Catholic school. He’s played music since he was nine (In fact, he played with Dino’s brother in the basement when they lived in Spokane. Dino loathed it and still has a difficult time sleeping.) But through his 20’s and 30’s, he became an accomplished drummer in several Seminole bands in LA – skating was part of his DNA. Soon after that, he became a cabinet maker and gained his new notoriety as a the “King-of-wood.” Dean: Dean’s mom was an artist, and the bad apple doesn’t fall too far
from the tree. Meaning his knack of design came at an early age. He studied architecture at the University of Washington, where he was able to combine his love of design with structural space. He then tossed it out the window and became a dirty hippy in Venice as an artist for five years. Once he realized that incense isn’t a food group, he refined his design skills to work with wood and the rest is craftsmen history.
WHY WE'RE BETTER
DESIGN / HOW WE WORK / MATERIALS
“Such a cush ride, I now contact
the city to see where they pour
fresh asphalt.”
“Going to the liquor store will never
be the same!.”
“The ride into Trestles is as graceful
as the wave itself. I just pray no one sticky fingers the board.”
Nature designs the wood.
We design the boards.
First and foremost, we’re not a pop-out board company. That’s because each of our boards are organically designed and crafted based
on what wood we happen to be using at the time. Our designs have been
thoughtfully calculated to give you the best ride possible. But by the same token, because of how we reclaim our wood, the process is daringly organic,
and with breathtaking results.
The top lateral laminations create a continually changing grain orientation that is both beautiful and structural by contrasting the bottom’s parallel grain.
The resulting artfully cambered board is thin, flexible and strong for a premium ride.
Each and every Loyal Dean ride is made in the USA. And designed by nature.
We eat, breath and live wood.
Okay, skip the eat part.
We’re master craftsmen, designers and woodworkers for 25 combined years. So when it comes to working with wood,
we know our craft. We know design. And we, well, know our wood. Simply put, the reputation we’ve earned as maestro woodmen is also ideal for creating and crafting premium wooden skateboards.
When it comes to materials,
we leave no lumber unturned.
Depending on the project we’re working on, we may be using Mahogany, Oak, Walnut, Wenge, Maple, Cherry, Bubinga,
Ipea or Teak, just to name a few. (Regardless, we refuse to use plywood and make our boards from at least two-ply.
Three in some
instances.) We reclaim and recycle the wood that’s not used on our other projects and,
in turn, use it to
craft a Loyal Dean skateboard.
Trucks: We only work with the best to give you the best, dream-like ride possible.
Keep on truckin’ with randal – our truck of choice.
Here‘s How we roll: www.randal.com
Wheels: Seismic wheels, yep, that’s how we roll. Used by elite racers, cruisers and carvers around the globe,
the Seismic 75mm x 65mm are great for all-purpose long boarding and cruising, and among the world’s best wheels
for giant slalom, Super-G, banked slalom, border cross, and downhill. Weighing more than 1/2-pound EACH,
the Avila’s bring new meaning to the terms “roll speed” and “inertia”.
Grip Tape: We call them smoke rings. They’re clear, easy to adhere and remove. They’re’ opaque, so they don’t disturb
the boards luster and organic design. How do they grip? We’ll just say there’s an added sense of confidence when you’re
going for mach-speed.