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Silverfish Longboarding members know that we love the idea of teaching others to build their own skateboards. When people take the time to show others how to work with wood, to realize their ideas and capabilities in the creation of something tangible and cool, stoke results. The Roarockit system is perfect for schools like those in Hawaii (where pioneers Ted and Norah Hunter created the system), universities and community centers. Now comes what may be the most fully evolved and supported program yet, provided by a non-profit, after-school program under the guidance of Alan Sidlo, known to some as the 1970's-era Pepsi Team skater but to many more as the mad scientist of board-building, "Shapeshifter". Chicago’s Art of Skateboarding code name: ChAoS  There’s a revolution happening in skateboarding. It has its incredible beginnings through education at a public high school. Chicago’s Art of Skateboarding is a brand new program, melding crucial subjects, including Physics, Math and Art, and providing a unique work experience in the field of Industrial Arts. It is an innovative apprenticeship program run through the auspices of After School Matters , a City of Chicago initiative which offers teens hands-on job training in the arts, sports, technology, and communications. Our program is based on the Roarockit teaching system, using preshaped maple veneer, a foam mold and the innovative Thin Air Press, recently patented by Ted Hunter. A Professor of Industrial Design at a college in Toronto, Ted shares the original concept with his wonderful wife Norah. They dreamed up the product in order to provide an activity at a community center that had fallen into disuse on the island of Maui. Together, they have developed an engaging curriculum that offers insights into real world applications for all of the subjects it involves. If you've read about various Roarockit programs, you will readily understand why it created so much excitement the moment this new program was first proposed in Chicago.
 Students apply Titebond III to maple plies.
Roarockit skateboard-building programs are usually two to five days in duration, but we the requirements for programs at After School Matters (ASM) are that they be ten weeks long. Now, it was easily conceivable that we could stretch out the duration of this class by utilizing multiple steps in the lamination process, but we chose to explore different avenues for inspiration of students so that we could justify the class as a full fledged Advanced Apprenticeship program. We developed a curriculum covering physics, mathematics, team work and artistic expression, then took it to meet with the folks at ASM.
Team work is part of the program.
Once presented with our program, the directors at ASM immediately realized that this was a prime opportunity to prepare young adults for a productive future; instilling a strong work ethic while introducing job skills which can only be a welcome addition to each of their resumes. Two talented artists were chosen as instructors and trained to teach part time. Both found this to be a good paying job for the short and rewarding hours and a chance to share something interesting and new. For the twenty-five high school students involved, this was about as fun as a class can get: they would be able to build skateboards, decorate them, and even keep one for their own while at the same time receiving a stipend for learning! My name is Alan Sidlo, and I’m responsible for coordinating this program because one of my aspirations is to enable people to achieve their dreams of finding fulfillment through gainful employment.
Using the vacuum pump to extract air from the TAP bags.
The pilot program for Chicago’s Art of Skateboarding took place during the 2006 Fall Semester. It comprised a ten-week course, which ran from September through December, three days per week - Tue, Wed, and Thurs, with three-hour days starting at 3 PM till 6 PM. The daily schedule is broken up by a daily snack break from 4:00PM till 4:45PM. With the occasional make-up days, due to extraneous circumstances such as important school activities (i.e. sporting events, social events and school outings, etc.), you can see how ten weeks can fly by so fast. Rubrics are taken two or more times during the semester in order for the apprentices to evaluate themselves. Field trips are planned far ahead of time. Last term included visits to two skate shops and a skateboard park, culminating at the ubiquitous neighborhood pizza parlor. Presentations by industry professionals are in the budget and, luckily, I was able to involve myself for this purpose. At the culmination of the ten-week course, the large group of advanced apprentices gave a stage presentation to other participants involved in the different ASM programs at their high school. Though the course did not focus on riding a skateboard, a few did take the opportunity to show their skills when we visited a local skateboard park during their field trip.
Proof in the Puddin'.
After a full day at school, our students would enter the “shop”, sign in and then form into task groups in order to assist with setting up the tables for whatever activity was planned for that day. Our “shop” just happens to be an Environmental Science Lab during the day--perfect for studying the Physics involved for the lamination of the wood veneer. The lab’s tables work well for this type of project. Skateboard design and the engineering concepts involved are also two of the subjects peppered throughout the course. The fabrication process is streamlined enough to render the need for most power tools optional. Being that the initial workload revolved around the vacuum lamination process, preparation and finishing introduced some of the simple principals involved with the craft of woodworking. Taking advantage of the many interested participants, we set up teams so that each individual would eventually participate in all of the different tasks involved. The key was to get the class quickly into action; thus fulfilling the students' need for active participation. The first team of five or so would prep the wood by sanding any rough edge or raised grain. The second group then wetted the wood veneer with glue lining them up onto the molds. The third set of students placed the laminate schedule along with the molds into the vacuum bags, making sure the veneer remained lined up, the sealed it. Then the fourth team took turns at the manual pump evacuating the bag so that the veneers would be compressed onto the mold within the vacuum bag. Occasionally, the teams would cycle their duties in order to provide for a well-rounded experience for all involved.
A shortboard rests under vacuum.
Following the glue-up and after the now dry and fully formed blank deck is pulled out of its vacuum bag, it is gingerly removed from the foam mold from which it gets much of its shape. At this point, each deck still needs to have the edges worked down and rounded, as well as the top and bottom surfaces sanded and sealed in preparation for the application of a graphic design on the bottom and grip tape on the tops. "Surform" tools and various grades of sandpaper performed the task of removing excess material efficiently enough because the kits already come with each veneer die cut, creating the roughed -out shape of the desired longboard or shortboard template.
Getting artistic on a pintail.
Artwork comprised a major part of the whole program and, although one of the final products is a student’s personal deck, the execution of the graphics was still treated as a group effort to a large degree --especially for the less artistically inclined. In this way, none of the students were left to linger too far behind. Each apprentice was allowed to stretch his or her creativity with total freedom of expression through the art. For many, this was their first foray into working with colors and mixing paints to achieve the right blend. There were various levels of abilities. A few seem too critical at first about their limited capabilities but soon found acceptance with the instructor’s assurance and the understanding of their peers. Some painted their designs directly on the decks while others employed stencils to create geometric designs; a few even experimented with photocopy transfer techniques to “tattoo” a graphic onto their decks. Our shop is always a beehive of activities with projects in various stages of completion. While waiting for some of their projects to set in the molds, the apprentice would render graphic concepts on practice templates in order to prototype their final design. Far from a sweatshop environment, a less rigid structure brought more enjoyment to their working experience. With the finalization of the whole build process, our apprentices collaborated in a strong show of solidarity during a stage presentation as they provided their own personal commentary on the slideshow of images that accompany this article.
 From concept to reality.
A detailed description of the build process can be accessed online through Fine Woodworking Magazine and its great article about this incredible teaching system. By following the Roarockit website recommendations, we were guaranteed a successful project almost each and every time. Granted, we did experience the occasional mishap, but it was usually due to a lapse in our own judgment. In one instance, we found some debris between the laminates due to a messy glue-up area; in another we missed the opportunity to check the vacuum bag to maintain the proper amount of pressure because a dusty valve didn’t hold its seal. Any issue that arose was generally addressed without too much difficulty later on. When we wound up limited by time on the second project, we were able to hasten the bagging process by using an electric vacuum pump retrofitted with some PVC pipes to create a step down converter. It was moments like these that tested the instructors' and the apprentices' problem solving capabilities and making the class more interesting for everyone.
Students apply acrylic paints.
February 2007 brought a whole new group of initiates, whom have signed on to join the large group that decided to stay on board to broaden their deck making experience. In fact, we had such an overflow of applicants that we were requested to provide our list so that other programs could fill their rosters. By employing ASM’s Ladder of Opportunity , our more experienced apprentices are now expected to assist in relating the knowledge they have gleaned to their more recent associates. When summer rolls along, our program will continue to progress as it evolves to teach the more dedicated acolytes how to ride the skateboards which they have fashioned. We have been given the nod to duplicate our success in other locations throughout our fair city. The success of this pilot program has inspired the dream of creating a new community based organization centered on teaching the Roarockit manufacturing process in a healthy and safe environment. A location is now being sought out to house the program complete with the SIMPARCH free basin as a backdrop making that original work of art available free for the public to experience. Stoke, established. Our Apprentices. Congratulations, Alan! Nobody deserves more credit than you for taking the time to conceive and realize this ambitious program. The students in Chicago schools are lucky to have you. Way to Spread the Stoke!!! |
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