Handmade Skateboard: Design and Build a Custom Longboard, Cruiser, or Street Deck from Scratch: Design & Build a Custom Longboard, Cruiser, or Street Deck from Scratch

"When my dad, brothers and I opened Val Surf in 1962, we had decided to include skateboards in our product offering thus making us the world's first legitimate skateboard shop. The skateboard has evolved so much since then, so it's great to see a new generation of skatemakers head back into the garage shop to build their own decks. A copy of The Handmade Skateboard would be a very helpful tool to guide them along." -- Mark "Wally" Richards, President and Co-Founder of Val Surf Boardshop and early skateboard pioneer "I know Matt Berger from the woodworking world so I expected this book to be an excellent resource for the "how-to" of deck building. What I didn't expect was the healthy dose of history and cultural perspective, leaving me much more informed and appreciative of the skateboard movement and the thought that goes into even the most modest skateboard design." - Marc Spagnuolo, aka "The Wood Whisperer" "Like a canoe-building manual for dry land, Matt Berger's elucidating treatise will elevate your skateboard shop skills from "ollie" to "goofy-foot kick-flip", with panache. Build yourself a stylish vehicle that requires no fuel beyond bacon, vanquishing the traffic and the claustrophobia of conventional conveyance." - Nick Offerman Actor, comedian, woodworker, and author of "Paddle Your Own Canoe"

The Handmade Skateboard is the definitive book on building custom skate decks of all shapes and sizes, from the high-performance street deck to the classic longboard to a vintage pinstripe cruisers that will turn heads everywhere you go. When you make your own skateboard from scratch you have the opportunity to create something that is perfectly tailored to you: a deck that matches your height, your weight, your center of balance, your skill level and your intended use. More importantly, making your own skate deck allows you to design a perfect deck to fit your personal style, making a statement about who you are. There's nothing wrong with choosing off-the-shelf and mass produced, but who doesn't prefer to stand out. Be different. Be one of a kind. That's what you get with a custom handmade skateboard. Whether you are an accomplished woodworker or an absolute beginner, The Handmade Skateboard guides you step-by-step through building five skateboard designs; from a simple Hack Board built in a few spare hours to a high-performance street deck pressed from seven layers of high-quality Maple veneers. A design guide covers everything you need to know about sizing and shaping your deck and choosing the right trucks and hardware. And detailed photos, illustrations and clear written instruction throughout provide all the information and motivation you need to make your own skateboard from scratch.