Independent Truck Company
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| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | May 23, 1978; in Newark, California, U.S. |
| Headquarters | Santa Cruz, California, U.S. |
| Products | |
Number of employees | 14 |
| Website | www |
Independent Truck Company is an American skateboard truck manufacturer based in Santa Cruz, California. Established in 1978, the brand is currently owned by NHS, Inc., has an extended list of sponsored team riders. And the trucks are made in China.
Independent's latest full-length video Get Your Sh!t Together, is currently available on YouTube and was published and uploaded by Thrasher Magazine. The film is set in Finland, and includes every skateboarder featuring, Pat Duffy, Marius Syvanen, Eniz Fazilov, Tyler Surrey, Wes Kremer, Kevin Kowalski, Mathias Torres, Madars Apse, Jaako Ojanen, Barney Page, Martino Cattaneo, Alexis Ramirez, Nassin Lachhab, Kieran Woolley, Jonne Nordlund, Kevin Bækkel, Felipe Nunes, Yam Behar, Victor Pelegrin, and Ethan Copeland.
Origin
[edit]The business was co-founded by Richard Novak, Jay Shiurman, Fausto Vitello, and Eric Swenson and the Stage 1 model was the first product. released on May 23, 1978, in Newark, California. The Independent truck model (or "Indy") was designed due to a response of lacking of high quality skateboard trucks on the market at the time. In reference to the two other major truck companies on the market, Blackhart stated that quote one broke, and one didn't turn (Bennett and Tracker Trucks, respectively).[1]
Team
[edit]Independent Truck Company has had many team riders, Including Tony Hawk, Lance Mountain, Steve Alba, Ryan Sheckler, Eric Koston, Tony Trujillo, Geoff Rowley, Chad Muska, Jim Greco, Jeff Lenoce, Kevin Long, Leo Romero, Andrew Reynolds, Alex Chalmers, Brian Anderson, Louie Lopez, Lizard King, John Cardiel, Dustin Dollin, Danny Way, Colin McKay, Anthony Van Engelen, and Wieger Van Wageninegen.
Independent trucks are built with:
- high tensile grade 8 Chromoly kingpins and 6061 baseplates
- high quality SCM435 alloy solid steel axles and A356 T6 hangers
- high rebound formula stock 90a medium durometer bushings.
Product releases
[edit]- Stage 1 - 1978
- Stage 2 - 1979
- Stage 3 - 1982
- Stage 4 - 1986
- Stage 5 - 1988
- Stage 6 - 1991
- Stage 7 - 1993
- Stage 8 - 1997
- Stage 9 - 2003
- Stage 10 - 2009
- Stage 11 - 2013
Slogan
[edit]Indy's original and past slogans were THEY'RE #@*%!!! HOT! I'D RATHER FIGHT THAN SWITCH, Ride The Best F*#k The Rest, Built To Grind and others. They later changed both their logo and slogan to avoid controversy and criticism. They apologized to the amounts of backlash and said quote,
Independent Truck Company does not and has never stood for promotion of hate. We strongly denounce all forms of discrimination, racism, hate, and racial injustice. We believe in the power of skateboarding as a positive force in the world.
According to Independent Trucks, the decision of the logo was not about the critics, but the argument of the controversy was made by cancel culture, and their current slogan is Ride The Best.
Identity
[edit]Independent Trucks is known for their durable, lightweight, stable, and high quality skateboard trucks. With the focus and the association of the skateboard truck market.
Collaborations
[edit]The brand had multiple partnerships with Thrasher, Slayer, Lakai, Supreme, and Toy Machine.
Sizing
[edit]All Indy Trucks comes with different widths and heights for suiting ride styles fitting all decks with sizes 109, 129, 139, 144, 149, 159, 169, and 215mm.
Raw Mayhem, Behind the Ad, Death Race, and My Indys
[edit]The corporation has their own original skateboard videos on their YouTube channel. Plus more short skateboard skits.
Trucks
[edit]Independent's current truck models are the Stage 11 (Hollow, Forged Hollow, Titanium), Stage 4 and Mids.
Where to buy
[edit]Online websites
[edit]Independent Truck Company's products are available in retailers and skate shops, Counting Amazon, eBay, Walmart, CCS, Tactics, No Comply, NHS Skate Direct, Premier, Zumiez, Blacklist, Exdous, Pinewski's, Devaskation, Streetworld, Beyond Skate, Rollersnakes, Flatspot, and Skatepark of Tampa.
Copycats
[edit]There are other skateboard truck that share the same basic design, e.g. Thunder, Venture, Ace, Slappy, Lurpiv, Mini Logo, Fury, Bullet, Krux, Grind King, Destructo, Royal, and Tensor. However, the basic design of a skateboard truck has not changed over the decades and it could also be said that Independent copied trucks that came before like the original rollerskate truck or Tracker trucks.
Stages
[edit]Stage I - 1978
[edit]The inaugural Independent truck was officially introduced in July, 1978, with available sizes, 77 millimeters, 88 millimeters, 109 millimeters, 121 millimeters, 131 millimeters, 151 millimeters and 169 millimeters. The truck features a T-shaped Hanger Design with T6 superior Aluminum alloy, a Solid Metal Baseplate, high tensile SAE 4130 steel axles, a Integrated Kingpin with a Top Nut, and Fast Action Independent Geometry. With it's first release, It is a mix of the turning geometry of a Bennett, and the durability of Tracker Trucks.
Stage II - 1979
[edit]The second stage was first launched in May, 1979, including sizes, 151 millimeters, and 169 millimeters. The Implemented Lower Kingpin is removable, Added a 'Pinch' to the reinforced Baseplate for strength, included a support 'wing' to the hanger for support, Strengthed the baseplate with additional material between the kingpin and the pivot areas, and Implemented lowered, removable kingpins with more speed and less drag.
Stage III - 1982
[edit]The beefed up, strengthened, widened, smoothed pivot area of the hanger was reinforced and increased in width.
Stage IV - 1984
[edit]The design of the hanger is still up to date on 215mm trucks, and the yoke and pivot area was smoothed and beefed up.
Stage V - 1986
[edit]The design was based on the ideas and concepts of Lance Mountain and Steve Caballero. And it was the first hollow body Indy and featured a hanger with a 'wing' and was hollowed out from the underside. Anodized color options were available in Maroon, blue, gold, purple, and black in April, 1988. The red/white Pivot Cup included a dual-wing design, which was more durable and lighter.
Stage VI - 1991
[edit]The material was added to the pivot housing, and reduced the amount of metal on top of the hanger.
Stage VII - 1993
[edit]Six holes was inserted to the baseplate, and Implemented the new hole design to reduce wear on bolts from the nose and tail slides. The holes were set back to the baseplate, which was close to the center of the board. The hanger was Thicker, and was sturdier to the pivot housing and reduced material for the hanger to achieve lighter weight.
Stage VIII - 1997
[edit]The six-hole mounting baseplate were also added, same as The Stage 7 truck, but included the cross logo as well. The 126mm truck was introduced (known as Duralites), and The hanger reduced material on the wing to lighten up the product, which introduced the new baseplate and/or kingpin design rendering inverted version with it's impossible use.
Stage IX - 2003
[edit]A new design, introduced an all-new lighter weight hanger and base plate; designed to rigid for performance and durability. The additional features included all-new, ultra durable 4140 chrome molly steel axles, reduced thread length on the axle for tight bearing-to-axle fit for a faster, smoother ride. Precision drilled the mounting kingpin, and pivot holes to ride straight for improved performance. With the same Fast-Action Independent Truck Co. geometry.
Stage X - 2009
[edit]The company returned to a beefed-up baseplate but the lower geometry remained the trucks just didn't turn like old Indys, making many riders to look past models to get the perfect turn.
Stage XI - 2012
[edit]The current turning radius returned the Stage V to VII Geometry. and came back with the 55mm height and the pivot and kingpin angles inspired by the Stage V.
Logo
[edit]The logo for the trucks was based on the Iron Cross according to the artist, Jim Phillips. It has remained the Indy logo since the brand's inception and was derived from the French variation of the Cross pattée.
Jim Phillips says in his 2007 book "The Art of Jim Phillips":
...I began toying with the iron, or Maltese cross which was long gone as the old 60s surfer's cross, and even longer dead as the biker's cross. I used a beam compass to make it into a round shape, which looked completely different than the old square iron crosses... I took my idea into the NHS office the next morning and it went on the wall as usual. Jay and Rich each stared at it for a while, and they both thought that it looked a little too "Nazi". My sketches were rejected and I was sent back to the drawing board. I went back to my studio determined to use it, knowing it was the one. I searched my archives and scrap file for some justification for using the symbol. I found a firefighter's logo, symbols on the knights and Columbus sails. Then in my scrap file, under the letter P, I found a Time magazine cover of Pope John Paul from the June 18, 1979 edition. It was amazing; there was a cross on his vestments almost the way I designed mine. I marched into the office the next morning with the magazine to show what I thought was proof of acceptability. They both looked at each other and said, 'Well, if the Pope has it, it must be okay!' That was that, and the Independent cross was born.
In 2021, after a lot of vocalized opinions, the cross was indeed too "Nazi-like". And Independent eventually removed it in favor due to a different design.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ Denike, Bob. Built to Grind: 25 Years of hardcore skateboarding from the archives of Independent Truck Company. San Francisco: NHS, 2004. Print.
- ^ "Independent Trucks Logo Change". Shredz Shop Skate. 2022-09-29. Retrieved 2024-05-30.