Wheel Shields

There is a really cool project that has been developed by a young entrepreneur, and University of Maryland student, Chase Kaczmarek. It has been getting a lot of attention in the longboard circuit, and it is currently raising money on Kickstarter to help go into full production. Check out Wheel Shields for more information on the innovative solution to wheelbite! 

Click on photo to go to the Kickstarter profile page

We spoke with Chase about how Wheel Shields may help influence board building in the future:

Have you ever built boards before?

Chase- I have built a board before, about 5 years ago. My dad had a small workshop and I found a truck template online that helped me cut out the holes. I used a crappy piece of plywood and cut a fairly archaic downhill drop deck out of it. It worked well, but didn’t have any concave. Looking back I could’ve done a much better job with the right gear! It’s really cool that builders are thinking about designing custom boards to work with Wheel Shields.

What possibilities do you think the Wheel Shield opens up for longboard designs?

Chase- Wheel Shields open up all sorts of new design possibilities. You can construct shapes that would normally be prone to wheel bite without having to worry about wheel bite. Wheel Shields could be really great for dancing or shalom setups, making shapes that used to require risers possible without them. Wheel Shields eliminate wheel bite, but also keep riders dry when skating on wet roads. This allows riders who mainly skate to commute or do LDP able to use any board they desire without getting wet. You used to need a RollsRolls-style board to solve this problem. Wheel Shields are a more aerodynamic, elegant and lightweight solution. Wheel Shields also open up new trick possibilities by letting riders stand directly on top of their wheels. This could lead to some creative board designs that could enhance Wheel Shields tricks. You could make a board that rides at exactly the same height as the Shields, which would let you dance and do manuals on them.

What is your background in skating?

Chase- I’ve been skating since I was 13 and transitioned into longboarding around 16. Been skating ever since!

With such a large community of independant board builders, we think Wheel Shields will only add to the possibilities for board design and function. We encourage everyone to check out this project and support any way possible! Spread stoke. 

Make sure to give their Facebook page a 'like' as well :)

Roarockit Europe Q&A

Since getting back home to France and setting up the new Roarockit EU, Sarah and Nico have been busy with emails, phone calls, websites, shipping, translations and more! Still, they had time to do a little Q&A session about their time in Toronto and what to expect next.

What is your background in skateboarding?

Nico- I'm a keen street boarder, love riding half pipes, mini half pipes, cruising through the town centres and having fun in skate parks. I've never been an amazing skater, but often have my board with me; even while travelling around the world, I had a Penny attached to my back pack.

Sarah- I have never quite got the hang of a skateboarding, but enjoy watching others and have always read skateboarding magazines. I'm an athletic girl and have always been into sports and intrigued by extreme sports. On my recent travels I was introduced to the world of longboarding. Since I have built a few of them since then, I hope to spend more time riding one.

Nicolas designing his first custom mold at the Roarockit HQ in Toronto.

What made you want to get involved with Roarockit and bring it to Europe?

Sarah- Roarockit and its innovative technology has always been a fabulous product/concept in our eyes. However, partly due to high shipping costs, it has been hard to get in Europe and few people have had the chance to learn what it was all about and get involved with this amazing new invention. 

We realized that not only did we love the idea, but that there were a lot of other people who were asking for this sort of product this side of the Atlantic as well. So we asked whether there was a chance and a space for us to become involved with the Roarockit team, but in Europe. And, after much research, a trip to Canada to learn from the pros and several months of setting up, here we are. This is an opportunity of a life time and means that not only are we now the proud European team of Roarockit, we are also doing something we love and thoroughly believe in.

3) What is the skateboard community like in France/Europe?

Nico- There is a large skateboard community across the whole of Europe, for both street and longboarders. We have noticed that the communities of longboarders and mini cruisers have been expanding over the past few years and we believe the customization is a huge part of this growth.

Heading home to begin the new leg of their Roarockit adventure!

What was it like training here at Roarockit in Toronto?

Nico- An amazing experience! The whole team of the Roarockit Skateboard Company are great, always there to give advice and guide us with patience through the ins and outs of the concept.

Sarah- We learned a lot in the short period we were there, perhaps because their experience in board building is just incredible. Not only hard workers, the team knows how to turn the company into more: showing a high level of creativity, frequent new inventions and fun, people orientated events. The people, and the opportunity to contribute, makes the company something very special and well worth training to be a part of.

What has been the response so far in Europe?

Sarah- So far, more than positive. It seems people here in Europe have been quite keen to get their hands on the famous Canadian maple veneer and the Thin Air Press. It was a lot of work to try and make the product as affordable as possible, considering its high quality. Hopefully we have managed to succeed in this and sales so far have been very encouraging. Throughout the coming year, we aim to continue spreading the knowledge of our products and bringing something new to the European world of skateboarders.

What do you see in your future with Roarockit?

Nico- We plan to introduce Roarockit Thin Air Press Technology to as many board builders, schools, community organizations and individuals as possible. We aim to be creating and involved in local and national events, some similar to the Swap Meet that takes place in Toronto. 

History of Roarockit EU

As you may have heard, the Roarockit Skateboard Company has expanded into the European market with a brand new home base in France. In charge of the new operation is Sarah Jackson and Nicolas Alix, two incredible young entrepreneurs who had a vision and brought it to life.

Click on photo to see the pyrography process on this custom board by Champstiles Woodburning

Earlier this year, both Sarah and Nico visited the Roarockit HQ in Toronto for an extended training period. Being the person who primarily trained them, I can tell you first hand that we made them work super hard in preparation of opening their own branch of Roarockit. Not only did they learn all the basics of manufacturing, shipping/receiving and customer service in the skateboard industry, but they also helped teach us a few new tricks as well!

Presenting Sarah & Nico with the custom burned deck chronicling their trip to Roarockit Toronto

Background:

Nicolas (Nico) has a baccalaureate in management and accounting and is qualified as a stone mason, specializing in restoring historical monuments. Following school, he became fully involved in the motocross world and worked alongside his best friend for many years teaching motocross to young children. After several years of this, he left it all to go travelling around the world. During his journeys Nico improved his English, on top of his French, and has now returned home to launch Roarockit Skateboard Europe. 

Marcel and Nico making shirts for the 6th Annual Swap Meet

After completing her European baccalaureate (specializing in German) Sarah graduated with a degree in Linguistics from UCL (London, UK) all before she was 21. Following this she worked at various part time jobs, in order to put money aside for travelling expenses. She also spent time volunteering at music festivals as part of the admin team and a translator (French/English/German) between the artists and the organizers. Before training at the Roarockit HQ in early 2013, Sarah had spent time helping out with Roarockit in the early days of the business on a family trip to Toronto. Now that things have come full circle, she is excited to get started running the new European division of the company. 

Sarah & Nico making their first custom drop deck

The finished product - A handmade, bottle shaped 1" drop deck!

On the next Rockit Talk, we interview Sarah and Nico to hear a bit more about their new business (ad)venture, skateboarding in France and the future for Roarockit Skateboard Europe!  

How To Fix A Warped Board

For riders and builders alike, having a warped deck can be very frustrating. Skateboards (like any piece of wood) can warp over time as the fibres in wood expand and contract with seasonal/temperature changes. Decks can also be affected by moisture and inconsistencies in the glue between layers.

When you are not using your board, keep it stored in a controlled environment whenever possible. Try not to leave your board for extended periods of time in places that can be subject to extreme heat or cold, like your garage or the trunk of your car - and always keep your board dry! This will help control the moisture content of the wood and prevent unnecessary expansion and contraction of the veneers.

Now, we know that's not always possible... sometimes you just gotta take your board out in the rain and get your greezy slides on, or throw it in a jammed trunk for a long road trip. Either way, if you find yourself with a warped deck, we've got a relatively easy DIY solution to try and fix it.

TOOLS & MATERIALS NEEDED:

• at least (2) clamps
• heat gun or hairdryer
• solid length of material (to be used as a lever)
• weighted object (e.g. Gallon of glue, brick, etc.)

STEP 1: Determine where the warping in your board starts. Sometimes this can be tricky as warps are always different. It may start at the nose and gradually run all the way to the tail, or there may be two entirely different warps happening over the length of the board. You may need to try it a few times, but with a little practice you will start to recognize how to correct different bends in your board.

STEP 2: Warm the affected areas with the heat gun for about 5-10 minutes. What this does is 'reactivates' the glue in between your layers of veneer, and allow you to bend the board back straight when the glue sets. There may be multiple areas that need bending, but it is a good idea to focus on one at a time.  

STEP 3: Clamp one end of your deck to a solid surface like a table, and clamp a length of wood (or other solid length of material) to the overhanging portion of your deck. You will than place the weighted object onto the extended length of wood to act as a cantilever to bend your board back straight. 

*Note* This is the part that will really take some practice. There are many different combinations of where to clamp the board, and where to place the weight that can affect how your board bends. Some bends may require more weight to counteract the warping, and the type of wood, length of your board and type of glue used by the manufacturer may affect the results as well.

Once your board looks like it is in a stable and straight position, leave it clamped and weighted for at least a few hours to let the glue reset. When you are ready to check on your board, make note of where the clamps and weight were positioned in case you need to tweak the setup and try again. 

Using this method will give you a basic understanding of how to counteract the warping effect. It's cheap, simple and can be very effective. It may not work perfectly everytime, but if you can save even just one board being chopped from rotation...isn't it worth it?! 

Oasis Enrollment / National Youth Arts Week

Week after week, semester after semester, the Oasis Skateboard Factory (OSF) always amazes us with the diversity of projects and events they find themselves a part of.  Many people see what they are doing and think, "That's so cool, I wish I could do that in school!"... well, YOU CAN!

Click on photo for more information about the OSF program and enrollment.

Not only do we offer our innovative board building programs to different schools and community groups around the world, but the OSF is always looking for new students to enroll in their innovative program.

They are now open every Wednesday at 9am to speak with potential new students and/or their parents about the program and enrollment.  

Contact: 

• OSF Classroom, 416-393-0845 
• Craig Morrison, OSF Teacher, craig.morrison@tdsb.on.ca
• Lauren Hortie, OSF Teacher, lauren.hortie@tdsb.on.ca

Fresh on the heels of the successful Board N' School Skateboard Art Auction, the OSF students were back at it setting up a display of their own at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) for National Youth Arts Week. Students spoke to reporters and the public about their program, and even got to meet former Gorvernor General of Canada - Michaelle Jean.

Just another great example of the oppourtunities students at the OSF get to take part in.