HANG-UP'S // At the MapleXO HQ's, we cut up tons of boards every week. This uniqueness of each used board shows how skateboarding is a completely individualistic and creative activity. Because of its individualistic nature, skateboarding attracts some of the most creative and eccentric minds. These minds are breeding grounds for nervous habits, quirks, and hangups that affect every aspect of their skating. No one that skateboards can comfortably ride any board set up in any way. They have to make it their own before they can actually skate it. Everything from the size of their board, the color of their shoelaces, the number of mounting hardware they use, the color of the top ply on their board, to things as simple as how loose their trucks are affect how each skateboarder feels about the board under their feet. At MapleXO, we love to embrace individuality and so we've been asking skateboarders to reveal all their quirks, habits, and hangups when it comes to how they like to skate their board. Take a look //
Name: ZACH MILLER
From: SAN DIEGO, CA
Age: 21
Usually Skate: cement parks, pools, vert!
On Skateboarding: It's fun! Thats all that matters! Love skateboarding, you can do it almost anywhere and it is the reason my friends and I get to travel the world!
Continue readingSkateboard Hang-ups, rituals:1. Cant have any bubbles in the grip2. No markings! plain, plain, plain!3. Also graphic and sponsors stickers gotta have some color coordination!
Photo: Theo Hand
We've been working into the night to finish up our latest batch of MapleXO Jewels. Christi Yingling came down to the woodshop to snap a few shots of the work in progress...
Peeling back the griptape from every board is a monotonous task. Fingernail polish rarely survives and rough and battered hands are usually the end result. But how can we complain... it's like digging up that buried treasure. What lies beneath the grip is the reason we do what we do.
No matter how many power tools we use to help with production, every single piece of MapleXO jewelry is handheld and created through every step.
After all the drilling and shaping of our pieces, we spend countless hours touching up every item with a thorough hand-sanding to make sure they're all perfect.
And when all the sawdust settles... MapleXO Recycled Skateboard Accessories make their way to the stores and wardrobes of all our favorite people around the world.
Thanks for helping us save landfill space in style by wearing MapleXO
Love,
Lindsay Jo
Live. Love. Wear. Skateboarding... MapleXO
Continue reading
HANG-UP'S // At the MapleXO HQ's, we cut up tons of boards every week. This uniqueness of each used board shows how skateboarding is a completely individualistic and creative activity. Because of it's individualistic nature, skateboarding attracts some of the most creative and eccentric minds. These minds are breeding grounds for nervous habits, quirks, and hangups that affect every aspect of their skating. No one that skateboards can comfortably ride any board set up in any way. They have to make it their own before they can actually skate it. Everything from the size of their board, the color of their shoelaces, the number of mounting hardware they use, the color of the top ply on their board, to things as simple as how loose their trucks are affect how each skateboarder feels about the board under their feet. At MapleXO, we love to embrace individuality and so we've been asking skateboarders to reveal all their quirks, habits, and hang-ups when it comes to how they like to skate their board. Take a look //
Name: Bucky Timothy Miller
Age: 23
From: Phoenix, Arizona
Usually Skate: These days I usually skate The Wedge. There are secret plans for a mini ramp that might be put into action soon.
On Skateboarding: "Skateboarding is mindless fun, which is pretty much a necessity."
The HangUps:
1. The time I spend on my griptape depends on how bored I am at work. The fewer customers we have, the more elaborate my grip. The same goes for stickers on the bottom.
2. I don’t use washers with my bushings. I think they are dumb.
3. I made a vow to myself to not buy any hardgoods in 2010. Working in a skateshop where people are notorious for disposing of things prematurely has made it a pretty easy goal to achieve.
Photo: Brad Westcott
Continue reading
HANG-UP'S // At the MapleXO HQ's, we cut up tons of boards every week. This uniqueness of each used board shows how skateboarding is a completely individualistic and creative activity. Because of it's individualistic nature, skateboarding attracts some of the most creative and eccentric minds. These minds are breeding grounds for nervous habits, quirks, and hangups that affect every aspect of their skating. No one that skateboards can comfortably ride any board set up in any way. They have to make it their own before they can actually skate it. Everything from the size of their board, the color of their shoelaces, the number of mounting hardware they use, the color of the top ply on their board, to things as simple as how loose their trucks are affect how each skateboarder feels about the board under their feet. At MapleXO, we love to embrace individuality and so we've been asking skateboarders to reveal all their quirks, habits, and hang-ups when it comes to how they like to skate their board. Take a look //
Name: Brian Johnson
From: Fairfield, CA
Age: 21
Usually Skate: Fairfield Park, SF, Sacto, San Jose, or any where in Nor Cal
On Skateboarding: "You get to be a kid and escape the real world. Skating is my life its what I want to do when I wake up and the last thing I think about when I fall asleep. Skate Skate Skate that’s it"
The HangUps:
1. Always gripped from tail to nose in a particular pattern.
2. Stickers are always on the nose and under the front truck so that if the board is vertical standing on the tail they are readable.
3. Always skate a set of trucks until the back truck breaks then I put a new set of trucks on even if the front truck is still good.
4. Ride my wheels graphic out for about a week until they get a little yellow then rotate them graphic in but wont rotate them after that.
5. Ride Colored top ply’s any color including red.
6. I always flip my board over with my back foot whenever I step off my board.
Inspired by Tim Ward, MapleXO will now be posting blogs that spotlight our favorite shops and people through photos and interviews.And so it begins...
Woodward West is a kids Skateboard/BMX and gymnastics camp in Southern California. Since we first started MapleXO, the Woodward West Skate Shop has been our biggest contributor of broken and thrashed boards. Kerri Reichard is one of Woodward West's coolest employees and one of MapleXO's favorite skateboarders. Here's the Woodward/ Kerri Reichard interview:
Shop Name: Woodward West
City, State: Tehachapi, CA
Cool fact about the city: Tehachapi means good water and nuts
How Long in Business: 8 years
Favorite Brands you carry: MapleXO, IPath, Krooked
What’s the message you wish to spread through your store: Consume responsibly and express yourself!
Owners/ Employee(s)
Names: Kerri Reichard
Interesting fact: Just filmed a pilot for a TV show about girls skateboarding
Alter Ego: Lady Gaga
5 good bands: Devil Makes 3, Lady Gaga, Flaming Lips...
5 good books: Cat in the Hat, Thrasher, Lindsay’s Diary...
What is your prized possession: My Car, and skateboard
What’s the worst: Karma, Cheating and Stealing
What’s the best: Karma, Traveling and meeting new people
Skateboarding to you… three words: Exciting, Everyday, Traveling
Making skateboard jewelry is the best thing I could ever imagine doing for work. But, when I come across a board like I did last night, I almost wish that instead of making skateboard jewelry, I could just collect all the skateboards in the world and photograph the grip. It really blows my mind to see the things kids write and draw on their grip. Self expression in it's purest form. There's always the typical stuff like: "<---Nose, Tail--->" , "Sk8 or Die", "Kick Flip Spot" , "Land or Slam" And then the rated R things that I probably shouldn't mention in this blog. But my favorite are the ones like this board from last night...
A whole bunch "Button Earrings" in the works!
These small stud earrings are one of MapleXO's newest products. Of course, the original skateboard graphics are featured facing out, and the ear post is sterling silver. New inventory available Aug. 20th, 2010!
