Today we are covering the history of pro fingerboard decks! Since there is so much one can cover into this subject, I’ve decided to limit it to focus mainly on the early days of fingerboarding. In this video you'll learn about the early days of fingerboard decks and their importance in the early pro fingerboard scene. Also, we will learn about the evolution in deck making, from the changes in fingerboard mold making, shapes and graphics. We will also cover a ton of the early fingerboard companies!
Fingerboard decks are arguably the most important piece of a fingerboard setup. As I mentioned in the History of Fingerboarding part 1, prior to 1998, there was a handful of options for fingerboarders to use for a fingerboard deck. First, they could use a fingerboard keychain, second they could use a skateboard toy, or third, they could create their own fingerboard deck. Those that went the latter route would create fingerboards out of anything from popsicle sticks, pieces of plastic such as a cd jewel case (which would be heated up to allow it to be bent into shape), pieces of paper, cardboard and even tape! Yes, that’s right we made fingerboard decks out of tape.
Once Tech Deck came out in 1998, fingerboarding changed immensely. Tech Decks featured a plastic deck and featured graphics from major skateboard brands. This was perfectly timed with a boom in skateboarding. Tech Decks became all the rage!
Tuning (tape, bushings, hardware, pivot cups etc) was the first item fingerboarders began to modify when Tech Decks were released in 1998. Next came the decks. Many fingerboarders, such as myself, modified our Tech Deck decks by using a lighter to heat up the plastic until the board was bendable. Doing this allowed a fingerboarder to raise or lower the kicks, increase or decrease the concave.
DIYers such as Gary Moyer shared how to make custom boards. Here’s an example of a composite board made from leftover plastic as the core, and two wooden veneer pieces. Using a candle, the plastic piece could be bent to shape. The veneer was glued to the plastic with contact cement.
Back in 2001, Doublejointed shared with the community a 37 step guide on how to create a wooden fingerboards. It outlines the process of using a bare tech deck with tape and graphic completely remove. Then wrapping the board in cardboard and using petroleum jelly. This prevents the deck from sticking to the epoxy to create a mold. After creating both sections of the epoxy mold, one would stack glued veneers together and use a bench vice or rubber bands to form the deck. After drilling the holes, Double jointed recommended using clear spray acrylic or nail polish to coat the deck.
Does this process sound familiar? Mike Schneider used this technique in making his first wooden deck back in 2003.
Doublejointed also innovated the truck game. I forgot to include that he sold single axle trucks from back in 2002! He even share the truck anatomy and why double axle trucks break. What an innovator!!
We even saw fingerboarders printing off artwork and glueing them to the bottom of tech decks.
There were other fingerboarders, such as Remi Gardner, who created their own boards. Remi founded Hell’s Nails, fingerboards made from a plexi glass material. These boards were meant to be ridden using pen-erasers split in half and taped to the deck as trucks. These boards had immense pop! I don’t have any footy from this time, but I do have some current footy from Remi showcasing that style.
Remi is working on releasing the next generation of those boards, under the brand HN Premium Fingerboards.
IngenUnity Decks were founded in 2004 and featured Danny Rodriguez on the team
In the early days, fingerboarders would take a piece of veneer, tape it onto a piece of paper and print it directly. This is risky, as it can damage the printer!
Early fingerboard decks were inexpensive. Typically, deck prices ranged anywhere from 4-10$ Oh yea, and unlike today, online payment wasn’t widely adopted by the community. So people typically sent cash via snail mail. As you can imagine, this meant you’d wait multiple weeks and even months to receive your deck.