The Satori  Movement is more than just a company which manufactures skateboards. The founders, intending that the vehicles they build move not only the body, but the soul, have created a brand which is not only the favorite of astrally-minded skaters, but a force for conscious change in the world as a whole.

 Satori is a Zen Buddhist term meaning realization, enlightenment, sudden awakening, or being at one with something. The word is associated with beat culture and evokes images of swamis achieving Nirvana while contorting their bodies in impossible configurations. The skateboard manufacturer of the same name has made a unique contribution to the culture as well as the hardware of skating.

 Unlike other companies who strive to maintain a clean image and appeal to the straight edge side of skating, Satori openly embraces a psychedelic, herb-friendly approach to the lifestyle. While not endorsing dangerous and destructive habits, the logo has become a symbol of the liberated “neo-hippie” skater, who rides the board though the narrow confines and unexpected bends of the path to enlightenment.

 Satori Movement Skateboards is a grass-roots company based in Arcata, California, a haven for new-age thought and home to a different breed of Humboldt County skateboarder. An integrated state of mind infuses Satori, borrowing from traditions as diverse as India and the Caribbean.

 The company and its icons call heavily to an awakening core of skaters who identify their quest for the perfect ollie with the transcendent journey of the soul, defining skateboarding as a spiritual activity, relating it to Yoga, uniting mind, body and spirit. The famous company logo is written in a font which imitates the look of Sanskrit while reflecting the red, gold and green of the Rastafarian Lion of Judah flag.

 Satori Skateboards lays out their philosophy while showing off their talented skate team in the full-length movie, Satori Movement: In Search of Roots and Culture. Set to a rocking Reggae soundtrack, this high-quality video features Satori team skater Brent Atchley as well as Aaron Suski, Jake Rupp, and Matt Pailes.

 Satori brings their team to show off and be interviewed at local skate parks around the world. After performing on the island of  Jamaica in 2001, Satori Skateboards opened up the Jamaican Skatepark Fund in association with several non-profits, dedicated to building the first free public skateboard park in Jamaica.

 In line with the dreadlocked values of the company’s founders, the Satori Movement now offers clothing made from blends of organic and recycled hemp and bamboo fibers as part of their commitment to conscious living and sustainable, ecological lifestyles. Yoga pants and mats are also featured in the catalogue, expanding the scope of their mission beyond the skateboard itself.

 Satori is the skateboard of choice around the natural food store and for navigating jam-band festivals. Being featured in Heads Magazine Surf and Skate issue brought the label into the limelight for the many counterculturally minded skateboard devotees who share Satori’s enthusiasm for the ineffable glory of skating.

Popularity: 2% [?]