Our Story
COLD Skateboards was built on a simple belief: skateboarding should be fun.
Long before COLD became a brand, the name carried meaning within Wilmington, North Carolina's skate community. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, COLD was known among a close-knit group of pool skaters whose passion, style, and love for skateboarding became part of the area's local skate history. Today, we're honored to carry that name forward—not by rewriting its story, but by respecting its roots and continuing the spirit it represents.
Our family's skate roots stretch from the pools and pavement of San Diego, California, to the grit and creativity of Detroit, Michigan, and the independent DIY skate culture of Wilmington, North Carolina. Those places—and the people we've met along the way—have shaped who we are and what COLD stands for today.
We grew up in a time when skateboarding wasn't about followers, rankings, or chasing trophies. It was about creativity, friendships, self-expression, and spending every possible minute on a skateboard. It wasn't always polished, and it wasn't meant to be. It was raw, independent, and authentic—and that's the spirit we refuse to let fade.
As skateboarding has grown, we've watched parts of the culture change. While progression is something to celebrate, we've also seen increasing pressure placed on skaters through competitions, expectations, and social media. Somewhere along the way, many people forgot the most important reason to skate—to enjoy it.
That's why we created the COLD Skateboards brand.
We're a family-owned and operated, neurodivergent-led company built on the belief that skateboarding belongs to the people who live it. Whether you're just starting out or you've spent decades on a board, what matters isn't your age, your skill level, or where you're from—it's the passion you bring every time your wheels hit the pavement.
We're committed to creating purpose-built skateboards, apparel, and products that reflect authentic skateboarding while supporting the next generation without forgetting those who paved the way. We believe in creativity over comparison, progression over perfection, and community over competition.
Our team includes young riders who represent those values every time they step on a board. They're learning tricks, filming clips, encouraging one another, and reminding us that the best sessions aren't measured by trophies—they're measured by the memories made, the friendships built, and the love of skateboarding.
Our graphics tell stories that reflect the culture we grew up with. Collections like Compkillers celebrate skateboarding's roots while challenging the mindset that every session has to become a competition. Sometimes the best day on a skateboard has nothing to do with winning—it has everything to do with the session.
COLD is more than a skateboard brand. It's a community rooted in authentic, independent skateboarding and built on the belief that skateboarding should always be about freedom, creativity, belonging, and having fun.
As a family-owned and operated, neurodivergent-led company, we're proud to carry forward the legacy of the COLD name while staying true to the raw, independent spirit that has always made skateboarding different. We embrace the grit, creativity, and DIY mindset that shaped vintage skate culture while inspiring the next generation to carve their own path.
We're here to celebrate skateboarding's past, support its future, and keep the culture authentic for the people who live it.
Ride for yourself. Skate with your friends. Keep it COLD.