It's a natural fit... If you're going to buy quality skateboard veneers and make your own custom deck, you might as well grab enough grip tape for your boards from the same place too, right?!
Roarockit now offers two different types of high quality grip tape for board builders:
9" Wide Street Deck - Offers a fine grit grip for skateboards and mild cruising. Sold in 34" lengths to match the dimensions of our Street Deck sized Maple veneers.
11" Wide Longboard Coarse - This coarse grip tape will really lock your feet in place while riding downhill and busting out slides. It comes in 48" lengths to match the dimensions of our Longboard sized Maple, Birch and Bamboo veneers.
We are currently offering the grip tape as an add-on to our veneer pack products, and also selling it in packs of 5 on its own.
If you would like to inquire about custom quantities or lengths, feel free to call or email
A big part of Roarockit's business is working closely with schools, after-school programs and non-profit organizations. There are many great programs/organizations around the world who have integrated board building using Roarockit Technologies into their students curriculum. It is such an amazing thing to see a full classroom of kids, walking away with a high quality, handmade board of their very own... not to mention some of the coolest graphic and design jobs we've seen in the skateboard industry!
While it is not a 'traditional' method of teaching by any means, instructors who have used the program have reported many benefits in their classrooms, including;
increase in attendance levels
students are focused, attentive and apply themselves to complete their decks
can work as an incentive for both 'under' and 'over-achieving' students
teamwork and mentoring scenarios occur naturally during the build process
students gain experience working with their hands
the program can be applied to a wide range of subjects including Art & Design, Mathematics, Construction Technology, Business and Entrepreneurship, Physical and Environmental Sciences, and more
students relate well to skateboards and its counter-culture aspects
great opportunity to involve their community through fundraisers, art galleries, open-houses, etc.
Another great part about the Roarockit skateboard deck builds is that they do not require the use of power tools and can be done in any classroom, or even outdoors...we've even had classrooms set up on picnic benches in a park! There are also no harmful glues, paints or coatings required, and the Thin Air Press is considered to be the 'greenest' method of pressing skateboards in the world (it's all hand powered!).
As part of our push to see more and more schools/programs building boards with their kids, we work diligently to help build a scenario that matches your particular teaching needs in regards to time constraints, class size and budget.
Here are a few links that include more information about course curriculum, funding options, examples of successful programs that use our kits, tutorials and more!
Oasis Skateboard Factory - A Toronto District School Board reengagement program that helps students earn high school credits by running a skate/longboard design business.
Stoked Mentoring - Stoked is an action sports, youth development agency based in New York and Los Angeles
Feel free to give us a call or email if you would like to get more information about how to integrate board building into your own programs.
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.
DIY, 
