Distinctive Welcome Skateboards delivering unconventional shapes, surrealist graphics, and creative skateboarding ethos beyond industry norms.
Founded by Jason Celaya in 2010, Welcome emerged as skateboarding's refreshing antidote to standardization – challenging the popsicle-stick homogeneity with unconventional shapes that reconnect with skating's creative origins. Their distinctive silhouettes – from the pointed Charon to the squared-off Wormtail and tapered Sledgehammer – deliver functional alternatives that enhance your approach to Richmond's diverse terrain. Each shape serves a specific purpose, with wider noses and functional tails that perform differently across transition at Texas Beach DIY or street spots downtown. Welcome's surrealist graphics program, featuring hand-drawn occult symbolism, cosmic landscapes, and bizarre creatures, creates a visual language entirely their own – boards that function as artistic expressions while delivering serious performance. Their team roster features riders who approach skating with the same creative vision – Ryan Lay, Aaron Goure, and Daniel Vargas attacking spots with unconventional approaches and trick selection that resonates with Richmond's DIY ethos. Despite their artistic aesthetics, Welcome boards deliver reliable construction with varying concaves specific to each shape, ensuring performance doesn't suffer for individuality. The brand's commitment to independent production and artistic freedom creates limited runs and distinctive colorways that stand apart from mass-produced alternatives. When Manchester's crusty spots demand creative interpretation rather than formulaic trick selection, Welcome's unconventional shapes and artistic approach inspire different lines and perspectives. For skaters seeking to break from standardized setups and explore different board feels across Richmond's architectural landscape, Welcome delivers functional art that encourages individual expression.
