Author
Field Mag
Photographer
Banzai
Field Mag may receive a minor commission from purchases made via affiliate links.
In 1970’s California, skateboarding was all the rage. Near the forefront of the “sidewalk surfing” craze was the Bonzai, an anodized aluminum board featuring one of the world’s first double kicktail designs. Though the brand didn’t survive the die-off of skateboard that cast out most all gimmicky brands, the brand and it’s Space-Age aesthetic left a mark.
Now 43 years later the recognizable banana boards are back in modern form, still cut from anodized aluminum now beautifully hand-brushed for grip and style. Each board—available in a 23.5“ Medium and 28.5" Large size and five brilliant colors—comes in a beautiful collector’s box, with soft and grippy urethane wheels, fast ceramic bearings, and lightweight trucks—every piece was selected to hold up against harsh beach conditions.
Selling for $555 and $645, respectively, the handcrafted boards aren't cheap. But they are beautiful. Plus, each colorway comes paired with a limited edition art print by one of five internationally recognized artists with roots in skateboarding, including David Carson, Jay Nelson, Nathaniel Russell, Todd Glaser, or Cole Barash.
Now, it’s important to note these are not longboards. Nor are they regular skateboards. (Nor is a longboard a skateboard, for that matter, and for the record.) A Bonzai skateboard is what we’d call a “cruiser board,” designed specifically for carefree cruising from point A to point B.
Banzai skateboards are not made for tricks, but for agility, freedom, and ease of movement. It’s a grocery getter, a beer board, a sidewalk surfer. It's for fun. And that's something we can get behind wholeheartedly right now.
Published 08-04-2020
