New Artist Series Skateboards Released

Posted on: September 2, 2009 by admin

THE ARBOR COLLECTIVE RELEASES TWO NEW SKATEBOARDS FEATURING THE ARTWORK OF DAVE KINSEY.

The artist brings his energetic portrayal of urban figures to the Bamboo Hybrid and the Koa Blunt.

Legendary Arbor skate team rider, Ken Perkins pushes the Koa Blunt.

Venice, CA – Sept. 2, 2009 – The Arbor Collective is proud to announce the release of two new skateboards designed in collaboration with renowned artist, Dave Kinsey. Arbor’s new Bamboo Hybrid and Koa Blunt feature original works from this progressive artist who draws inspiration from studying urban landscape and the human condition. Kinsey’s portrayal of urban figures incorporates a range of mediums constructing multilayered and textured environments, easily likened to the complexities of contemporary life and the more urban elements of skating.

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The new Bamboo Hybrid is designed with a wide mid-section, concave profile, and rounded kick tail/nose to deliver both longboard stability and real flat-ground and park performance.

The new Koa Blunt is designed for longboard specific skating, with a fat front-end for step-up control at speed, and a concave, tapered shape and rounded kick tail/nose for all-around performance.

“I’m stoked to continue our collaboration with Kinsey on two new skate designs,” said Bob Carlson, Arbor’s Co-Founder. “He captures the complex depths of human existence better that anyone I know. I think his work adds a real layer of reality to our skates, an element that’s missing in much of the overly aspirational art on many longboards today.”

Both new skateboards were designed in the Arbor tradition using a range of environmentally friendly materials. The Bamboo Hybrid uses a finish ply of Bamboo, which is an exceptionally renewable resource that grows faster than any other plant. Once harvested, it self-propagates and re-grows. This amazing renewability is also 100% sustainable. The Koa Blunt uses a finish ply of sustainably sourced Hawaiian Koa (Koa wood was used by the Hawaiians to build the first surfboards over 600 years ago) Both skateboards also use sustainably sourced Hardrock Maple, ultra-clear recycled glass re-grip, water-based finishes, and recycled plastic risers. All wood byproduct created during the production of Arbor skateboards is reclaimed for use in other Arbor products or by outside companies.

ABOUT DAVE KINSEY: Born in Pittsburgh in 1971, Kinsey attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and the Art Institute of Atlanta before moving to California in 1994 to pursue a career as a designer and fine artist. His work captures the universal essence of the human condition mainly through an energetic portrayal of urban figures. Working spontaneously, and utilizing a range of mediums, he constructs multi-layered, textured environments easily likened to the complexities of contemporary life. His images depict beings who are both triumphant in their defiant stance to their surroundings, and tragic, as they transmit a visual display of raw emotion and jangled nerves. Kinsey founded BLK/MRKT Gallery in 2001, which has allowed him to provide a crossroads for a new movement of emerging and electrifying iconoclasts. In addition to these pursuits his fine art has been shown in galleries and museums worldwide, among these a recent exhibition at the URBIS Museum in Manchester and Art Brussels in Belgium. He has also been featured in such publications as The New York Times, Black Book and BLK/MRKT One and Two, and invited to speak at numerous institutions such as The Art Center, UCLA, Montserrat College of Art and most recently, the Semi-Permanent conference in Sydney, Australia. www.kinseyvisual.com

ABOUT THE ARBOR COLLECTIVE: Arbor was founded in 1995 on the assertion that solutions to many of today’s most difficult snow, skate, and apparel design challenges exist in the natural world. For 14 years, Arbor has built on the belief of replacing, environmentally harmful materials with ecologically based, natural alternatives. Arbor’s goal is to create a higher level of function and relevance in the most responsible way possible. The end result must be improved style and performance, with significantly reduced impact on the environment. “We all need clean air to skate, clean water to surf, and snow to ride…”

Dave Kinsey's striking art on the Koa Blunt.

Another outstanding Dave Kinsey art piece on the Bamboo Hybrid.