Mike Vallely Barnyard Skateboard Deck History
Original Mike Vallely Skateboard Graphics
World Industries released the Mike Vallely Barnyard Skateboard Deck in 1989, over 30 years ago!
Also known as the Mike Vallely Animal Farm deck, the Vallely Barnyard deck was the first professionally endorsed, symmetrically shaped deck that rattled street skaters with its scaled-down vert shapes.
The Barnyard “double kick” deck was the universally acknowledged forerunner of the modern but elliptical “popsicle stick” shape.
It was also one of the most critical deck designs in skateboarding history and shaped skate culture as we know it.
Furthermore, in 1989 skateboarding was changing faster than even skaters knew it. Consequentially, street skating was well into developing a new complicated vocabulary of tricks and styles.
As a matter of fact, new tricks like shove-its, kickflips, and varial-flips were fully infiltrating the repertoire of the average skater in the parking lots of America. Similarly, 180-no complies, and step-off shove-its were mandatory.
In the elite ranks, skaters were probing a whole new frontier of nollie variations and even basic switch skating.
Was Mike Vallely's Animal Farm Deck the first double kick skateboard deck?
Despite the recent innovations in skating techniques and tricks, mainstream boards still predominantly used the curvy, square-tailed, noseless paradigm of the mid 80s vert stick.
The Vallely Barnyard Skate deck was one of the most iconic skateboards of the 1980s and played a massive part in influencing 80s skate culture.
Until the Mike Vallely Barnyard deck, skateboards were shaped to move in one direction. Notably, any extension to the deck that went beyond the edge of the front base plate was primarily considered a waste of 7-ply maple.
In fact, by 1989, it was apparent that skaters needed a board like the Mike Vallely Barnyard “double kick” model to perform the array of tricks that modern skaters do now.
In other words, the Mike Vallely Barnyard double-kick model was an innovation in the skating world and shaped today’s skate culture.
Mike Vallely Barnyard Skateboard Deck Specs
- Width: 9.5″
- Length: 31″
- Nose: 5.5″
- Tail 6.625″
- Wheelbase: 14.375″
- Super freakin’ cool!
Who was involved in the production of the Mike Valley Barnyard Skateboard Deck?
Of note, the Mike Vallely Barnyard “double kick” deck was:
- Designed by Rodney Mullen
- Funded by Steve Rocco
- Produced by World Industries
- Endorsed and ridden by Mike Vallely in a legendary video