HOLY SWAP MEET BOARDMAN!

This past weekend, March 25th to be exact, the Roarockit Skateboard Company hosted the 5th Annual Swap Meeting at our 880 Millwood location. With the help of numerous sponsors, volunteers and some great weather, we were able to successfully host over 400 spirited boarders from the GTA and beyond.

As many of you already know, the Swap Meet is the unofficial start to the coming years prime skate season in Toronto. We are proud to say that this year was definitely the biggest and best to date! Not only did we cram over 400 skaters into a tiny corner lot in the residential Leaside area (without noise complaints either!), but we were able to give out some great prizes from our many sponsors and help educate riders about our Thin Air Press vacuum bag system. All-in-all it was a great day and the stoke was at an all-time high.

Here are some pics we took from the event. See you next year!

Daddy Roarbucks looking over his people.

Mike from Boz Boards and Skate invader Brad.

Blocka from Longboard living 'Spreading the Stoke'

Ted from Roarockit with artist/rider Lisa Farrows - Chris hocking stickers.

Marcel rockin' a Spooner board!

Ryan Rubin - Official Distributor of Stoke

Uncle Seb and Caitlyn brought beats to the party... aka the car battery operated Trunk of Funk!

Skate Invaders - Cindy, John, Chris and Nuss

...and this is what we mean by the Roarockit community! 

Thanks to everyone who helped make the day such a great event.  And congrats to Rob from Bombora for having his newborn son juusssssst in time for the Swap!  He worked really hard to help organize this whole thing, and we have a feeling little Charlie's gonna be 'Gnar as F^#$!' when he grows up, just like his pops!

Cheers.

Swap Meet SPECIALS!

The Roarockit Skateboard Company is again hosting this years Annual Swap Meet. Not only does the Swap Meet mark the unofficial launch of the new skate season, but it also the time when local board builders start planning for the Summer ahead.  We will be offering some great deals for this special day, and as always FREE BBQ!! 

The theme of this years special is "Become a Pro Builder Today!"

What we are offering is a chance to walk away with EVERYthing you need to start building your own custom skate/longboard decks, including a few brand new products we are very proud of - such as our brand new High Density Foam and the innovative Rockit Ruler!

You can get great deals on almost all of our every day products, including Titebond III glue, 1/16" maple veneers and 20"x70" TAP bags - but most exciting is the fact that you can walk away with ALL of these products for the low package price of $225!! That's over $40 in savings.

The total package includes:

1-   20"x70" TAP Kit (our most popular vacuum bag)

18- Sheets of 12"x48" maple veneer (enough for two, 9 layer decks)

1-   2" Slab of High Density Foam (used to make your own custom mold)

1-   Gallon bottle of Titebond III glue (best glue for building boards)

1- Rockit Ruler (used for marking centerline and aligning truck holes)

Items will also be available individually, but this is a ONE DAY ONLY promotion.

We look forward to seeing everyone out again this year, and hopefully a few new faces as well!

The Swap Meet will be located at Roarockit's Teaching Facility located at 880 Millwood Rd. Toronto ON M4G 1X1 on Sunday March 25th from 12pm-4pm

Bombora/5th Annual Swap Meet

If you've never heard of Ontario's own Bombora Boards...WHERE YA BEEN!?! Bombora's unique brand of gnar is brought to you by Mr. Rob DeFreitas – A local and very talented board builder whose name rings out in the Ontario longboard scene.

Rob has been building boards using Roarockit's Thin Air Press for over 3 years and has built an impressive lineup of boards for various riding styles. From the Ruckus and H.T.F.U of the Garage Series to the freeride favourite Staxxx model, Bombora Boards has a pro board for all shapes and sizes. Aside from building amazing boards, Rob is also a talented Lighting Director on the set of ET Canada, and is the man behind many of your favourite local skate videos.

And if that wasn't enough to make you tremble in his presence, Rob is one of the main organizers behind the stoke-laden Swap Meet!

The Swap Meet is a way for local riders to get together, check out the latest gear, stock up on hardware and shake off the Winter's rust in preparation of the new season.

This year marks the 5th Annual Swap Meet, which again takes place at Roarockit's Professional Deck Building School located at 880 Millwood Rd. Toronto, ON M4G 1X1. With more sponsors, riders and stoke than ever – this is sure to be an all-time amazing event. Come check it out on Sunday March 25th from 12-4pm - SWAP!SWAP!SWAP!

OH!! And don't forget to check out the legendary POOP CHUTE for a Post Swap shred hosted by Toronto's own Skate Invaders!

You can visit the official Facebook home of the 5th Annual Swap Meet by clicking the image below.

March Break - Drop Deck Class

Roarockit Skateboard Company in partnership w/ Longboard Living are proud to present our brand new March Break Drop Deck Build!!

We have developed the FIRST EVER, clampless and precut - 1" drop deck build! 

Over the course of 5 days you will be taken through the step-by-step process of laying out, pressing and decorating your very own Drop Deck Longboard. This special class will first take place during the Ontario school semesters March Break, and is limited to 10 students aged 10-16.  

Not only will you walk away with your own hand-built and custom decorated 1" Drop Deck. But you will also receive all the hardware needed to setup your new ride (including wheels, trucks, bearings, grip and hardware), a helmet, t-shirt and a celebratory pizza lunch on the last day!!  

The cost of the course is $439 + hst, and will take place at Roarockit's Professional Board Building School located @

880 Millwood Rd. Toronto, ON - M4G 1X1

It will run from:

Monday, March 12 - Thursday, March 15 from 9:00am - 11:30am

with the final class taking place:

Friday, March 16th from 9am-5pm

But wait, there's MORE!

You will also receive a lesson on how to setup your new board, and tips on riding a drop deck from a Longboard Living representative.

We are extremely excited to offer this brand new class, and it is sure to be a great time!  If you are interested in signing up you can download our Sign Up Sheet located at the link below.  Fill it out and either email or fax it back to us to reserve your spot.  

Entry is based on a First Come (and PAID) First Served basis.

March Break 1" Drop Deck Build - Sign Up Sheet HERE

EMAIL Forms - chris@roarockit.com

FAX Forms - 416 422 1172

Feel free to phone or email us with any questions regarding the classes

1-416-422-5487

Toll Free 1-888-857-7790

Introducing... Marcel Dionne

Rockit Talk is proud to introduce Marcel Dionne.

If you've ever been to Roarockit, you may very well have met Marcel. Maybe he taught you how to shape your first mold? Maybe he did a demo for your school? Or maybe he just gave you a big high five and a smile as you walked by!?! Either way, were stoked to have Marcel on board as part of the Roarockit family.

Marcel has worked at the Roarockit Skateboard Company for almost 2 years and is our primary in-house teacher. Thoughout his time with the company, Marcel has taught countless students how to build their own custom skate and longboard decks, as well as creating hundreds of boards himself. He uses this experience to help prepare new students for what to expect during a build.

For example, "Many students tend to rush due to the short drying time of glue. Panicking in these situations can often make the process slower than it needs to be. Before we start pressing the board, I go over a prebuild checklist to make sure we have all the tools and materials needed within reach. This helps to keep the students calm and avoid mistakes. If you are properly prepared, there should be no problem getting the board glued and in the bag before it dries."

He also states that, "“Building boards by hand involves a lot of attention to small details – easily missed by most newcomers. 50% of my teaching is about anticipating problems during a build, the other 50% is letting the students make mistakes during the class. I'd rather them learn from their mistakes in-class, so that they are prepared when they do their first build on their own.”

Marcel wasn't always a master board builder. Having come from a background of computer science, much of his experience has been one of trial and error. Luckily, he has been surrounded by many great minds at Roarockit that have helped him to refine his woodworking skills. His favourite saying when it comes to building and prototyping is “Make (or think of) as many new mistakes as you can, so that your next build can anticipate them all”.

On top of building boards for a living, he is also extensively involved with the Skate Invaders - a local Toronto skate collective that promotes safe riding and good times. His experience riding with them has given Marcel a great skill set on which to design boards that not only make sense, but ride great! This kind of first-hand knowledge is what makes him such a great teacher as well.

Bursting with ideas for both work and play, we hope to see much more out of Marcel in the coming year and beyond.  

Oasis Skateboard Factory POP-UP SHOP

Friends of Roarockit are familiar with the great program running over at the Oasis Skateboard Factory (OSF) in Toronto. For those of you who don't know, the OSF is the first skateboard design and street art focused high school program in the world. Students earn credits by learning how to design, build, and run their own skateboard-based businesses. For over five years, the OSF has worked together with the Roarockit Skateboard Company to create a community-based program that both enriches and motivates the students within its' reach.

Recently, the students of Oasis had their Grand Opening of the new POP-UP SHOP located within The Baitshop at 358 Dufferin, Suite 117. The store, which sells skateboards, longboards and t-shirts made by the students, is the culmination of a semester-long business program created by teacher Craig Morrison. Opening night was well received, and the students were able to donate a portion of sales to a local community group. If you haven't gotten a chance to check it out, make sure you go by and see all the hard work done by the students. The OSF POP-UP SHOP is open 7 days a week until Feb.26, 2012.

With the vision of creating a professional atmosphere in an alternative setting, Craig has helped many students reach their potential and exposed them to the business side of a sport many of them enjoy. We are continually blown away by what his students come up with, and have no doubt they will continue to impress in the future.

You can keep up to date with the Oasis Skateboard Company by checking out their official site @ http://oasisskateboardfactory.blogspot.com/

Keep up the good work!!