Chocolate

Chocolate started in April 1994 as the sister brand to Girl, run out of the same Torrance, California distribution house. Rick Howard and Mike Carroll set it up for a plain reason: they had more friends and pros who deserved a home, and rather than overload the Girl roster they built a second brand with its own identity. Three decades on it’s still one of the most loved and collectible names in street skating, in large part thanks to the graphic work of Evan Hecox.

History

The brand was supposed to be called “Sister,” but that name was already trademarked by Steve Rocco of World Industries, so it landed on “Chocolate” at the last minute (a call credited to Megan Baltimore). There’s an origin story that sums up the whole ethos: before a tour, Howard and Carroll had to leave pro Chico Brenes behind because he couldn’t fit in the van. That moment pushed them to start a company with room for more riders. Ever since, Chocolate has operated under the Crailtap family alongside Girl, Royal Trucks and Fourstar clothing.

Evan Hecox and the Chunk

If Chocolate has a face, it’s Evan Hecox. He’d been designing snowboard graphics in San Francisco until Andy Jenkins, who drew the earlier script logo, brought him into the brand. Hecox created the “Chocolate Chunk” logo, the chunky block lettering that became one of skateboarding’s most recognizable marks, tattooed by riders like Stevie Williams and Antwuan Dixon. His landscape and cityscape series is the brand’s signature look, and the “Chunk the World” line has put that logo on decks tied to specific cities and independent shops. In 2014 the brand marked its 20th anniversary with a Hecox art show at Art Share L.A.

The riders

The original 1994 team was Chico Brenes, Daniel Castillo, Paulo Diaz, Richard Mulder, Shamil Randle, Gabriel Rodriguez and Ben Sanchez, along with Keenan Milton. Milton, who died in 2001, remains a legendary figure for the brand. The roster has since run through heavy street names including Gino Iannucci, Marc Johnson, Stevie Williams, Jerry Hsu and Elijah Berle. Check the official site for the current lineup before assuming anything, since these lists change often.

Why a Chocolate deck

Chocolate has built its own filmography from the start, and that video legacy is a big part of why the brand still matters in street skating. If you want a deck with graphic pedigree and street heritage, Chocolate is a safe bet; line it up against the rest in the deck catalog.