After over a year of testing numerous formulas Blood Orange wheels has just launched it’s new street formula. Blood Orange’s new 99a formula comes in two custom shapes (round and conical) available in three sizes. The two shapes cater to all types of street shredding. Blood Orange Conical Shape is designed for a faster and lighter ride. The Blood Orange Rounded Shape are just as fast but are wider and more stable for skating transitions. No Cores, No Fillers, No Gimmicks. Just 100% raw urethane poured in California. Blood Orange has announced its first two street riders Sid Melvin and Jared Huss. To kick off the launch, SkateHouseMedia sent some questions over to Blood Orange Street Manager, Jordan Tabyoyon to get the inside scoop.
SHM: Yeah Jordan! Quick us a quick bio about yourself so we can get down to the real meat of this interview?
Jordan Tabayoyon: Ok, quick bio. I was born in Berkeley in the same hospital as Liam. I was raised in Sonoma which is the wine country in Northern California right next to James Kelly in Petaluma and right next to Napa where Brandon Stewart is from (Blood Orange/Caliber founder) I’m 34 so I’m way older than these guys so and we didn’t grow up together. Plus these guys are downhillers! haha jk. After high school I moved down to Santa Barbara and got a job at Church of Skatan which opened the doors for me entering the skateboard industry. Church of Skatan is owned by Shorty’s which back then was one of the leaders in the core street game. That is when I got seriously addicted to skating and knew there was no turning back. I knew I was a skater but that shit turned me into a 100% skateboarder. Skate, party, skate repeat for 5 years. After five long and fun years of fully absorbing Santa Barbara I moved to Santa Cruz. I got a job running a skate shop that was the original NHS building where Santa Cruz skateboards and Indy sparked from. The shop was across the street from a pizza place where Brandon Stewart worked too. That’s how we first met and we’ve always hung out since. After 5 years of running the skate shop in Santa Cruz I got a job working for Santa Cruz skateboards as a marketing and team manager. Along the way I helped a bunch of other brands like OJ, Indy and Mob. I learned everything from product development, team management, marketing, After 6 long years they let me go. It was the best thing that could have happened to me. I think Brandon called me 2 weeks later. He told me he wanted to start a big project and wanted to enter the street skating world. After I hung up the phone with Brandon it was on! I’ve been here ever since.
SHM: How did you get involved with Blood Orange?
JT: When Brandon hired me, he told me he wanted to start a street program for both Blood Orange and Caliber. That meant wheels, a street truck, hardware, bearings, and grip. Pretty much everything I would ever want to create and skate. How could a skater ever turn that down? Plus with Blood Orange being a high quality wheel brand, it finally gave me the opportunity to create a wheel that I’ve always wanted to.
SHM: Why make street wheels?
JT: Blood Orange is a skateboard accessories brand that encompasses all skateboarding.
Why not be a brand that caters to all skateboarding but with more of a “core” high end direction (core DH and core street). So if you look at the big picture and the success of Blood Orange, it makes total sense. As you know there’s a lot of crap out there today.
SHM: Who is on the Blood Orange Team?
JT: That I can speak of? Sid Melvin, Jared Huss and Branden Howard. I have some dudes filming some stuff for their announcements so I’m gonna keep it hush. I can promise you guys you’ll be hyped. Big things in 2016!
SHM: What is unique about the new BO street wheel offering?
JT: The wheels are made from scratch. We seriously tested numerous formulas making sure they rode perfect. We made our own custom conical and rounded edge shapes.
We thought way further than finding a good 99a wheel and throwing a graphic on it.
A majority of skateboarding does that. I wanted to produce a street wheel where skaters go “holy shit these wheels are amazing”. I tried to create a formula where skaters will get addicted and can’t skate anything else. I want skaters to feel these wheels have the feel, look and sound of how a real street wheel should feel.
SHM: What kind of terrain do you like to skate?
JT: Everything. I’m more of a tech skater but obviously I skate everything. Down for it all. except DH… that shit is so gnarly. Always down for a game of S.K.A.T.E. We have a mini ramp at work and everyone skates so we’re always skating.
SHM: Do you see differences between Street skaters and downhill skaters?
JT: Well, that’s a tricky questions. Yes, big difference. DH guys warm up trick is bombing a hill going 40 or 50mph. Ours is an ollie going probably 2 to 3 mph. So yeah big difference. Overall it seems like a younger group of dudes are into the downhill scene.
SHM: What about Liam and James style? Will they find a use for street wheels?
JT: Liam is a major player in the Blood Orange family so maybe? Liam you down to film a street part? Actually if he beats me at a game of S.K.A.T.E. I’ll give him a street wheel.
SHM: Any funny stories you want to share about Blood Orange Team?
JT: What happens on tour stays on tour.. sorry bro. Ha lemme see…There was that one time when we went out raging the night before an Arbor sales meeting and Liam got super, super, super wasted. The next day we woke him up all early saying James Kelly just got done presenting the downhill boards and Liam was next for the apparel presentation.
He woke up all cross eyed and still wasted like “what! why didn’t you tell me James was coming!? Why didn’t you tell me he was presenting? Why didn’t you tell me I was presenting!?” Right then Jack Boston walks in and Liam goes “Jack, I have to present!?”
Jack read into the situation perfectly and goes “yep, right after James”. That night there was a scuffle outside the bar with some of the reps and some punks in the street. We told Liam he was all up on dudes chick and dudes flexed and we had to fight them. Obviously Liam was blacked out and didn’t have any type of memories from the night before so he felt terrible. We go in to the meeting that morning and Liam is stressing. Hours go by and I’m sitting there in the meeting when Liam whispers in my ear “oh way to go asshole, I just figured out James is not here and that fight was not cause of me!” I was like “Oh you’re still stressing about that? we know dude, We just wanted to get your ass up.” Sorry Liam.
SHM: If you had to ride 1 skateboard everything, what would be your setup?
JT: Arbor Whiskey board I designed in standard skateboard shape, nothing fancy (8.25″ x 32″ 14.25″ wheelbase Flatter concave). My hollow 8.0″ caliber standard trucks I designed. 53mm 99a Blood Orange conical wheels. New Blood Orange ceramic bearings I’m working on. Damn I just leaked some shit.
SHM: Why do you still skateboard?
JT: Why would I ever quit? I feel the older we get, the more we progress. The more we progress, the more fun we have. Skateboarder for life.
SHM: Does being in the skateboard industry make it hard to skate and have fun?
JT: Absolutely not. depends on who you’re working for or promoting. We have a day at work where everybody has to learn a new trick. Every Wednesday. It’s so rad. Dudes go for it. We have every obstacle at work so one day it could be a mini ramp day or a slappy day. Either way its the best.
SHM: Beer, Wine, Liquor, or water?
JT: Coffee, gin and tonics and tequila over ice. Oh yeah, mad Yerba Mate too.
SHM: Steak, Chicken, Fish, or veggies?
JT: Birds and fish. No cows or pigs.