Penny board

Some of the earliest plastic skateboards were created in 1978 by Larry Stevenson,[2] a former Venice Beach lifeguard, who developed a line of plastic boards for his brand Makaha.

During the 1980s, the freestyle champion Russ Howell created a brand of plastic boards, Grentec.[3] In the 1990s, other plastic skateboard brands such as Stereo Skateboards, Krooked Skateboards and Globe emerged on the plastic skateboard market.

Ben Mackay created the Penny board in 2010, from which the brand Penny Skateboards was born.[4] Penny Skateboards was named after Ben Mackay's sister, Penny. The idea behind the creation of the company was inspired by Mackay’s first ever skateboard, a small plastic cruiser his father bought for him at a garage sale, when he was just five years old.

Ben Mackay first started manufacturing and designing his own skateboards to sell to local skate shops.[5][6] Drawing on woodworking and sales skills handed down from his father, he was determined to fulfill his dream of creating his own skateboard brand. Mackay began experimenting with different shapes and types of boards. He used a variety of materials, such as fiberglass and carbon inserts, as an alternative to timber.

By 2015, the Absolute Board Company was providing 36% of the market of boards under 34 inches.[3]

Penny skateboards on sale at a shop in Shibuya, Tokyo.

Penny boards are distinguished by a plastic deck. Different parts of the Penny board structure are available in a variety of colours and designs. They are available in a variety of colours and designs. They are sold in four different deck sizes, the 22 in (55.9 cm), 27 in (68.6 cm) (the Nickel), 32 in (81.3 cm) cruiser and 36 in (91.4 cm) longboard. Customers can buy all the components separately.

• Deck: Penny skateboard decks are made of plastic, strong and flexible, and feature a non-slip "waffle top" texture.
• Griptape: Griptape is offered for Penny’s 22" and 27" models.
• Trucks: Penny trucks are made from cast aluminium.
• Wheels: Penny board wheels are made from Polyurethane, with a plastic core. The wheels on 22-inch (55.9 cm) and 27-inch (68.6 cm) Penny boards have a diameter of 59 mm (2.323 inches), while Penny longboard wheels have a larger diameter of 69 mm (2.717 inches). All Penny wheels are rated at 83A.[7]

The nickel skateboard is five inches larger than the Penny board and is suited for beginners because of its larger deck, but still remains lightweight due to its plastic design.[8] Both the Penny board and the Nickel board are much lighter than a regular wooden skateboard. [9]

The skater Oscar Candon complained that "you can’t even ollie up a curb" with a Penny board. According to the skateboarding historian Craig Snyder, plastic is not a popular board component among the skateboarding community.[3]

• Brooke, Michael (1999). The Concrete Wave: The History of Skateboarding. Warwick Publishing. ISBN 1894020545.