Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Christian LaPrad. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Christian, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I started working in construction at the age of 14. After doing that for over a decade for various companies I realized I was getting tired of doing all the work while someone else made all the money. Skateboarding is something I’ve been passionate about since I was a little kid. A few years ago I decided to start dabbling in DIY skateboard making simply for making them for myself. People began to take interest and started asking me to make custom boards for them as well. In June of 2023 I took a leap of faith and quit my day job framing houses to make skateboards full time and haven’t looked back since.

Christian, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I grew up playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and watching skate videos as a kid. I got my first skateboard when I was nine years old and have been riding them on and off ever since. I’ve been playing with power tools almost as long, so making skateboards feels very right and natural to me. I’ve spent hundreds of hours over the last few years researching ways to make quality boards on a small scale without the massive upfront costs of industrial machinery. Thankfully there’s a wonderful DIY skateboard community out there were people of all skill levels are sharing ideas, tips and even high quality diy tooling that doesn’t break the bank. I found a small company through the DIY community that manufacturers high quality CNC skateboard molds for a very reasonable price. I ordered myself a mold and built my own press. I built a router and cutting station made of old skateboard ramps, some hardware from Amazon and a trip to my local hardware store.

I’m now producing small batches of high quality, 7ply rock maple street decks. All by hand including the graphic which I silk screen myself.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

To make an honest living doing something I’m genuinely passionate about.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Originally I started making my boards in my basement. In a house I was renting with some friends at the time. Last year right after I quit my day job to make boards full time, right as things seemed to be really moving forward, I had to immediately take several steps backwards. Due to some unfortunate circumstances outside of my control, the house we were living in got repossessed by the bank without me knowing. Suddenly everything had to go and there was nowhere to take it. Honestly it felt like my little skate shop dream was ending just as it started. Moving forward six months, I have found a new space and I’m finally getting production back in full swing, with plans of growth for the springtime. I’ll be adding not just longboards, but urethane wheels and bushings to my catalog of handmade products.

Contact Info:

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