“As a 13-year-old in West Auckland, I created ChalkBoards in 1999 because I wanted to make better skateboards that wouldn’t break after just a few days of riding. After a year or so of experimenting and making moulds, I realised that the most effective way to make boards last longer and retain more ‘pop’ was to change the type of glue used. Polyurethane glue, which was only a few years old at the time, has great flexibility and won’t crack under the dynamic stresses a skateboard goes through. Epoxy is stronger, but it is much more brittle, leading to microcracks in the glue that allow the maple veneer to move and fail. Traditionally, catalysed PVA was used, and it still is. While it is a great timber adhesive, it too cannot withstand the dynamic stresses of skateboarding, and boards made with it lose their rigidity after a short time riding. Polyurethane glue is twice the price of PVA, messy and difficult to work with, but the result is an incredibly durable board that maintains its ‘pop’ to the end.” — Joey Chalk.