Skateboard Tagging

We abhor vandalism, but we love art. Here’s a skateboard hack that lets skate punks young and old tag their turf while they ride. [D*Face], a multimedia street artist who grew up in London, added a mounting system to the bottom of his skateboard which includes a can of spray paint. We’re a bit surprised that there’s room enough for that, but the system fits nicely. They’re not locked into a constant stream because the system lets the rider (or a bystander) actuate the spray can via remote control.

But the brush is only one part of the painter’s tool chain. To get the most interesting effect, a pool was painted white to serve as canvas and a troupe of skaters was unleashed on it to try out the modified boards. Check out the video after the break to see the colorful and pleasing curves that result. We just hope nobody bailed and smeared the canvas at the same time.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScW5kWzSaSI&w=470]

[Thanks Jerome]

19 thoughts on “Skateboard Tagging

  1. Now add GPS positioning to each skate and add a microcontroller to control the spray nozzle. Then using a central computer, coordinate all the different skates/runs to create a single picture art made of different random lines/colors!

  2. @Jerome: Yes, and I forgot to thank you. Sorry about that, I’ve fixed it up for you.

    @ferdie: Sorry if we missed your original submission. The real problem here is that for every great tip that hits the tip box, we get tens of messages that are selling stuff, asking us to break into websites (which is obviously NOT what we do here), seeking a place to advertise, or informing us of the fortune we’ve won in the lottery. We try to scrutinize each submission, but if it’s not obvious that clicking through is worth our time we just delete it and keep looking.

    When you find something cool. Please do submit it to us. It’s the only way we can find out about many of the things seen on Hackaday. We’re thankful for those doing the hacks (and publishing something about them), but also to those readers who take the time to pass along a link. Thanks!

  3. @ mike szczys thank you for this info
    I get it from your point of view is due atvertentie etc
    when I find some cool thigs I tip them and hope is under my name because it remains one of my favrtiete sites

  4. Great, now fill the pool back up with water and stop wasting it on useless skateboarding :P

    BTW, what’s the point of the RC valve? They always seemed to have the paint on on their way to the pool, and then just left it on the whole time… I kept waiting for someone to do a dashed line or some Morse code or something, but it never happened! Lame skaters are lame.

  5. maybe he is from a non English speaking country.
    hhmmhhhhhhhmmmmmmm. any ways,i was wondering who pool it was in then i found out it was the guy in the video. reminded me of the old spiral thing you put a pen in a hole and it makes a design.

  6. How do they stop themselves from grinding? Can’t be easy for an enthusiastic skateboarder

    @Tel He’s dutch I think.
    Not that he could not do better though since he even misspells words that are the same in dutch, but some people are bad at language and good at hacks I found so we have to take the rough with the smooth.

  7. Gridning’s not an issue if the can is above the truck axles, board-sliding on the other hand would lead to some interesting results. I’d like to see multiple cans or nozzles painting text or graphics behind the board.

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