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DESIGN BREAKDOWN – The Pharaoh Series
Coming into the New Year strong, we’ve created a Design Breakdown for the Pharaoh Series.
Check out this video to see what makes our decks unique, and visit the Pharaoh’s store page for more info.
The 2021 Season Wind-Down
The Wind Down
After brisk escapes to Mt. Tabor, Maryhill and Tepe we find ourselves at the end of a very stunted, yet well traveled 2021 Season.
We’ve had the opportunity and pleasure to skate among some familiar faces, make new friends and to push the reliability of our gear. During the course of this year, we’ve produced and concluded our first series of skate videos, as well as accrued media to edit and release during the winter as we wait for the next season to begin. Which brings us to our first topic –
From VENTURA, With Love (Part 1-4)
‘From VENTURA, With Love’, is the dramatic and authentic retelling of our growth over the last year.
Each episode tells an exciting short story that can be enjoyed on a lunch break or after school, while maintaining enough cinematic complexity, parody, and abstract themes to be broken down or dissected.
Far from a masterpiece, ‘From VENTURA, With Love’ is the culmination of personal growth, technical skill, collaboration, and an autobiographical account that speaks for itself.
“What We Missed”
We had a recent interview with the informative online blog – Longboard Envy.
We grow quickly here at Voxel Boards, and have had a very productive end-of-summer.
With our experience and production at a fever-pitch, we managed to find some time for an interview! I sat down and answered some questions from Longboard Envy, but can’t help but feel like the interview was a missed opportunity to talk about all the amazing people we’ve met during this year who helped push us along or travel safely in unfamiliar territory.
Check out our interview on Longboard Envy
“Generation Three”
Voxel Boards
Our dedication to innovation and consistently improving our designs, products and media, is on full display as the end of 2021 quickly approaches. With the recent advancement in our graphics techniques, we are now able to create full length graphics for future designs. Pictured above, is an Osiris 34″ with a ‘prototype’ graphic applied, as a proof of concept.
With advances in our CNC technology, a brand new custom board press and a flurry of new designs under development, our manufacturing and production is becoming more reliable and efficient.
Future customers can look forward to new deck features and new products made possible with our CNC – Including flushmounts, new construction and full urethane rails all the way to FPV drone kits, camera gear, and street luge products.
We’ve designed and built a completely unique hydraulic press that is specifically designed to work seamlessly with our 3D printed moulds, wooden and foam cnc’d moulds and much more! This was done in collaboration with The Man of Crafts on YouTube, and we’ve made two videos as part of the project.
State of The Wheel
With recent supply shortages from overseas, large primary manufacturers have seen a huge shift in supply and demand, and in some cases raw materials. Skaters around the world have noticed inflation affecting the prices on some of the most popular or sought after longboard wheels on the market.
Our original project to bring and affordable wheel to the market was breathed to life with new inspiration and a gusto for success. Enjoy these renders of our works in progress, and visit the work-in-progress product pages for more specific information.
2021 and Season Five
This tumultuous year came to a close with a flurry of activity here at Voxel Boards.
Primary design work at the workshop and at home began to wind down as the primary “Five Classics” completed their design process.
With more time to focus on production and media, we quickly pivoted into these ventures. Check out our latest media release “A Clear Blue Day in LA”!
The Pharaoh
Winter and the Holiday season saw the late arrival of our latest Deck design.
The Pharaoh is a 36″ x 9.5″ Hybrid Micro-Drop deck. Conceived as a directional top-mount, The Pharaoh comes equipped with a variety of features
intended bring you a consistent and reliable Downhill and Freeride Deck. The Pharaoh’s design has been refined over a year’s time to provide with a secret weapon at all your future sessions.
Featuring a fresh and uniquely shaped “Hourglass-Tub” Concave, the standing platform provides leverage where you need it and a comfortable space for your feet right where you need it.
A 16mm Micro-Drop defines this deck, with slides taking less effort whilst you retain more control compared to a typical drop deck.
As a Black-Owned business, I felt it was my responsibility to give a voice to the voiceless with my small platform.
The original Project Name for this design was “Inquisitor” but as the year 2020 moved forward, my inspiration had shifted.
The official name for this design became “The Pharaoh” and I specially commissioned a new graphic from a local artist.
The idea for this Black Panther resurrected is symbolic, and inspired by heroes and martyrs like Malcom X, Harriet Tubman, Huey P. Newton and the countless victims of racism and violence that are remembered in the name of peace and equality for all.
The Kraken: Our New 3D Printing Ecosystem
I spent some time revamping and upgrading my entire system to provide more accurate 3D printing and a better service to all of my customers.
Lets start with my vision for customer service.
Monitor the progress of your 3D Printed Order live, with a secured Live-Stream of our 3D Printer while your order is being manufactured.
When your order is ready to be printed, we can provide a secure link to this live-stream!
With services provided by The Spaghetti Detective, your print is protected from errors and defects using Artificial Intelligence, while remote access gives us power to manage our machines remotely, securely, and quickly.
Time-lapse data can be made available upon request for fun, troubleshooting, or curiosity!
“The Kraken Server”
The software is only possible with hardware! I’ve introduced a webcam into the equation, and a secured server named “Kraken” that will be in charge of managing the Printer Farm here at Voxel Boards.
The Kraken name came from the idea of allowing a tentacle to pop out anywhere I need it, lending me access to my network of machines anywhere in the world I might be, and keeping an eye on things when I am unable to.
Reliability and transparency are my best tools and when it comes to automation, those benefits should pass right on to the customer. Using our Kraken Servers, I hope more customers will recognize our 3D Printed products and services as the best in the community.
Upcoming Projects: Xyclops + Visionary
Xyclops and Visionary will be the most innovative “moonshot” project from Voxel Boards to date.
While not many specific details can be given out due to the nature of this new product, I wanted to inform my customers and fans that they are not the names of future Deck designs.
Visionary is intended to be software available for free to all customers and users, and will also provide additional functionality to a related project.
Stay tuned!
Natural Habitat
Energy is running high in the concrete jungle. When Ventura, DTLA and Gel Lab natives converge at midnight, we get a glimpse of the race for survival in their natural habitat.
VRSA takes his new custom Jaguar out for a spin, and then a few more for good measure.
@VRSAUNIVERSE
@voxelboardsofficial
@elisaillustrates
(Roughly) How It’s Made
Fresh off a run at Latigo, the Squad heads back to the shop to see what’s new.
Take a look behind the scenes to see what goes into making your next board, and stay for the 360 action shots.
Rising To The Glass Ceiling: Gravos²
“The weight of a sword.”
Gravity is ever-present in our lives. From the moments before we’re born, and especially the moments we’re sliding down hills or edging ahead of our friends in parking-structures. Today, the Gravos² serves as a reliable entryway for beginners, and a cruiser with teeth for advanced skaters. For this reason, Gravos² features a 3/4″ linear micro-drop and spacious wheel cutouts. 6mm’s of mellow radial concave helps to activate your turns, as well as functioning like a canvas for potential concave-implants. I’ve chosen not to include drop-through mounting and as a result, the skater can expect more stability without sacrificing as much grip.
“Prototypes Are Like Tech Demos”
Innovating on our construction has been a priority from the beginning. Being able to provide the same deck in two very different construction materials is an art-form. Iteration is key, and when you want to go into a new direction, it’s best to test as much as you can and to take steps out of your comfort-zone. Reach as far towards your goals as possible when you’re developing something, and show the world what you can do – then refine the shape until it’s indistinguishable from your vision.
Reliable, Versatile, Durable
Gravos² measures in at 34″ x 9″, making it the perfect stow-away during travels and commutes. With comfortable 6mm deep mellow-concave and a decisively short 0.75″ Micro-Drop, Gravos² is perfect for everything from campus cruising, to light downhill. Between our affordable VC-Hybrid Construction for slightly more flex or our premium Higgs Lite Construction if you need more stiffness. Spacious wheel-cutout provide adequate room for large wheels. Peace of mind from wheel bite, combined with predictable grip and easier slides…Gravos² is straight out of the Goldilocks-Zone
“Ice-Cream That Never Melts”
This Graphic was inspired by a local ice-cream parlor – Coastal Cone! This beautiful Taiyaki Cone was digitally drawn by local Artist Elise Tapia and is protected under fiberglass and water-based epoxy.
Consistent Quality
Our decks are handmade and supplemented with 3D printing and CNC technology. Repeatability is no issue with our modern and unique techniques in the shop. We use both 3D printed mould sections or full machined moulds for pressing our decks but the results are the same. Accurate concave, tight lamination and warp-resistant decks.