Jack's deck
Of all sports, I think I like the aesthetics of skateboarding best. I like the graceful gymnastics of top level boarders. I like the come-as-you-are aesthetics of their (un-)uniforms. I like the exhuberant thrashing and driving basslines of their music. And I like the synergies
between skateboarding and graphic design that seems as old as the sport is. Skateboarding magazines, logos, and deck designs have been around for decades. Maybe it's a SoCal thing, just like car customization, another grass roots aesthetic movement.
My boy, Jack, turned 11 last week. He has given himself a fine birthday present this year by painting the underside of his board with a group portrait of his favorite cartoon characters in various states of debauchery. Jack worked fairly long and hard on this piece, drawing the design, then transferring it onto the board by scribbling pencil on the back of his drawing, then carefully painting the whole thing in acrylics and then polyurethaning the whole thing to preserve it against New York puddles. Our pal, Tom Kane, provided technical advice and encouragement.
When we went to the skateboard store to get trucks and wheels, the staff was incredulous that this little kid had created such a great board. Now Jack is busy scratching and scraping his masterpiece on the rough asphalt of Washington Square Park.
Comments
That is incredible. He did an excellent job.
Posted by: Lu | August 15, 2005 09:07 AM
Awesome Job JACK!!! Always be yourself and never let anyone second guess who you are.
Posted by: Big Harry H | August 15, 2005 09:07 AM
What a great deck! I remember when my boys designed their own - but yours, Jack, is a true work of art! Have fun with it - oh, to be young again!
Posted by: pam | August 15, 2005 09:17 AM
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He is lovely, and what an artist !!
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Posted by: dhyana rose | August 15, 2005 09:27 AM
I LOVE IT. LAST WEEK MY GRANDSON BROUGHT HIS TO SHOW ME, HE HAD PAINTED HIS TOO - BUT WITH THE MEANEST CHARACTERS I EVER SAW.
I LIKE WHAT YOUR SON DID TO HIS. GOOD JOB.
JAN
Posted by: JAN | August 15, 2005 09:32 AM
That is just so amazing Jack! Keep on drawing and painting! I wish I had been that good at it when I was eleven! You rock!
Posted by: Bea | August 15, 2005 09:38 AM
Well done, Jack! And what a treat to see this delightful picture while reading the on-going story of "Peanut". In a way it's akin to skipping ahead in a book to see how things turn out......something I rarely do, but in this case it's very satisfying.
Posted by: Jane | August 15, 2005 10:01 AM
its finished!!! it looks fantastic or should i say "gnarly".
Posted by: morgan | August 15, 2005 10:30 AM
Jack,
That is an awesome skateboard! You did a great job. Also, it's nice that you can go out and enjoy using it since you dad has immortalized it on his blog.
Happy Birthday to you. My daughter, Christina, had a birthday last week too on the 11th.
Best wishes,
Kate BD
Posted by: Kate BD | August 15, 2005 10:40 AM
totally rad (or is that too past?)!
Jack, that is one awesome deck.
you're an amazing artist.
Posted by: pearl | August 15, 2005 10:55 AM
Great work, Jack. It's nice to see a young guy with a well developed sense of humor, not to mention great talent.
Posted by: Amber Lawless | August 15, 2005 11:48 AM
This is so cool Jack! I love the design, the colors, the brilliant skill you've demonstrated -- everything! Amazing!
Posted by: nina | August 15, 2005 12:09 PM
Excellent!!!
Posted by: Donavan | August 15, 2005 12:22 PM
WOW! That is an awesome board!! Happy shredding Jack :-)
(hope I'm using the right lingo - I try to keep up. but for all I know I'm 3 years behind the times...)
Posted by: Nancy Grim | August 15, 2005 01:53 PM
Great job there Jack! I like how the guy on the right is spray painting your initials on the brickwall (by the way that wall looks sooo real!)
Promise you won't stop drawing when you turn 12 like so many people do for some reason.
Posted by: Stephanie | August 15, 2005 02:23 PM
What a great board! This is a big project and he did a wonderful job on it. Around here skaters get a bum rap most of the time. Take the time to talk to them and you find neat kids (who aren't parked in front of the boob tube on a nice day!).
Posted by: Joyce | August 15, 2005 02:35 PM
Tell Jack he did a great job. I especially like the "tagger" on the right side spraying his initials! (You've got a handsome lad there, too!)
Posted by: Karen Winters | August 15, 2005 02:53 PM
i am VERY impressed w/ his artistic ability! i also find the content choice hilarious: b. bunny smoking a blunt. very good of you to be such open minded parents. what a cute kid!!!
Posted by: katie | August 15, 2005 05:23 PM
danny, have you ever seen rodney mullen skate? he's my personal favorite~the most graceful and innovative freestyler there is by far. i'm sure you have seen him in action, but just in case...
http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/g/d/gdl118/videos/411vm.mpg
Posted by: jenny vorwaller | August 15, 2005 06:38 PM
What an amazing design! Please tell Jack its really wonderful...And something no one else can make but him....(A huge gift in our mass produced modern world.)
What a creative home you all have.
Lindsay
Posted by: lindsay | August 15, 2005 07:01 PM
Is that Bugs Bunny smokin' a blunt? Tiiiiiight.
And props for including StrongBad. Well done!
Posted by: ted | August 16, 2005 04:41 AM
Dude! Good Job!
Posted by: zephyr | August 17, 2005 08:50 AM
Would the term be "diversi-form"?
Posted by: David | August 17, 2005 05:17 PM
Jack, very cool art work...my brother painted on his board years ago and I painted my boyfriends board one year with all his favorite bands logos...good work!
Posted by: lyn | August 18, 2005 11:52 PM
Fantastic job! Very cool.
Posted by: josie | August 20, 2005 09:05 AM
gosh that's an amazing deck. all three of my boys are skaters and I too love much of the sport. I love the grace of it and the craziness of it and watching it. nervousmaking sometimes though.
found you through Loretta...
Posted by: blackbird | August 20, 2005 08:46 PM
excellent board Jack, if you are being hit up to do more, this site maybe of interest:
http://www.roarockit.com/ - deck kits that are fun to make
Posted by: marc | August 29, 2005 12:11 PM