DALLAS — Jordan Fjordbak is on a mission to bring inclusive skateboarding fashion to nonskaters in Dallas.
The Oak Cliff, Texas, high school teacher turned back-end app developer has purchased Trademarked Skate Co., a Michigan company started by nonskaters for nonskaters.
Fjordbak, 29, says buying a unique bright yellow jumpsuit from a collaboration between Cait Raft and Trademarked Skate Co. gave rise to the business opportunity.
Raft grew up in Manhattan Beach, a big skateboarding town. Raft doesn’t skateboard but still wants to partake in skate culture.
“Everyone should be allowed to look like a skateboarder regardless of whether they can ollie or kick flip or even just stand idly on a board,” Raft said.
Soon after the jumpsuit’s release, Fjordbak learned that Trademarked Skate Co. was on its way to bailing into skateboarding history.
“I was honestly devastated,” Fjordbak said. “There was a brand that was giving space to a creator I love, in honor of a culture I admire, and it was shutting down. I thought, ‘I want to do that. I want to provide that space.’ ”
So Fjordbak bought the company. Former owner Rocco Tenaglia III was at first unwilling to sell.
“He was determined to shut down Trademarked Skate Co., since he had founded it and thought it appropriate that he see it through to the end,” Fjordbak said. “He liked the idea of it being a blip in nonskater history.”
Tenaglia could no longer run Trademarked Skate Co. and juggle other responsibilities, prompting him to want to shut down the online company.
It took months, but Fjordbak finally persuaded Tenaglia to sell the label for $250. That will allow the next generation of nonskaters to continue expressing themselves through skate fashion, Fjordbak said.
Fjordbak, who identifies as nonbinary, has always been drawn to the culture and aesthetic of skateboarding, despite never learning to skate.
The skateboarding aesthetic is five-panel hats, beanies, graphic tees, chinos and tall socks. “It’s being unapologetically yourself,” Fjordbak said.
According to a study conducted by Grand View Research, the global market for skateboarding accessories was valued at $212.3 million in 2019 and is expected to grow 3.3% annually from 2020 to 2027, reaching $275.2 million by 2027.
The company sells stickers starting at $5.50, along with apparel ranging from $20 to $40. Its products are similarly priced to those of well-known skateboarding brand Vans.
“Trademarked Skate Co. is for the person who has skater friends but doesn’t skate themselves,” Fjordbak said. “It’s for those who logged 90 hours of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 but never ended up buying a board.”
Trademarked Skate Co. will support local Dallas artists through collaborations and the introduction of commissioned artworks into its offerings in the coming months, Fjordbak said. “We are looking forward to partnering with more designers to bring unique apparel to the community.”
Jordan Fjordbak’s Trademarked Skate Co. specializes in skateboard culture accessories for people who don’t skate.
