Watson Laminates has been acquired by Tod Swank, founder and owner of Tum Yeto, Inc., home of Foundation Skateboards, Toy Machine Bloodsucking Skateboard Company, Dekline Footware and Apparel, Pig Wood and Wheels, Ruckus Trucks and Deathbox Skateboards. Tod Swank and Tum Yeto have been Watson customers for over 13 years. Charlie Watson will remain on as technical advisor and chairman of the “Board” (pun intended). As well as the loyal and experienced Watson staff. Tum Yeto and Watson Laminates remain separate legal entities entirely. Watson Laminates will continue to provide premium OEM manufacturing to all its current customers as well as grow it services in categories and customers.
“Its a honor to have the opportunity to continue the legacy of Watson Laminates. Watson has a huge history in skateboarding and the experience of years of manufacturing premium skateboard decks is obvious in the quality products we make.” Tod Swank states.
Watson Laminates was started in 1975 by Charles Watson, a surfer and wood craftsman, he began making skateboards for the local surf shops in Pacific Beach in his Mom's Backyard known then as the “Shack Out Back”. He created a brand of decks called “Archeryflex” decks, which were some of the first laminated decks in skateboarding history. Watson was one of the first manufacturers to do a laminated skateboard deck when skateboards were foremost made out of blocks of wood. Watson did the proto types for the first production laminated decks branded “Rockit Skateboards” in 1976.
Watson has made decks OEM for a huge list of the epic companies throughout the 70's, 80's, 90's and on into the new century. Caster, G&S, Sims, Powell, Flite, Powerflex, Z-Flex, Zorlac, SMA, NHS, Small Room, Brand X, Slam City, Titus, Vision/Sims, H-Street, Blockhead, Toxic and into the modern companies like Sector 9, Element, Zero, Gravity, Toy Machine, Foundation and Pig Wood. As well, Watson provides many other unique skateboard companies with specialized products such as composites, designer laminates, un-usual constructions for long boards, performance and collectors like that of Bulldog Skates. Despite the exodus of manufacturing to Asia and other countries Watson flourishes today as one of the last 1st generation skateboard manufacturers today with a range of customers from around the world that value the unique quality and capabilities of Watson Laminates.
Watson is not just a standard 7-ply short board manufacturer. While it has a great, premium short board product honed with 30 years of experience. Watson is a modern craftsman with the ability to build unique products to different customers needs. Watson created the patented “Fiber Lam” epoxy decks in the 70's and continues that tradition today doing unusual and creative manufacturing processes in the long board, classics, specialty and limited editions markets.
