Why be bored in school? Go to a Skateboard School! This Toronto District School Board alternative school design program helps students earn high school credits and graduate by creating their own brand and running a skateboard business / professional design studio. OASIS SKATEBOARD FACTORY (OSF) "ON THE GRIND": TDSB's ART & ENTREPRENEURSHIP O.G.s since 2006!

Monday, December 19, 2011

KID SQWID x SLURG (pARTnership BOARD by OSF Student mentored by German Street Artist)



Test Time (4EV3R brand custom prototype ready to ride)




I am an artist (but I don’t consider myself one) and a skateboarder and scholar. I have always loved skateboarding and getting the opportunity to make boards for credits is amazing. This is my second semester at Oasis Skateboard Factory and this is my first board this year. Last year I started work on my company, brand and products and have a lot of things lined up for starting my company and getting it off the ground. So far I have a board graphic, button package and a t-shirt design; this board will be the newest edition to my brand. This board was built with me in mind, I wanted to make my dream skateboard.

The graphic is just a representation of my brand, I tried to incorporate all the graphics I had as well as anything else that represented my brand. The logo in the middle is my brand 4EV3R, that’s the focus, and then the Moai, or Eastern Island head, is on either side as well as the little skull. Both of these are also on the grip tape. Behind my brand logo and images is a border, the border is supposed to look like a Stonehenge arch. Stonehenge has stood the test of time, it’s been there 4EV3R. On top of the border is the head of the sphinx, which has also stood the test of time. Finally the background is just for show; the blue represents the sky, the yellow represents the pyramids and the black represents the earth or underground.

The board itself is a custom shape designed by me. I had to take a foam mold and shave it down to my desired dimensions as well as cut out the custom shape. I based the shape off a board I had a while back which was an old school Black Label deck: widest in the middle, a hexagon nose, and a square tail. I also had some inspiration from a skate video of Bobby Worrest, it was a video contest to win wheels and he was riding around this tennis court doing tricks on this cruizer. When I got the chance to make it I was thrilled.

There are a couple design flaws which I would change for the future, one of them being the tail of this board, it’s too long and does not have enough concave. This results in a lack of pop and even ollieing is made difficult, it tends to just roll over, but anything off the nose is fine. There is no flat part in the middle of the board, it’s completely concave. I would make less concave in the width. The wheel wells are perfect, with loose trucks and big wheels I didn’t get wheel bite in my test run.

Holiday Dim Sum helps warm the cold transition to winter skating...



The first of a series of Free Skate Days this school year donated to us by our friends at CJ Skateboard Park













OSF visits MOCCA



Critique & Contemplation


Student curates OSF boards for opening of new gallery as part of Hamilton's James Street North Art Walk

In production...



OSF Student earns Community Hours designing T-shirts with our new Community Partners



"Get on Board" November Morning Attendance Awards (Bamboo SK8, Oceanside California)


Hot Lunch thanks to OSF Grandma VIP!

New TTC Seating!

Lauren (our new Part-Time Teacher) in Action!



Top: In the OSF classroom...
Bottom:...teaching teachers at our PD day.