Chocolate Skateboards, and their sister company Girl, are synonymous with modern skateboarding. Since their inception in 1994, Chocolate has maintained their status as an industry leader, but it’s important to note that they’ve done so with a winking eye. Along with a few other core brands, they seemed to have not lost sight of one simple fact — fun comes first. Unfazed by how serious and commercialized skateboarding culture has become in recent years, they push forward with a carefree attitude. Luckily, kids have responded to this (apparently not everyone under the age of 18 is retarded, as we sometimes assume), and Chocolate boards have continued to fly off the shelves of skateshops across the world.
2014 marks their 20th year of existence, and they’ve organized an art show in collaboration with DQM and artist Evan Hecox to celebrate. Hecox has been an important part of the brand’s visual identity since its inception, designing their logo and most of the graphics that have defined the brand. Chocolate has always been represented by their team above all else, and so most board graphics have been kept simple and produced in series throughout their history. Subtle variations of a common theme are assigned to different riders, but it’s the riders themselves that have made certain illustrations iconic. Check out our gallery above for a brief recap of some legendary graphics series.
Even more iconic than Chocolate’s deck art, however, are their video offerings. Keenan Milton and Gino Ianucci (a New York legend, whose push is idolized by some.) are two of the names most closely associated with Chocolate’s video history. Instead of presenting you with a dissertation, it’s much easier to let the video parts speak for themselves:
Also, this is the best line ever filmed in the history of skateboarding:
And as a bonus, here’s a mixtape compiled over the past 20 years:
It’s visuals like these that gave Chocolate serious street cred across the globe, even inspiring allegiance amongst East Coast youth (who in the past were notoriously hesitant to fully support anything from LA). So here’s to 20 more years.
You can find Chocolate product at finer skateshops worldwide, in addition to the Crailtap webstore. Visit Evan Hecox’s website to browse a selection of prints and books for sale. If you’re in the NYC area this weekend, you can help the Chocolate team celebrate at Evan’s art show in Brooklyn, as well as two organized skate sessions in Manhattan.
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