Stoked Mentoring

One of our longest running and most successful partnerships at the Roarockit Skateboard Company, is with Stoked Mentoring in New York.

Stoked was started by Steve Larosiliere in 2005 after an inspiring trip to Whistler, BC. He had already been involved in youth mentoring, and thought it would be amazing if his mentee at the time, “a 17 year old kid from the Bronx”, could share an experience like snowboarding in the mountains with him. After a lot of hard work, planning and fundraising, his vision for a non-traditional mentoring program was born.

Today, Stoked is one of the largest programs of its kind and offers mentoring to youths in Snowboarding, Skateboarding and Surfing. They have also expanded their New York based operation into Los Angeles, and are currently in over 10 different schools in the USA.

Part of their successful program is having students make their own skateboards using Roarockit's Thin Air Press Technology. This part of their program (called Stoked Plus) was implemented back in 2009, and they have been responsible for over 300 boards built since!

“In Stoked, you need mad discipline. Don’t even try to come in here if you don’t have discipline... scraping? Sanding? Oooh that stuff is hard! But it’s worth it, it’s worth it. [After finishing my board] I feel beautiful inside... outside too! I feel I accomplished a great work of art!”  - Yusef

Description of the program taken from the Stoked website:

"An after-school program started in 2009 that teaches students how to build their own skateboards from scratch without using power tools. The program teaches youth life skills such as time management, project planning, and teamwork. Youth leave the program with a completed board they can skate and high school credit. Approximately 87% of youth in the program complete their boards, 94% of youth felt they had a better understanding of how to manage their time and the steps required to complete a project, 97% of youth felt they were better at working with others, 77% were more excited about going to school on the days the program operated, and 58% felt more connected to their school as a result of the program."

Success – achievement and goal setting

Teamwork – collaboration

Openness – accessibility to youth, mentors, community, and our sponsors

Kudos – positive feedback, rewards, and encouragement

Energy – engaging, relevant, and challenging activities rooted in action sports

Determination – confidence and ambition to deliver opportunities to our youth 

We at Roarockit are extremely proud to be involved with an amazing organization like Stoked.  Knowing that our materials, tools and technology are being used to positively affect the lives of the underserved youth in these areas (and around the world), makes all the hard work worthwhile.

If you would like to know more about Stoked Mentoring, you can keep up to date by following their Facebook and Twitter feeds.

You can also get more information about their programs from the Official site at www.stoked.org

Also, check out their cool new project in partnership with Mountain Dew and Lil' Wayne, called the Deweezy Project.  The kids from Stoked got an opportunity to help shoot and direct a new commercial featuring a skateboarding Weezy himself!  It is currently in the shooting stage, and we're excited to see what they come up with.

AM Wood Skateboard Company

One of our favourite, and most advanced builders is Alistair McCall – Owner/Operator of the AM Wood Skateboard Company.

Alistair started building boards out of his garage in Grey County, Ontario as a fun and profitable woodworking hobby. His first boards were all custom built for friends and local riders, which gave him an opportunity to work with a variety of materials and board styles. This experience led him to eventually launch the AM Wood Skateboard Company in early 2011.

AM Wood's has since become one of the most prolific and recognized independent builders in North America, selling their boards to riders in over 10 countries (and counting). They have also helped build their name by being a part of some great events including the Toronto Board Meeting and the 2012 Stylus Awards.

They are also proud supporters of the Thin Air Press vacuum bag, and use them for all of their composite work and one-off custom boards. In his own words;

“It is 100% the best way to laminate composites. I have laminated in my big press before with mixed results. The best part about the tap is you can control the resin content through the use of peel plys, perforated films and pressure control. There is a reason all “real” composite parts are done with bags, aerospace, f1, boats etc…I also use the vac bags for all my custom shapes. Foam is a lot easier to work with than wood.”

The AM Wood Skateboard Company is expanding and moving its production facility later this year.  We look forward to seeing what the future of AM Wood's looks like, and will have a follow up post when they get set up... to be continued :)

You can keep up to date with AM Wood by checking them out at the links below.

AM Wood - Official Homepage

Facebook

Twitter

Wakeskate Build & Review Pt.2

**This is the 2nd part of 'Frenique Customs' Wakeskate Build & Review.  A special thanks goes out to Matthew Richardson for taking the time to put together such an in-depth and helpful post.

I enjoyed the Canada Day weekened up at my cottage on Wenona Lake in Haliburton, Ontario.  With my new wakeskate board to try out, I made sure my Dad took me for my first ride with everyone up to watch this epic moment.  I did not get up my first time - the board slipped out from my feet.  Determined to suceed, I tried once more and I got up!!!! So much stoke was happenin at this moment.  I rode side to side, over the wake and I even tried to jump and spin!!! That did not work... yet, but I got back up and tried again.  

Knowing that I made my own wakeskate, and it actually worked was such an awesome feeling.  In the end, I learned a lot from the choices I made and now feel like the options are endless!

My 4 ply board was light, and unfortunately turned out to be a bit too thin.  I left it on my dock for the day, used it to jump into the water and tried to ride it again later.  It turned out that I cracked the bottom layer... It has not ruined the board, but I know now that 4 layers is too thin.  I want to try and rectify this problem by adding a layer of fiberglass cloth to the bottom.  I feel like it’s worth a try and with my experience working with fibreglass, I know I can add a ton of strength.  That being said, a 6 ply board is the next thing to do on my list of things to try, so maybe that one will hold up for a longer period of time.  

With all the extra time and decisions to make, patience and determination was key... and let me tell you, it was really worth it. Try it out youself and see what you can come up with!

Here is some pictures of me riding my first FRENIQUE “We’re Fresh and Unique” wakeskate.

You should make sure to check out, 'like' and read Frenique Customs' profile on Facebook. They have a great story and are building some awesome things like wooden ear plugs, Muskoka chairs, cabinetry, and of course - longboards.   

Here is a cool video from the 2012 Longboard4kids event on Matthew's new Youtube feed:

Wakeskate Build & Review Pt.1

**The following post was written by a talented builder named Matthew Richardson, who runs a company called 'Frenique Customs' out of Pickering, ON.

“We're Fresh and Unique”

If you have made a longboard, you can make a wakeskate! How awesome is that!! 

For me, it was pretty rad to start making my own longboards, and a wakeskate is basically the same thing, only difference is that it's used on water.  

Here is some history of how I learned about wakeskating - I personally spend almost every weekend at my cottage. We have a boat and I started wakeboarding 4 years ago. A friend of mine bought a wakeskate, which is basically the same thing as a wakeboard but without bindings and you usually ride it with grip tape and an old pair of skate shoes. A lot of people look at you when you’re telling them about the sport and think that it's crazy... "your going to fall all the time!".  Yes, I may fall a lot... BUT, you’re on water dude. That doesn’t hurt like pavement. GIVE IT A TRY!!!!

The Roarockit Skateboard Company gave me the ability to use their method and products to make a solid longboard. I have made prototypes from this process, and it has led me to meet some really cool people, and some rad kids with tons of potential. I had the urge to make my own wakeskate and see how riding my own creation on the water would feel... would it work? Who knows until YOU try.

Roarockit started selling a wider veneer (24" x 48") and wider bag earlier this year, so it gave me the perfect chance to try and build my own wakeskate.  I placed an order and Chris 'Burns' Bennett (Manager of Roarockit) was nice enough to drive it to my house personally (I live on his route home luckily enough).   I met with Chris and chatted for roughly an hour as he delivered my order of 10 double-wide  sheets of Canadian Maple veneer and my 36" x 52" TAP Bag. I was going to try a 4 ply board and a 6 ply board... this review is for the 4 ply board.  

I went with a triple stage rocker, with 1.5” in total height. I wanted a large surface to ride on top of the water so I went with a 16” wide board and 41” in length. I wanted to have the sides symmetrical and the corners to be cut, but with a rounded profile to allow easier spinning and smoother cutting side to side. I own a roll of Jessup Grip tape, so I used 2 - 9” wide pieces to cover the majority of the board. 

The veneers are the same Maple used in my longboards, so working with the wood and how the mold works is the same process, just a little larger than normal.  I used the same type of foam, which is the Pink rigid insulation that is 2” thick - I find it carves nice, and somewhat quick, by using a bondo rasp and then sanding to smooth out the rough cut foam. Once you draw out your wakeskate design, it is just about having a good eye, some patience and determination.  With my mold I had a lot of foam to carve compared to all my longboard designs, so it took more than double the time. I could have used a knife, but I find it to be inaccurate and prefer to use my rasp.   I added a ½” around my board mold, so I have as little as possible excess of the sides and front.  I had to cut the width of my veneer to size using my table saw, and I cut it to length using an exacto blade.   My mold and veneers are now ready to be pressed into the raddest wakeskate I have ever made!

This being a new mold, I wanted to do a dry fit (without glue) to make sure all my veneers would press evenly and there would be no gaps between the wood and my mold.  My first dry fit went great, there were no gaps and the top layer was nice and smooth.   Now that I know this mold works... its time for glue.  I used the waterproof and inexpensive Titebond 3 glue.  I am also going to epoxy the entire thing after I cut and sand it, so that the board will seal properly and last longer.  

I got the board in the bag, I made sure to check the bag frequently and then let it sit over night till I got home from work and checked it out.

It totaly worked, how crazy!!!  

I removed the newly pressed baby... I mean board, from the bag and checked out all its edges.  I was able to get a nice lamination from this pressing, which got me even more stoked to ride it.  I got right to laying out my design!  I don’t like using a template, I use measurements and tools to draw it out, especially because it was my first wakeskate.  I started with my center lines and then measured everything off of those lines.  I used a measuring tape, a small ruler, my Rockitruler, and something for drawing circles.  After making my lines, I used a jig saw to cut the board out roughly to shape. I made sure to cut a little outside of the line so I can sand the edges.   Through all of this, I went slow and steady making sure I did not mess up.  Keeping a good line could make all the difference and how the board rides on water.  

All said and done, the board was cut, sanded and I just coated the whole thing with epoxy.  Next step, throw on some grip tape and hop in the lake!!!

**Check back soon for the stoke-inspiring conclusion of the 'Frenique' Wakeskate Review! 

Skate or Die: Documentary

Roarockit's board building materials and patented Thin Air Press technology, are used in schools and unique programs all over the world.  It brings a smile to our faces when we see how a simple idea, like building your own skateboard, can change people's lives.

Currently there is a documentary being made, called Skate or Die, which focuses on a young Chicago resident who has used skateboarding to help escape the violence and gang-mentality of his community.

"For Leo Castillo, age 21, skateboarding has been a saving grace. Through his teens, he witnessed the disintegration of his family: an older brother shot and killed before him by Chicago Police officers; a younger brother, beset with illness, slowly slipping away to the same gangs he reviles; an abusive mother and a father he’s never known. Skateboarding offered an outlet... Leo began to forge a path to adulthood. From spearheading the construction of a skatepark in his Little Village neighborhood to teaching his own after-school skateboarding class at a local high school, Leo sought out ways of turning a youthful passion into a productive future."  

Leo was part of the City of Chicago initiative that uses Roarockit Technology to engage students in an Advanced Apprenticeship program.  The program started in 2006 and still runs today! He was a big contirubutor to the program, and helped students build their own boards through the long, cold Chicago Winters.  

His building/teaching experiences are documented in the film, and we think it is very important that this project receives the backing to get finished.  The world needs to know just how important skateboard culture can be, when engaging the youth of today for positive changes in the future.

Make sure to check out their Kickstarter page for more information about how to support this great project!

Skate or Die (Homepage) - http://www.skateordiemovie.com/