BANSHEES
EXODUS
SOULDIERS SKATE SHOP 67 Toronto St, Barrie, Ontario
TH!S FB SHOP 7055 W. 16th Ave. Lakewood, CO
TEAK TUNING ONLINE
VAULT FINGERBOARDS 239 S La Brea Ave Inglewood, CA
UNITY RIDE SHOP 5838 N 43rd Ave. Glendale, AZ
LETTER FROM LEVINE
What’s up everyone,
As this issue hits your hands, the truck is packed, the trailer’s loaded, and we’re getting ready to hit the road for our 4th season of the USAFBL Tour. It still doesn’t feel real sometimes, what started as a wild idea in a notebook is now a full-blown movement, and somehow, we’re about to do it again.
This is more than just a tour. For me, it’s fingerboarding summer camp, where the whole culture gets in one place and just lives it. Every stop is a reunion, a proving ground, and a celebration of how far we’ve all come. From Portland to Philly, Detroit to Atlanta, and finally Indy, this is the route that connects the country through fingerboarding.
And it’s not our first time doing this. We’ve been out here since 2021, through ups and downs, soldout venues and rainy load-ins, packed floors and late-night breakdowns. Every year we’ve grown. Every year the scene has leveled up. And now, in our fourth season, it feels like we’re carrying a legacy that belongs to all of us.
This issue of Plies is a time capsule, capturing the moment right before it all unfolds. The energy. The anticipation. The quiet before the noise. But when the lights hit, the parks go down, and the people show up, it all becomes real. This is where the culture lives. This is what we’ve built together.
So whether you’re pulling up to compete, vend, judge, or just hang out, thank you for being part of this. And if you can’t make it in person, stay tapped in. We’ll be telling this story as it happens, on the podcast, in the magazine, in the rankings, and across every corner of the scene.
Let’s hit the road and make history, again.
– Levine Cunningham Founder, USAFBL | Plies Magazine
HAPPENING NOW! HAPPENING NOW!
From Resilience to Reach: How a Personal Journey Sparked a Global Fingerboarding Brand
Born from heartbreak and built with purpose, Ryse Fingerboards is more than just a brand. It is a symbol of strength, creativity, and community. Founded by Age Teles in London, Ontario, Ryse was created during one of the most difficult chapters of his life. After the loss of his son Eli, Age found himself searching for something to help him heal. He needed a reason to keep moving forward while honoring the love and memory of his child. Fingerboarding became that outlet, first discovered while working with SkaterXL and receiving a board from William Martinez. What began as a way to clear his mind quickly evolved into a full-fledged mission.
With early support from Dare Roark, now team manager, and William of Caramel Fingerboards, Ryse quickly found its rhythm. After a full year of hands-on work crafting boards, perfecting obstacles, and shaping the brand, Ryse officially launched in October 2024. Since then, it has hosted contests, collaborated with major creatives, released multiple graphic lines and obstacles, and partnered with SkaterXL to feature a Ryse park in-game. Ryse is now stocked in 15 skate shops worldwide and continues to grow.
The brand thrives on community. Artists and contributors like Pager One, Xava, Boon, Mike Crook, Lock, Whynot, Milk, and Malcom have all helped shape its identity.
The team includes Pro riders such as Dare, Pager One, Xava, and Franco Mayorga, alongside AM riders and OG legends like Wil liam Martinez and Sid Pereira. Events like Ryse x Eggz in London, Ontario have brought the community together in powerful ways.
Next up: a Halloween anniversary event in Barrie, Ontario, a new SkaterXL contest, and exciting brand collaborations.
Follow the journey:
Instagram: @ryse.fb
Website: www.rysefingerboards.com
PLIES MAGAZINE PRE-GAME AUGUST 15–16
The USA Fingerboarding League is pulling up to the Pacific Northwest for its biggest West Coast event yet. On August 15 and 16, the McMenamins Crystal Ballroom in downtown Portland becomes the epicenter of fingerboarding in the United States. For two straight days, the Western Regional will bring together hundreds of fingerboarders, pro competitors, vendors, and content creators under one roof to throw down, link up, and vibe out.
This is not your folding table backyard meet up. This is 30+ skateable fingerboard parks across 5,000+ square feet of space, packed wall-to-wall with competitive riders, industry vendors, heavyweight influencers, spectators, and scene legends. From raffles and mini games to giveaways and surprises, it’s a weekend built for fun, connection, and progression. Whether you’re competing for the podium or just rolling through to session and hang, you’ll feel the energy the second you walk in.
USAFBL has been building this platform for five years, logging over 30,000 miles, hosting 25+ major events, and elevating fingerboarding at every stop. With over 800 league riders in rotation and a
growing national following, the Portland Regional is the official Western qualifier, joining Philly, Detroit, and Atlanta to determine who advances to the National Finals in Indianapolis. From there, the top three riders will go global at FastFingers 22 in Germany.
The Crystal Ballroom is the perfect venue for this next chapter. Originally built in 1914 and steeped in music history, it’s hosted everyone from the Grateful Dead to Wu-Tang. Now it’ll host the West’s best fingerboarders.
» Friday: 4-10PM (early access at 3 for league members)
» Saturday: 11AM-7PM (early access at 10 for league members)
PRO TIP: This is downtown Portland. Parking suuuucks. Rideshare, train, bike, teleport, whatever it takes.
ALSO This_>
PORTLAND GOES PRO | USAFBL WESTERN REGIONAL
McMENAMINS CRYSTAL BALLROOM, PORTLAND, OR
PLIES MAGAZINE PRE-GAME AUGUST
The East Coast is about to erupt. On August 29 and 30, the USA Fingerboarding League touches down in Breinigsville, PA, just outside Philadelphia, for the Eastern Regional, a two-day heater that sets the pace for the final leg of the tour. Hosted inside the Delta Hotels ballroom, this stop is all gas, no brakes.
This is where fingerboarding steps onto the big stage. We’re talking 30+ professionally built parks, spread across 5,000+ square feet and packed with hundreds of competitors, creators, vendors, and fans. Whether you’re hunting the podium or just vibing with your crew, this is where East Coast fingerboarding levels up. Raffles, giveaways, exclusive drops, mini games, it’s all happening.
USAFBL has been paving this road for five years, logging 30,000 miles, 25+ national events, and locking in over 800 registered riders. It’s not just competition, it’s culture. From grassroots jams to international qualifiers, this league has built something unmatched, and the East Regional is where legacy begins for many. Philly’s known for grit, and this stop’s no different. If you want it, you’ll have to earn it.
This event is also the last stop for East Coast riders to qualify for Nationals in Indianapolis, where top scorers will rep the U.S. at FastFingers 22 in Germany. High stakes, big vibes, real rewards.
And pulling up with serious heat is Cleveland’s Lea Loikits aka @FBgirly, repping TP Decks, Flatface, and Devise. She’s been building and riding since 2007, carrying that gritty Midwest garage-builder energy into every sesh. Expect clean setups, creative lines, and pure passion. Philly, you’ve been warned.
» Friday: 4–10PM (early access for league members at 3)
» Saturday: 11AM–7PM (early access for league members at 10)
Pro tip: This one’s right off the highway, with free parking and full venue access. Bring your crew, charge your cam, and come ready to get loud.
ALSO This_>
TEAK proudly welcomes SESSIONS, a tiny but mighty crew of lifelong artisans based in Rochester, NY.
SESSIONS is all about craftsmanship. Their hand-built, ultra-premium fingerboard gear is now part of Teak’s massive online lineup! Bringing small-shop quality to one of the biggest fingerboard brands in the USA.
Hand crafted. Pro quality. Session ready.
SNAG 10% OFF
Acumental – Rhymes, Ramps, and
the Rhythm of Chicago
Band O.T.M.
From sushi skeptic to fingerboard fanatic, Chicago’s own Acumental is a rapper, creator, and lifelong skater at heart. Best known as one-half of the indie hip-hop duo The Palmer Squares, he’s been crafting bars as sharp as his flicks since the high school lunch table days. When he’s not lacing verses, he’s zoning out on horror flicks, stand-up specials, and Chicago Bulls games—or squeezing in a quick sesh on his pocket-sized setup.
Skateboarding ran deep for Acumental in his youth, but like many, the concrete started to hurt and the mic started calling. By his early 20s, he left the board behind but held tight to fingerboarding. Today, he’s 37 and rarely leaves the house without a setup in his pocket. “If I reach and it’s not there, the whole vibe’s off,” he admits.
He started out behind a drum kit in the school band, but rap was always the endgame. He and a friend began uploading freestyles to YouTube in the early 2000s, eventually catching a wave of early viral success. After a decade of side hustling, he quit his video editing job in 2017 and went full-time into music. Since then, he’s toured the country, rocked festival stages, and even made UFC legend Nate Diaz nod his head.
isn’t all green rooms and glory.
“There’s a lot of sitting around, man,” he says. That’s where fingerboarding comes in. His most memorable sesh? Hands down, filming the music video for his song “Finger Pop.” It’s a fingerboard anthem packed with clips from riders worldwide, including a cameo from TJ Rogers and a deck signed by Jamie Foy. “It was surreal,” he says. “The community showed up for that one.”
Fans often hand him custom boards after shows. One in Denver introduced him to foam grip. Another taught him to ditch the three-finger technique. Instagram, it turns out, is a harsh teacher.
Now, Acumental is gearing up to drop his longawaited solo album “Perennial” this summer, complete with a limited vinyl release. A new Palmer Squares record is also in the works for next year— one he claims will be their best yet.
Follow Acumental: Instagram: @acumental on Spotify | Apple Music
Check out The Palmer Squares: Instagram: @palmersquares
YouTube: Palmer Squares Channel
DERRE ROARK’S RYSE
THROUGH FINGERBOARDING, ART, & COMMUNITY
Derre “Dare” Roark has been rolling since he was four. Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, Dare grew up skating and never let it go. By high school, fingerboarding showed up as a way to stay connected to skating, messing with Tech Decks in class, dreaming of the real thing. Fast forward to 2023, and he jumped back into fingerboarding with serious intent.
Today, Dare is Pro for Ryse Fingerboards, rocking five pro model decks and serving as team manager. He also designs graphics for Ryse and collaborates with other brands, blending his love for skateboarding, art, and design into everything he touches.
One of his most memorable moments? Hosting an event with Pager.one and Hawaii.FB at the iconic This FB shop, a packed sesh that brought the community together and left a mark.
Between managing the Ryse team, working on graphics, and helping shape future collabs, Dare stays busy pushing the culture forward. His eye for design and feel for skate roots keep his work authentic, from the parks to the product.
Keep up with Derre on Instagram: @dare.fbs This one’s built to Ryse — and he’s just getting started.
@el.fboy
08/30/2025 08/30/2025
Emanant Style: Forged in SoCal, Felt Worldwide
Los Angeles, California - Drake Elliott doesn’t play fingerboarding. He lives it. Born and raised under the smogchoked skies of LA, Drake came up skating in the California Amateur Skate League with a board under his feet and a fingerboard in his back pocket. Even back then, people knew this dude was different. When he hit Woodward, they weren’t calling him the skateboarder. He was the fingerboard guy.
For Drake, fingerboarding was never just a toy or a side act. It was the skating you could do when skating wasn’t an option. And when you’re from Southern California, that matters. The heat, the hills, the busted sidewalks, it’s all part of the grind. That same energy flows through everything Drake builds today: raw, real, and never off-the-rack.
Emanant, his brand, wasn’t born in a boardroom. It started in a high school woodshop in 2007 with bondo molds, tattoo-transfer graphics, and hand-filed Tech Deck Wides. He modded trucks to look like Tensors, Thunders, Royals, charging $15 a set, and stacked enough dough to buy a CNC mold by 2008. By then, he had a following. DMs started rolling in. And just like that, Emanant was real.
The name pays homage to the E$K crew, Emanate $kate Kr3w, but also represents something deeper. Emanant means bringing ideas into reality. That’s Drake’s whole ethos. Every drop is treated like the first. Every deck gets touched, tuned, and dialed. Sixteen
years deep and he’s still learning.
The Emanant team reads like a mixtape of legends and lifers: Ryan Martens, Mike Campos, Ryan Corsiatto, Zekaiah Ainsworth, SleepySlothFB, Nasty Nate, Vince Perry, Curtis Shaw, and more. OGs, day-oners, and next-gen killers. Drake’s crew rolls deep from Hemet to Boston to the streets of Ripperside.
From the first Emanant Arizona Fingerboard Event in 2012 to future collabs with Pharmacy LBC to MCing the 2025 USAFBL circuit, Drake’s still pushing. Still building. Still dreaming. Still fingerboarding.
And yes, the pro model tribute graphics are coming. Some people might get salty, but Drake’s been skating and selling decks since 2012. Underground pro? Bet on it. Support the real.
STAY CONNECTED:
Shop: emanantfingerskate.com
YouTube: Drake Elliott
Instagram: @emanant_fingerskate
Hands On And Holding It Down: TP Decks
Photo: @Nexismfb
Lea Loikits
isn’t new to this. She’s been breathing fingerboard dust since 2007. Back when Tech Decks were still flying off the shelves, her mom handed her one, unknowingly kickstarting a lifelong obsession. Not long after, Lea stumbled across the OGs on YouTube and spiraled straight into the rabbit hole of pro fingerboarding.
By 2008, her dad had her building ramps and pressing decks in the garage. That DIY spirit never left. Today, she runs TP Decks, a one-woman operation where every shape and ply is built with care. When she’s not in the shop or throwing clips, you’ll catch her working out or reading something inspiring. Creative hands and a strong heart.
She grew up in Cleveland the home of rock and roll, blue-collar grit, and a lowkey thriving skate and fingerboard scene. Then moved to the Philly suburbs in 2017 but BACK to Cleveland recently. The city’s got that old-school, rust-belt energy where people build what they want by hand and back their community. Lea’s work reflects that. Pure authenticity, no shortcuts.
Now backed by Flatface and Devise, she’s riding with two of the heaviest names in the game. Her path to Devise started with genuine stoke. She was constantly repping Stefan’s decks on Insta, praising the shape, pop, and craftsmanship. When they finally linked at Rendezvous 2024, it clicked instantly. Both mellow, both dialed in. When Stefan dropped the “you down to ride?” it was a no-brainer.
Flatface has been the dream. Lea grew up watching Mike’s legendary vids. He practically is fingerboarding. Getting the nod from Flatface was a full-circle moment, and she reps the team with pride.
No pro models yet, but don’t bet against it. With her passion, eye for design, and work ethic, it’s only a matter of time.
Her most core memory? Rendezvous 2012. First real sesh with the community, loaded with new friends and good vibes. Her dad and brother were right there, backing her the whole time.
This summer, Lea’s doubling down on content. Working on a collabration with Devise. TP DECKS is releasing a new symmetrical mold. Expect more DIY tutorials, project builds, and sneak peeks behind the scenes at TP. She’s seeking to work with creative designers on new deck graphics. She’s always tweaking shapes, testing materials, and keeping it real for the next generation of fingerboarders.
Follow the journey:
Instagram: @FBgirly / @TPdecks
Website: TPdecks.com
YouTube: @TPdecks
Photo: @Nexismfb
Photo: @Nexismfb
Photo: @Nexismfb
INK, METAL & MISFIT ENERGY: THE
DIY TATTOO BUILDS OF MORGAN
From the quiet streets of King’s Lynn, UK, Morgan Davies is crafting something loud. A passion for tattoos and a love for DIY engineering has led him down a path few walk, building handmade prisonstyle tattoo machines with style, grit, and intention. Riding between design sessions on his motorbike, Morgan’s work isn’t just about machines; it’s about pushing personal limits and keeping creativity wild.
His journey into fingerboarding began early, back at age 8, when a Tech Deck park setup lit the spark. “I wasn’t any good,” he says, “but I’d spend hours just having fun.” That same energy, curiosity over perfection, now fuels his current obsession: crafting working tattoo machines out of raw, minimal materials, with zero formal training and a whole lot of vision.
It all kicked off in early 2025 when he saw a post on Instagram and thought, “I could build that.” He picked up some basic parts and dove in headfirst. Each build since then has evolved, more complex, more refined, more his. His very first machine, though crude and simple, remains framed in his home. It’s a symbol of the start.
Today, his Instagram @misfit. machinex is a growing hub of gritty, original builds and stylized content that keeps his followers tapped in. Looking ahead, Morgan plans to keep pushing the boundaries of his craft, with possible merch drops and appearances at tattoo conventions like Locked In in Shrewsbury and Ink & Engines in Norwich.
No blueprint. No limits. Just ideas, parts, and pure drive, the Misfit way.
DAVIES Artist O.T.M.
INTRODUCING THE USAFBL COMPETITIVE LINE PARK
BY WAREHOUSERAMPS
Built by Dave Ware out of Wilmington, North Carolina and measuring 12 feet long by 2 feet wide, this is the most extravagant park ever crafted under the USAFBL name. As the first ever Competitive Fingerboarding Line Park, it is a milestone in design, performance, and vision. This beauty will be featured at all 2025 USAFBL OFFICIAL EVENTS.
Dave first got into fingerboarding back in the early ’90s, making cardboard parks and riding homemade boards. After a long break, he picked it back up in 2020 and started building. Not long after that, the USAFBL noticed what he was doing and invited him to build parks for their very first season, and he’s been building for them ever since.
Dave admits that his early parks were pretty rough, made with cheaper materials and without much understanding of proper sizing or design. Over time, his builds have evolved. Now, he uses birch or maple wood and steel instead of aluminum, often incorporating brick or stone elements to make the parks more realistic and detailed. Dave’s 25 years as a professional painter have always helped him put a clean, polished finish on every project.
Park O.T.M.
This Competitive Fingerboarding Line Park is set to debut on the USAFBL tour, this park will host two of the most anticipated contests of the season: Line of the Year and Combo of the Year. Every inch was designed with purpose, from the smooth marble tops and marble stair tips to the dynamic layout that flows with endless possibilities.
At the heart of it all lies a never before seen circular red rail, a standout feature designed to push creativity and give competitors fresh ways to link tricks. It is bold, it is technical, and it is built for showtime.
Owner of USAFBL Levine Cunningham points out, “This is more than a park. It is a proving ground”. He continues, “Dave is an essential part of not only our past, but also our future.” The love for the industry of ALL park makers is strong, but arguably there is a massive lack of professional level parks available compared to the growth in fingerboarding over the past 5 years.
Looking ahead, Dave is gearing up for the Carolina Fingerboard Jam ’25, which will take place in early November at Radio FB Shop in Wilmington, NC. It should be another banger.
You can follow along with Dave’s work and updates on Instagram: @warehouseramps @radio.fbs
The minimalist look of Islander Ramps obstacles are no mistake, its in part how former molecular scientist Josean Rodriguez-Nieves sees the world around him, including fingerboarding.
Growing up in the 90’s in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, skateboarding and TechDecks were part of Josean’s everyday life. Although, in one shape or another, skateboarding and fingerboarding were always present throughout his life, it wasn’t until the COVID era that fingerboarding truly turned his world upside down. After countless obstacle builds using scraps from home improvement projects and sharing them with friends, Josean realized that he could provide fingerboarding enthusiasts around the world with a new choice and experience, leading to the establishment of Islander Ramps. Islander Ramps, a family-owned small business, specializes in handcrafted fingerboard obstacles built fusing PVC; a synthetic polymer that acts and behaves just like hardwood and provides a perfectly smooth, grippy and reactive surface to ride. Josean’s obstacle designs are focused on practicality with minimal aesthetics, acting as an blank canvas that allows the user to be part of the creation process. Such creation process collaboration is pictured here in the shape of a custom obstacle requested by local rider Reggie Hernandez and illustrated by local artist Elouis Morales, a truly unique and functional work of art. Josean’s most memorable fingerboarding moment was hosting Roll’n Fingers at Roll’n Skateboard and Warehouse skate shop in Barceloneta last year. With more than ten fingerboard parks and different core communities from every corner of the island present inside the skate shop, a unique celebration of fingerboarding took place that is still remembered by everyone that was present. From that day on, in collaboration with neighbor brand Bootleg Dept., Islander Ramps has been cohosting free public events every two to three months that emulate the spirit experienced at Roll’n Fingers by participants; with challenges, prizes and gifts for everyone that participates. Josean has also been actively involved in contributing to the many other fingerboarding events taking place around the island by different brands and communities.
Islander Ramps: Born to Build
In terms of the future of Islander Ramps, Josean is heavily invested in expanding the manufacturing capabilities of Islander Ramps to create bigger and more complex pieces, as well as, different modular designs that will bring more use out of the different obstacles fingerboarders already own. Limited collab obstacles are also in the horizon. With regards to new ventures, significant efforts by Josean have been focused on streamlining and improving the production of the very well received Islander Ramps fingerboard decks.
Website: www.islanderramps.com
Instagram: @islander_ramps
Go To THESE
Date NAME / EVENT LOCATION
08-02 Launch Party Charlotte, NC
08-02 The Fingerboard Jam 3.0 Johannesburg, South Africa
08-07 Sudbury Fingerboard Tour Sudbury, Canada
08-09 Fingerboard Con Barcelona, Spain
08-09 Grind Time 6 White Lake, MI
08-09 618 Finger Skate Edwardsville, IL
08-10 Fingerboarding Con Barcelona, Spain
08-13 USAFBL Crashes Skatestation Layton, UT
08-15 USAFBL REGIONAL - Western Division Portland, OR
08-16 USAFBL REGIONAL - Western Division Portland, OR
08-16 USAFBL Official After Party Portland, OR
08-16 Cherry Jam Traverse City, MI
08-16 Roc Jam 5 Rochester, NY
08-23 The Ultimate Rider Floripa, Brazil
08-23 Fresh Sesh Dallas, TX
08-28 USAFBL Line of the Year Online Contest
08-28 USAFBL Combo of the Year Online Contest
08-29 Flicked Out Wilmington, VT
ToListenTHESE
Season 3 Episode 116 | FFO vs KOTP vs COTY vs LOTY
On this week’s episode of the podcast, we welcome back Gary Graves for another wild ride in fingerboarding culture. We unpack the chaos of last week’s explicit episode, reveal the behind-the-scenes of King of the Plies, and talk about tattoos, upcoming sanctioned events, and our growing media empire. We also break down the big four global contests: Fast Fingers Online, King of the Plies, Combo of the Year, and Line of the Year, with full prize breakdowns, rules, and how they stack up. Plus, we tease a possible face-slap, matching tattoos, and Gary’s pitch for a USAFBL vs. Rendezvous showdown.
Release Date: Jun 11, 2025
How Did You Get So Chill? -Alex Rogan - Podcast 016
Alex Rogan is here to talk with Mike about the events in his life that shaped him to be the chill guy he is today, how his friendships in fingerboarding have helped him make his iconic videos and start his own deck making business, and much more!
Release Date: Jun 17, 2025
Season 3 Episode 117 | Cramp the Stupid Returns | USAFBL After Dark
On this explosive episode of the USAFBL Fingerboard Podcast, Cramp the Stupid is back for Part 2, and it’s even gnarlier than before. We talk teabagging trees, fingerboarding in canals, naked bridge jumps, and the wild truth behind the infamous Castle Bam incident. From spontaneous stories with Bam Margera to naked stunts and the building of a $1.5M skatepark, this episode blurs the line between podcast and chaos. Plus, we pay tribute to young fingerboarder Colton Wray, whose legacy continues to inspire the Midwest scene. Parental discretion advised... seriously.
Release Date: Jun 18, 2025
Season 3 Episode 118 | Biggest Money Grabs in Fingerboarding History?
On this week’s episode of the podcast, we go absolutely off the rails, while leaking the biggest USAFBL announcements of the year. We reveal new details about the 2025 tour, introduce the brand-new regional medals, and officially launch USAFBL competitor trading cards. We talk about the upcoming issues of Plies Magazine, the impact of Andy (Knife Daddy), and even break down the infamous “money grabbing whores” narrative with brutal honesty. You’ll also hear wild takes on gatekeeping, tour logistics, and why the U.S. is coming for Fast Fingers Germany.
Release Date: Jun 25, 2025
Season 3 Episode 119 | @lost_flipper
On this week’s episode of the podcast, we welcome a very special guest, Eli Box a.k.a @lost_flipper! We dive into his backstory growing up in Mississippi and how fingerboarding became a creative outlet. We talk about the evolution of gear, his military service, and the regional growth of the scene. He breaks down his recent travels, upcoming video parts, and drops a few unexpected hot takes on fingerboarding vs skateboarding. This one’s packed with passion, history, and major respect for the culture.
Release Date: Jul 2, 2025
@lawnchair.fb
@lawnchair.fb
Photo:
Spot O.T.M.
Tobias Eckhoff – Precision, Passion, and Marble Parks in Miniature
- Wetter (Ruhr), Germany
Tobias Eckhoff isn’t your average fingerboarder. At 34 years old, he’s a trained machinist and CNC mechanic with more than 15 years of experience, skills that now blend seamlessly with his lifelong passion for creative hobbies. From piano and airsoft to parenting his almost five-yearold son, Tobias brings the same focus and heart to everything he does. But it’s fingerboarding where his creativity really shines.
Growing up in 90s Germany during fingerboarding’s first big wave, Tobias and his friends would mess around with Woolworth decks and eventually ride self-made boards crafted
by a friend’s father. Like many, the hobby faded after school, but in 2020, a gift from his wife, a Tech Deck for Nikolaus Day; reignited the spark.
With years of 3D printing under his belt, Tobias started designing and building his own obstacles. What began as
experiments with scrap materials quickly evolved into marble, metal, wood, and even light-integrated pieces. Soon his walls were lined with custom spots, and his workbench became a content studio, occasionally going live on Instagram while he cut, bent, and shaped raw material into fingerboard art. One night he kept a stream going for hours, talking to a phone that had long since stopped broadcasting.
His park setups are functional and full of soul, including printed everyday items, light-up street lanterns, and brass or steel rails formed with his own pipebending machine. It’s a full-on workshop fueled by passion and occasionally birthday gifts from a very supportive wife.
Tobias is also quick to remember those who’ve meant the most to him in the community. He speaks with deep emotion about his late team rider, Jessica Mountier, also known as Sleepyslothfb, who passed away in late 2023. She was more than just a rider. She was a friend, a great listener, and full of good vibes. I miss her every day.
Tobias plans to reopen his shop soon and continue sharing his builds with the scene. If you’re throwing an event, he’s always down to support with custom prototypes or handmade decks.
Follow the work. Remember the roots. Support the makers.
tyler.blankcheck 2Da Team!
