Australia is known for a lot of things, all of them absolutely terrifying. It’s well-known that pretty much every animal is out to get you (and probably will). Australia’s also the only continent that is covered by one single country, which is further historical evidence that living there is a bad idea. Besides snakes, crocodiles, sharks, and spiders that can turn your body into a leaking sewer pump, the land down under is also home to some of the gnarliest skateboarders. Earlier this year, you could catch some of Australia’s finest rippers in Pass-Port’s excellent Kitsch video. The video also contained a section dedicated to Hoddle Skateboards, Pass-Port’s underrepresented sister company, whose founder, Keegan Walker, sadly passed away in 2019. The company’s name is derived from Melbourne’s Hoddle Grid, which in turn is a nickname for the grid-like layout of the city’s downtown area envisioned by Robert Hoddle in the 19th century. It’s where some of the city’s most famous spots are located, so it’s actually not that far-fetched to name your company after some British surveyor (and should any Mannheimer read this: if you’re gonna found a board company, please — please! — name it Kurfürst Friedrich IV. Von der Pfalz Skateboards). Anyway, you might not make it to Australia anytime soon, but at least you can buy Hoddle Skateboards at Bonkers. At our web shop and at our store in Frankfurt, that is.
