Shag carpets inspire smooth ride- Shaggo skateboards

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Founded in 2009, Shaggo Skateboards takes the rolling experience of a board to another level with the added comfort of colorful carpet-topped boards. Company founder Jeff Atkinson made a carpet board for himself when he was a kid, and three decades later did the same thing for his kids. “The neighbors said, ‘Where can I get one of those?’ and a company was born,” said Atkinson, a former Olympian runner from Manhattan Beach. The idea and execution of Shaggo Skateboards came from cruising The Strand in Hermosa Beach. In the beginning, the boards were created purely for style, but Atkinson eventually realized the shag carpet helped dampen vibrations and thus made for a smoother ride. According to Atkinson, if you put 20 different kinds of skateboards in a room, kids will go straight to the Shaggo board. The boards are also good for young and beginning riders since they often start on their belly or knees, and shag is much more comfortable than the standard sandpaper top. Shaggo boards range from $169 to $199 and can be purchased at Shaggo.com or local shops The Beehive and Wrights.