About

A short history...


These pics are 43 years apart. Back in 1983 (yes, I'm old) surfskate wasn't a thing. We'd rub sand in the grip-tape to make it kinder to bare foot riding. We'd loosen the trucks and sand down the bushings to make them shorter and so a lot softer, to allow for carves.

We'd find any bank that was able to be used to mimic surfing.

I was fortunate to be born at the foot of a fantastic surf spot in Devon, with a reef that was a freight train right and a beach break that offered everything from barrels to open faces to destroy.

 However, like in any great surf spot, there is always a pack, the big dogs. In the surf as a young guy, I hadn't earned my spot yet, having to be content with the waves they didn't want. But, when skating, the rules changed. You could be right next to the top dogs and watch what they did, how they used their hands to open up their arms, where their wight was on big turns, where they looked through turns.

 When the tide got too high for the reef, a young crew would hang at the lines (so called because of the no parking double yellow lines you can see in the pic, and hence no cars in the way), and wait for the local rippers, to watch, learn and try and slot yourself into access to the pack. Because you get better waves, rather than scraps.

 I know for some Surfskate seems a new thing, but it's been part of surf culture since forever. Where access to the better waves was earned on concrete, because, the big dogs, out in the line-up, they were watching the ocean for the best waves, ones that would hit the reef and fire. On land, it was different - it was like an audition. We'd throw ourselves into wild turns and snaps, selling our skills for a subtle nod of acknowledgement. That you're knocking on the door, hungry and ready.

For too long, the surfskate industry has been obsessed with appearances. Boards pointlessly designed to look like surfboards rather than created to perform. That frustration is what gave birth to Flowstate.

A surfer for over 40 years, I was fortunate to be born in an area of fantastic surf. Fate would have it that I later move as an adult to Sussex/Brighton where the waves are usually junk. Surfskating seemed a logical thing to hone muscle memory and stay sharp.
But there was a big issue. The world of surfskate seemed to be based on looks, like a surfskate was just a toy. Fish style decks to look like a surfboard, is just stupid. Sacrificing deck area needed for grabs and foot power, to look like a totally different craft makes no sense. There is nothing about shaping a deck to look like  surfboard that improves the performance.

The bit you actually connect with, how you put the power down, and how you engage the rails is largely ignored.

I don’t make toys, I craft tools. Decks like the Koan and Zen are designed first and foremost for performance, built to complement any truck, unleashing power, speed and movement. Every carve, every turn, every shift of weight is a dialogue between your feet, brain and board, a pure, unfiltered ride. Cupped concave’s, progressive lines - not ne square inch isn't focussed or precise.

Flowstate isn’t about imitation. It’s about connection, flow, and the joy of movement. It’s for riders who want to experience what surfskating can really feel like when a deck is engineered with purpose, precision, and the spirit of flow, be that in a carpark or a bowl.

Flowstate is about precision, purpose, and pleasure in motion. About the joy of riding a tool designed to let you find your flowstate.