Interview - DB Skimboards

DB Skimboards is an up and coming company out of Washington State putting out some sweet boards. Find out a little bit more about them, their boards, and everything they’re doing for the sport in Inland Skimboarding’s latest interview.

Inland Skimboarding: Tell us a little bit about DB Skimboards.
DB Skimboards: The company originated in 2003 when a group of friends decided to start making skimboards for themselves. The first boards were made in our basement. They were all hand painted and skimmed pretty well. We now have a manufacturing center where we make our boards. During this time we also started making some videos. Our first video "Low Tide" was made over the summer of 2004. Since then we have made 3 other video's that have been put out on DVD. Our newest video, "For the Moment", was our most ambitious project and turned our really well. It is definitely one of the best flatland skimboarding video's out there and by far has the best cinematography and is well edited. Check out the teaser for this video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltIpwqrVwFY.

Inland Skimboarding: How did the name of your company originate? Is there any interesting story behind the name?
DB Skimboards: The name Dashboards Skimboards came from Dash Point which is the local skimboarding beach. DB is an abbreviation for Dashboards. We go by both Dashboards Skimboards as well as DB Skimboards.
Inland Skimboarding: Where is DB Skimboards located?
DB Skimboards: DB Skimboards is located in Tacoma Washington.
Inland Skimboarding: How have you seen the skimboard market change over the years you have been in business?
DB Skimboards: The flatland skimboard market is growing rapidly. Companies are taking it more seriously and better flatland specific boards are being produced. Flatland skimboarding has been progressing rapidly over the last couple of years. Some of the tricks that people are doing now a days are pretty amazing. Also, the build features (rails, boxes, etc) are getting larger and more gnarly.
Inland Skimboarding: How long have you been making skimboards?
DB Skimboards: DB Skimboards has been producing skimboards for 5 years now (quality since 2003).
Inland Skimboarding: What is the difference between skimboards used for wave riding and skimboards for inland use?
DB Skimboards: Inland (flatland) skimboards generally have a different shape and less rocker than wave boards. Also, flatland skimboards are generally bi-directional, meaning they are made to be ridden in either direction. Flatland skimboards are usually made of wood while wave skimboards are usually made with a composite structure. Wave boards are generally larger in size than flatland boards.
Inland Skimboarding: A lot of inland skimboarders start off on boards that they have made themselves. What are the advantages of moving to a professionally manufactured board?
DB Skimboarding: It is true that it is pretty easy to make a beginner inland skimboard yourself. Some of the advantages of buying a manufactured board is that they will ride better and go further than a homemade board. You can do much more advanced tricks on a manufactured board. DB Skimboards has gone through much testing to make the boards that we do today. They have the perfect rocker as well as some other features hard to achieve by making a board yourself. All our boards have a wear resistant base which will last longer and slide better than a wooden base with lacquer. Also, all DB Skimboards come with a full EVA traction foam top. DB Skimboards is constantly testing new ideas.
Inland Skimboarding: What makes a good inland skimboard?
DB Skimboarding: A good inland skimboard will have good pop, skim far, and have the perfect amount of flex.
Inland Skimboarding: Why should I buy a DB skimboard? (This is your chance to brag a bit)
DB Skimboarding: DB Skimboards are the best boards on the market. From our wear resistant base to our foam traction top we use the best quality materials to ensure the best quality board. Check out our videos and you'll see what's possible on these boards.
Inland Skimboarding: What makes your inland skimboards unique?
DB Skimboards: Our boards are unique in that we are one of the few flatland specific companies. They have been tested by our team of rider who help us ensure we are making the best boards. Also, we were the first company to have a traction foam top. The traction foam top gives you a nice cooshy ride with superior traction to wax. Also, you do not need to deal with the mess of wax.
Inland Skimboarding: What kind of testing/quality control do your boards go through?
DB Skimboarding: Our engineers and riders work together to test and make new boards. We are constantly testing new idea's. All our boards are quality tested before being shipped out.
Inland Skimboarding: Rails have become an integral part of inland skimboarding. Boards take quite a bit of abuse as a result. Talk a little bit about the challenge that presents when designing and building inland skimboards.
DB Skimboarding: Making a board that is durable to withstand the abuse of rails is difficult. Both the HPL and plastic base materials we use are tough to withstand use on rails. Both materials slide well on pvc. Our boards are made with hardwoods to help with ding resistance. No board is going to be completely bomb proof but we are working on some that are close. We had the balsa boards that came out in limited production this year. These boards featured a plastic sidewall to help with side impact dings. It also had a balsa wood core to reduce weight. Look out for a similar boards in 2009.
Inland Skimboarding: When you get feedback from inland riders, what positive things do you hear most often?
DB Skimboards: Everyone loves the foam top. It provides superior traction and a little coosh for your feet. Riders also like the rocker pattern of our boards. It helps them to pop high and travel far.
Inland Skimboarding: Where do you see the sport of skimboarding 10 years from now?
DB Skimboards: I see many more people getting into it. I don't think it's ever going to be huge but it will definitely grow.
Inland Skimboarding: Do you see anything new on the horizon technology wise that will improve the next generation of inland skimboards?
DB Skimboards: Check out our Balsa board from this year and similar boards in the future.
Inland Skimboarding: Inland skimboarders often get called names, talked down to, and shown little respect from some wave skimboarders. Inland skimboarders are often told what they are doing is not “real” skimboarding. What is your view of the inland skimboarding scene?
DB Skimboards: Everyone on the DB team as well as everyone working for the company is passionate about inland skimboarding. We all have fun with it and don't really care what the wave riders think.
Inland Skimboarding: As a board manufacturer, is there anything you can do, or are doing, to increase the respect for inland skimboarding?
DB Skimboards: We are making legit video's that showcase the talent of flatland skimboard riders. Check out the teaser for our last video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltIpwqrVwFY. I think that is the best think we are doing to get the sport more recognized. Also, we show respect for wave skimboards and others at the beach.
Inland Skimboardings: What inland skimboarding events have you been involved with? Tell us about your experiences at those events.
DB Skimboards: We have put on a contest at Dash Point State Park for 5 years now. Every year it gets bigger and better. This year we had about 60 competitors and hundreds of spectators. People came from all over the west coast. This is one of the biggest and best flatland contests of the year.
We also put on the Chambers Creek Throwdown. This year was our second year putting on that event. This event is smaller and showcases more local riders. We hope for it to grow bigger in the coming years. Chambers Creek definitely has a different scene than Dash Point so it is cool to put on two different events with different conditions.
Inland Skimboarding: Do you have any sponsored inland skimboarders? What does it take for an inland skimboarder to get sponsored by DB?
DB Skimboards: We do have a skimboard team. We currently have 7 sponsored riders. To get sponsored by us you need to be a dedicated rider who has talent. We like to see some good contest results as well as some video of the rider. Feel free to email us with your sponsorship videos.

Thanks DB for a great interview. Check out their website at http://www.dbskimboards.com/