Brand History - Hardbody Skateboards

We're proud to be stocking one of New York City's most enigmatic skate brands: Hardbody NYC. With their history rooted in one of the most iconic New York scene videos of the previous decade, Hardbody consistently deliver top-quality videos and tasteful decks and clothing, while keeping things interesting with some much-needed mystery.

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In an age characterised by information overload, in which everyone's constantly inundated with an endless barrage of content - whether that's on social media, TV or just walking down the street - it's pretty rare to experience any kind of mystery, particularly where brands are involved. Because of this, it makes it that much more exciting when you do eventually come across something that you don't really know about or understand - especially when you then attempt to find out more, only to come up empty-handed.

One such brand that manages to capture this enticing sense of mystery is Hardbody NYC. With their entirely blank Instagram account (which claims to be an aerospace company), vague and sometimes cryptic adverts (WTF is OD?) and even the name itself (is it a reference to 'American Psycho' or what?), Hardbody have mastered the art of subtlety and use it expertly to make you want to find out more. Luckily for you, we've done our research so you don't have to.

HISTORY OF HARDBODY SKATEBOARDS

Founded in 2016 by esteemed New York filmed, Emilio Cuilan, Hardbody was born out of Cuilan's iconic scene video, 'DANY', which featured breakout parts for legends like Shawn Powers, Genesis Evans and Yaje Popson with countless other stars making guest appearances.

Following the success of 'DANY', Hardbody Entertainment has not only continued to put out high quality New York skateboarding but has also grown into a fully-fledged skate brand, coming through with a load of tasteful decks and clothing to match the clean aesthetics of their videos.

Alongside their own range of decks and clothing, Hardbody NYC have also teamed up with countless brands over the years, collaborating with other niche New York brands like Book Works and Humble; cult Danish skate brand, Dancer; and even releasing a Hardbody x Reebok shoe.

HARDBODY SKATEBOARDS TEAM

Seeing as Hardbody's videos always feature a wide array of beloved New York heads, it's kind of hard to say who's actually on the team and who's just a homie - but that kinda just adds to the whole Hardbody mystique. However, this all changed last weekend as it was announced that Antonio Durao and Hjalte Halberg now skate for Hardbody, becoming the brand's first ever pros. Talk about a power move. The Hardbody skate team also features Kyota Umeki, Kevin Tierney, Adam Zhu, Chachi Maserati and Jason Byoun - or at least we think it does...

HARDBODY SKATE VIDEOS

Given that the brand is firmly rooted in a history of top-quality skate videos, it should come as no surprise that Hardbody have kept this illustrious tradition going. While they may not have the most extensive catalogue of footage, the lads have opted for quantity over quality and with the brand's founder, Emilio Cuilan, doing all the filming and editing, everything they have released is straight fire.

Released in 2021, Hardbody came out swinging with their seminal, self-titled full-length, 'The Hardbody Video', which featured just under 20 minutes of powerful New York skating, earning itself a respectable spot at #9 on the Quartersnacks Reader's Poll of that year. The video featured a star-studded lineup of East Coast heads (many of which you may recognise from 'DANY'), including Josh Velez, Connor Champion, Genesis Evans, Josh Wilson, Billy McFeely and Shawn Powers, but the star of the show has got to be Antonio Durao with his earth-shattering first part. The man's a certified mutant.

More recently, Hardbody released an equally bangin' new video for their collab with Hjalte Halberg's Dancer. Filmed between the two brands' home cities of New York and Copenhagen, the 'Hardbody x Dancer' video features legends from both sides of the pond, including Hjalte Halberg, David Stenstrom, Antonio Durao, Kyota Umeki and Adam Zhu, while combining Dancer's trippy visuals with Hardbody's raw aesthetic for a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Hjalte Halberg and Antonio Durao skating together is truly a match made in heaven and we can't wait to see more from this dynamic duo in the future now that they're both pro for the brand!

HARDBODY SKATEBOARDS AND CLOTHING

It's not just their videos that ooze style though as Hardbody also channel their raw, New York aesthetic into their clothing. While many other brands have moved towards increasingly hectic graphics, Hardbody have opted for a more classy approach, coming through with a range of timeless colourways and minimalist designs. Their signature 'Logo' T-shirt and their equally iconic 'OD Logo' T-shirt are both straight-up classics that would have Patrick Bateman seething with envy thanks to their tasteful typography.

Just like their clothing, Hardbody also keep things clean and tasteful with their decks coming through with a range of sleek, logo graphics for that timeless less-is-more approach. To match the high-quality aesthetic, Hardbody skateboard decks are produced by PS Stix, one of the finest woodshops in the game, for that long-lasting pop and durability. With the brand having just announced Hjalte Halberg and Antonio Durao as their first pros, we're super excited to get their debut boards in store. The new Hardbody 'Durao' and 'Hjalte' Pro Decks are both available in two stylish colourways with Hjalte's deck also featuring added wheel-wells to reduce wheelbite.

Keep your eyes peeled for when new Hardbody product lands in store and make sure you subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to know - you'll also get 10% off your first order with us!

That's enough chit-chat though. Head to the shop to browse the full range of Hardbody NYC skateboard decks and clothing and buy now from CSC. Or, find out more about your favourite skate brands on the CSC Blog. Safe.