I'm 13, it's my second year snowboarding, I'm wearing hand-me-down black Spyder racing ski pants, a bright neon pink and black Gotcha shell, and Sorel boots with ski boot liners jammed in them. I'm strapping on my first rental board at Bridger Bowl ski area in Bozeman, Montana, a yellow Barfoot Twin Tip Freestyle 151. Fast forward to current day, October 2010 I'm 33 and I'm waiting with baited breath for Chuck's new snowboards! I want to support one of the originals in the industry and get myself a sweet, unique board to keep cruising on! Minnesota may suck for boarding but I always look forward to the trips out west!
One day way back in 1985-86 I walked into the main thrift store in downtown Santa Barbara, I don’t remember what I was looking for but I noticed 2 weird looking snowboards in a cardboard shipping barrel stuffed with snow skis, crutches and golf clubs.. I recognized the Sims Yellow Plastic Skiboard with the Lonnie Toft deck because I had been working for Chuck Barfoot the past year building skates and snowboards at $3 an hour.. and I remember seeing them in SKATEBOARDER magazine years before but I didn’t know what the big blue arrow shaped snowboard with the Sims stickers was. I really couldn’t afford them but something told me I should. Remember this was way before snowboarding even mattered. There were about 6 companies making 300 boards a year at this time,The Snowboarding magazine ABSOLUTELY RADICAL had only an issue or two out and well no one was collecting snowboards yet.. They just weren’t worth anything and the old ones weren’t even worth riding because snowboards were still going through changes every year so who wanted the old obsolete ones. Anyhow, I scrapped up $12.91 for the Blue one and $8.98 for the Yellow one. I was actually stoked to have the Lonnie Toft Deck because I was gonna take it off and skate it, don’t worry I never did. So I get home and I called Chuck and asked him to come over and check out this old snowboard I found. He finally stops by and as he walks in the room, his jaw hit the ground and his eye lit up. he says. YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS? That’s my first Snowboard!. He just couldn’t believe it was in my living room. he told me a story of how it had been stolen from the factory 7 years before. He was so stoked I had found it, just couldn’t believe it.. So what did I do? I handed it over to him.. and said Merry Christmas.. Since then the board has been seen at shows and photographed for magazines, it’s a bit more beat up now from all the show and tell, soon I will photograph it from all angles and then have Chuck put it away.. I still own the Skiboard... a few years ago I started trying to dig up more of Barfoot’s history, I asked him to think hard and tell me who owned a camera back in the day that might have some photos. I contacted an old friend of Chuck and Tom Sims named John Roskoski. He sure enough had lots of slides of Chuck from when they both worked for Sims, he was nice enough to send them to me.. There was one photo of Tom Sims and a guy named Clint Schott who was a friend of Chuck’s, They were in knee deep powder with Sims jerseys and Yellow SKiboards... Actually Clint is responsible for Chuck Barfoot and Tom Sims coming to Santa Barbara back in 1969.. but this is a story for another day.. Clint was at my house about 7 years ago and I showed him the photo of He and Tom with the Skiboards.. Clint told me that that was the very first day Tom Sims had ever ridden one of the Yellow Skiboards, he says he remembers them taking them to the snow and putting them together in a hotel room.... Skiboards were actually made by a guy named Bob Weber and he sold them to Sims so he could sell them with his Sims skateboard decks.... I looked at the photo closely and looked the Skiboard I still had and noticed each groovy on each screw head matched up, every sticker etc. it all matched.. I realize I now owned Tom Sims’ very first Skiboard too… What are the odds?
Greetings, This is as much a fan letter as a customer question.To put it simply, I'm love with your boards. For the some reason the Nuuhiwa is really speaking to me. To be honest, I'd really like to get two. One to ride and one to hang on my wall. These boards are pure art! Currently, I'm riding a 47inch pintail from Sector 9 and 38inch board street board. I'm looking for something to mix up my riding with. For the most part I do a lot of (generally) flat land city riding and commuting. Would you recommend the Nuuhiwa board or something else like the Velzy?
Hello,I've visited your website many times now, lusting over several of your boards; they're truly beautiful. Can you tell me: I've looked specifically at the Bar Harbour "Banana" in the Surf Legends category. Although painted, is the construction similar/same as the rest of your boards? Thanks
Just wanted to let you know I have been riding with your board for the last 4 years and have been loving every moment. I live in Germany and when a nice sunny day comes around I grab my board and head out the door to hit the hills. Well I really just want to say thanks for such a great product.
Am still enjoying my Square-Tail Noserider! We finally had some good weather in the city over the weekend, so I was able to tear up the city streets. I absolutely love that board, and am stoked everytime someone asks about it. I like the new site, and the new Barfoot logo. Curious to know, did you discontinue the Peggy Oki boards? Was thinking about adding that one to my collection for some of the steeper hills of SF. Hit me back if you can, man. I hope all is well with you. And, thanks again for making such rockin' boards!
Barfoot makes the best boards out there. I've have been riding only Barfoot longboards ever since i first saw Mike Santarosa stylin' a nose wheelie on a Barfoot on the cover of the very first issue of "International Longboarder Magazine" (RIP).. way back in the summer of 1999
Your boards are by far the best that I have seen. 1 Q/A. Why do the woodies cost so much more than the H series? is it that fact that they are wood or do they ride better? - It's because they are not wood stringers.
Just picked up the Rich Harbour... Swweeettt! My last ride was a logan earth ski, tracker trucks, OJ wheels, I don’t get out much.
I am sad to hear about the passing of Dale Velzy and have gone out and purchased a Chuck Barfoot skateboard signed by both Chuck Barfoot and Dale Velzy. It's number 65 of your production, dated 4/16/05. It proudly carries a "Surf Boards by Velzy" decal on the deck and I must say that I am very happy with my purchase. Now I believe that I must put this board up on my wall, displaying it, so to say, as a monument to dale and purchase yet another longboard to actually ride... I can't wait!
