Boards: The Art and Design of the Skateboard

by MTV

The seventies had album covers, the nineties had 'zines. Today, the coolest graphic design is underfoot, on the decks of skateboards around the country. As books like Thrasher and the recent indie cult hit film Dogtown and Z-Boys prove, skateboarding is one of the most popular extreme sports today. And as its popularity has grown, so has interest in the actual graphics on the boards themselves-the different designs are coveted by boarders, covered by magazines, and serve as one of the most creative vehicles for graphic designers today.

Boards is the first book to focus on the unique art of skateboard design, featuring hundreds of color photos covering the work of today's hottest board designers, including Birdhouse (Tony Hawk's company), Girl (Spike Jonze's company), Chocolate, Zoo York, Enjoi, and 5Boro. As most boards are produced in limited runs and distributed locally, even the most die-hard boarders will have only seen a fraction of the decks included here. In addition to Q&A's with the designers, Boards features action shots of some of today's hottest boarders, making it a must-have for every fan.

Genres: Design

224 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2003

Reviews

[April Helms · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art ranges from very abstract to almost photographs, from anime to “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” There’s also a short profile on several of the skateboard artists, and information often includes which skater owns that particular board. But the pictures are the emphasis here; this has a magazine feel.

I was impressed with the variety of skateboard art, and how well-done much of it is. Teens into the skateboard culture and X-games will probably recognize the names connected to the boards and react favorably. Perhaps this could give them ideas on how to decorate their own boards, or other art for that matter. They also should enjoy the short profiles of the artists.

[Jeff Wyonch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of pictures, but not a lot of substance. An overview of historical and current board makers, types of boards, and major artists would have filled out the book in a more meaningful way for the unitiated. While the designs were awesome, the lack of context killed the book.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was good

[Lesley Looper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I'm not into skateboarding, it was interesting to go through this book and seeing the variety of artistry on skateboard decks.