Roarockit Skateboard Company, Electronic Media Kit

Electronic Press KitTable of Contents

Roarockit Skateboard Company1-888-857-7790 416-422-5487

Contact: Norah Jackson ([email protected])ROAROCKIT.COM

About/History of Roarockit ................................................1Schools.....................................................................2,3Independent Builders.........................................................4Skateboards are ‘Green’.....................................................5Future of the Company.......................................................6

About Roarockit

History of Roarockit

Roarockit offers the materials, tools and technology to make it possible for anyone - from beginner to expert - to design and build their own custom skateboards.

Independent builders, schools, after-school programs and community groups around the world have used Roarockit's patented Thin Air Press technology to create custom boards for personal use, and sometimes even creating their own brands and businesses.

The Thin Air Press technology is also a woodworking tool for vacuum laminating, bending and veneering for fine furniture, drums, guitars, cabinetry and marquetry projects.

Ted Hunter and his wife Norah Jackson were windsurfing on the beautiful island of Maui, when in July of 2001, Ted volunteered his time at the Hui No’eau Visual Arts Center, a non-profit gathering place for artists.

Ted, a university professor and artist, was asked to teach a class of teens in the woodshop. As he had never taught such a young age group before, he had a challenge ahead of him - what to teach them? Norah suggested building a skateboard deck, as it involved the woodbending, a technique Ted used often in his sculptures.

Drawing on his ability to quickly and easily make prototypes, Ted created a one-sided mold and used vacuum to press the veneers into shape! The class was successful and each of the 25 kids made their own professional quality, 3-dimensionally shaped skateboard deck using what ROAROCKIT has named Thin Air Press (TAP) technology.

Back in Canada, Ted and Norah spent the next year refining the process and created a kit to make the process and materials accessible to builders all over the world.

In the fall of 2002, the ROAROCKIT Skateboard Company launched both a Street Deck and a pintail Long Board Kit, the originals in a now expanded group of kits.

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Schools

A big part of Roarockit's business is working closely with schools, after-school/mentorship programs and non-profit organizations. All over the world programs like these use this system as an incentive, fundraiser or credit recovery program. It works especially well for at-risk youth groups who need new and exciting projects to keep them engaged and in school to achieve high school credits.

It is such an amazing thing to see a classroom full of kids walking away with a high quality, handmade board of their very own... not to mention some of the coolest graphics and designs we've seen in the skateboard industry!

Build Skateboard Decks in Class!

Skateboard deck building can be used as a focus to include a wide range of subjects into your curriculum. Teachers can have students earn their mandatory and elective credits while building skateboard decks in class.

While it is not a traditional method of teaching by any means, instructors who have used the program have reported many benefits in their classrooms, including:

- increased attendance levels

- more focused and attentive students that apply themselves to complete their decks

- works as an incentive for both 'under' and 'over-achieving' students

- encourages teamwork and mentoring scenarios during the build process

- provides the opportunity for students to gain experience working with their hands

- integrates well with a wide range of subjects including Art & Design, Mathematics, Construction Technology, Business and Entrepreneurship, Physical and Environmental Sciences, and more

- students relate well to skateboards and its counter-culture aspects

Students build a laminated maple veneer deck which they can be proud to display as an art project, or eventually use as transportation or exercise. Hardware does not need to be a part of this project, which keep costs and liability issues to a minimum.

Roarockit skateboard deck builds do not require the use of power tools and can be done in any classroom or even outdoors. No harmful glues, paints or coatings need to be used.

Maple Veneer is 100% Canadian, and Kit parts are 99% North American made!

Full Curriculums and Lessons

Building skateboard decks in class provides the opportunity to incorporate many lessons, some of which are outlined below:

Science and the Physics of Vacuum Pressure: Roarockit Skateboards are made with atmospheric pressure to press the veneers over a mold into shape. Many relevant experiments pertain to the physics and practical uses of vacuum.

Woodworking: Maple veneer (especially Canadian-grown) is known to be the best in the world for skateboards and is included in Roarockit deck kits. Learning about grain direction, wood strength, gluing and finishing are just a few of the lessons possible.

Environment: Skateboards have a “green” approach to many topics, including transportation, locally aquired materials, hand built, non-toxic materials, and leave only a small carbon footprint.

Art & Design: This section can easily be expanded, and could potentially fill an entire semester. Lessons could include deck graphic concepts, the history of deck art, graphic design and applications, to name a few.

Business and Entrepreneurship: Ongoing programs created by building multiple decks with the reusable tools and Thin Air Press Kits. Students can create a company store, manage the funds, find sponsors and learn all about running a business.

Leadership: Once students have the skills to build a skateboard deck, they can then teachand assist others through mentorship, outreach, summer camp and after-school programs.

Schools

Independent Builders

Roarockit’s contributions to the DIY community have opened the door for independent board builders to start their own small businesses and help grow the market into its ownmicro-industry. Considered to be one of the most cost effective and versatile pressing methods on the market, the Thin Air Press vacuum bag enables entrepreneurs to develop and fine tune their boards with relative ease.

Constantly looking for ways to improve the building process, Roarockit has recently released the innovative new RockitRuler (a tool that properly aligns truck holes), added 1/16” Solid Birch veneers to its building materials, and are working with buildersto develop a brand new, internal clamping system called the RockitClamp.

The Thin Air Press vacuum bag also comes in multiple sizes, which allow woodworkers to do all sorts of intricate veneer inlay and complicated wood bending projects. The even clamping pressure provided by the bag is also ideal for laminating composite materials such as carbon fiber and fiberglass.

Skateboards are ‘Green’

Making Skateboards by hand is even GREENER!!

Roarockit Skateboard kits are composed of locally available materials. The all-important maple veneer is grown, harvested and milled in the long cold winters of North Eastern Canada.

Skateboarding contributesmany environmental benefitsto our society. They are a low-cost, eco-friendly method oftransportation and is a great way to stay active.

Roarockit Skateboard Deck Kits lower the carbon footprint:

- the best skateboard wood in the world is locally grown (specifically Canadian) maple veneer

- wood is not heavily processed with bleaches, pesticides and glues (like bamboo)

- transport of materials is local not off-shore

- no power tools are used for the deck building process

- most kit parts are reusable and/or recyclable

- supplying hand-built boards helps to support local businesses and workers

- the ability to produce boards by hand promotes do-it-yourself projects instead of offshore and off the shelf purchases

- custom deck building provides a potential local business to small builders

Future of the Company

When Ted and I started Roarockit, it was our dream to see our Thin Air Press technology and tools used to design, create and build custom projects. Over the past ten years, we have been rewarded in ways we would never have imagined! People have built not just skateboards, but other bent wood items like guitars, drums and fine furniture. They have used our technology to prototype innovative skateboard designs, laminate golf disks, canes and form leather items. We can only wonder what new projects we will learn about in the future!

I believe the biggest success of Roarockit is that schools and groups incorporate the building of skateboards in the classroom as a way to engage students. To have students make something with their own hands, and something that they are passionate about, produces unheard of results. Class attendance increases to near-perfect levels. Teachers weave compulsory subjects into the learning units so that student can achieve their high school credits. At-risk students gain the confidence they need to deal effectively with personal issues. Among other groups, a well-run mentoring program in the USA helps focus attention on life skills through the teamwork aspect of actually building skateboards together.

Roarockit has created an entirely new method and tool to allow amateurs and experts to design and build custom skateboards. “Shop-local” and making your own board using local materials, keeps jobs in North America and provides an environmental benefit.

Because we are creative people and also listen to our customers, Roarockit has become a Lab where new products are discussed, tested and marketed. We recently launched a new tool called the RockitRuler which has been very well received. More new products are in the Lab now and will benefit custom board builders again!

What we see for the next 10 years, are more builders and more schools including Roarockit technology to build not just skateboards, but other vacuum laminating projects. And for those schools to create programs that are self-sustaining, by offering those hand-built, quality pieces in their own company store, to teach students how to market, manage, produce and distribute them in the real world. Outreach programs can also be a continuation of the school experience, offering leadership and entrepreneurial benefits.

Our future? Roarockit will be offering more products as we think of them. We are dedi-cated to helping others to create new and interesting projects, using our technology and materials. Ultimately, we hope more and more people around the world will use Roarockit technology for the pure joy of making something with their own hands.

Norah JacksonPresident, Roarockit Skateboard CompanyNovember 2012