Hamboards, Huntington Beach, California, United States

The 18-ply European wood was strong enough to build the skateboards 6 feet, 8 inches long. Hamborg painted the decks himself in striped patterns reminiscent of the long surfboards on 1960s Beach Boys album covers. Hamborg found a financial backer in Steven Bray, a businessman and friend from church who was a fan of the boards.
Just after Christmas 2006 ("really bad timing," Hamborg said), the boards went on sale.
He advertised them in niche skateboarding magazines and created a website. Skateboard shops took samples on the trade show circuit. Orders began to quickly pour in, Hamborg said. But as with many start-up businesses, an unforeseen problem hit the company in its first year.