About Pope Skates:
Lansing & Jason Pope started Pope Skates in 2015. Both were skaters growing up, but like many of us “Old Guys,” they stepped away as the rigors of life made it harder to find the time. About three years ago, they picked skating back up.
The Pope brothers wanted to start a company together, and wanted to be able to inspire youth. Their father was a designer and hot rodder, and both Lans and Jason followed in his footsteps. Lans works in the sign industry as a designer and structural engineer. Jason is in the automotive design field as an exterior clay modeler and sculptor. They combined their roots, business skills, and passion for design and Pope Skates was born.
“Our grandfather taught us when buying materials to buy the best the first time, then you will never have to redo what you have done. We apply that same principle in all of our products at Pope Skates. From our sticker supplier, the shirts we print our logos on, hats we embroider, to our deck supplier to the wood, glue and curing processes they use. All is the best of the best. We never cut corners when it comes to quality.” – Pope Skates
The first run of boards from Pope Skates shows a heavy influence of their childhood upbringing: a heavy dose of hot rods, and Evel Knievel-inspired graphics in their Stuntman Series.
Lans and Jason are going about things the right way, and are finding ways to shed a positive light on skateboarding. They donate 10% of each shirt sold on “Red Shirt Friday” to the Wounded Warrior Project. They also designed a memorial shirt for Skate Master Tate (Gerry Hurtado), who passed away last year; the proceeds are being donated to Gerry’s mother Hilda. They presented her a check for $250 a few weeks back. They still have shirts available.
Pope Skateboard Review:
Board Specifications:
- Purple & Gold Stuntman Series Pool Deck
- 100% hard rock maple
- High quality glue & lacquer
- Made in the USA
- Length: 32.75 inches
- Width: 9.5 inches
- Wheelbase: 15.00 inches
- Tail: 6.50 inches
- Nose: 7.00 inches
- Shape: Custom
- Concave: Smooth and even throughout
Intended use: Skateboarding
Recommended for: Ripping!
Review Date: February 2016 – May 2016
I’ve never really liked the feel of popsicle decks, I’m glad to see so many shaped decks on the market now. The shape on this deck seems like a blend of the Schmitt Stix Joe Lopes, Powell Skull & Sword, and Vision Jinx, but with some modern features. The nose is huge, the concave is deep, and the wheel wells give it some old school flavor as well. The colors on this deck really stand out; all the decks in the Stuntman series have a hot rod/Evel Knievel feel to them. I’ve been rolling around on the Pool Deck for a few months now, and the paint has held up surprisingly well to the abuse I’ve put it through. The passion Lans and Jason have for skateboarding is truly reflected in the quality of their boards. Every new deck takes a bit of getting used to, but I adjusted to this deck quickly. It’s a pool deck, but itss a monster in the street as well, with plenty of pop. Being a bigger guy, I put boards under a fair amount of stress; usually I find stress cracks in boards within a few weeks, but four months into this one and there’s not a single crack. Pope Skates are new to the game, but with the high level of quality in this deck you’d think they have been making boards for a long time. They have a new run of decks coming out soon, the WarBird series, so be sure to keep an eye out.
Pros
- Fun graphics
- Custom shape
- High quality wood
- Concave is on point
Cons
- none
| Construction: |  (5.0 / 5) |
| Performance: | (5.0 / 5) |
| Design: |  (4.5 / 5) |
| Overall: |  (4.8 / 5) |
