Our Promise

If you have the time, I'd like to tell you a little of my story and how I came to be one of the founders of Olsaw Skateboard Company. First and foremost, please understand and forgive me: I'm not a very good skater. I've given a solid try, both when I was younger and again starting about 10 years ago. Both times, I got my fair share of bumps, scrapes and bruises...but somehow I never really got the reward of technical mastery. But I really did try. I rode half a dozen decks into the ground from about 1983 until 1992. Then I picked back up with skating from about 2010 until today. Yep, I still skate. I go to the local parks, I cruise my neighborhood, I kick around in the garage and driveway, sometimes I even mess around on blank decks on the carpet in the living room. I'm a mediocre skater at best. But I love skateboards and skateboarding just as much as you do. Maybe I love it even more than some of you. And my admiration for the talented and courageous skaters of the world is tremendous.

Why am I telling you this? Why do you need to know? I suppose you don't, but part of our promise to you here at Olsaw Skateboard Company is to be as transparent and honest about everything we're trying to do as we possibly can. And I wouldn't want you wondering who is behind the boards, parts and apparel we're creating. Many brands out there are owned and operated by world class skaters with credentials to back up their stake in the industry. And then there are other brands who have longevity that grants them status we just can't claim at this point in our journey as a skate brand. But what I can promise is that we love skateboarding and we're giving our absolute best with every step we take here. Could we do better? Yes! And we will continue to learn and develop as we go along, striving not only to satisfy our own creative ambitions but also to bring fun, exciting and innovative ideas wherever and whenever possible.

So who are we, then? There are four of us that work to bring the dream of Olsaw Skateboard Company to life. Originally, the idea was mine. I'm Justin. Before starting up Olsaw, I had spent nearly 20 years working in the movie business doing a variety of things - but the most proud moments were those behind the scenes as a writer, producer and director. Did I make big movies? Nope. Were my movies awesome? Some people thought so, and some people definitely didn't. Why did I stop? Well, I'm not really sure that I did; more so, I've redirected my creative excitement into my family, being a father and - of course - Olsaw Skateboard Company.

My friend, long-time creative partner and co-founder of Olsaw Skateboard Company, Buz Hasson, is co-creator of The Living Corpse comic character and book series, as well as high-demand comic cover illustrator and tattoo artist specializing in fantastically colorful freehand horror tats. The Olsaw logo and all of our illustrated decks are drawn by Buz the old-fashioned way with pencil and paper, followed by traditional ink well pens over the top of the pencils. I asked him once if it would be helpful to have a modern computer with a tablet like so many other artists these days. He didn't even hesitate to answer: ABSOLUTELY NOT

The same can't be said for Ryan Lord, comic colorist extraordinaire and super creative mind behind the digital coloring of our illustrated decks. Buz's full scale deck illustrations are scanned at super high resolution, then sent as digital files to Ryan. He works his magic to preserve every bit of nuance in the inks provided by Buz, then works within a set of directions provided by yours truly to bring that wow factor. His colors range from simple to outrageous, capturing the tone of each drawing perfectly.

And then there's my wife, Putri. For as long as we've been together, she has been at my side and had my back with any and every project, creation, scheme and idea. From our days in the movie business right through today, she has been my biggest supporter and a major contributor. You like this website? She made it. You like the packaging design? She did those. You like the apparel? That's her. And so much more that can't be added to a list.

So what about this 'promise' then? It's simple. We guarantee:

Honesty. Integrity. Transparency.

Thank you for taking the time to hear a little bit of our story and becoming a part of it along the way. And if there is ever anything you want to know or would like us to do to improve our brand and your experience with the brand, don't hesitate to get in touch.

Sincerely,

Justin.Paul.Ritter

Founder, Olsaw Skateboard Company