Skip to main content

Trekking: Skate meets surf with Iris’ handmade surf boards

Man isn’t meant to stay indoors — our weekly “Trekking” column can attest to that. It’s a column dedicated to the adventurer inside of all of us, the one pining to ditch the office humdrum for a quick surf session or seven-week jaunt in the Grand Tetons. One day we may highlight an ultra-light stove and the next a set of handmade canoe paddles. Life doesn’t just happen inside the workplace, so get outside and live it.

Recommended Videos

Surfers likely spawned skateboarding in their downtime — well, at least as far as we know. They outfitted your traditional 2 x 4 with roller-skate wheels, allowing them to weave in and out of the streets when there were no waves to speak of. The niche sport quickly evolved to become the polyurethane-abetted beast it is today, with well-known professionals such as Tony Hawk still at the forefront. And Iris surf boards, though more apt for H2O than concrete, help pay tribute to that ancestry.

Related: Yes, these guitars are made from recycled skateboard decks

Iris surf boardThe one-of-a-kind surf boards, available in melange of shapes and sizes custom built to your specifications, utilize an EPS recycled foam core, along with a unique veneer made of recycled skateboard decks. The latter is coated with a simple bio-based resin known as Entropy Super Sap CLR, which helps protect the board from abrasive salt water and adds to its durability on and off the water. The modest San Francisco-based company handshapes the boards based upon your individual riding style and preference, too, and such being the case, each showcases a different pattern and color combination that’s just as likely to draw as many eyes while on the water as leaning against the backside of your porch. Just don’t forget to wax — balancing is hard enough as is.

Check out Iris online to place your order, or email george@irisskateboards.com for more information regarding the comapny’s custom skatedecks and surfboards.

Brandon Widder
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Brandon Widder is a journalist and a staff writer for the Manual and its brother site, Digital Trends, where he covers tech…
Topics
Every new Game of Thrones spinoff explained
George R.R. Martin's television world continues to grow
Matt Smith starring in House of the Dragon

When it first aired on HBO in the early 2010s, Game of Thrones dazzled audiences with revolutionary special effects and terrific acting in a unique fantasy world. Based on author George R.R. Martin's series of novels, the universe depicts the battles between several different noble families as they try to climb to the top of the continent of Westeros, both politically and figuratively. The war scenes, family drama, and massive number of characters helped make the story feel fresh and new every time a new episode aired.

As Martin's attention shifted to television and away from his books, fans have looked to the TV series to finish some of the stories he couldn't finish on the page. Game of Thrones left fans wanting more, despite its poorly received finale, and a plethora of spinoffs are on the way. House of the Dragon already has two seasons completed, and there are several others in the coming years to look forward to.
House of the Dragon
House of the Dragon finished its second season in 2024. The show chronicles the heated family dynamics of the Targaryen empire almost two centuries before the events of Game of Thrones. The third season should pick up the civil war between Queen Rhaenyra's forces and King Aegon's after a slow-building conflict throughout the second act.

Read more
The ultimate guide to cigar terminology: Speak like a true aficionado
The ‘I definitely know my cigars’ cheat sheet. You're welcome.
Man wearing top hat lighting a cigar in a bar

You're not the only one who has felt out of your league talking cigars with someone who obviously knows his stuff, trust me. To everyone else, the cigar world is a secret society with its own language—a mix of tradition, craftsmanship, and ritual that may as well be code to the onlooker. But here’s the secret–you don’t need years of puffing to sound like an aficionado.

This guide explains cigar jargon in the most approachable way possible. No BS, no elitism, no jargon— just straight talk in plain, everyday words. You’ll learn the basic structure of cigars, how to describe what you’re tasting, and how to talk shop without sounding like a rookie. Whether you’re sparking up at a lounge, perusing a humidor, or just kicking back, having the lingo effortlessly rolling off your tongue will elevate your cigar game instantly.

Read more
No more pay-per-view? UFC signs exclusive streaming deal with Paramount
The deal will start in 2026 and run through 2032.
The UFC Championship belt.

Under a new deal announced on Monday, Paramount will become the exclusive streaming home for UFC events for the next seven years in the US. The deal, which Paramount reached with TKO Group, has an average annual value of $1.1 billion, according to the companies.

Under the terms of the deal, Paramount will stream UFC's full slate of its 13 marquee numbered events and 30 "Fight Nights" on its streaming platform, Paramount+, with some events also being simulcast on CBS, starting in 2026.

Read more