Skate Invasion: Roarockit Skateboard Company

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Over last 5 years I’ve been trying to balance many part time jobs, family, friends, skateboarding and most importantly my art. I wasn’t sure in what direction my life was going and if the last 5 years of this crazy creative lifestyle I live was adding up to anything sustainable. The dream of any artist is having the ability to be creative but also to put food in their belly and pay their rent. Deep within the seas of darkness (of working a night job over the last year) I noticed a distant glimmer of light with a familiar smile throwing up a shaka of hope. Posted online was a job for a social media specialist and product assistant with my friends over at Roarockit Skateboard. It was the first time I have ever felt perfectly suited for a job and I got it!

Roarockit is run by Ted Hunter and Norah Jackson, a husband wife team that live in Toronto, Canada. Like myself, Roarockit’s main focus is to educate and inspire creation through the power of skateboarding.

Our main products are materials and kits using the patented method of building a board with a one-sided foam mold and a vacuum bag called a Thin Air Press. Essentially the product is a vacuum bag that acts like a press that bends layers of veneer against a custom or pre-shaped foam mold. The creation is being used all over the world by DIY skateboard builders, woodworkers, and most importantly teachers! Everyone can ride a skateboard and more importantly everyone can learn to build one too.

10 easy steps on how to build a custom skateboard using the Thin Air Press:

I first met Ted and Norah back in 2011 through my friend (and their employee) Marcel Dionne. Marcel would come out and push the streets with us (the early Skate Invader crew) with differently designed boards every week. As a group of friends we would ride, comment, thrash and trash his handmade creations. It was one of the crucial elements that made Skate Invaders more than just a group of friends riding skateboards together but a group of friends who skate and create together.

The following year I became more involved in Roarockit’s season opener Swap Meet which is a skateboard buy, sell and trade that is held at their home parking lot. Through this event I met with local board builders, Bombora Boards, Boz Boards, and Champstiles who also became elements in the Skate Invader collective. A family of creativity that was united by the company who dared us to dream.

2012 Skate Invaders limited edition skateboard called the Mars Lander designed by Marcel and engineered using the Thin Air Press.

2013 Marcel creating a board on the streets in Kensington Market, Toronto for all to see.

Skate Invaders, Roarockit (Marcel) and Champstiles collaboration at Skate Invaders art fund-raiser.

Laser-etched Skate Invaders x Roarockit collaboration designed and created by Marcel Dionne.

The fastest butt board in the world!! Kolby Parks took this baby to 131.62 KPH. Board design and build by Ted Hunter for Kolby.

Roarockit roots run deep in the community and across Canada now. Mischa Chandler started his own company back in 2010 using Roarockit technology and later founded Flatspot Longboards in Vancouver.

Roarockit has grown a lot as a company over the years and besides inspiring small board builders to create, we have also worked with a lot of schools, alternative schools and after-school programs. Inspiring a younger generation to get back to the roots of skateboard creation. Our program teaches science, physics, art, design, business, entrepreneurship, basic wood working skills, leadership, teamwork, mentorship and much more. The Oasis Skateboard Factory alternative school has found huge success bringing building skateboards into the classroom and inspiring the younger generation.

We have been working with after school programs here and around the world like Chill Foundation (Toronto), Stoked Mentoring (NY & LA), The Far Academy (UK), Flywood Longboards (Russia) to name a few that use our curriculum.

Roarockit Europe working with the youth building skateboard in Bruges, France:

My personal goal here at Roarockit is to keep the inspiration flowing! Taking the success of our past and rocketing us into the future. We’re doing some pretty amazing things here and I want the world to tune in. We will be launching monthly Facebook Live tutorials and lessons that you can be part of! This Thursday, November 17, 2016 3pm EST we launch the first episode with Dr. Marcel teaching us how to build an old school shape.

How can you find out more about Roarockit? You can follow us on facebook, Twitter, Snapchat (roarockit) and Instagram!

Thanks for reading and getting to know Roarockit!

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