Baker Skateboards
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Skateboarding |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Founder | Andrew Reynolds, Jay Strickland |
| Headquarters | United States , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Skateboard decks, wheels, gear, clothing |
| Parent | Bakerboys Distribution |
Baker Skateboards is a U.S.-based skateboarding enterprise established in 2000 by professional skateboarder Andrew Reynolds alongside Jay Strickland. The brand focuses on producing skateboard decks, wheels, related gear, and clothing.
History
Before founding Baker Skateboards with Strickland in 2000, Reynolds worked with Tony Hawk and Per Welinder in 1999. By 2007, Baker secured a distribution agreement with Blitz Distribution and emerged as its leading brand by the following year. The original logo, crafted by co-founder Strickland, represents a team of diverse and talented skateboarders.
Among significant roster shifts, Leo Romero—named Thrasher magazine’s "Skateboarder of the Year" in 2010—departed from Baker in 2009. Riley Hawk, Tony Hawk’s son and proprietor of Birdhouse Skateboards, joined Baker in 2012 after previously riding for his father’s company.
Baker Zone
March 2013 saw the launch of "Baker Zone" on the RIDE Channel, a skateboarding YouTube platform co-founded by Riley Hawk. This series highlights Baker’s video projects including Weekend Warriors, Piled Out, Trash Compactor, and Dumb Ass Park Footy.
Pro Team
- Andrew Reynolds
- Riley Hawk
- Elissa Steamer
- Kevin Spanky Long
- Sammy Baca
- Theotis Beasley
- Rowan Zorilla
- Tristan Funkhouser
- Dustin Dollin
- Zach Allen
- Justin "Figgy" Figueroa
- Jacopo Carozzi
- Casper Brooker
- Tyson Peterson
- Shane Heyl
- Bryan Herman
- Don "Nuge" Nguyen
Amateur Team
- Zion Effs
- Vince Palmer
- Sully Cormier
- Stu Kirst
- Max Wasungu
- Lyric Bennet
- Mingus Gamble
- Sengo Prevost
Bakerboys Distribution
In the early 2000s, Andrew Reynolds partnered with professional skateboarders Jim Greco and Erik Ellington to create Bakerboys Distribution. This company oversees distribution for various brands, many owned by current or former Baker team riders:
- Baker Skateboards
- Shake Junt
- Happy Hour Shades
- Deathwish Skateboards
- Volume 4
- Heroin Skateboards
- Palace Skateboards
- Hammers
- Death Lens
- Illegal Civilization
- Ashbury
- ABC Hat Co.
- Birdhouse Skateboards
- Call Me 917
- Gnarhunters (Elissa Steamer)
- The Heated Wheel (Neil Blender)
After parting ways with Blitz Distribution in 2011, Bakerboys broadened its reach through key collaborations. A notable partnership includes Palace Skateboards, which won "Brand of the Year" at Europe’s Brighton Trade Show in 2012 and signed a distribution agreement with Bakerboys in 2014, expanding the company's international presence and product range.
Heroin Skateboards
Heroin Skateboards was founded by Mark "Fos" Foster, an artist from England whose enthusiasm for skateboarding shapes the brand’s distinct identity. The brand premiered its video Video Nasty worldwide in Los Angeles on June 27, 2013, showcasing skaters like Chet Childress and Daniel Shimizu. Foster further enhanced Heroin’s cultural impact through his American art exhibit "Diamonds And The Rough" held at Los Angeles' Kingswell Gallery in 2014, underscoring the brand’s creative influence within the skateboarding community.
Palace Skateboards
Palace Skateboards emerged around 2011 in England, founded by Lev Tanju, a prominent member of the London skate collective known as Palace Wayward Boys Choir. To build the brand, Tanju partnered with graphic designer Fergus "Fergadelic" Purcell—who also served as design director at Marc by Marc Jacobs—and photographer Will Bankhead. Tanju’s approach to business centered on producing skateboards that merged visual appeal with high functionality.
Hammers
In October 2014, Greco introduced Hammers, a skateboard and apparel label operating under Bakerboys Distribution. The brand prioritizes creativity and individuality as its foundational business principles.
Videography
- Baker Bootleg (1999)
- Baker 2g (2000)
- Summer Tour 2001 (2002)
- Baker 3 (2005)
- Shake Junt (2006)
- Baker Has a Deathwish (2008)
- Baker Has a Deathwish Summer Tour Video (2009)
- Shake Junt - Chicken Bone Nowison (2011)
- Bake And Destroy (2012)
- The Deathwish Video (2013)
- TRAVELOGUE Baker Tour (2015)
- Baker Presents "Certi-Fried Pro Rowan Zorilla" Part (2016)
- Shake Junt - Skate Tank (2016)
- Baker 4 (2019)
- Deathwish - Uncrossed (2020)
- Shake Junt - Shrimp Blunt (2022)
- Baker Has a Deathwish Part 2 (2024)