Venture

Venture is one of the most widely ridden truck brands in skateboarding, born in San Francisco in 1984. It arrived right as street skating was taking shape as its own discipline, and from the outset it was pitched as a functional, lightweight and affordable truck with no unnecessary frills. That no-nonsense approach turned it into a default pick for skaters who want something dependable without overpaying, and it goes a long way toward explaining why Venture has stayed so popular across Europe decade after decade.

History

Venture came out of the Ermico Enterprises world, the San Francisco foundry tied to Fausto Vitello and Eric Swenson, the same people behind Independent and Thrasher magazine. It was the third truck brand to emerge from that shop, conceived at first as the more affordable option in the house. The timing was ideal: street skating was exploding, and Venture offered a lower, lighter truck well suited to technical riding. Mark Gonzales was among the first big names to ride them, and his example pulled a large share of the street scene toward the brand.

On the distribution side, Venture ran through Streetcorner Distribution before joining, in June 2011, Deluxe Distribution, the San Francisco house that also holds Real, Anti-Hero, Krooked, Spitfire and Thunder. Under Deluxe, the trucks are still manufactured in the United States, and the brand has held onto its identity as an honest, hard-wearing product.

Team

Venture’s roster mixes veterans with current heavyweights. It features names like Bobby Worrest, Mike Anderson, Brandon Westgate, John Shanahan, Josh Pall, Niels Bennett, Jordan Trahan and Kader Sylla, and among the most talked-about additions is Olympic champion Yuto Horigome, who has his own signature setup. Beatrice Domond is part of that circle as well. Over the years the team has run through skaters such as Stefan Janoski, Gino Iannucci, Paul Rodriguez, Stevie Williams, Torey Pudwill and Terry Kennedy, a list that says plenty about the brand’s standing in street. Its video output tends to center on parts and Thrasher collaborations rather than full-length brand videos.

Construction and who it’s for

Venture’s pitch is easy to read: a sturdy truck with contained weight and a street-minded geometry, offered in standard and Team Edition builds with polished finishes and lighter variants. In recent seasons the brand has rolled out forged constructions that trim the setup further without giving up strength. It works especially well for skaters who value stable turning and durability on ledges and rails, and it appeals to the beginner after a clear value-for-money buy just as much as to the seasoned rider who trusts a proven classic.

Coming from taller trucks, the Hi and Lo trucks guide explains what changes underfoot.