Fingerboarding @ 30 part 1

My fingerboard journey began just like millions of others out there, with a Tech Deck. I got it from a now defunct store called F&M back in 1998. It was the green monster foundation deck. I still have it today. I remember when I first got it trying to use it in the sink or empty bathtub. I was a big fan of the Tony Hawks Pro Skater games at the time but I had no real skateboarding experience being 7 years old so these miniature boards were perfect for me.

I eventually got into skateboarding. It was super popular around 2001 and I hopped right on the train. I was into brands like Blind, World Industries, Hook Ups, and Flip. Around that time it there was a lot of Tony Hawks underground at night and skating during the day. We played with Tech Decks constantly in school, I have a specific memory of these two kids having a contest to see who could ollie over the most math books. I remember me and my friends would religiously watch the Flip ‘Sorry’ video on VHS after school before we would skate. We skated pretty often but I never really seemed to get better. I changed schools and lost touch with my old friends so my interest in skateboarding waned.

I held onto my Tech Deck collection and was on and off into Jakks Pacific Road Champs BXS bikes. Mostly just to build and display them. When I was in ninth grade around 2007 a friend of mine showed me a video called ‘Mega Fingerboard Park meets Elias Assmuths fingers at night’. I was totally blown away by the world of professional fingerboarding and the scene that Blackriver had created in Germany. I bought a Close Up G1 deck when Mike Schneider had first started selling them on Flatface. My friend made fun of it but I was so stoked to have a wooden fingerboard with bearing wheels.

I eventually got a Berlinwood, stay tuned for part 2.