Jesse Billauer of the Life Rolls on Foundation. Photo: Jessebillauer.com
Flexibility. Transparency. Integrity. For Sven Alwerud, the characteristics that define his skateboards also describe his business practices. His company, Jelly Skateboards, got its start in 2012 when Sven invested 5K into a vision he’d had since he was a kid. A couple years of grinding with low overhead generated enough momentum to expand production and land his boards in a few SoCal shops.
Now an established business, Jelly Skateboards is defined by innovation. Their desire for betterment doesn’t stop at expansion and production but extends to the health of the industry and people involved. Currently Jelly is running an Indiegogo campaign for their newest board and the debut of BLOCK risers. The kicker is they’ve pledged to dedicate 50% of the money raised towards the Life Rolls On Foundation.
”Life Rolls On is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for young people affected by spinal cord injury and utilizes action sports as a platform to demonstrate the infinite possibilities beyond paralysis.” Throughout the years, LRO has educated over 100,000 people regarding spinal cord injury, been named an official charity of the U.S. Open, and has been featured by everyone from the LA to the New York Times. They are continually expanding their efforts in order to reach a larger audience and positively impact more lives.
Jelly Skateboards makes a variety of boards that can be enjoyed by every level of rider. They outfit proven, old school shapes with innovative, high tech materials. Everything is 100% recyclable and all the parts are made in the U.S. An additional feature, unique to Jelly Skateboards, is the BLOCK riser. Since the introduction of risers to skateboards not much has changed. BLOCK offers functionality to a previously unutilized space. Other than, well… rising the trucks off the deck, there’s now a space to stash valuables or to mount a GoPro.
The decks are made of a bulletproof glass composite that allows for an insane amount of flex. Like, run it over kind of flex. This not only serves as a shock absorber but it allows the rider to achieve the sensation of pumping down the line or carving through powder. Think of it like this: the flex of a snowboard meets the flow of a surfboard. Specifically, what Jelly decks allow is larger rebound from the bottom of your pumping motion, which generates greater forward propulsion. Find your rhythm and you’re flying.
