About Us
Mark and his brother Steve took up skating as kids in the 70’s in Michigan. Included here are photos of Mark and Steve performing some vintage stunts at their local skating rink. Time passed and the skateboards with Tracker trucks and Sims wheels were retired to the attic.
Fast forward to 2002. After getting his Master’s in Mechanical Engineering at Montana State University, Mark and his wife Monica wandered to the west coast where they were recruited as engineers for the high tech industry. Mark rediscovered skating thanks to their adopted dog that loved to go for runs. The same skateboard with Tracker trucks and Sims wheels came out from storage and the synergy was immediate. Dog boarding is one of the greatest joys for man and man’s best friend.
Though his skating roots are from the 70’s, Mark found himself drawn to the modern drop deck designs. He tried a couple of variations on the drop deck design, a Rolls Rolls and a Landyachtz Evo. The differences in the design and performance of these 2 drop decks got Mark to wondering if a drop deck could have adjustable truck angles without sacrificing performance.
After skating the Rolls Rolls and Landyachtz Evo, Mark wondered about the possibility of combining the favorable aspects of both drop deck designs into a single adjustable truck system.
If such a design were to be successful, it would need to be simple. Much of the elegance of skating lies in its simplicity. Attempts to add functionality to a skateboard are usually doomed to failure because any complicating of such an elegant and simple concept does not have real value to the customer. The proof lies in all the failed skate gimmicks that never pass from the drawing board, fail the test of time, or never pass the test of performance oriented skaters. However, if the benefit of adjustability could be accomplished in a simple way that embraces and compliments the platform and truck design, then the value and advantage would be acknowledged by the customer.
Mark embraced the challenge. Early prototypes of his design proved successful. Encouraged by others, he applied for a patent, which is pending. Meanwhile, extensive testing was performed by real un-biased hard skating folks around the U.S. Feedback from customers and test riders was incorporated into the design. Prototyping with Don and Company at Loaded Boards proved to have even more synergy. Limited numbers of decks have been sold. Marketing, until now, has intentionally been kept to a minimum in order to focus all efforts on performance and product development. Final details got addressed and manufacturing was put in place. The result is the current evolution of the concept.
Along the journey, Eric Lowell joined the effort. Eric, aka EloveE, aka Chief Officer of Stoke, has proven to be a true catalyst that has pushed (and pumped) the design to new levels.
From the moment I step on Mark’s bindings they just felt right. The idea of adjusting your trucks to your desired feel opened up a whole new world of exercise for me. What started off as simply a better way to run, turned into an overwhelming feeling of total outdoor freedom. No longer am I painfully jogging 3 – 5 miles, but instead skogging\pumping 25, 30, 40 miles at a time in a manner that feels very much like surfing to me. Mark’s bindings allowed me to create a unique ride that was right for me, by allowing me to exercise for hours on end, pain free.” – Eric Lowell
So, thanks for taking the time to learn about G|Bomb. We are looking forward to the coming year and possibly becoming a part of your skating experience. Now quit reading this and go skate!
Mark recently celebrated his 40th birthday and continues to skate daily and work as a mechanical engineer. He and, while he and his wife raise their family near Portland, Oregon.
