First Published, Concrete Wave, Fall 2006
When did you start skateboarding/longboarding?
I was 13 years old in the summer of 82' when I first started skateboarding. My father bought me a $5 skateboard because I destroyed all the bikes we had in the family. I guess he thought at least if I destroyed a $5 board, it would be cheaper to replace. That logical way of thinking set me on my way to skate and destroy all else in my path. A Santa Cruz Steve Olson Special Edition soon followed! Then in 85', I got a 36" Schmitt Yard Stix Longboard Deck. The only one ever seen in Okotoks, Alberta. It was the only longer board I knew of for a long time so I called it my longboard - how naive I was back then. In grade 10, I was the only kid in school who made skateboards in shop class that were actually ride worthy. Mind you, they were “Hosoi Hammer Head” rip offs and they only lasted about 2 days. After a while, I became the president of the Skateboarding Association in Okotoks and helped to organize competitions and helped to build numerous ramps around the town to skate on.
Why did you start up a longboard company?
While growing up in the Punk Rock scene, I always thrived on the connection of the punk rock and skateboarding lifestyle! It was the perfect way for me to release the frustrations of my childhood and to connect with others who evaded or ignored authority and the conventional way of thinking. It's now embedded in me - this appreciation for true freedom and rebelism that can only in my eyes be associated with skateboarding/longboarding and punk rock. Then I lost it and had a meltdown! Lack of support from the outside world buried that deep desire to follow my heart, and I didn't even realize it. After years of trying to reconnect with this passion, I found myself in other creative endeavors such as: designing high end leather work, building furniture and other types of woodwork, silversmithing and putting together ballistic amour which included materials like: kevlar, carbon, nylon and different adhesives and various machinery such as a 100 ton press and autoclave. None of these things were working for me - although in hindsight, all of these past endeavors certainly prepared me for what I'm doing now.
In the summer of 2001, I was living in a tiny attic apartment in this old house with my girlfriend (now my wife). To keep me sane in such small quarters, I taught myself how to silversmith in our kitchen. It was interesting work that helped me to develop more patience and to pay more attention to detail. Then a good friend of mine brought me a 42" longboard from Australia. He used to do R&D for the company he helped to start up there. Without a doubt, I knew immediately that I could improve upon this existing board. After a few years of research and development of my own, I stumbled upon carbon fibre and knew deep within that this is what I wanted to proceed full steam ahead with – and I didn’t care what anyone else thought - FINALLY! Godspeed Longboards was then established in July 2004. For clarity, the reason I chose the name Godspeed was because it means, “A Successful Journey”. Which is what we all deserve no matter what you’re dealt in this game of life.
What makes your boards different?
First off, all our longboards and race decks are carbon fibre wood composites that are individually hand made and individually pressed by myself. Our Series 1 line has a unique old skate surf design with old school permanent grab rails. The Superflex boards in Series 1 have the late 70s hand grooves. All these details seemed to have been lost during the 80s and 90s. Bring these elements back to the future and wrap the whole package with carbon fibre, and presto…you have quality and individual high-end tech decks which meet the standards for the 21st Century. As for our race decks in our Series 2 line, there’s the hand grooves as well, plus the proprietary speed groove (a micro concave within a concave of the board) and carbon racing hoods that I designed, which give more support to the drop through base plates. Our Series 3 line (G-Speed Illuminator) is quite exciting. It’s the only aluminum, carbon, wood composite dropped race deck out there that I know of. It’s also tapered with amazing contours and lines on the bottom half of the deck – very three dimensional.
Where are your boards available?
Our longboards and race decks are all available through our website: www.godspeedlongboards.ca., as well as at “Plan B” in Calgary, Alberta. A distributor and more stores are up and coming thanks to the peaked interest in our boards. However, I actually like to connect with all my customers and find out what they really want out of their ride. E-mail is fine, but I prefer to talk on the phone to ask them if they like extra stiff boards or Pogo countersinks, what kind of trucks and wheels they are using – just trying to make the best fit possible. I can customize all the boards to the customer’s preference; whether they want drop-throughs or top mounts…it doesn’t matter.
Godspeed Longboards is a company literally built on passion and quality. We are trying to reach a new kind of rider – one that appreciates longevity and individuality in their board. It all equals out to a company that is committed to selling “Less of More”. By this I mean - selling high end tech decks to a niche market at competitive costs within the longboarding market.
First Published - Fall, 2006