During Winterim, students will immerse themselves in the culture of skateboarding while exploring the design elements that shape how a board looks, feels, and performs. We’ll visit local skateboard shops to talk with industry professionals about board design, learning why different shapes exist and how features like tip, tail, wheelbase, and concavity influence the riding experience. Students will also explore how artwork and branding on skate decks have shaped skateboarding’s identity over the years and linked it to art movements like punk, graffiti, and street art.

To deepen this understanding, we’ll spend time at skateparks talking with riders about their preferences and the ways board design affects their style and the environments they skate. By looking at a wide range of skateboards, from vintage models to modern designs, students will gain a broad perspective on the possibilities and evolution of skateboard design. Students will put their knowledge into practice by crafting two of their own decks: one in an “old school” style and another in a modern “popsicle” shape. Using custom two-part molds in a skateboard press, they’ll learn how mold design determines the final geometry of a board. Once their blanks are formed, students will design custom profiles and use the CNC machine to cut them out.