Optimism Over Experience.

The other day my partner at Hessenmob, Michael, asked me if I remembered Billy Ruff. I said, "No, I don't remember Billy but I do remember his graphic. He had a lot of bubbles on his pro-board." Being a thirty something with a life full of skating behind me I do remember a lot of pro's only because of their pro board graphics. Outstanding graphics like the "Gator", "Rob Roskopp" or pretty much any old Santa Cruz, Powell or Vision graphic for that matter come to mind.

Skateboard graphics have always offered a wide variety of styles from the highly skilled artwork of Jim Philipps to the rather amateurish scribbles of Mark Gonzales but what all skateboard graphics had and have in common is that they are an uncensored expression of the artist (depending on the company) and they are made to be destroyed. The colorful pictures of the bottom of a skateboard are therefore one of the purest forms of artistic expressions - highly personal and mostly created without artistic boundaries just like skateboarding itself. I think this is a reason why so many skateboarders are artistically gifted in the many fields of personal expression. May this be music, art, photography, filmmaking or graphic design.

The skateboard is like a brush. The streets are the canvas and every skateboarder is an artist. It does not matter if your brush stroke is flowing or if your style is technical - everything you do on a skateboard has the potential to be a direct expression of your personality. Skateboarding keeps your mind open and the creative juices flowing because of it's endless combinations. The deciding factor is always your own creativity. I hear a lot of people say "Oh, I can't draw!" - those are the same people who will tell you, gazing at a Picasso painting: "I could've done that!". So, I'd like to ask them. "Why didn't you?!" Imagine what would have happened if Picasso would've said "Shit, I can't draw like that!" - or if he would have listened to the people who told him "My kid can draw better!". That's why you can't pigeonhole skateboarding or "skate art" for that matter.

Starting a european skateboard company out of the German backwoods is by no means an easy endeavor. But skateboarding has always meant more to us then „action sport“, „fashion trend“ or „extreme“. Skateboarding has, over the last 20 years, been one constant in our lives. It has shaped us by offering pure freedom of expression. No rules, no regulations - only opportunities. Consequently Hessenmob was founded inspired by a past with skateboarding and motivated by visions of its future. Our future.

We have always understood skateboarding as an universal language spoken by, well, all skateboarders worldwide - regardless of their location. And like every language, it has a history and a culture. It has roots. At Hessenmob we value skateboardings original qualities, its culture, above all else. In 1999 we felt that skateboarding was getting watered down. That is why we are about pure skateboarding - no gimmicks, no bullshit. Just dedication and originality.

Words will never do skateboarding justice. It‘s too complex. Too emotional. Yep, we are not afraid to say it: skateboarding is an emotional activity. All senses are involved. At Hessenmob we try our best to do all senses some good. For the common sense: top quality, U.S.-made skateboard decks and hardware combined with a general „content over packaging“ product philosophy. And still it is the hand of man which makes a product valuable by adding detail, company aesthetics and artwork. Values which have been an integral part of skateboarding‘s heritage. So, for the visual senses we offer outstanding graphic artwork on decks, hardware and clothing by established and upcoming artists from all around the world.

Ultimately Hessenmob is about nothing but skateboarding. The victory of optimism over experience is not only the engine room of skateboarding it is also the engine room of Hessenmob.

Love skateboarding. Hate skateboarding. MOB steady. Always