For twenty years, the “popsicle stick”—the standard, symmetrical double-kick shape—has dominated the skateboard industry. It is efficient, functional, and boring. In 2026, the garage woodshop is fighting back, and the results are anything but uniform.
The Anti-Standard We are seeing a massive shift towards “directional” boards. Squared tails, shovel noses, and “egg” shapes are no longer just retro novelties; they are functional choices for a different kind of skating. A wider tail block gives you more stability on a slappy grind; a tapered nose reduces swing weight without sacrificing wheelbase. These shapes aren’t designed in a CAD program; they are drawn on a napkin and cut with a jigsaw.
The Pressing Renaissance You don’t need a hydraulic factory to make a board. The rise of the “Roarockit” vacuum bag system and simple concrete molds has democratized board pressing. We are seeing kids in basements pressing 7-ply Canadian Maple veneers, glueing them up with Titebond III, and shaping them with nothing but a rasp and sandpaper.
Imperfection is the Feature The beauty of a hand-shaped board is in the error. Maybe the wheelbase is an eighth of an inch off. Maybe the concave is slightly mellower on the left rail. These quirks give the board a “ghost”—a personality that mass-produced heat transfers can never replicate. When you ride a board you shaped yourself, you learn to work with it, not just on it.
