A 1970s Icon Is Reborn in Premium Form with Banzai Skateboards

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  • Field Mag
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  • Banzai

A 1970s Icon Is Reborn in Premium Form with Banzai Skateboards

The legendary California sidewalk surfer returns with a limited-edition release of colorful aluminum cruiser boards


Published: 08-04-2020

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Field Mag Editors
Field Mag Editors
Insight and inspiration from the Field Mag editorial team, sharing decades of hard-earned experience and knowhow.
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In 1970’s California, skateboarding was all the rage. Near the forefront of the “sidewalk surfing” craze was the Bonzai, an anodized aluminum board featuring one of the world’s first double kicktail designs. Though the brand didn’t survive the die-off of skateboard that cast out most all gimmicky brands, the brand and it’s Space-Age aesthetic left a mark.

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1976 original Banzai & 2020 reissue

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Now 43 years later the recognizable banana boards are back in modern form, still cut from anodized aluminum now beautifully hand-brushed for grip and style. Each board—available in a 23.5“ Medium and 28.5" Large size and five brilliant colors—comes in a beautiful collector’s box, with soft and grippy urethane wheels, fast ceramic bearings, and lightweight trucks—every piece was selected to hold up against harsh beach conditions.

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Selling for $555 and $645, respectively, the handcrafted boards aren't cheap. But they are beautiful. Plus, each colorway comes paired with a limited edition art print by one of five internationally recognized artists with roots in skateboarding, including David CarsonJay NelsonNathaniel RussellTodd Glaser, or Cole Barash.

Now, it’s important to note these are not longboards. Nor are they regular skateboards. (Nor is a longboard a skateboard, for that matter, and for the record.) A Bonzai skateboard is what we’d call a “cruiser board,” designed specifically for carefree cruising from point A to point B.

Banzai skateboards are not made for tricks, but for agility, freedom, and ease of movement. It’s a grocery getter, a beer board, a sidewalk surfer. It's for fun. And that's something we can get behind wholeheartedly right now.

SHOP NOW

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*For more skateboard inspiration, check out our Q&A with the activist who skated from San Francisco to Mexico. And for more design-driven outdoor goods check out the Field Mag GEAR section.