Already known for their love of and dedication to board sports via their widely varied skateboard lineup, Loaded Boards has expanded their reach even further by bringing a snowboard into their program. The “Algernon” (name derived from a French word meaning “with mustaches”) is an all things snow type of board and features “Mustache Camber” for a snow-wrigglin’ good time. From the press release come further, more specific details:
This fall has brought hints of El Nino and whispers of a snowboard from Loaded Boards. It is confirmed that one of those is true and we pray for feet of fresh powder all season. With fourteen years of revolutionary skateboard design under their belts, Loaded Boards is proud to announce the arrival of its inaugural snowboard, The Algernon.
We’ve watched as Loaded has grown from a small, “start up” company into the driving force they have become today. In order to add a board to their offerings, they added a factory—yes, an entire factory—to their operation. It would appear they’re fully on board with this snowboard business and we are down with that!
. . . A little bit of history on Loaded. In 1995, Don Tashman, an avid snowboarder and Columbia University Student, wanted to emulate the feeling of the perfect snowboarding carve on the streets of NYC. Don figured that the best way to make a skateboard feel like a snowboard was to construct it like a snowboard. Moving back home to LA in 2000, Don intensified the prototyping process, exploring various shapes, materials and construction techniques. With lots of support from friends and family, The Vanguard was birthed in June of 2002. With active camber, wide stance, flexible deck and sidecut, the Vanguard brought snowboarding to the pavement. The board was met with much success and remains a staple for Loaded today. Never one to rest on his laurels, Don enlisted rabid fans to further develop new boards and push what was possible in skateboard design.
Headquartered in the creative community of Culver City, CA, Loaded manufactures all of its boards (skate and snow) with Ernie DeLost in San Diego. Ernie is responsible for many advancements in snowboarding (kick tails, channel track binding system, sublimated graphics, to name a few) and is recognized in the Vail Snowboard Museum. His first boards were hand built in a converted chicken coop in upstate NY in 1977 under the Snowtech brand. He then partnered with Chuck Barfoot in 1985 where they continued to advance snowboard design. Ernie went on to build and managed the Taylor-Dykema factory in 1991, making boards for Lamar, Barfoot, Arbor, Joyride, World industries, H-street, Limited, and many others. Ernie opened his own factory, Capital L Manufacturing in 2003, and through a mutual close relationship with Chuck Barfoot, teamed up with Loaded. In 2012 Loaded put an emphasis on snowboards and Ernie expanded his factory to allow for parallel production of both skate and snow. Loaded is honored to work with such a master craftsman and build amazing boards in the USA.
Congrats, Loaded, on a job well done! Two years is quite a while to wait (and work) for a new product to hit the market. We have no doubts that we will thoroughly enjoy the fruits of your labor as soon as our boards show up at our doorstep this November!
The Loaded Algernon will be available worldwide at select core retailers in Mid-November 2014. For more information - www.loadedsnow.com
