When Passion Meets the Open Road
An inquiry in spring 2024 started like many custom longboard projects do—with a customer who had a vision. They wanted our Rebel longboard shape but with their own twist: specific wood grain and paint scheme that would make the board uniquely theirs.
After collaborating on design details, we crafted what would become much more than just a custom cruiser longboard. The stock Rebel shape transformed into a personalized custom all-ash deck featuring a striking five-color hand-painted chevron pattern on both top and bottom.
The Journey That Changed Everything
Nearly a year later, we received an email that honestly made our day. Our customer had taken their custom longboard on an incredible adventure:
"Hope you are well, I just wanna start by saying I've had a great year with my custom board and I love it to the full extent. The board has been to 14 countries and 3 continents with me and it is the highlight of my day and a form of meditation for me. I genuinely appreciate your work—it is a perfect vintage design with modern specs and balanced."
14 countries and 3 continents—this custom longboard deserves its own travel blog! But the story doesn't end there.
The New Challenge: Motorcycle Adventure Calls
Our well-traveled customer continued:
"That being said I am about to embark on a year long motorcycle cruise and the board is too big for my skateboard holder. I need you to build me another board. The exact same design format however smaller... About 22" or 23" by 8" or 10". Something slim and robust but not too flimsy."
The challenge: Create a compact longboard with the same performance as the original custom board but in a scaled down package. At Deviate Board Co, these are exactly the kinds of custom longboard challenges that get us stoked.
Engineering the Perfect Travel Companion
Recreating what works in a smaller package isn't simply about scaling down—it requires ground-up design thinking. With clear constraints and a customer's trust ("I trust you—make it awesome"), we set out to create the ultimate travel-size mini cruiser.
Starting with the 24" length constraint, we designed:
- Optimized nose and rail profile to provide control and responsiveness
- Precision-crafted tail shape to compliment the dimensions and set-up
- A wheelbase providing agility and stability across different applications
The result? A compact longboard with all the fluid mini-longboard surf-style feel of our beloved Rebel.
Technical Specifications: Original vs. Travel Size
| Feature | Custom Rebel (Original) | Custom Mini (Travel Size) |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 32" | 24" |
| Wheelbase | 21" | 13.5" |
| Trucks | Paris 165mm RKP | Paris 150mm RKP |
| Wheels | Deviate 65mm x 51mm 83a | Deviate 65mm x 51mm 83a |
| Bearings | ABEC 9 608 RS | ABEC 9 608 RS |
| Weight | 7 pounds | 5.2 pounds |
Field Testing in the City of Light
We were so excited about this design that we made one for ourselves and took it to Paris, France for our end-of-summer skate trip. We set-up our test board with 129mm Paris street trucks, 65mm Deviate wheels, and wedge risers. The deck fit perfectly in a checked bag.
Skating throughout Paris for several days confirmed our design worked flawlessly—handling long city cruises, winding hills, river crossings, canal routes, and traditional skate spots. We can't wait to explore another city on this board!
What's Next for This Travel Board Design?
While we await photos from our customer's year-long motorcycle adventure, we're deciding whether this new shape will become the next official Deviate board release. Stay tuned!
Ready for Your Own Custom Adventure?
Whether you need a travel skateboard, custom longboard, or any custom skateboard design, we're here to bring your vision to life. Every board tells a story—what will yours be?
Start your custom board journey here →
