The Chrome Ball Incident
Founded in 2008, the Chrome Ball Incident blog is my love letter to the skateboarding of my youth. Initially started as a showcase for the classic photos, videos and advertisements of yesteryear, the site quickly evolved as traffic unexpectedly surged, yielding opportunities beyond my wildest dreams. Hundreds of interviews, prestigious awards, multiple apparel collections, signature model skateboards with my name on it... even my own shoe on Nike. All of which was accomplished without any advertising or corporate sponsorship.
CBI enjoys a 10k organic daily reach, simply as a labor of love.
"The Chrome Ball Incident" title references an 80's skate comic.
Gloriously lo-fi, Chrome Ball is a curated skateboarding site on a serious nostalgia trip, showcasing skate culture of the last 30 years through retro ads, unearthed videos and exclusive editorial.
Legendary pro Marc Johnson wearing the CBI "Chrome Ballers" shirt.
Through Chrome Ball, I have conducted over 150 of the most extensive interviews in skateboarding with legendary riders, creatives and personalities in an industry-renowned one-to-one forum.
What Is This Thing?
Collaborations
Cbi x Nike sb
My very own collection through Nike Skateboarding featuring this special edition Dunk and two t-shirt designs. The design references an Airwalk shoe from the early 90s.
CBI x Scumco & Sons
One of two collabos with my favorite Pittsburgh board imprint. Two different shapes with a graphic referencing the first skate video I ever saw, Animal Chin.
cbi x Killing floor
This MCM/NYT-inspired collaboration from my friends at the Portland-based “Killing Floor” was a big success with boards and tees selling out quickly.
cbi x heelbruise
This shirt I did with the Heel Bruise clothing label showcases nondescript scenes from 80s skate videos that have been burnt into generations of skaters' brains.
Awards/Honors
Best Blog award, TWS
The fine folks at Transworld bestowed this honor on me in 2011. With TWS being the first skate mag that I ever bought in 4th grade, this one meant a lot to me.
sklog recepient, TSM
An early indication of the site's success, CBI received this honor from The Skateboard Mag only a few months after I started working on the site.
archival consultation
Through CBI, I have assisted in the production of many projects, including VICE's Epicly Later'd, Vans' Loveletters and the Waiting for Lightning documentary.
Abandon ship show
Sponsored by Nike SB and See-See Motor Coffee, I curated a month-long CBI-themed art show with supporting merch. As you can see, opening night was pretty crowded.