TAS makes skateboards by hand in Bayshore, CA.

Originally founded in Federal Way, Washington in 1987, Troubled Animal Skates was the product of undiagnosed, unmedicated ADHD hyperfocus. With the wrong tools, a crappy sander and one dull drillbit, founder Matthew Bennett delivered (in his Datsun 210) hand-shaped custom boards to anyone with $35.

Today that hyperfocus is directed at making high quality skateboards by hand. Each board is individually painted and numbered. My goal is to surprise and delight.

Our current team is the same team from 1987, Doug Mikko, Dave Lee and Ryan Anagallen. I’d rather pay artists than team riders, but we’ll see how that goes.