Introducing... Marcel Dionne

Rockit Talk is proud to introduce Marcel Dionne.

If you've ever been to Roarockit, you may very well have met Marcel. Maybe he taught you how to shape your first mold? Maybe he did a demo for your school? Or maybe he just gave you a big high five and a smile as you walked by!?! Either way, were stoked to have Marcel on board as part of the Roarockit family.

Marcel has worked at the Roarockit Skateboard Company for almost 2 years and is our primary in-house teacher. Thoughout his time with the company, Marcel has taught countless students how to build their own custom skate and longboard decks, as well as creating hundreds of boards himself. He uses this experience to help prepare new students for what to expect during a build.

For example, "Many students tend to rush due to the short drying time of glue. Panicking in these situations can often make the process slower than it needs to be. Before we start pressing the board, I go over a prebuild checklist to make sure we have all the tools and materials needed within reach. This helps to keep the students calm and avoid mistakes. If you are properly prepared, there should be no problem getting the board glued and in the bag before it dries."

He also states that, "“Building boards by hand involves a lot of attention to small details – easily missed by most newcomers. 50% of my teaching is about anticipating problems during a build, the other 50% is letting the students make mistakes during the class. I'd rather them learn from their mistakes in-class, so that they are prepared when they do their first build on their own.”

Marcel wasn't always a master board builder. Having come from a background of computer science, much of his experience has been one of trial and error. Luckily, he has been surrounded by many great minds at Roarockit that have helped him to refine his woodworking skills. His favourite saying when it comes to building and prototyping is “Make (or think of) as many new mistakes as you can, so that your next build can anticipate them all”.

On top of building boards for a living, he is also extensively involved with the Skate Invaders - a local Toronto skate collective that promotes safe riding and good times. His experience riding with them has given Marcel a great skill set on which to design boards that not only make sense, but ride great! This kind of first-hand knowledge is what makes him such a great teacher as well.

 

Bursting with ideas for both work and play, we hope to see much more out of Marcel in the coming year and beyond.  

Oasis Skateboard Factory POP-UP SHOP

Friends of Roarockit are familiar with the great program running over at the Oasis Skateboard Factory (OSF) in Toronto. For those of you who don't know, the OSF is the first skateboard design and street art focused high school program in the world. Students earn credits by learning how to design, build, and run their own skateboard-based businesses. For over five years, the OSF has worked together with the Roarockit Skateboard Company to create a community-based program that both enriches and motivates the students within its' reach.

 

Recently, the students of Oasis had their Grand Opening of the new POP-UP SHOP located within The Baitshop at 358 Dufferin, Suite 117. The store, which sells skateboards, longboards and t-shirts made by the students, is the culmination of a semester-long business program created by teacher Craig Morrison. Opening night was well received, and the students were able to donate a portion of sales to a local community group. If you haven't gotten a chance to check it out, make sure you go by and see all the hard work done by the students. The OSF POP-UP SHOP is open 7 days a week until Feb.26, 2012.

 

With the vision of creating a professional atmosphere in an alternative setting, Craig has helped many students reach their potential and exposed them to the business side of a sport many of them enjoy. We are continually blown away by what his students come up with, and have no doubt they will continue to impress in the future.

 

You can keep up to date with the Oasis Skateboard Company by checking out their official site @ http://oasisskateboardfactory.blogspot.com/

Keep up the good work!!

Oldie But A Goodie...

 This video was directed by our good friend Brandon Steele, and is a must see for any fan of skateboarding, claymation and straight up hilarity!

It was featured in the 2009 Concrete Wave Evolution DVD and is an instant classic.

Enjoy,

Welcome to Rockit Talk

The Roarockit Skateboard Company is proud to present our new blog/community, known simply as... ROCKIT TALK!!

Rockit Talk is our way of highlighting the amazing projects and contributions, that come from our extended (and very talented) Roarockit family.  Everyday we are lucky enough to see work created by people using our Thin Air Press technology, and everyday we are amazed by what people have come up with.  These projects range from designing skateboards to building boats, and are only limited by the imagination of the builders themselves.

It is our goal to create a place to display these innovations, and make use of all forms of social media to help educate and exhibit our communities' progress.

We encourage everyone to submit photos, videos and any information that we can use to help bring exposure to your work.

Roarockit would like to thank you all for your support, and we continue to look forward to seeing what amazing creations you all come up with.