me, and spending time with my wife, Jolene, our kids, Nickson and August, and our pets—our dog Parker and our cat Jacie—is a big part of my life! I’ve always had a huge passion for skateboarding, even after I stopped doing it regularly. For the most part, I keep up with the skateboard scene and follow the OG brands and skaters I looked up to way back then! Music has been and always will be a big influence on me—I grew up playing and listening to a wide variety of genres, and it’s something I’m still really into! Beyond that, I’m passionate about creativity in all its forms, whether it’s content creation, DIY projects with the wife and kids, travelling and fingerboarding new places with friends or finding new ways to express myself. I love staying curious and learning new things—it keeps life exciting! Photo by: @big_m_films (NY)   Lastly, is there anything else you would like to add for our readers? (CV)  At the expense of sounding super epic lol I’d say: Fingerboarding is for everyone. Your skill level, political views, gender, religion etc. —none of that matters as long as your main goal is to be a positive influence on this community and our amazing hobby. And for anyone who’s thinking about getting into social media content creation but is holding back because of the “cool guy” mentality that sometimes lingers in the community, I’m telling you—there’s nothing more rewarding than staying true to yourself and doing what makes you happy. There will always be people with something negative to say, or people in their feelings cause your “how to upgrade your tech deck” video did more numbers than their super steezy core desk edit lol, but seriously, trust me, that says more about their lack of personality than it ever will about your awesome one. So go for it and be proud of what you create! If you made it this far into the interview, thanks so much for hanging out, and I’ll see you in the next video! Christopher Vargas Instagram: @fb.christopher TikTok: @fb.christopher

What comes to mind when you think of the word ‘passion’? Everyone who we’ve interviewed on this website has ‘this’ in common. And ‘this’ is the passion for what they create. Whether they are a craftsman, designer, collector, or a content creator. Passion is something that is not simply handed to you. You build it from the ground up. Endless ups and downs, uncertainty, and frustration. You learn as you go. Passion is something you earn without the expectation of a reward. You do it because you love it. Today, we had the pleasure to invite someone from Nagoya, Japan who is very passionate about fingerboarding. His name is Yusuke Kanda, and he is the founder and operator of @uag_f.b . Here is the story and insight of Yusuke behind UAG F.B. Yusuke Kanda / Photo by: UAG F.B (NY)   Please introduce yourself and UAG to our readers! (YK)  My name is Yusuke Kanda, and I am the founder of UAG F.B. UAG stands for  UNDER ATSUSHI GROUND , while F.B. represents  FINGERSKATEBOARDS . In Japan, the term 'fingerboard' is trademarked by another company, so I decided to use 'fingerskateboards' instead. I launched UAG F.B. in 2019. (NY)   What was your personal journey into fingerboarding, and how did it lead to the founding of the company? (YK)  Before founding UAG F.B., I already owned a metalworking company where we specialized in straightening and cutting wavy or curvy metals. One day, my cousin's friend, who was both a skateboarder and a fingerboarder, was struggling to find a job, and I wanted to help him. I decided to hire him at my metal company. While he was working there, he introduced me to fingerboarding. It immediately clicked with me because I’ve been into skating and surfing since I was young, and I still do both whenever I have free time. However, my cousin’s friend found the metalwork challenging, so I suggested that we shift to creating fingerboard products; thinking it would suit his skills better since we both enjoyed skateboarding. I also began to grow a passion for fingerboarding around that time. I tried my best to provide him with a job where he could freely work in his field, but unfortunately, he continued to struggle and eventually left the company. After he left, I continued the fingerboarding business with my wife, who designs the graphics and handles product photography. It has since become a family-run business on the fingerboard side. Behind the production of A-Frame trucks / Photo by: UAG F.B (NY)   How has Japanese culture influenced your approach to fingerboarding and the products you design? (YK)  We are continually exploring new ways to infuse Japanese culture into our products, such as using Japanese wood for our decks or ramps. Currently, we incorporate elements of Japanese art, like  The Great Wave of Kanagawa , and Japanese alphabets into our graphics. Behind the production of Hack wheels / Photo by: UAG F.B (NY)   What aspects of traditional Japanese craftsmanship or aesthetics do you integrate into your products and/or brand identity? (YK)  I've been working as a craftsman since I was 19, and I've been involved in the manufacturing industry for about 20 years. I use that knowledge and brainpower to manufacture decks, trucks, and wheels. The manufacturing world is a world of quality control and the pursuit of higher quality. That's why I'm never satisfied and always pursuing higher quality. Perhaps my craftsmanship spirit is the Japanese spirit of hospitality. I want people to smile when they encounter UAG. Because I truly want them to enjoy it. Filming / Photo by: UAG F.B (NY)   How has the fingerboarding community in Japan evolved over the years, and how does your company contribute to that growth? (YK)  The fingerboarding scene in Japan used to be much smaller. In the past, when someone organized a tournament or an event, only 10 to 15 people would attend, and they were essentially the only fingerboarders in the country. However, the community has grown significantly, and now people from various fields and of all ages participate in tournaments and events. Our contribution to the fingerboarding scene has been introducing it to broader audiences by attending large events, even those that are not specifically for fingerboarding; such as skateboard summits, school events, and city festivals. We've also sponsored fingerboarding tournaments like @japangoldenfingers  and hosted charity events in other countries, such as the Philippines. Photo by: UAG F.B (NY)   How do you think fingerboarding reflects or contrasts with the broader skateboarding culture in Japan? (YK)  Skateboarding has become very popular in Japan since it was recognized as an Olympic sport, and fingerboarding has gained similar popularity. However, some people remain hesitant to try skateboarding due to fears of injury. Instead, they start with fingerboarding, imagining the tricks they can perform on a fingerboard before attempting them on a skateboard. In this way, fingerboarding serves as an introduction to the broader skateboarding scene, attracting a diverse audience, including younger individuals who may not yet be ready for skateboards.While fingerboarding and skateboarding share a cultural foundation, fingerboarding offers its own unique space for creativity and community, enriching the overall skate culture in Japan. Behind the production of Prideck / Photo by: UAG F.B (NY)   What unique challenges do you face running a fingerboard company in Japan, and how have you adapted to them? (YK)  First of all, very few people in Japan were aware of fingerboarding; many thought of fingerboards as mere keychains or just toys. However, we didn’t give up. We continued to explain what fingerboarding is, create high quality products and host events to spread the word. We are still committed to this effort today. Japan Golden Fingers / Photo by: UAG F.B (NY)   What are some of your most memorable moments from Skate Summit, Japan Golden Fingers, and how do these events bring the community together? (YK)  A memorable moment for us was when representatives from major skateboard brands praised and enjoyed fingerboarding. The tournament that day was a success, with people loving and enjoying the experience! I had the opportunity to connect with many individuals, including pioneering skateboarders from different brands, organizers, professional skaters, skateboard shop owners, and large companies like Red Bull Japan . We shared our thoughts on skateboarding and fingerboarding, inspiring one another and generating ideas for the community. Stanley Don Toledo (left, @crunky.fb ) and Yusuke Kanda (right, @uag.yusuke ) / Photo by: UAG F.B (NY)   What does UAG and fingerboarding in general mean to you in life? (YK)  UAG means everything to me.  UNDER ATSUSHI GROUND  represents the philosophy of 'don’t give up and rise up, no matter how deep the ground is.' Atsushi, my dear best friend since high school, is like family to me. Every day, we would play, go out, surf, and dream together, even creating surfing videos for YouTube—though we never posted them because YouTube wasn’t a big thing back then. Tragically, Atsushi passed away, but our dream of creating a positive and joyful life for everyone will continue forever. That’s why fingerboarding and UAG are my life! UAG F.B vending machine / Photo by: UAG F.B (NY)   When you’re not working on UAG or fingerboarding, what are your passions, and how do they feed into your work? (YK)  When I’m not at work—though I’m always working, haha—I go surfing, which is incredibly helpful for UAG. Every time I ride the waves and hear the water crashing, I feel like I forget everything and can focus solely on riding the waves perfectly until they come to an end. During breaks from surfing, as I head back to shore, new ideas start to flow, whether it's a fresh design or a concept for the company. (NY)   Lastly, is there anything else you would like to add for our readers? (YK)  Always follow your dreams! Don’t just plan your dreams; take action! Never give up! Spread and enjoy fingerboarding! Yusuke Kanda Instagram: @uag_f.b Special thanks to Stanley ( @crunky.fb ) for the help with the translation during the interview process!

It’s officially the start of Summer. It is sunny, hot, and humid, but beautiful (with a few exceptions here and there) outside. What we (at least I) need right now is a nice cold, refreshing, even brain-freezing drink of slushy to cool off. So, I prayed to Slush Heaven… and the Slush God answered me. Unfortunately I did not get a free coupon for a slushy, but I did get something much better: a story about his work. See, the refreshing feeling of a cup of slushy will only last you a short while, but a story of a person’s (in this case, a God) work will last forever. What is interesting about this particular God is that he runs a fingerboard shop; what he and his followers call the ‘Mini Mart’. The Slush God’s human name is Clayton, and we had the opportunity to have a conversation about what @slushcult  is all about. Here is the refreshing story of Clayton (Slush God) behind Slushcult. Slush God (as Clayton) / Photo by: The Slush God and Matt Ulfelder (NY)  Please introduce yourself and Slushcult to our readers. (SG)  Yoo! My name is Clayton. I am the founder/owner of Slushcult, lots of people call me Slush God haha. I've worked in/near the skateboard industry for most of my life, somehow that led to me running a fingerboard skate shop in Southern California. (NY)   What inspired you to start Slushcult, and why ‘fingerboards’ as the primary focus for the Mini Mart? (SG)  Well, that's a very long story so I'll try to give a short and sweet answer. I started Slushcult because at the time (2013ish) most "streetwear" or skate-adjacent clothing brands were dull, boring and way too serious. The world needed someone who didn't care about being cool, and wasn't afraid to break gender norms with bright fun colors, and graphics that brought back that 90s skate nostalgic feel. The Mini Mart was opened in late 2019, mostly because I was really bored of the internet/social media being the only way we could connect with our community. For me a store was simply a place where we could hang out with our customers, share memories with events and also sell stuff the "old school" way, in person rather than online. Being able to touch something in person before you buy it makes a big difference. Fingerboards weren't the main focus when we opened, it was a mix of clothing, cameras, skate decks, and random throwback toys from my childhood like yoyos, super soakers, and Techdecks. Naturally, as you get bored being in a new shop with time to kill, we opened a few Techdecks as "Shop Boards" and I started fingerboarding again after years of just having them around to collect. After that the "algorithm" gods stepped in and started feeding me real FB content and I was blown away. I was always "teckdecking" since I was a kid, but I never knew the professional fingerboard scene existed until then.  I went to my first FB event ( Sorry for Fingerboarding ) and met Nash, with whom I have several random mutual friends. I asked around the event "Yo where do you buy this stuff?" and the answer was always "Oh you gotta go online" and a lightbulb in my head went off. You can't have a skateboard scene without a skate shop, you can't build culture solely online or on social media. Fingerboarding needed a physical skate shop and I already had the foundation built to do it. So, I asked a few brands to test some products and it grew and grew and grew. Over the course of the last few years, we have slowly shifted the entire brand to fingerboarding, it finally felt like I found my purpose in life and I was ready to go full force into it. Now we are one of the premier destinations for fingerboarding in the US and it's insane to see how much our scene has grown. I never claim to have started the scene here, we just gave it a permanent home and do our best to support and grow it as big as possible. Photo by: The Slush God and Matt Ulfelder (NY)  What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when launching a physical shop, and how did you overcome them? (SG)   There are a ton of hurdles when trying to open a brick-and-mortar skate shop. Piles of paperwork with the city, banks, insurance companies, landlords and of course probably the biggest hurdle, in general, is cost. Our store is only 180sq ft and it was still around 20k to do the full build-out that we currently have, we had to completely gut the space we are in and start over because the previous tenant had been in there for decades, but luckily, we did most of the work ourselves to save costs. The next biggest hurdle is getting people to show up, the old saying "if you build it they will come" is true to a certain degree but it's still never guaranteed. Luckily the brand already had a strong following (or cult haha) so we had a big head start there. The best way in all my years of working for skate shops and brands is to create a shop culture that people want to be a part of you want people to come hang out, shop, share stories etc. That makes people want to come back time and time again. Photo by: The Slush God and Matt Ulfelder (NY)   Why and how did you choose Santa Ana, California for your shop, and how has the fb community responded to it? (SG)   We moved to Santa Ana CA when we got our first real office/HQ, about 3 years before we opened the store. I chose Santa Ana because of the amazing atmosphere downtown, we had some homies who already had a streetwear/skate shop called Nothing Usual ( NOT.US ) and every time I went to visit them it just felt electric, it felt like where I wanted to be, it felt like home. So when I saw a sign for an office to rent down the street I jumped on it, also before this, we were working out of my apt and garage so a real HQ felt like it was needed at the time.  Downtown Santa Ana is rad, with neighboring stores like Them Skates, Bait, Rif OC, Not.Us and Stussy it truly feels like a mini subculture surrounded by older shops that have been there for decades. The fingerboard scene has really responded well because of what I said earlier. The fingerboard scene here needed a home base, a permanent place to gather, trade, sell shit and of course fingerboard on parks. It has taken time to grow but now you can find anywhere from 10-30 people each day the shop is open, skating and making new friends. Photo by: The Slush God and Matt Ulfelder (NY)  What makes Slushcult stand out from others in the local fb community (or the general fb community at large)? (SG)  Beyond the bright colors, funny graphics and high-quality clothing and skate/fingerboard products it's the meaning and ethos we represent. Slushcult is an all-inclusive space where anyone can be themselves. We really try to make the shop feel friendly to anyone who comes in regardless of who they are or how they look. I think my background in skate retail also really sets us apart, running a shop isn't easy and luckily, I had years and years of experience to help us get through it. Fingerboard shops are still a new concept in the scene, so having previous knowledge truly helps guide us through uncharted territory. Photo by: The Slush God and Matt Ulfelder (NY)   Have you noticed any trends or changes in the fb community and market over the years (before vs after launching a physical store)? (SG)   I think the biggest change I have seen in the past few years is just the sheer volume of new brands and companies popping up. Access to the internet has opened a world where anyone can learn and try to make decks and other items if they want to so there are a lot of new things happening all the time. This also applies to events, now that the scene has grown so much there are so many more events happening which is awesome and good to see. Photo by: The Slush God and Matt Ulfelder (NY)  The Mini Mart often hosts in-person events (such as the Fingerboard Con) at the shop and/or other locations. How do these contribute to your business and the local fingerboarding community? (SG)  We do a monthly event called the Shop Session that happens the last Saturday of every month, we have 20+ parks out to skate, and different themes or co-hosts with other brands make these really special and fun. We have done this for more than 2 years straight now which can be daunting but is so worth it for the shop and the Southern California scene. We have also been the co-host/venue for our team rider FB.Christopher’s "Shredder Mania" a huge yearly event that happens at the shop that brings out hundreds of people each time (The next one is next month!). Fingerboard Con  is the 3-way partnership with Slushcult, 6Skates (Canada) and Blackriver (Germany). It's a huge convention all dedicated to fingerboarding with 500+ attendees, 20 vendors, and tons of fingerboard parks. It's another way for the scene to meet, trade, buy/sell and make new friends. If you have seen the recap videos on our YouTube please check them out because this event is epic. We have done 2 FB Cons now and I imagine we will keep doing them each year for a long time to come. Photo by: The Slush God and Matt Ulfelder (NY)  What has been your favourite moment or experience since opening the Mini Mart? (SG)   Opening night was a memory I will never forget; I was so nervous that no one would show up to our grand opening that I ended up showing up late to the time we were supposed to open. I walked around the corner from where I parked and saw a line of 100+ people. Long-time customers, family, friends, and other homie brand owners all showed up just for me and it felt really special. That moment can never be replicated... well until we open Mini Mart #2 haha. Photo by: The Slush God and Matt Ulfelder (NY)  How do you see the fingerboarding culture evolving, and what role do shops like the Mini Mart play in that evolution? (SG)  I think we are barely seeing the tip of the iceberg, the scene has so much growth to do before we ever hit the ceiling. Fingerboard shops like the Mini Mart, FlatFace, ASI, ThisFB, 6Skates, Yuck, Tiny Skate Shop, Alien Outpost, Abducted, FingerDex, (I'm definitely forgetting some forgive me) push the fingerboard scene significantly. You can't build a skate shop-style culture without a skate shop, fingerboarding needs that culture just as much as skateboarders. Photo by: The Slush God and Matt Ulfelder (NY)  What are the plans for Slushcult long term? Any upcoming projects or expansions you can share with us? (SG)  Big collabs, tons of new fingerboard products we have never produced yet like ramps and obstacles, more Fingerboard Cons the possibilities are endless! The thing I look forward to most is just continuing to grow and support the California and US scenes! Slush God (Clayton) Instagram: @slushcult

Hi, this is Noah here. I know, It has been a minute since we published a Maker’s Insight  on this place. But always keep in mind, we are trying to deliver stories in their best quality as possible. Each and every article is the medium of sharing the experience and lessons of immeasurable dedication and effort of a person contributing to this community. Therefore, it is crucial for this platform to portray and deliver the highest quality literature not only for the purpose of storytelling and entertainment for the readers, but to respect the work of those in the article. As always, we brought another “unique” story to share with you all. This time, the story is in the title itself. Without a doubt, this person   is one of the most influential fingerboard maker in the fingerboard community. She is from Eugene, Oregon USA. We had the pleasure of inviting @uniquedecks  Founder Mallory Curtis to listen to her story behind her philosophy towards fingerboarding, creative process, representation through fingerboarding, and more. Here is the story and insight of Mallory behind Unique. Mallory Curtis, Founder of Unique Decks / Photo by: @fuckincody2.0 (NY)   Please introduce yourself to our readers! (MC)   I’m Mallory Curtis from Eugene, Oregon USA and I own Unique Decks since 2011 and The Fingerboard Factory  since 2024. I also ride for Flatface ! (NY)   Where did the name ‘Unique’ originate from? (MC)  Unique originated as one of a kind boards that I sold on FFI and FBHQ back in the forum days. I needed a brand name so that people knew what to call my boards instead of saying “Mallory homemade board” on the setup threads. Photo by: Mallory Curtis (NY)   When and why did you start making fingerboards? (MC)  I started making fingerboards because I was always very into the DIY side of fingerboarding. It started with cardboard ramps with my tech decks, to making wood ramps in the shop with my dad, index card fingerboard decks (shoutout Savannah Simpson ’s Youtube tutorial), and bondo molds for wood fingerboards (shoutout Brandon Jones). I became obsessed with making a board that was as good as the professional brands, but with my own aesthetic and feeling. It has been a constant evolution refining what it means to be unique. The brand has grown up with me over the last 13 years. Photo by: Mallory Curtis (NY)   Where do you get the inspiration for your art (for example, the ‘Ninja Turtle’ graphic or ‘Love Equation’)? (MC)   A lot of my graphics have to do with the inspiration I have behind making fingerboards in the first place. “The Love Equation” is all about taking raw materials, putting a little love into them, and creating something unique feeling. Another one of my favorites is “who will I be today?” All about being uniquely yourself. Photo by: Mallory Curtis When I first started fingerboarding, my Youtube channel was called “littleturtle2008” and I was obsessed with turtles. I try to show little hints of my love for turtles in my boards. Even the mold names are named after stages of the turtle life cycle (hatchling, nesting, and juvie (short for juvenile)). Just a little fun bringing it back to my childhood. Photo by: Mallory Curtis (NY)   Please take us through the journey of creating a new collection (from coming up with an idea to the day of the launch). (MC)   My creativity is very process oriented. I love refining my workflow and experimenting with new techniques. To give an example, I am working on a pride board for pride month in June. I think through what can visually represent a concept or idea. As a lesbian, a pair of scissors is a kind of tongue in cheek way of referencing being a lesbian. I thought it would make for a funny graphic without being crude or unwelcoming. I am also working on a new graphic technique called wood block printing, a traditional Japanese relief printing technique where you hand carve your image in a block of wood. You can make multiple blocks to have multiple layers of color. I thought this would be the perfect application for this idea of pride. Pride in craft and pride in who we are. Photo by: Mallory Curtis I am now refining the blocks and registration to do a full run of hand printed wood block graphics. After the boards are done, I take some good photos with my camera and put them up on the site! Hopefully people like what I have made. I still get nervous when it comes to releasing anything new. My creative process is similar, no matter the technique. To me, it is the techniques that allow me to explore. Like learning how to make split plies with different techniques and then learning how those changes effect patterns, so I can see what happens if I change one variable. It’s a constant evolution of trying new variables. Photo by: Mallory Curtis (NY)   What does Unique and fingerboarding in general mean to you in life? (MC)  Fingerboarding feels like my whole life. It is my job, my passion, my community, and still my favorite hobby. Unique is my creative outlet and my opportunity to make things that I think should exist. The Fingerboard Factory is where I can scale my knowledge and help other brands grow. I currently have two apprentices learning under me. Trying to teach them all the techniques. It’s amazing how much fingerboarding has grown over the years, and how much we can still improve. Photo by: Mallory Curtis (NY)   I often see that you also host in-person fingerboard events. What can you tell us about that? (MC)   I host several events per year in Oregon! Mostly hosted by skate shops and skateparks.  I try to create a welcoming environment where anyone from core fingerboarders to beginners and their family feel welcome. I find people are much more likely to remain an active fingerboarder if they have local friends they can meet up with. I hope the days of fingerboarding alone in our rooms are over. It’s a chance to get together and appreciate how amazing everyone is. I also have a whole collection of parks that I have built for everyone to enjoy, and I’m always working on something new. I don’t want it to ever get stale. Photo by: Mallory Curtis (NY)   Apart from your company Unique, who are you as a person? What other interests do you have other than fingerboarding? (MC)  I love sports (especially women’s football and basketball), gardening, reading, riding bikes, and hanging out with my dog. Photo by: Mallory Curtis (NY)   Lastly, is there anything you would like to add for the readers? (MC)  Just wanna say thanks for the support over the years. I feel like you have all watched me grow up. It means everything. Everyone who has ordered, left a nice comment, come to an event, been my friend. Thank you. Mallory Curtis Instagram: @uniquedecks

It feels great to be back with a new episode of Maker’s Insight . Today, we are talking to a man who is a well-respected fingerboard maker and contributor to the fingerboard community. His name is Stefan Lundberg, also known as the Founder of Devise Fingerboards . Here is the story and insight of Stefan behind Devise. Photo by: Stefan Lundberg (NY)   Please introduce yourself to our readers! (SL)  My name is Stefan Lundberg. I am 30 years old, living in Southern California. I am a FlatFace team rider and most of all the creator of Devise Fingerboards! (NY)   Where did the name ‘Devise’ originate from? (SL)  I was very indecisive on finding the right name and in January 2012 I just decided to just go with Devise Fingerboards. I had my first metal mold created where I felt confident in my own shape and felt it was ready to launch a small brand. Originally, I wanted to name the brand something like Create fingerboards. I started digging through the thesaurus and went with Devise because it means to create from the existing. I wanted the world to see what I thought a good fingerboard would be like based on my perspective and inspirations at the time. I was highly inspired by the FlatFace G12 and Berlinwood “New Mold”! (NY)   When and why did you start making fingerboards? (SL)  In late 2010 I did a trade with a friend where he sent me 5 pieces of veneer as an extra in a trade. Little did I know it would change my life! I spent all of 2011 experimenting with deck making in my free time. It blew me away to know that these fragile pieces of wood could solidify into a well performing deck that was much better than a plastic board. I had a lot of free time on my hands as I was still a teenager, didn’t have a car yet, and was living on the east coast where I experienced a lot of snow days. I experimented with concrete molds I found on eBay, created my own bondo molds, and finally invested in metal molds because I was tired of the inconsistencies. Photo by: Bo Mitchell (NY)   Where do you get the inspiration for your art (for example, the iconic ‘crayon cruiser’)? (SL)  Exploring different types of veneer online and at woodshops plus I have been having a lot of fun dyeing my own veneers lately! I love the natural beauty of the wood and love transparent graphics that have some art to it. When I first made the crayon cruisers I was doing them with paper graphics because that is all I knew at the time. Now that I have discovered heat transfers I am having a lot of fun exploring new ideas for crayons and more! Photo by: Stefan Lundberg (NY)   Please take us through the journey of creating a new collection (From coming up with an idea to the day of the launch). (SL)  My stocks / collections are very random as they are whatever I am most inspired by at the time. Let me take you through designing a Pro Model deck: I reach out to the rider for graphic suggestions on what they would like to ride. Once we agree on an idea that hopefully won’t get copyrighted, I reach out to my graphic designer Nick Barthe. Nick is someone I grew up skating with as a kid and he takes my idea and blows it out of the water every time! Him and I go back and forth on what the team rider wants to see and I mostly look for the correct proportions to fit on the board. I’ll usually get a sample printed up and then send it off to production along with a bunch of other graphics as it is much easier to do it this way. After that I start laboring away on the stock, I send boards to the rider to advertise, and post it up on our site! Alex Hancak  and Alex Rogan  / Photo by: Stefan Lundberg (NY)   What does Devise and fingerboarding in general mean to you in life? (SL)  Devise is a way for me to express my creativity and help support some of my best friends who are family to me whether it’s motivation or giving them board royalties for their pro model decks. Fingerboarding might not have a ton of money in it, but I enjoy doing it more than anything! To get deep with everyone for a minute I used to have a rider named Allan Agudelo who passed away in 2021. He was such a positive person, talented filmer, and an even more talented / stylish fingerboarder. The fact that I was able to shine some light in his life, stoke him out to ride for my team, and support his family with some money from a stock of decks for his funeral to me is absolutely mind blowing. It’s a path of life I never expected a miniature skateboard to bring me to. We never had a chance to do a Pro Model graphic for him, but I felt some fulfillment in my life for being able to help support his family at a very sad time. I still think about him constantly and I feel sadness, but I also feel inspired by the impact he left behind on me. We miss you Allan!  Allan Agudelo  / Photo by: The Dirty Harry (NY)   Apart from your company Devise, who are you as a person? What other interests do you have other than fingerboarding? (SL)  I am a skateboarder who works full time as a Store Manager for Vans . Other than skateboarding I enjoy hanging out with my girlfriend and my two cats! I love hanging out with my family and my friends who have become my second family. I also enjoy collecting Pokémon cards and playing Pokémon GO in my free time! Photo by: Stefan Lundberg (NY)   Lastly, is there anything you would like to add for the readers? (SL)  The most important part of fingerboarding is to have fun with your friends. I made Devise because I wanted to get high quality wooden fingerboards in easier access to my skater friends and myself. If you don’t have any friends who fingerboard, check your local skateshop or Instagram to find events. Fingerboard companies are being created monthly if not weekly at this point. Reach out to some brands to see if they have any free time to help you promote an event in your area and help spread the joy of fingerboarding! The world we live in has a lot of darkness in it unfortunately and this is our chance to help spread some light! Stefan Lundberg Instagram: @devisefingerboards

Today, we are talking with Indy Miranda, the Founder of @_ Pastelle.uk . Indy is a Industrial Designer from the United Kingdom, designing and crafting fingerboard obstacles such as the Alvar Pool. We REALLY went one step further in this conversation about design, craftsmanship, and fingerboarding. We hope you enjoy this article as much as we did creating it! Here is the Design Ethos of Indy Miranda. Indy Miranda, Founder of Pastelle / Photo by: John Green (NY)   How did you get into designing fingerboard obstacles? (IM)  During the start of my second year studying Industrial Design at university we were handed a small brief to create a 3D object for our digital design module. At this point, I had been fingerboarding for over 10 years and had always wanted to make my own boards, so I decided to design and prototype a deck shape in the university workshops using CAD software and a 3D printer, which kickstarted Pastelle. It was my first experience of a truly iterative design process. I spent the first couple of months of sleepless nights in a state of flow. I was learning the skills necessary to make fingerboards at the same time as I was figuring out the design process. I quickly discovered that the hands-on experience of studying and producing the various versions of an object and overcoming problems on the go was extremely addictive. Unfortunately, that development process came to a halt when the global pandemic saw us out of the workshop and confined to our student homes. I had to put that project on pause wishing I could get back to the workshop and experience that state of flow again. Fast forward through the next 3 years, which I spent graduating and working with industrial designer John Green, I quit my design job to move to London and pursue the next step in my career. At the same time, UK brands Cartwheels, Axe Ramps, and Arbeia were organizing a small fingerboard event on the south coast of England and I saw the chance to contribute and revive that feeling. I had been thinking of designing a pool since going to the ASI shop with my good friend Mauro Casas in 2019 and becoming obsessed with riding the Crazyleg example at the shop. The time to get into that flow state had finally come. I had potential access to a workshop, newly acquired design skills, and heaps of free time. After four intense weeks of designing and developing a concept for a fingerboard pool, I completed the first production prototype of Alvar, which commenced my journey into designing fingerboard obstacles. In hindsight, it seemed like a natural progression to combine my passion for design and fingerboarding. Nowadays Pastelle acts as my creative outlet and a way to refine my design process through experimenting with new manufacturing techniques, materials, and the feedback I receive from the community. Alvar Pool / Photo by: Indy Miranda (NY)   What is the brand identity and design ethos of Pastelle?   (IM)  When deciding on the purpose behind Pastelle, I looked up to a company I had studied closely, Muji . Unlike typical lifestyle shops that try to catch your attention with flashy graphics and to sell products based on trends rather than functionality, stepping into any Muji store feels like a pleasant and familiar experience. With a glance at their products, you can instantly recognize their function, without the need for exciting descriptions or graphics. This paired-back approach combined with purely functional signage means that no matter what Muji store you visit, the experience remains the same. Another thing that stands out about them is that their product catalogue and brand image remain mostly untouched throughout the years. It sometimes surprises me to think that an object like their infamous aroma diffuser was designed back in 2014 but could have been released yesterday. Through a limited design intervention inspired by necessity rather than growth, simple design interventions allow their products to blend into people’s environments and for the brand to stand the test of time. Pastelle aims to provide a similar experience by providing functional objects that are crafted for life and inspire creative ways of fingerboarding. Serving fingerboarders and the people they live with in ways that don’t immediately respond to the hobby, I hope that these objects will be cherished and stand the test of time. Using simple, consistent, and honest branding I can communicate those intentions as clearly as possible, which hopefully translates well to ever-evolving consumers both inside and outside of fingerboarding. Trivet prototype / Photo by: Indy Miranda (NY)   What are some important design elements you put into consideration when designing a new product? (IM)  Countless design elements are considered when creating new products. However, there are a few key elements that are worth highlighting. Dieter Rams put it best in his manifest ‘The 10 principles for good design’ , a product has to look good, but it is essential that it performs its intended task exceptionally well. To achieve effective functionality it is essential to understand the problem at hand. In turn, this will inform design elements like usability or ergonomics, which will ultimately dictate the form of the object and serve as a basis for all the design decisions that follow. Once I understand the function, the material chosen has to synergize with the object’s intended purpose. This is also a time when I can focus on the sustainability aspect of design or how it will be manufactured. Objects that stand the test of time share in common the use of high-quality materials, which in my opinion is the best way to approach sustainability. Finally, I make sure that longevity is considered in the design process. When attempting to craft an object for life you have to think far ahead in the future about how a product might evolve over time. A smartphone with a glass back and front might look attractive and innovative at a first glance, but those enticing elements quickly fade away when it slides out of your pocket and shatters into pieces, rendering it useless (I am looking at you, Apple). Without understanding the necessity for a product and considering these factors, we can only be sure that any design intervention won’t provide a meaningful improvement over existing products. Sketches / Photo by: Indy Miranda (NY)   Is there a specific element that you never include (or never exclude) in your designs? (IM)  As an industrial designer, the design process for me is a fine battle between nurturing the details that make a product functional and instantly recognizable, and renouncing any decorative elements that will detract from its core purpose. I admire the words of designer Naoto Fukusawa , who believes that ‘decorativeness or ornateness for the sake of appreciation are far removed and separate from useful beauty’. However, the conscious decision to eliminate unnecessary details in the search for functionality can often be confused with ‘minimalism’. As a style, minimalism aims to remove details in order to reach an aesthetic ideal, which will often compromise the functionality of an object. Take Apple as an example again. They removed most USB ports in their lineup of laptops for mere ‘simplification’, sacrificing the functionality that industry-standard USB ports and SD card slots provided to their customer base. These were quickly replaced by external dongles, which quickly backlashed and after harsh criticism, it forced the company to re-introduce these ports into ‘some’ of their latest laptop models. For me, renouncing unnecessary details that don’t serve a product’s core functionality often results in a simple-looking object, almost ‘not designed’. This supports the intention for the objects I create to stand the test of time. Photo by: Indy Miranda (NY)   Observing your brand and the product line, it reminded me of high-end furniture brands. Was that intentional when you started Pastelle? (IM)  Originally when I started Pastelle back in 2019 the branding was completely different. At the time I had a drawing tablet and a lot of creative energy. I based the logo and identity of the brand around a hand-drawn version of Futura ND and would hand-draw on every package. After graduating and working in the industry I felt like my approach had matured and I wanted for my branding to reflect that. I learned a lot about how design-led furniture brands were portraying themselves by assisting John Green with his photography and through constant observation. I felt comfortable taking inspiration from how these companies portrayed themselves since their values align with Pastelle, which resulted in simple, clean, and functional branding. The distinctive factor between these brands and us is how refined their content can be. Although my intention for the branding is to look as professional as possible, the reality is that with limited resources it is often impossible to achieve those standards. I have learned to embrace the small imperfections and quality sacrifices needed to have a healthy(ish) work-life balance. I think this slight roughness adds to the authenticity of Pastelle, as the hand-crafted products themselves also face the limitations of my small workspace and limited resources. Photo by: Indy Miranda (NY)   Where do you get inspiration for a new design? (IM)  My sources of inspiration are diverse. In the case of Alvar, I had been thinking of designing a pool for years. During my first trip to the ASI Berlin shop and Fast Fingers in Germany I got to try a lot of parks and pools, which I kept the back of my head all these years. When the time came to design and produce our pool, I brought back those memories and experiences, which strongly informed the design. I combined this with an admiration for the work of Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, who inspired the kidney-shaped pools that were the origin of pool skating in California in the 70s. In the case of our new product, Trivet, the inspiration came from observing daily habits and how the home objects I was living with could be re-imagined through the lens of fingerboarding. I was growing frustrated at the thought that the fingerboard obstacles I have been collecting all these years are often forgotten in boxes as they don’t provide with a function outside of fingerboarding. It was then that I realized that there was an opportunity to create functional objects that would become part of our space as well as provide me with opportunities to fingerboard more often. I was playing around in the kitchen one day when I realized that the cork placemat we had been using to put our hot pans and oven trays at the dinner table was a fantastic manual pad. My mind immediately started exploring the possibilities of a heat pad to act as different fingerboard obstacles. Shortly after, our landlord needed to replace our gas hob, which I had also been using as a makeshift rail, and the prong-shaped structure inspired me to think of this heat pad as a grinding obstacle rather than a manual pad. Keeping an open mind and observing the different ways in which we interact with objects and the world around us is the main source of inspiration for my designs. Alvar Pool in detail / Photo by: Indy Miranda (NY)   How long does it take on average when you create a new design for an obstacle? Moreover, what is your design process (from coming up with a concept, selecting colors, etc.)? (IM)  Creating a new design always takes longer than expected, from the moment I get excited about an idea to holding the final object. It generally takes months of pondering about a single thought until it feels like the right moment to pursue it. Every design process begins before I get a chance to put pen to paper. Usually, an idea I have stored as a note on my phone or a drawing on my sketchbook will linger in my mind for weeks. Since Pastelle is not my full-time job, I don’t usually sit down to have ideation sessions at the beginning of each project. It all mostly happens during the negative space in my day. At lunch breaks, on the train on my way to work, in the shower, all the way to right before sleep whilst I lay in bed. This allows external day-to-day observations to infiltrate my design process and can take an undetermined amount of time. After I have pondered enough about an idea, I begin to explore different possibilities on paper. Sketching is my favorite part of every design, as ideas flow freely into the page and materialize in front of my eyes. At this stage, the design is still fluid and constantly evolving. For this, I use a 0.3 Uniball Pen, a single grey marker pen for shadows, and my trusty Pith dot-grid sketchbook. Once I am happy with a few of the ideas, I move on to physically modelling some prototypes. This gives a sense of scale and allows me to test ergonomics and functionality. When making cardboard prototypes of fingerboard obstacles I am reminded of the early YouTube days watching Mike Schneider build ramps out of cardboard mailboxes. When I get lost in fingerboarding on a cardboard prototype, I know I’ve achieved the right design. I finally move into CAD, where I refine the design for manufacture and produce the first manufacturing prototype. This process is followed by testing and the loop will often repeat itself several times until the final result is achieved. Photo by: Indy Miranda (NY)   In your opinion, do you think there are specific styles of design that suit some brands, but may not with others? (IM)  In short, yes. I perceive a brand’s style as a reflection of their values.If I am trying to design objects that blend into the home environment, I might deliberately choose not to produce colorful objects reminiscent of a style like Art Deco, for example. Alvar Pool CAD / Photo by: Indy Miranda (NY)   How should a designer interpret a brand’s identity into the design of their product(s)? (IM)  When it comes to designing for brands, it is important to respect a brand's heritage, unveil its core values through design, and propel it into the future. Understanding a brand’s identity is usually one of the first steps of the research phase. A designer might attempt to understand a brand’s values by gathering data on how a brand is perceived, paying homage to its heritage by taking a deep dive into that company’s product archives and filtering these aspects through a designer's inherent knowledge of the market and our evolving needs in the world. Photo by: Simon Cartledge (NY)   What is a long-lasting design in your opinion? (IM)  I think I could write an essay on what I believe long-lasting design to be and how we can get there. However, to keep this answer concise, I will focus on a simple analogy. Everyone in their life has come across an object that has been designed for life but has been taken for granted. I imagine a wooden door wedge, for example. This is the kind of object often goes unnoticed, performing its duty perfectly without providing resistance, over and over again. The function of design when creating objects of that status is simple; to use as little design as possible to create a perfectly functional object. The result is an object so easy to use that it goes unnoticed. An object so familiar that a replacement could never fill its place. An object so well made that it can be handed down through generations with pride. To me, that is a long-lasting design. Trivet in detail / Photo by: Indy Miranda (NY)   In what ways should a designer digest and create their own unique style of design in a world today where ‘trends’ are the vast majority of the industry? (IM)  I believe that designers should focus on solving problems effectively and efficiently and avoid the temptation of creating new products to fulfill consumeristic trends or their egos. One thing that we all share in common is that our perception of the world is unique. Therefore, designers should nurture that and attempt to find solutions based on these unique points of view. However, I welcome trends that stand to improve our quality of life and our planet, like a move towards sustainable materials and processes, accessible design, etc. Photo by: Indy Miranda (NY)   What other interests (design related or not) do you have other than fingerboarding? (IM)  I have been practicing photography for over 14 years, enjoy traveling and observing different cultures, visiting museums and exhibitions, looking at architecture, and I am also an avid hip-hop fan! Indy Miranda Instagram: @_ pastelle.uk