ADRIAN TELES CONTRIBUTOR PUBLICATION PRINTERS (DENVER CO) PRINTER
reserve this page for 2025 USAFBL EVENTS
make sure you tell ppl there is going to be OVER 50 sanctioned events tell ‘em to get their PTO days ready...LOL then just drop the insta graphics we got... maybe put in a map? 5 BIG Events
oh DO NOT forget to tell em - 3 winners at national WILL GO TO FAST FINGERS 22 in Germany!!!
Making Great Fingerboards
Making fingerboards blends art and functionality. I’ve been making fingerboards over 22 years now, it’s still as exciting as ever! You start with a vision, combine woods, create shapes, and try to create a perfect board.
These days, there’s a massive amount of fingerboard makers in the scene! It’s truly remarkable, none of us ever dreamed that fingerboarding would become as widespread as it is today!
We see a lot of truly skilled woodworkers and beautiful boards. Colorful woods, unique materials, shiny lacquer, meticulous rounding. Hand drawn artwork, split plies, and more. It’s easier than ever to find a beautiful looking fingerboard, the amount of companies to choose from is overwhelming!
Anyone who’s been doing it a long time can vouch for the fact that the best fingerboard is the one that feels good to use, you enjoy using it, and it makes tricks easier. Then it’s a good board!
- by Mike Schneider
A good board and a beautiful board are not always the same thing. Sometimes, an “ugly” board has just the right proportions and qualities to perform great. Other times, a beautifully embellished board will be very hard to use.
If you’re lucky, you get a board so good, and so beautiful, you use it till it’s ugly! After years of use, it can lose much of it’s lacquer and get lots of chips.
Nothing beats having a board that works good and looks good, inspiring awe with it’s beauty, and landing the best tricks with minimal effort and maximal enjoyment!
“Advice
to everyone making decks: fingerboard more!”
The best fingerboards are made by very talented fingerboarders. They can tell the subtle nuances that take a board from good to great. The more time you spend fingerboarding, the better your decks are going to get too, as a result of developing your skills and awareness. Try many different boards, see what you like and what you don’t like. Preferences vary between fingerboarders, but you’ll notice trends. Some boards are just way easier to use than others, and it has little to do with how it looks, and more to do with everything else!
Inked & On Board: Reagan Nonan
Reagan Nonan, a tattoo artist from Muntinlupa City, Philippines, blends his passion for art and fingerboarding into a unique lifestyle. While family remains his priority, he channels his creativity into tattooing and fingerboarding, two pursuits he loves deeply.
Reagan’s fingerboarding journey began with basic setups but evolved through the generosity of friends. Jeph gifted him a 34mm DFB premium deck with Blackriver trucks, and Joemarr added Sulit wheels, propelling him further into the scene. Now, Reagan hones his skills with hopes of catching the attention of brands like Blackriver, Dynamic, and Flatface.
His tattooing career started with a borrowed machine and raw curiosity. A Japanese koi on a calf marked his first tattoo and the beginning of a growing portfolio. Reagan’s work combines his passion for drawing and painting, earning him a dedicated client base.
Memorable moments include his friends’ support in fingerboarding and a meaningful rose tattoo session that connected him to his future wife—a love story now six years strong.
Reagan continues to grow as an artist and fingerboarder, aiming to inspire others along the way. Follow Reagan’s Journey Instagram: @noswitch22fb.reagantattoo
From Murals to Mini Ramps Keeping the Grind Alive
Xava Maldonado @xava.fb
Xava Maldonado is a talented Puerto Rican artist and skateboarder celebrated for his impact on both the art and skateboarding worlds. With over 15 years of experience in the art industry, Xava began as a graffiti writer and has since become a skilled mixed-media and fine arts artist. His murals can be found across Puerto Rico, including the Embassy Suites by Hilton in Dorado. Xava has collaborated with major brands like Bones Wheels and Sandlot Times, working with renowned skaters Manny Santiago and Ryan Sheckler.
“I started fingerboarding around 1998–2000 when Tech Decks first became popular,” Xava shares. “It was a hobby I loved when I wasn’t skating—it kept skateboarding present in my life.” He highlights the contributions of Vennuck,
which began developing highquality fingerboarding boards, obstacles, and accessories in 2018. “Because of the community’s hard work, fingerboarding keeps growing stronger every day”.
Currently, Xava is sponsored by Ryse Fingerboards, Vennuck, and Sk8hop. For 2025, he is excited about his upcoming pro models with Ryse Fingerboards. “We’re working on a Ryse team montage, ads for my pro models, and more commercial content,” he says. One highlight of his career was the premiere of his first fingerboard video part, presented by Vennuck. “It was an amazing experience to share that with the community.” Follow Xava’s journey in art, skating, and fingerboarding: Instagram: @xava.fb @xavamaldonado & @soloraise
Cover Skater: Xava Maldonado @xava.fb
SO WHAT’S IN BRNO, CZECHIA YOU ASK?
Matěj Stonek is a 32-year-old carpenter with a passion for designing creative playgrounds for kids. Outside of work, he’s immersed in hip-hop and graffiti, constantly seeking new outlets for creativity—whether it’s in woodworking or spray-painted murals.
Matěj’s fingerboarding journey began in 2005 with a classic Tech Deck. After a break, he rediscovered it in 2020 during the pandemic, diving headfirst into making decks, concrete ramps, and wooden parks. He rides a 97x33mm deck but appreciates boards up to 36mm. Since 2020, he’s organized over 10 events across Czechia, fueled by the local community’s support.
Inspired by SLS skateboarding events, Matěj built his first fingerboard park in 2020, starting with simple materials and learning through trial and error. Now, he uses XPS and embedded mesh in concrete for durable, professional builds. Each project reflects his drive for high-quality materials and design.
One of his most unforgettable moments was attending Fast Fingers in Schwarzenbach, seeing 30 Blackriver parks in one warehouse. For Matěj, the best part of park building is seeing others ride his creations for the first time.
Upcoming Projects
Matěj is preparing for a big fingerboarding event in Brno this April, a traditional September contest, and potentially a second outdoor park in Brno.
Follow Matěj Instagram: @stonekfingerboards
Grind Right Fingerboarding: Welding Passion into Precision
Mark Mendenhall (Phoenix, AZ) is a passionate creator and fingerboarder based in Phoenix, Arizona. Growing up in Southern California, he discovered skateboarding and fingerboarding during the early days of Tech Decks. After a break, he rediscovered fingerboarding in 2016-2017 during a late-night YouTube binge, which led him to connect with Rizen FB locally in Arizona. Since then, he’s embraced the scene, focusing on smooth, simple tricks while appreciating the creativity of others’ combos.
With a career rooted in welding and fabricating, Mark made a bold leap in 2023, leaving an unsatisfying job to pursue his dream. He invested in equipment and launched Grind Right Fingerboarding, starting in his garage. Thanks to overwhelming support from the community, he quickly expanded into a dedicated shop space. Mark reinvests heavily in tools and equipment to keep innovating, offering fresh and fun products to the fingerboarding world.
Grindright has grown significantly in just over a year, and Mark credits the community for its success. While he doesn’t have an official team yet, he’s grateful for key supporters like @ jakepfb and @fb.christopher, who have shared his products in their videos.
Exciting projects are always on the horizon. Currently, Grindright is working on solid aluminum parking curbs and collaborating with other creators in the community. Instagram: @grindrightfb
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From Cardboard to Concrete: Philippe Coppejans-Trips
Hailing from Bruges, Belgium, and now living in Kortrijk, Philippe Coppejans-Trips turned 27 on January 12th, and he’s stoked to claim this month’s spotlight.
Philippe’s obsession with fingerboarding started at 12, when Tech Decks first hit the scene. “I bought one on my way home from school and never looked back,” he says. His early ramps were made from scrap wood and cardboard scavenged from his dad’s stash. But things leveled up after discovering Jaydee Skateshop, where he snagged a Blackriver complete with birthday money. One look at their setups, and he knew his cardboard creations had to go.
“I won’t lie—my first spot was trash,” he admits. “The only decent part was the quarter pipe.” Undeterred, Philippe kept building, eventually taking over his bedroom with a park that, while fun, still didn’t match his vision. Years of trial and error, from questionable builds to some hidden gems, sharpened his skills.
After moving to Kortrijk, Philippe turned his living room into a workshop with his dog Toto as his sidekick. There, he crafted his masterpiece: a sprawling spot flowing around his kitchen island. “It’s big, it’s bold, and it’s built to ride,” he says.
In November, Philippe hosted the first “Jeunje Session,” pulling in 50 riders for a full-day sesh. “It was chaos, but the good kind,” he laughs. With more events and edits on the horizon, his space is the epicenter for Antidote Fingerboards meetups. Follow the madness: @jeunje_
The Rise of RYSE
Adrian Teles, hailing from Rodney, Ontario, Canada, is a driven family man who stands by his values. He tackles obstacles head-on and maintains a positive outlook. With a passion for skateboarding since age 11, Adrian extends his enthusiasm to fingerboarding and related activities.
Adrian’s fingerboarding journey took off when William, owner of Caramel, sent him his first complete fingerboard. This sparked a non-stop fingerboarding adventure. His woodworking background and encouragement from friends, including Red Dragon (Micheal Gibbs) and William, inspired Adrian to create obstacles.
The driving force behind Adrian’s creation of Ryse was the joy it brought him during an incredibly difficult period in his life. After he and his wife experienced the heartbreaking loss of their baby boy, Eli, Adrian turned to crafting obstacles and boards as a source of solace. Now working on Ryse full-time, he finds immense happiness in seeing others shred on the creations born from his hard work and passion.
Adrian’s design process involves prototyping, testing, and refining until he’s satisfied with the final product. He fondly recalls creating the best trick obstacle for the Boards by the Beach 4 event in Toronto and building a unique butcher knife rail obstacle for a Halloween event at Souldiers Skate Shop.
Follow Adrian’s future projects and products on Instagram (@ryse.fb) and his website. With exciting obstacles in the works, Adrian is poised to continue making a mark in the fingerboarding community.
Go To THESE
Date NAME / EVENT LOCATION
2/1/2025 Finger Masters Berlin, Germany
2/1/2025 Frozen Fingers Maplewood, MN, USA
2/1/2025 Texas Rendezvous Houston, TX USA
2/2/2025 Sunday Night S.K.A.T.E League Chicago, IL USA
2/8/2025 Filthy Digits Royal Oak, MI, USA
2/9/2025 Sunday Night S.K.A.T.E League Chicago, IL, USA
2/16/2025 Sunday Skate League Chicago. IL, USA
2/22/2025 Fingerboard @IMOMA Las Vegas, NV, USA
2/22/2025 Mini Skate Rockmart, GA, USA
2/23/2025 Fingerboard @IMOMA Las Vegas, NV, USA
3/1/2025 Texas Fingerboarding Fest Dallas, TX USA
3/22/2025 Starlight Fingerboard Camp Sealy, TX, USA
3/22/2025 Homie Sesh #3 Umatilla, FL, USA
3/23/2025 Starlight Fingerboard Camp Sealy, TX, USA
4/26/2025 After-Vous Boston, MA USA
4/26/2025 Rendezvous 37 Dracut, MA USA
4/27/2025 Fingerboard Con Boston, MA USA
5/5/2025 Texas Finger Spring Dallas, TX, USA
5/24/2025 Slow Fingers
Schwarzenbach, Saale, Germany
6/21/2025 Inked Hand Napanee, Ontario, Canada
8/9/2025 Fingerboarding Con Barcelona, Spain
8/23/2025 Fresh Sesh Dallas, TX USA
8/16/2025 USAFBL Regional - West Event Portland, OR, USA
8/30/2025 USAFBL Regional - East Event Philidelphia, PA, USA
9/6/2025 USAFBL Regional - North Event Detroit, MI, USA
9/13/2025 USAFBL Regional - South Event Atlanta, GA, USA
10/10/2025 USAFBL National Event Indianapolis, IN, USA
Want your event on this list? Email info@usafbl.com your deets
ToListenTHESE
2025
Season 2 Episode 92 | Season 3
On this week’s episode of the podcast. We are closing out the year and closing out season two! We talk about the 2024 season but more importantly we talk about what a monster year 2025 will be, not only for USAFBL but for the entire fingerboarding community. Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and here is to another year of podcast episodes! Here’s to 3 seasons!
Release Date: Dec 25, 2024
Season 3 Episode 93 | Nugz.fb & Radio Fingerboard Store
On this week’s episode on the podcast, we have a very special guest. We have Alex Nugent of @nugz. fb and @radio.fbs! We talk about how Wilmington, NC is becoming the next up and coming hot spot for fingerboarding. We talk about his journey in fingerboarding and how he used to send cash in the mail for fingerboarding products back in the day. We talk about the merging of rc drift cars and so much more! Did we mention that Wilmington, NC is getting a new fingerboard shop?
Release Date: Jan 1, 2025
The Chris Files Season 2 2024 Recap| Fingerboard Adventures Around the World!
Join me as I take a look back at an incredible year in The Chris Files Season 2! From unforgettable moments at my free fingerboard pop-up events sponsored by Blackriver to traveling across the globe, this season was packed with epic sessions, amazing people, and unforgettable memories.
Release Date: Jan 3, 2025
2025
Season 3 Episode 94 | COTY & LOTY Finalists
On this week’s episode of the podcast. It’s finally time! We have finally hit the end of the road! We reached the final verdict of our Dirty Dozen for both LOTY (Line of the Year) and COTY (Combo of the Year). We have over $1800 USD cash up for grabs along with a bunch of prize packs! Tune in to see who is in the runnings and see who has the opportunity to get blessed in 2025! It will be very exciting to see how this yearlong contest unfolds and having a front row seat to some of the best fingerboarding in the world!
Release Date: Jan 8, 2025
Season 3 Episode 95 | Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!
On this week’s episode of the podcast. COTY (Combo of the Year) and LOTY (Line of the Year) is coming to an epic conclusion! This episode we are crowning a winner for both contests and blessing a select fingerboarders in 2025! Stay tuned as we draw from our top 12 to just one champion! Trust us this is not an episode you are going to want to miss!
Release Date: Jan 15, 2025
The Rogan Deck Co. Interview
In this episode of The Bigspin, I sit down with Alex Rogan, known for his instantly recognizable film style and fingerboard edit aesthetic. As a pro for Device Fingerboards and Loft, Alex recently took his creativity to the next level by launching his own brand, Rogan Deck Co this past December.
In2020,IstartedsharingmyclipsonInstagram, divingheadfirstintothefingerboardscene.WhatI foundwasavibrantcommunityofpassionate,like-mindedshredderswho’ve shownnothingbutlove.Fromstrangerstoclosefriends,theseconnectionsare the heart of what makes this scene electric.
