Almost thirty years since its inception, Bahne Skateboards * is staging a comeback.

Back in 1972, brothers Bill and Bob Bahne began manufacturing skateboards in Encinitas, California *. As the story goes, by 1980 they had sold hundreds of thousands of skateboards.

Known for their flexible, fiberglass boards, Bahne Skateboards originally came in three lengths, 24", 27", and 30". All were just a scant 6" wide and were often paired with Chicago * trucks * and Cadillac Wheels *.

At that time, speed was a highly treasured pursuit of skateboarders,some of whom would search out the biggest, steepest hills and attempt to bomb them.

Imagine travelling 50 miles per hour on a skateboard. Now imagine doing so on a skateboard in the mid-seventies.Then in his early 20's, Denis Shufeldt was a respected downhill * bomber and one of Bahne's first sponsored riders. It was not uncommon for Denis to reach speeds in the 50mph range riding a stock 24" Bahne.

There is no denying that Bahne played an important role in the development of modern skateboarding. Bahne, along with Cadillac Wheels, organized and sponsored the "Bahne/Cadillac Nationals" in April of 1975 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, which is forever immortalized in the skateboard documentary * Dogtown and Z-Boys *.

Long time skateboarders Jack Smith and Stan Strocher have teamed with Bill and Bob Bahne to restart the brand with a series of updated products. One of these is a classic Bahne fiberglass deck, reborn to be a bit wider, a bit longer and "as cool as ever". Also new is the Woody, a solid oak kicktail deck available in 30", 36" and 48" lengths, and the Rocker which was "inspired by the early Z-Flex skateboards ridden by the Dogtown crew back in the early 1970's".

Recognizing the renewed interest in slalom * skateboarding, Bahne has also designed an entry level slalom deck called the Black Hill. The Black Hill is optionally available as a complete set-up with Tracker trucks * and Turner La Costa Wheels.

Rounding up the lineup, Bahne also promises to serve up a "new school" deck "that promises to deliver that extra pop needed for today's style of skating", and to revive the Cadillac Wheels brand, "the wheels that started things rolling back in 1973."

More information about Bahne can be found at their website www.bahneskateboards.com

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