Old School Boards: Stronger Than Ever Before

Whether you’re skating on it or just collecting it, the old school shaped skateboard has made its way back to the skate scene.

While young riders grew up with the popsicle-style board as their only option, the skaters of the 80’s used the old school shaped board. These boards were not only a piece of skating equipment but also a work of art expressing the entire skate culture of the 80’s.

Many skaters from back in the day have started to collect these old school boards either out of pure nostalgia or for cruising or skating. However, younger skaters have also begun to shred the streets, bowls, and verts with these old school boards.

Photo: Ryan Guettler - Rider: Shane Allison

While the skateboard decks of the 70’s had almost no art on them, the boards of the 80’s embraced the possibility of using the deck as a canvas. This resulted in the wild designs and colorful graphics that to this day are pieces of art in themselves.

A Blast from the Past:

One of the leading brands from that period is Madrid Boards, which to this day still makes boards the old school way. Their latest collection is a collaboration with the people behind Stranger Things and is an homage to 80’s pop and skate culture.

These boards are not only true to the 80’s in shape and concave, but the awesome graphic designs also take our thoughts back to illustrators like the legendary Jimbo Phillips, whose work is still seen as art today.

If you’re more into a realistic art style, the range from Madrid also features some of the darker imagery from Stranger Things, such as Sheriff Hopper out on the infected pumpkin field or when the kids face the shadow monster.

Check out the whole Madrid and Stranger Things skateboard series here.