Independent Trucks
Independent Truck Company
These days, the Independent Truck Co. is more than just old-school skateboard trucks. They've got a sweet line of other skate parts and accessories, as well as bags, packs and cool clothing. The company started in 1978 in Santa Cruz, California by Richard Novak, Jay Shiurman, Fausto Vitello, and Eric Swenson.
The first set of Independent Trucks to be seen by the public were the Stage 1 trucks, which premiered on May 23rd 1978 in Newark, California. Rick Blackhart, one of the original team riders, says that Independent Trucks were created because of a lack of quality trucks available at the time. He said of the other two truck companies on the market "one broke, and one didn't turn" -- he was speaking about Bennet Truks and Tracker Trucks.
The Independent Trucks logo (seen above, right) has been basically the same since 1979, when Pope John II was seen wearing the icon on his vestment on the cover of Time Magazine.
Today, Independent sponsors amateur and pro skaters from all around the world. On the companies 25th anniversary, they released a book titled “Built to Grind: 25 Years of Hardcore Skateboarding
