Naked was a company that sold blank decks in a variety of shapes. They were based out of Colorado and Maryland. Their premise was higher quality boards without graphics at a cheaper price, hence the name Naked. They also sold uncut blanks that could be turned into a high school shop project. Their ads alternated between product photos and submitted photos. Sometimes there were credits to go with the photos and other times you got an unidentified ripper with a frontside crail at China Banks. It also looks like Naked might have been one of the first companies to make a slick bottom board.
China Banks: Thrasher - May 1989 Volume 9 Number 5
Apply Yourself: Trasher - August 1989 Volume 9 Number 8
Millions: Trasher - September 1989 Volume 9 Number 9
Ptex: Thrasher - December 1989 Volume 9 Number 12
11 comments:
Fuck! I forgot all about them!! I had a few naked decks. They were really good. I never cut my own but they had some decent shapes back in 88 that I bought a few of just out of pure cheapness. You know, at the end of the day, skateboarding is for sure a lifestyle but the tools you use are pretty basic I was always stoked on certain pros and whatnot but there were equally as many local no name rippers that stoked me too and if I can get a good deck for half price just to support my habit then I will. No need to tax me for (insert your fav pro's name)'s lifestyle. Not when I'm a broke ass teenager with poor parents. It's even worse these days... I just hope my daughter never discovers SUPREME
I bought one of these from a friend. It was my first legit board. I'm pretty sure the dude who sold it to him was the one who shaped it.
So who made the first everslick? B.B.C, Naked, and Santa Cruz all had stuff out in 1989 I think. I posted earlier that I had a B.B.C everslick that I got a Savannah Slamma 3. That was the spring of 1989.
Santa Cruz was the first to pull off the successful major marketing campaign. I don't think Everslicks hit the shops until 1991. I was going to scan the ad where Eric Dressen boardslides from curb to curb, but decided I had enough to work with already.
I do not know who actually was the first. I'm making an educated guess that a few people had been tinkering with the stuff, but nobody got it work right. If I recall, there were a few different boards in the 1980s that had a bottom ply with a slick type material, just none were popular and most were rather heavy.
With a B.B.C. slick in 1989, that would put them as an early leader. I know they had plastic eventually so maybe it was something in the works for a while.
There was also Z-skin, which was like griptape but instead of sandpaper, it was slick plastic. I used some of that stuff when rails were on their way out.
That was probably in the Shackle me not and Hokus pokus years.
I had a naked uncut deck that I shaped and drew graphics on the bottom. It had a guy eating a plate of food and said "hungry man skates" on it.. I sold it to this kid at my job corps center. Big mistake! I worked hard on that board. If anyone knows of its current whereabouts please contact me...I WILL buy it back!!
Good luck, dude.
I still have my AX Ptex board!!!!
That's awesome. What was it like?
The China Banks photo was of skater Marc Heubert. I took the photo (TD Camp). We were both sponsored by Naked. The boards were good quality and Al Albrecht was a good guy. We got Mike Carrol his first sponsorship with Naked when he was hella young.
Thanks for the info. I did not know that about Mike.
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