MediaWiki:Most popular articles

Most popular articles
Adio

Adio Footwear is an American company that manufactures men's and women's skateboard footwear as well as apparel. It was founded in 1998 by retired professional skateboarder and PlanetEarth Skateboards owners Chris Miller and Felix Arguelles, which are both subsidiaries of Jarden Corporation

Alien Workshop

Alien Workshop is a company founded in 1990 by Chris Carter and Mike Hill. Based in Dayton Ohio, this is a departure from the Californian-centric skateboard industry. It producesdecks, wheels, apparel and other skateboard accessories. Alien Workshop is known for its artistic graphical style, with themes of paranoia and futurism often used. Alien Workshop is owned and distributed by DNA Distribution, which also owns Habitat Skateboards and Reflex Bearings. DNA Distribution was bought by Burton Snowboards on February 5, 200832

Baker

In 2000 Derek Puhl left every skateboard company that was ever made and started Baker Skateboards with Andrew Reynolds & Melissa Buchanico, along with Booz Distributions as an investment partner. Booz is a company formed by Havik Founders Cain Kerner and Colin Chaban to distribute their own products[1]). In February 2002, with pressure from Strickland to make good on Reynolds' promise of 50% ownership, Reynolds purchased the shares of Baker owned by Blitz to become the sole owner. Baker still remains a member of the Blitz Distribution family. Reynolds' promise to Strickland went unfulfilled, and Strickland left Baker to concentrate on his own company, Bootleg Skateboards (with the name taken from Strickland's first video, Baker-Bootleg released 2 years before Bakerskateboards started) under NHS Inc., which has since folded. In 2005, the popular Baker 3 full-length video was released, instantly becoming a hit in the industry. In 2008 Baker's new promo video "Baker Has A Deathwish" was leaked on to the internet. Despite being a promo, the video features full-parts from all Baker and Deathwish pros and most ams, and the video is also over an hour in length, being longer than Baker 3 and Baker 2G. Two of bakers pro's (Jim Greco and Erik Ellington) had left baker to start their own company called Deathwish Skateboards run through Baker Boys Distribution. Shake Junt and Brigada Eyewear are also run through Baker Boys Distribution.

Birdhouse

Birdhouse originally Birdhouse Projects is a skateboard company formed by ex-Powell Peralta pros Tony Hawk and Per Welinder in 1992. After the skateboard boom of the late 1980s had died former Powell Peralta Pro Freestyle skateboarder Per Welinder wanted to stay involved with skateboarding by starting a company. Welinder had originally asked Powell Peralta Pro Skateboarder Lance Mountain to be his equal partner in the venture. Mountain declined as he only wanted to start a skateboard company if he had 100% ownership. Mountain later founded The Firm Skateboards (now defunct). Welinder later asked another Powell Peralta Pro Skateboarder Tony Hawk to by 50-50 partners in this new skateboard company. Hawk gladly accepted as he felt his time in skateboarding was nearly over due to the lack of interest in Vert Skating caused by the popularity of Street Skating. Welinder and Hawk decided to name their new skateboard company BirdhouseProjects. Birdhouse being a reference to Hawk's last name. Birdhouse is part of the Blitz Distribution family who also distributes Baker Skateboards, Flip Skateboards, Fury Trucks, Hook-Ups Skateboards and Sk8 Mafia Skateboards. Birdhouse makes decks and wheels, as well as clothing and accessories. Birdhouse also makes Videos (Films) showing the talent and skill of the teams skaters.

Blind Blind is a skateboard company founded by Mark Gonzales, in 1989 under Steve Rocco's World Industries empire. The name "Blind" is anintentional slight to Gonzales' former sponsor, Vision Skateboards. He has since left the company and today the company continues under the ownership of Dwindle Distribution.

Blind markets decks, wheels and accessories as well as clothing. The company's logo is a stylized grim reaper. Notable team members include Jake Brown and Ronnie Creager. Notable ex-team members include Mark Gonzales, Brian Lotti, Guy Mariano, Henry Sanchez, and Danny Way.

Blueprint

Blueprint Skateboards is a British skateboard company based in Halstead, Essex. Setup in 1995. Blueprint Skateboards is independently run outside of Faze 7 Alternative Stuff LTD. Dean Magers creates and oversees Art direction, Joe Burlo oversees production and Colin Shears takes care of team management, filming and promotional duties. By starting small with a simple and straightforward plan Blueprint has steadily grown to its current position amongst the forefront of European companies. Originally onlyavailable in the UK, worldwide demand has grown alongside the company and Blueprint is now available in Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Australia. Blueprint hardware such as decks and wheels are sourced and manufactured in the USA, mainly in Southern California.

Circa

Circa (stylized C1RCA or C1rca, pronounced "circa") is a skateboard footwear and apparel company that started in 1999 and is based in San Clemente, California, U.S.. It was started by Four Star Distribution along with Chad Muska as its first professional rider.In fall 1999, Circa released its first Pro Model shoe, the CM901, which became one of the fastest selling shoes on the market. With sole focus on skateboarding, Circa has built an international team of professional and amateur skaters alongside a diverse line of footwear and apparel.

DC shoes

DC Shoes is an American company specializing in shoes for skateboarding as well as snowboarding boots, snowboards, shirts, jeans, hats, and jackets. The company was founded in 1993 and is based in Vista, CA. DC originally stood for 'Dope City Footwear', but sincethe sale of Droors (which is now defunct), DC no longer has ties to Droors and is simply DC Shoes. On March 10, 2004, DC Shoes was acquired by Quiksilver. The company manufactures footwear for extreme sports, including skateboarding, snowboarding, BMX, motocross, rally car racing, and surfing.

DGK

DGK Skateboards is a Philadelphia-based skateboard company whose main products are decks, wheels, apparel and accessories. DGK is distributed by Kayo Corp.In 2004, DGK (Dirty Ghetto Kids) entered into a multi-year footwear and apparel branding partnership with Reebok.

Element

Element Skateboards (originally called Underworld Element Skateboards) is a skateboard manufacturer and surfwear retailer based in Irvine, California. It is a subsidiary of Billabong International. The company was founded in 1992 by Johnny Schilleriff as a collaboration called Underworld Element Skateboards. The struggling company was later absorbed by Schilleriff and the "Underworld" portion of the name dropped. The company sponsors Hunter Kreck, Brent Atchley, Bucky Lasek, Chad Muska, Chad TimTim, Darrell Stanton, Jeremy Wray, Levi Brown, Mike Vallely, Ray Barbee, Tony Tave,Vanessa Torres,Bam Margera, John Levesque The company portrays itself as active in eco-friendly endeavors, community causes and attempts to raise awareness of environmental causes through its "Power to the Planet" initiative. Element Skateboards has been called the "world's leading skateboard company" by the New York Daily News. Company stores are located in New York City, Honolulu, Orlando (Universal CityWalk), and Sydney.

Etnies

etnies is an American footwear brand based in Lake Forest, California and owned by Sole Technology, Inc. with roots deeply embedded in skateboarding. etnies is primarily a maker of footwear designed for skateboarding, but in more recent years they have also created shoes and clothing for snowboarders, BMX and motocross riders, as well as surfers. Started in France in 1986, the brand's original name was Etnics, derived from the word "ethnic," which was a nod to the skateboarding subculture. It was later renamed etnies due to legal issues. In 1989, Pierre-André Sénizergues started marketing etnies in the United States as etnies, U.S.A.etnies is considered to be the most accessible of Sole Technology's brands. While its other brands, éS Footwear and Emerica, focus more narrowly on skateboarding shoes, etnies has a broader appeal, designing shoes for toddlers, as well as etnies Girl, a line for girls and women. Aside from shoes, the etnies collection also consists of other apparel. These include: shorts pants, T-shirts, hats, beanies, bags, jackets, accessories, tops and sweatshirts. etnies has outlet stores in the U.S. called etnies:exs that also carries other brands owned by Sole Technology, Inc. etnies sponsors many professional action sports athletes such as skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, BMX, and motocross.

Famous stars and straps

Famous Stars and Straps (or simply Famous) is an American clothing and accessory line created by Travis Barker in 1999, best known for being the drummer in the band Blink-182. The company is based in Ontario, California. Famous Stars And Straps clothing is influenced by music genres such as punk rock. The line consists mostly of men's t-shirts, jackets, hats, and socks although recently a women's line was added consisting of bikinis, shirts, pants, etc. They also specialize in accessories such as belt buckles, bandanas, and skateboard decks. The brand's "F" logo, which is referred to as the 'Badge of Honor', is used to represent the line. The Badge of Honor was created for Travis Barker by a popular MySpace icon known as "RockDaMullet". The logo is often used in words such as 'Family', 'Famous' or 'Forever'. 'Faith' is a new project in the line dedicated to Travis and the families of the ones who perished in a deadly plane crash in the fall of 2008. FSAS is also known for having skateboard, BMX, and motorcycle stunt teams. Members of these teams are referred to as the "FSAS Family". FSAS clothing has been worn by many celebrities including Barker himself, Barker's band mates, skateboarder Jereme Rogers,Jon Grimstad B-Real of Cypress Hill, Sonic Syndicate,Trav Hewat, Tim Armstrong, Rob Aston, Mark Hoppus, Roger Argenis, Craig Fairbaugh, Andrew Hill, Tris Penkal of .DE.$T, Tom DeLonge, DJ Premier, Cassidy (rapper), Paul Wall, Bryan Williams (Birdman), The Game, Eminem, Brad Uhlman, Steve Jocz of Sum 41, Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas (who wore the clothing on the cover of DUB Magazine) and Tyler Meyer and his dad John Travolta of the Nasty Nati of Ohio! (#28). Lee Gaze of Lostprophets is also seen sporting a Famous t-shirt throughout the music video for thefakesoundofprogress. Synyster Gates of Avenged Sevenfold has worn their "Wild Ones" shirts during several concerts. Brooke Burke also wore the clothing on the cover of Transworld Stance magazine in June 2003. Matt Tuck of Welsh metalcore band Bullet for My Valentine also wore a FSAS vest throughout the music video for Tears Don't Fall and also Fluorescent Exit drummer Joe Collen wears the FSAS label. Famous Stars and Straps will be releasing a Limited Edition BMX in 2009 for their 10 year anniversary.

Flip

lip Skateboards originally started in the UK in the 1980s as Deathbox Skateboards (later to be named Flip in 1994). The original name 'Deathbox' is a term used for the swimming pool overflow channel in the form of backyard pool skating. Flip moved from the UK to California in July 1994, Jeremy Fox, Ian Deacon and Geoff Rowley were the first to arrive, team riders Tom Penny, Rune Glifberg, and Andy Scott moved in 95) the company went on to become one of the world's biggest and most well knownskateboard companies. Four members have won the prestigious Thrasher Skater of the Year Award: Bob Burnquist in 1997 (though he was sponsored by Anti-Hero at the time), Geoff Rowley in 2000, Arto Saari in 2001, and Mark Appleyard in 2003 also winning best street skater in transworld skateboarding magazine. Flip has a team, with skate veterans such as Lance Mountain, street skate legends such as Geoff Rowley, and Tom Penny and also two legendary vert skaters by the name of Rune Glifberg and Bob Burnquist. In 2008 David Gonzalez from Colombia became pro for the team.

Hurley

Hurley was founded in 1979 by 23-year-old Bob Hurley (along with partner Bob Rowland and Business Manager Joe Knoernschild) as Hurley Surfboards/International Pro Designs (I.P.D.). Hurley worked for 5 years as a surf board shaper for various companies; including Lightning Bolt; Wind-an-Sea and Wave Tools. While becoming known as one of the premiere shapers in Southern California, Hurley licensed the U.S. rights to the up-and-coming Australian surf brand Billabong, and formed Billabong USA in 1983. Founding Partners in Billabong USA besides Hurley were Bob Rowland (General Partners), and as limited partners - Chip Rowland, Mike Ochsner, Joe Knoernschild, Tom Fletcher and Bill Hurley. In 1998, the U.S. licensing rights for Billabong were up for renewal after the Company had grown to over $70M in sales in America. The USA management team decided to not renew the USA license for Billabong USA - and in 1998 Hurley International was born. Founding working Partners of Billabong USA Hurley, Knoernschild, Ochsner and Bill Hurley transitioned over to Hurley International. Billabong USA's designer; Lian Murray, also became a partner with the newly created Hurley International.On May 12, 2002, the company was sold to Nike, Inc. for an undisclosed amount of money,[3] and after many outcries from the surfing community for brand independence,[citation needed] the brand still maintains relative autonomy to this day from its Nike parent. Hurley's Corporate Headquarters is in Costa Mesa, California, USA. Today, Hurley brand clothing can be found in shopping malls in such stores as Buckle, PacSun, Zumiez, XlR8 in Daytona and others. As new designs come into Hurley merchandising, old ones will be replaced so that there is minimum duplicates in clothing designs.[citation needed] Hurley also has an online site in which clothing can be ordered directly. Hurley's involvement in the music world has been well documented.[citation needed] A major part of the company's success has been the endorsement of pop-punk bands such as Blink-182. Furthering their involvement in the music industry, Hurley is currently a major sponsor of heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold.

Plan B

the Plan B Skateboarding team was founded in 1991 by Mike Ternasky. In 1993, Mike Ternasky was killed in a car accident, leaving the ownership of the company in the hands of Danny Way and Colin McKay, who temporarily shelved the company and the team.In 2005, with the financial backing of Syndrome Distribution, Way and McKay reformed Plan B Skateboards, maintaining their roles as team co-owners as well as professional skaters.

Vans

Vans began producing shoes for different sports such as basketball, baseball, and wrestling. These products did not sell very well, and in 1983, Vans was forced to file for bankruptcy. Three years later, Vans paid back all creditors and came out of bankruptcy, in part because, according to the company history, "Vans Slip-Ons gained international attention and appeal when they were worn by Sean Penn in the 1982, iconic youth film Fast Times at Ridgemont High. "Penn's black and white checkered Vans ... [took the company] from like ... $20million to ... $40 million ... after that film came out," Marketplace reported in 2009. In 1994, Vans began manufacturing overseas and sponsored the Inaugural Triple Crown series which developed into the Vans Triple Crown series. In 1998, Vans opened a 46,000 square-foot, indoor-outdoor Vans Skate park at the Block in Orange County. In 2000 and 2001, Forbes recognized Vans as one of “America’s Best Small Companies." In 2004, Vans launched the Vans Customs on their website. This allowed customers to log onto the Vans website and design their own pair of Vans Slip-ons, mid-cuts, or high-tops.

Zero

Zero Skateboards is a skateboard company located in Carlsbad, California. Zero started out as a clothing company in 1996. It evolved into a full fledged skateboard company with Jamie Thomas leaving Toy Machine and becoming Zero's first pro. As the team grew, Jamie started the company, Mystery Skateboards in October 2003, headed by Zero pro Adrian Lopez. Ryan Smith and Lindsey Robertson, who were amateurs at the time for Zero, also went to Mystery. Zero decks are manufactured in Tijuana, Mexico, by Edieth and Osuna, which is owned by Jamie Thomas. Zero is part of the Black Box Distribution family, along with Mystery Skateboards, $lave Skateboards, and Fallen Footwear.Zero has won three consecutive Thrasher Magazine's King of the Road competition from 2004 to 2006, beating other teams such as Girl Skateboards, Toy Machine, Darkstar, Element, Flip, Habitat, Real, Almost, and Baker Skateboards. Zero has declined defending their title for King of the Road in order start the "Black and White tour" with the Mystery team in 2007. Zero pro Chris Cole won Thrasher and TransWorld Skateboarding's S.O.T.Y. Award (Skateboarder of the Year). Black Box Distribution just started up $lave skateboards, a new sister to Zero. Zero is one of five skate teams which the player can join in Tony Hawk's Underground. The logo originated from the 1995 animated film Toy Story, where the character Sid is wearing a shirt with the same logo.

Zoo York

Zoo York is a style and social philosophy inspired by the New York City graffiti art subculture of the 1970s. Its name originates from a subway tunnel running underneath thearea of the Central Park Zoo. This tunnel, called the Zoo York Tunnel, or simply "Zoo York," was a haunt of very early "old school" graffiti writers who hung out with the hippies around the Central Park Bandshell in the late-1960s and 1970s.