Black Ice, Monster Trucks, and Franco’s Spotlight

Picked up an off-road board this week and it turned out way better than I expected. Riding it feels like standing on a door with wheels…  A normal skateboard could literally roll right underneath it. The monster truck of skateboards.

On top of that, my wax applicators finally showed up, so I ran a new batch. This time I tried something different: dyed the wax black and named it Black Ice. Now it’s got a sharp look, a proper name, and a twist-up applicator so you don’t end up with wax dust crumbling all over your pocket. This batch came out perfect and will be in the store soon.

The next step for Cypress Grind Co. is getting this wax into other shops. It’s time to start reaching out to store owners and putting Black Ice on counters where skaters can grab it.

Rider Spotlight – Franco

This week at Lakewood Crossing I caught up with Franco, a 10-year-old skater who’s only been in Texas for a couple of years after moving from Miami. He’s already carving out his place at the park and bringing his own style to the scene.

Franco told me the sketchiest moment of his skating so far was standing on top of a quarterpipe for the first time. From the ground it looked fine, but from the top it felt a whole lot higher and way scarier than he expected. Even with the nerves, he’s been pushing through, getting comfortable with pumping the quarter and now working on dropping in.

He doesn’t really keep superstitions, but he does have a soundtrack. If he wants to get into the winning mindset, he likes to listen to , “Waka Waka” by Shakira. Gets him fired up every time. If his board itself had a theme song, though, he didn’t hesitate: “God’s Got My Back” by Forrest Frank. He says if you don’t know the track, look it up.

If Franco found a portal mid-ride he would go through it without overthinking it. When I asked him the classic gas station pick, he went with Cool Ranch Doritos. Solid choice. And before we wrapped, he gave a shoutout to Jesa.

Franco’s only ten, but he’s already showing the mix of guts, style, and personality that makes skateboarding what it is. Keep an eye out for him at the park; you’ll probably see him dropping in soon, backed by Shakira, Forrest Frank, and a bag of Doritos.

That’s the week. Monster truck skateboards, Black Ice wax, and Franco’s spotlight at Lakewood. Cypress Grind Co. keeps moving forward.