Birdhouse

Birdhouse is one of the most recognizable names in American skateboarding, largely because Tony Hawk, the most famous face the sport has ever produced, sits at the head of it. Founded in California in 1992, the company survived the lean years of the early nineties and grew into a cornerstone of vert and transition skating without ignoring the street. It remains a living brand today, with a team that blends still-active legends and a younger generation raised on bowls and mega ramps.

History

Birdhouse started life as Birdhouse Projects, founded by Tony Hawk and Per Welinder, both former Powell Peralta pros. Welinder wanted to stay in the industry at a moment when vert was losing ground to the street skating boom, and he offered Hawk a fifty-fifty partnership. The name plays on Hawk’s nickname, “Birdman.” The early years were financially rough, and the brand held on through team chemistry and an unpretentious visual identity full of cartoons and humor. The turning point came in the late nineties, with the success of the company’s video and, above all, the phenomenon of the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater video game, which put Birdhouse decks, riders, and graphics in front of millions. In time Hawk took full ownership, and the company settled its headquarters in Vista, California.

The team

Birdhouse’s historic roster reads like a who’s who: Jeremy Klein, Steve Berra, Willy Santos, Andrew Reynolds, Heath Kirchart, Bucky Lasek, and even Shaun White all rode for the brand at some point. The current lineup pairs transition and street specialists such as Tom Schaar, Lizzie Armanto, Tate Carew, Reese Nelson, Felipe Nunes, Aaron “Jaws” Homoki, David Loy, Shawn Hale, and Elliot Sloan, alongside Tony Hawk himself. It is a roster built to cover every discipline, from the bowl to the ledge.

The boards

Birdhouse makes Canadian maple decks with standard seven-ply construction, across a broad range of sizes and shapes that runs from classic pool and vert silhouettes to narrower street-oriented boards. The brand’s signature has always been the graphic side: series full of cartoons, big lettering, and pop aesthetics that speak to people who grew up with the videos and to newcomers alike. Over the years it has left behind a well-regarded video legacy that helped shape the look of late-nineties skateboarding.

Who it’s for

It works for anyone after a dependable transition or vert deck, and equally for skaters who want a versatile street platform with a piece of history behind it. If you want to compare shapes and sizes, you can do it in the deck catalog.