FLIP SKATEBOARDS: 14 Things You Didn't Know about Flip Skateboards

Learn more about skateboard icon Flip Skateboards!
With beginnings in the UK as Deathbox skateboards under Jeremy Fox, the brand quickly grew an iconic team with the likes of Geoff Rowley, Tom Penny, and Rune Glifberg. Releasing Spirit of the Blitz in the 1990's, the brand put a stamp on the Uk skateboarding scene.
Migrating to the US, Fox changed the name of the brand to Flip skateboards, announcing the change in the early film Long Overdue. The brand quickly grew in popularity, releasing iconic films such as Sorry (with appearances from Jonny Rotten of the Sex Pistols), Really Sorry, and Extremely Sorry. In later years, Flip continued to add strong members to the team, such as Ali Boulala and Shane Cross; unfortunately, Shane was killed in a drunk driving accident, when he and Ali crashed on a moped during a tour in Australia. Just recently, Flip released The Weight of the World, featuring a new and upcoming team of riders.
Flip's logo is recognizable anywhere, and their collaboration with Cheech and Chong for Tom Penny's pro model can be easily recognized as their best seller.
Now, bolstering a team with the likes of curren caples, ben nordberg, bob burnquist, david gonzalez, lance mountain, luan oliviera, louie lopez, and tom penny, Flip still continues to be an iconic brand today.
shop.shredzshop.com

[@emmanueljames7455]

"I'm not doing that again, that was sketchy" - Geoff Rowley

[@ShredzShop]

"Pathetic, small, feeble, amount of blood"

[@euminkong]

@@ShredzShop i hate cameras hahaha

[@Tombrosapien]

*I’m not fucking doing that again

[@saxenas]

U see that? Fuckin hurt..

[@tylerp3327]

I heard an urban legend about Tom Penny in a podcast. There’s this super long grate in Barcelona. Legend has it Tom comes rolling by outta nowhere pushing fast as hell, and switch frontside flips the grate just cruising by, and continues rolling to wherever he was going, leaving everybody nearby absolutely stunned.

[@tonyvolume666]

Your Canadian accent is so strong in this, pronounced sorry the Canadian way.

[@ShredzShop]

I have no clue what you're talking aboot...

[@DitiM92]

What tha fck are u talking about fam?

[@vanman757]

@@ShredzShop 😂

[@CaptainColt96]

RIP Shane Cross

[@brennhannon609]

The Firm merged with Flip; hence why the Flip team inherited all The Firm riders. Story has it, Lance Mountain was so sick of running the daily operations at The Firm, that he just rolled the company over to flip.

[@Space-Holiday]

Flip had some of the best deck graphics in the early 2000s, they were absolutely killing the game. I will never forget a guy I knew handed me down his Tom Penny victory ✌️ deck, was so stoked.

[@imwithyou38]

i loved board graphics from the late 90's and early 2000's, flip, alien workshop, a team, world industries, blind

[@PWEIcommunication]

​@@imwithyou38 Alien Workshop was my favourite.

[@scottyovgy2]

Flip sorry is one of the best videos of all time in my opinion, but just imagine if PJ Ladd had a part in it...... It would of been beyond perfect!

[@ShredzShop]

Agreed! I wonder if that Johnny Rotten intro footage is floating around somewhere...

[@kylealmorabi4273]

Flip has been my favorite board brand since I started skating. The amount of flip decks I've had is uncountable

[@ShredzShop]

Rad! They were always my fav growing up in the Arto and Rowley days!

[@JayTeeAyy]

Been waiting for the next one! So pumped for this

[@JerryRiceBall]

9:42 That bronze statue was only outside the Staples Center for a month. I believe it was to commemorate Rowleys 20 year career in skateboarding. It was never meant to be a permanent fixture.

[@ShredzShop]

Oh crazy! I didn’t know! I thought it was permanent!

[@MrToast-rz4rq]

No wonder, I was looking for this comment! as someone who grew up, skated and still lives in the staple center area I never saw the statue, it was a shocker hearing that it was even ever there, god I miss the X-games back in the day there.

[@BrandonHanson]

Awesome video and Shane Cross will always be in our hearts. An honorable mention. Alex Chalmers. His part in Flip Sorry was short. But he killed it. Also did allot with the Tony Hawk Secret Skatepark Tours and Demos.

[@ShredzShop]

He killed Millennium park in Calgary!! There’s still a “Chalmer’s Gap” there hah

[@BrandonHanson]

@@ShredzShop Nice! Talk about earning your keep. Hope all is well for you guys. Shred on and keep safe.

[@nickmaatjes5611]

once again fantastic video, always a treat!

[@bondedwithpotatoes0076]

MY DREAMS HAVE BEEN FULFILLED

[@lukegarrity3591]

How so

[@bondedwithpotatoes0076]

@@lukegarrity3591 i asked for this episode and i got it

[@danw7447]

One of the best skate teams of all time

[@clubhousechaos1791]

man, this is awesome, I am growing up using stereo, hookups, blind, flip (only the hellcat) , girl decks in the 90s. lot of skate brands to discover yet. like ghetto child, duffs, freedumb, all of the 90s brands. subbed!!!

[@tylerp3327]

Damn, I’d really love to see the lost PJ Ladd Sorry intro. That’s some classic lost media right there.

[@vincenzosanzaproulx4665]

I love these videos of skateboard team histories , one of the reason I subscribed, keep up it guys!

[@ShredzShop]

Stoked you enjoy!

[@darrentinonzii340]

You NEED to watch "the man who souled the world - Steve rocco" documentary

[@kings3411]

You did a great job on this

[@vincentjanse]

I watch all these videos. I think I want to start a skateboard company.

[@Gainn]

I still have a couple Deathbox Sean Goff tri-tails from '89 (one built, the other undrilled and sealed). Was a radically different board from anything else that was around at the time. A lot of them around here got the concave chopped off for freestyle boards when that started taking over for a while. They were ollie machines. You could pop ridiculous heights once you got your head around the tail shape.

[@fernando__bueno]

Flip sorry, best team, best video ever

[@ShredzShop]

I have to agree!

[@WretchedDrummer]

Underrated KZbin channel. Love these videos , keep up the great content

[@ShredzShop]

Thanks!! Stoked you enjoyed!!

[@vanman757]

Yeah... I agree

[@flaviodoliveira]

Awesome video. Thanks for this.

[@ShredzShop]

Stoked you enjoyed!!!

[@harrisonvickers7275]

When I started skating I tryed three different board companies and I finally got a flip board and the minute I stepped on it And did a few Ollies I knew I was never skating anything else

[@Szymanskill]

It was a bold move by Fox to not only move to the US but also dump a brand they'd worked so hard to build up. But moving to the US was necessary to get the exposure in Thrasher and Transworld. Deathbox had a unique graphic style and the UK was covered in teapot stickers, great times.

[@ShredzShop]

Agreed!

[@poulsentyler]

Holy shit, the fact that you farted into three mic has me all sorts of thrown off.... 🤯🤣 Appleyards part in Sorry is one of my favorites parts because they picked a Placebo song and that always stuck out to me.

[@ShredzShop]

Every kid at my school has that song on repeat!!!

[@christophercharlesonelifetime]

That was one of my favourite influential skate parts...his first few tricks...the ease of the kick flip over the bin riding along...his pop...his style... effortless! Mark Appleyard was truely amazing. Johnny Rotten was great too...! So good. Right I can rest now lol

[@MrGwaldo]

Thanks guys. Flip have had some of the most incredible team members over the years. In the Deathbox days Paul “Rocker” Robson skated at our local park and Alex Moul was one of the most progressive British street skaters. Goff, Dossett, Mac, Scott, Penny, Olssen, Glifberg, Rowley, Saari, Cross, Boulala, Appleyard . . .

[@ShredzShop]

Alex Moul was/is amazing!!

[@technolange651]

Yeah they didn’t mention Alex Moul, one of my favourite skaters back in the day.

[@MrGwaldo]

@@ShredzShop totally. Tricks that others shun (front foot impossibles, Willy grinds etc.) he does with his own style.

[@MrGwaldo]

@@technolange651 he was in the footage though. Pretty hard to condense 30 years of history into a short video. Totally agree that Alex Moul is a great skater though. Nice to see a European team (and later from further afield) do so well in the states..

[@technolange651]

@@MrGwaldo Yes saw his footage, that’s why I’m surprised they didn’t mention his name at least once. I suppose he got overshadowed by Rowley and Penny.

[@keenanketsdever590]

why was their no talks about Alex Moul on deathbox ?

[@jayfunk5988]

What about AlexMoul? Pretty much put death box on the map in the UK 88/89 Ffs!

[@jackburton7597]

Exactly, Alex moul, Don Brider, Pete Dosset he missed out a huge chunk of deathbox history. Flip was still in England in 94 too when Penny was destroying Radlands in his sleep and the visiting Americans pushing their boards out in front of him and generally being dicks, of course Tom was oblivious to all of it.

[@jayfunk5988]

@@jackburton7597 Wurzle n mac the tea pot Rocked back in the day!

[@jnrbonezio]

Glad someone said it, Alex Moul was a skate wizard back in the day, true innovator.

[@jayfunk5988]

The Mac Trwist in the Kensington bowl😊

[@euminkong]

Alex Chalmers gets no love. Deathwish loves Aori Nishimura and hates Moose...double standards.

[@burrowsgod]

im 44...spirit of the blitz defined my childhood...i saw the rise of flip first-hand in the U.K....not that i knew Geoff or Tom personally but id skated with them before they blew up...alex moul is still my favourite skater of all time...but penny is the best skater ive ever seen on a skateboard..and ive seen koston and gonz...penny in his prime was next level.

[@jamescalderwood776]

I feel exactly the same, still have the vhs on my shelf. Alex Moul in that video was amazing. I was lucky enough to see a lot of the flip teams early days at Radlands and seeing Tom Penny skate in real life was incredible. I will never forget his winning run in 1995.

[@burrowsgod]

@@jamescalderwood776 i was at all the radlands comps....ive still got the tickets.

[@ShredzShop]

Damn! Seeing Tom and Geoff at Radlands is insane!!!

[@jamescalderwood776]

@@burrowsgod I was at the 93, 94, 95, 96 and the London 97 comps. I think I have a couple of tickets for them. Should really dig them out and maybe frame them. Radlands was a great time, a lot of cherished memories and only a few miles from my house. My channel puzzzleuk has a lot of Radlands Penny footage. Hope it’s ok I mention it.

[@burrowsgod]

@@ShredzShop yeah man..we slept in the car quite a few nights outside radlands...i actually saw Geoff have a fight outside..ive often wondered if he remembers it.

[@jackfrost9354]

Tom Penny.. straight legend

[@treny1962]

It finally came

[@dneck]

Good video but a couple things I'd critique on, maybe say "we all need to understand the dangers of alcohol" or something other than "drink responsibly" which sounds like something a beer commercial tells you to do that still says "drink our beer." lol. Also when you talked about Bob, Lance, Rodrigo TX etc joining the team, maybe mention that it's because the Firm folded? Also, seems weird to show Johnny Rotten in the trump shirt when you're talking about him in a Flip Sorry shirt. Seems irrelevant to show him in a photo 20 some years later that has nothing to do. Still a cool video as always.

[@Bobobo-bo-bo-bobobo]

Getting back into skating after like a 10 year hiatus shows me how out of touch I am 😂 I'm only 21 but all the skaters I know are "old" guys 😂 I remember how stacked that Flip roster was back in the day

[@ShredzShop]

You’re from our generation! 🙌🙏

[@wilfredwayne7139]

The iron cross flip is my favourite got the red one but it's wrecked ordered the black last night.

[@NineHellHeaven]

I recognise some of the footage from the Dublin demo. I was meant to be there but missed it. 😭

[@19Ryan87]

Muska was going to be the first American skateboarder on flip but in the end turned it down to skate for shortys as he was to be giving more creative control

[@maxmusterman1592]

flip my goto deck for 15 years. thank you flip! and tom penny my idol i have every flip anniversary decks

[@4130aykut]

The Death Box Video Took me back to the beautiful days

[@iloks9177]

Legendary skate brand and skaters

[@lildoggo510]

14 things you didn’t know about DGK

[@mattappleton3399]

I went to the Sorry premier. Johnny Rotten was there as the host. It was pretty cool. I also went to the Sight Unseen premier. That one was sick.

[@emmanueljames7455]

I remember Flip had a graphic showing vegetables high asf!! 😂😂😂😂

[@ShredzShop]

hahah I think another classic Tom Penny graphic!

[@tomf4087]

When u talk about death box u have to mention Alex moul. He was a big reason death box and blitz vid did well. He got into rave scene and being DJ when flip started. I'm from Liverpool and started in 88 so was living it back then. Great days

[@miguell1325]

I love the intro instrumental where can I find it?

[@benjaminhawksleysr6573]

What made you land on using the number "14" for this video series?

[@FlipSkateboards1991]

🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@DSchea]

Back in the day when I was a shorty, I was so hyped on Flip. All my bros gave me shit cause their boards are flat af but I never had a problem 🤙

[@jessewolter7990]

Add Hells Angels financing to the equation...

[@ShredzShop]

??

[@TheVDN]

Mark said on his leave to element . " hate, kill, and destroy is not my shit"

[@ShredzShop]

haha yea, he threw some shade when he left, and then Flip did that add of Rowley and David Gonzales giving the finger calling him a sell out (not by name), but we all knew who it was directed at haha.

[@TheVDN]

@@ShredzShop yea yup... dats was lame though

[@something_in_the_radiator1665]

D Gonzales's pentagram rockstar look is so played out. no matter how gnarly he's skating i'm not really stoked to watch him. would rather watch Appleyard.

[@TheVDN]

@@something_in_the_radiator1665 yeah Gonzalez put some gnarly stunts but the coolness and chilness of Apples vibes is more stylish to watch in my opnion...

[@spindelspott]

do you guys know how to level out the volume?

[@Alexdagr888]

14 things you didn’t know about fourstar!!!

[@ShredzShop]

Ooooo that'd be a good one!!

[@Bru-wt6nz]

14 fact you didn’t know about Deathwish

[@meganmisaki4429]

I rode the Cheech and Chong flip deck, when I was a kid but had it stolen from me, outside the vans orlando Skate park. I guess since I wasn’t watching it, while eating lunch, at the A&W in the mall there, it was an easy thing to steal 🤷‍♀️?

[@ShredzShop]

Damn! That sucks!

[@stevenmilton4846]

Loads of Alex Moul footage but not one mention. (or did I miss it?)

[@louist.sanville4445]

It would have been a great opportunity to talk about PJ Ladd's part in Really Sorry. It was one of the first official video parts I remember watching that didn't have a song. It was different. And In the early days of KZbin, I remember watching a bunch of re-edits and remixes of him skating to other songs. I wonder why he didn't have a song for his part. If anyone knows, please fill me in.

[@ShredzShop]

I believe they couldn't get the rights to the music he wanted or it fell through last minute, and then couldn't find stuff he liked after, so just left it blank.

[@louist.sanville4445]

@@ShredzShopMakes sense. It was an unusual and bold move even today. And I think he was just coming off of "Wonderful, Horrible Life," too. He really made the most out of that. I don't think there's any part like it before or since.

[@pinthetailproductions4859]

You forgot about Alex Chalmers. He may have only had one part in the sorry trilogy, but it was sick.

[@harold2273]

DO A VIDEO ON CREATURE MY GUY

[@mohamedelmahboul4998]

It's always 3 friends So I need 2 friends now

[@ShredzShop]

😂😭😂

[@saxenas]

Who was PJs board sponsor before flip? Wasnt the colisum shop was it?

[@ShredzShop]

He rode for Element before flip! But don't think it was ever official.

[@saxenas]

Oh shit i vaguely remember now haha. Thanks!

[@2saddads]

There is not one Flip skateboard review on youtube and i have no idea why or why I have never seen a single person skate a flip board in person, idk if its just bigger in the UK but the team has always been so gnarly and it blows my mind that atleast in my 20 years of skating nobody rides them, atleast in my time so far. 😢

[@WolfWould]

14 Things You Didn't Know About 14 Things.

[@luisbarvalopez]

Theres so much else to say... they flew david gonzalez from colombia when he was like 13 and that helped make him the beast he is today.

[@skatefan216]

Props on saying Rowley correctly

[@GTTemperd]

I gotta give propst yo. And planet earth fuct tracker pay homage to Kris Markovich and Penny the styler meister

[@Bloodandiron86]

I one day wanna be on flip

[@sjalusi1]

The footage of Arto in Sorry, where he was laying on the concrete after falling; nearly turned me off skating

[@ShredzShop]

Yea it’s gross

[@gknowkalyedose4842]

I still have a cheech and chong tom penny board

[@akiramatoi4158]

Aww, no Salabanzi lore lol 🤷🏾‍♂ Flip was going crazy in the early '00s tho 🤘🏾🤘🏾 love Flip.

[@jstation3092]

SPITFIRE NEXT PLS

[@mammoth-puppy3246]

I love these videos, but i hate the rushed feeling editing. Wait a second before announcing the next part.

[@ShredzShop]

Appreciate the input!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@mammoth-puppy3246]

@@ShredzShop I left this comment a little early. This video was a lot better lol.

[@thepeacemaker291]

Do one about krooked skateboards

[@AnonymousAnonymous-iy7el]

14 things you didn’t know about spitfire.

[@sloppyjallopy896]

Do a "14 things you didn't know about cliché skateboards"

[@sasproductions701]

to me when cliche came about there was another european company too called SEEK. and at that time i remember watching LORDZ - They dont give a fuck about us. and trust me its a sick video with sick tunes. Alex carolino the tune on that and the pop omg lol.

[@ShuffleSoSavage]

I remember my homie had the Cheech and Chong deck that was everyone’s favorite!

[@15350077]

ROWLEY!

[@legitballin1986]

I met Tom Penny at a demo in Tinley Park. I couldn’t believe all the pros. I was one of the lucky ones to catch Tom. Got his autograph on a Flip Cheech and Chong Shirt. My best friend took a picture with him. It was cool. He dipped back to the bus after. Didn’t even have a board. Lance Mountain was there. Arto. A few other guys. I have it on video. It needs to be converted.

[@2saddads]

I am genuinely curious why there are no reviews of modern flip skateboards there team is stacked but if you look up flip board review there is little to be found. I hope next year is the year of the flip and maybe PJ can finally come home

[@badeboom]

Soft fact: Their German am Christian Heitmann came up with the name FLIP.

[@ShredzShop]

That’s a wicked fact!!

[@ShredzShop]

Do you know how he came up with the name?

[@badeboom]

@@ShredzShop Not really. I heard about it back in the 90s, and later on YT Rowley confirmed it, if I'm not mistaken.

[@badeboom]

@@ShredzShop Heitmann was also in the 1281 video.

[@paulhammer6446]

Should’ve kept the name as death box

[@Tombrosapien]

Nah Flip is better

[@EternityJMan]

Awesome info! It was really good…now I don’t have to read it 😁

[@ShredzShop]

Hyped you enjoyed!

[@saladman814]

He needs to do element

[@wilhelmloof8752]

What? Showing clips of Alex Moul, but not mentioning him. Alex doesn’t get enough credit in US.

[@driftlessskater5475]

Sirry and Appleyird.

[@tysteazyy8741]

It’s actually the convention center hubba not staples center but it’s right near there lol

[@pneuma6421]

7:14 MY HASS IS OUT

[@cablr9555]

Rowley did the 50/50 at the LA convention center not staples/crypto. Also there is not statue there of him. Vans made that for a promo and were allowed to place it in the west wing of the convention center for 2wks before moving it to their Costa Mesa warehouse

[@louist.sanville4445]

Wasn't PJ Ladd on Element before he got on Flip? Wow, Element has been getting kind of a bad rep in the industry, huh?

[@ALLDAYCOINS]

ALL I HAVE TO SAY, ITS ABOUT TIME

[@ShredzShop]

😂😂

[@79geoffsharp]

The bit about flip long over due promo is wrong. Flip ran side by side with Deathbox and ran a separate team with separate pros. They dropped Deathbox and some of the older pros, and changed fully to flip when they went to America. I know Paul Robson personally and know this is how it went down...

[@im_cntllo]

Talk about shane cross !! Plis

[@Gallo-ot2om]

I believe Tom Penny was in the US more than once after the original sorry premiere, met him at a Active Demo here in Long Beach California, must’ve been in like 2005. Still have his first shoe model with ES signed by Penny himself at that demo 🤙🏽

[@kaialduwehri3255]

Rip Ali B

[@malakyasseen8945]

What is the best cheapest skateboard brand you know?

[@jstation3092]

14 Things You Didn’t Know About Spitfire Wheels

[@mateosebastian8555]

Did they biardslide arto up the rail in a stretcher? Gnarly

[@ShredzShop]

😂😂

[@StandbyCymbalist]

14 things you wish you didn’t know about nike sb

[@ilikeyai]

14 things about dgk

[@josueperry6770]

That’s all I roll is Fl!P bruh!

[@gmixbabyy]

Blind next?