SK8OPIA by SK8OPIA from germany

This graduation work from Bauhaus in Weimar is a skateboard, that is easy to control through it’s particularly big wheels, a lower stand and custom made trucks mechanics. The objective of the enhancements is to create a competitor to bicycles – especially for those areas, where size and weight matter. Moreover the design is configured for simple production resources and with the aim of great trend potential.
As proofed with a prototype, “the new style riding” design makes the subsurface is less sensitive than by conventional long boards while the agility exceeds by far those of All-Terrain Boards.

The specific characteristic of the work is it's focus on production methods of small workshops in Ethiopia. The vision is to introduce and establish skating as a mean of mass transportation in it's capital Addis Ababa.
In Addis Ababa for many there is no alternative to the system of public transportation. The minibus stations and bus stops are overcrowded at rush hour. Alternatives in form of motorbikes and cars are for the majority too expensive and bicycles are inadequate for the ups and downs of the highland metropolis roads.
But as shown by researches, the city is perfect for skateboarding: The asphalt is in large in good condition and if one uses the legion of old trucks as a system of lifts, the whole city becomes a “ski carousel”.

Adapted to the production methods of western markets, the design is meant to be a base for a long boarding as an action sport that is not limited to streets. Moreover the special mechanic of the trucks allows a wide variety in set ups, that change our understanding of the board with wheels completely: This project is aimed to disrupt with a brand new style of skateboarding!