"The Kraken" Longboard (2020)

Skateboard building is one of my favorite past times and has become a passion during the pandemic. To me there’s a great deal of magic and individualism involved. Every board begins the same with an odd number of layers, or veneers, glued together then pressed with immense pressure using a vacuum, all in a span of less than ten minutes. But at the end of each lamination, I know that this piece of wood needs to represent something more than just a way to get around. It is, simply put, moving art.

The design process for this board is the process I take with every board I build. It is of utmost importance to me that the board’s shape, design, and color represent the rider. In this case, the kraken longboard is meant to represent my dad. It took me a while to come up with a design for my dad. I couldn’t ask obvious questions because we don’t see ourselves the way others see us. Thus, in order for this board to represent my dad clearly, I knew I had to dive into my dad’s psychology inconspicuously using random questions that seem pointless. My personal favorite, “What’s your favorite cookie?”, may seem a nonsensical question on the surface, but one I believe to be an unveiling to a person’s favorite aesthetic.

This is an amazing question because there are literally an infinite number of cookies and each have their own features. When a person has a favorite cookie it is because it carries with it a part of their personality or favorite taste; an infinite number of cookies for an infinite number of personalities. A meal that looks good in the eye of the consumer is also indubitably better in taste. It's simply a matter of cross-modal behavior. 

My dad loves sugar cookies with nothing on top. It is truly baked cookie dough; no frills, none. I knew for sure that this meant my dad was someone who adored simplicity, especially in designs. I also knew my dad would enjoy a design that retained some of the board’s natural aspect. To make sure I had this correct, I remembered and observed what he found appealing. I took note of his clothing, his phone wallpaper, and his other favorite foods. It all checked out. 

With this in mind, I proceeded to ask myself what object portrayed my dad’s passions. I settled on a Kraken since this mythical sea creature was a way for me to highlight my dad’s love for the ocean. Likewise the Kraken was a great choice because it also played to people’s love of being distinguished. As a unique creature that fictitiously exists alone, the Kraken was a way to emphasize my dad’s, and the board’s, individuality. 

With the design finished, I translated it from Adobe Illustrator to a stencil and used a pyrography pen to etch the mythical creature in, and added tentacles on the top of the board that line up with the ones on the bottom to create three dimensionality. I coated the board in clear coat and wet sanded it for a mirror-like finish, a technique I learned from auto-restoration. Paired with ice blue wheels and evil red bearings, the board was finished, sinister, and a success. 

My dad now rides this board all the time, and enjoys it because it’s him. 

I believe it’s imperative that a design, like a marketing campaign, repels just as much as it attracts. In the words of Tinker Hatfield, “If people don’t either love or hate your work, you haven’t done anything.” Some people will say that the board is too plain, too straightforward, but people such as my dad would love it because they relate to it more than a design that is intricate.