Honeycomb pool skateboard designed by George Powell and used by Stacy Peralta

Object Details

Peralta, Stacy

Powell, George

Description (Brief): This honeycomb pool board was a revolutionary design by George Powell and was used by Stacy Peralta, one of the founding members of the Bones Brigade. It has a formed aluminum core with an aluminum honeycomb epoxy bonded with a filled, polyester close out. The polyurethane wheels, or Bones wheels, were also made by George Powell and the Tracker trucks were designed by Larry Balma. According to Powell, "the decks were changing monthly during this era and we had to accommodate the rapidly evolving style of skating, which quickly went from streets to ditches, to pools and skate parks. The aluminum skins were problematic because the skaters would drag the tails to slow down and that would grind them off to a razor-sharp high strength aluminum edge that was very dangerous if it hit someone. This led me to develop the Tail Bones and Nose Bones I made to protect the tips, and to experiment with lighter, better performing prototypes, of which the "Powell" you have is a prime example. It utilizes aluminum skins, aluminum honeycomb core, and epoxy to close out the edges. The wheel wells are post lamination formed by crushing the honeycomb in those areas, as this was a first, and we wanted to learn if we could get away with this shortcut to making them instead of much more expensive and time-consuming alternatives."

1978

Physical Description: urethane (overall material); wood (overall material); aluminum (overall material)
Measurements: overall: 31 1/2 in x 9 in x 4 in; 80.01 cm x 22.86 cm x 10.16 cm

See more items in: Culture and the Arts: Sport and Leisure; Skateboarding; Sports & Leisure
Exhibition: Artifact Walls
Exhibition Location: National Museum of American History

National Museum of American History

GUID (Link to Original Record): https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746b0-f5e0-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa