When I saw this picture on IG, I had to find out more so I found Plain Jane on the web at plainskateboardco.com
Plain Jane Skateboards is a new skateboard line. Inspired by Girls, for Girls. These boards are hand drawn and ready to shred! They are made in the USA from pressed 7ply Hardrock Sugar Maple. Shipping is included in the price. Be who you are.
I contacted them to ask some questions and met Margan Poulos. She’s the co-owner of Plain Skateboards with her husband John Poulos. She wanted to have a girls’ side to their company because it felt very specifically boyish which was hard for her to put her whole heart behind. Plain Jane is her creation.
When did Plain Jane start?
Margan: I started Plain skateboards with my husband because we love the skate community in San Diego, especially North County, and we wanted to give back.
We donate a portion of profits to different skate causes and non-profits, including many local ones. We love to collaborate with people of a like mindset who are giving back and contributing to skating. We see skating as more than just drugs or what’s cool but an expression of life, an art form, a community, an anti-depressant and above all a family.
Plain Jane is the female or more girly or even just customized version of Plain Skateboards. Plain Jane started as an idea in November and became reality a couple of months ago.
Here are some of our first decks. Plain Jane is girly and fun and about you! We can create whatever you fancy! Above all our motto is Be who you are because that should always be enough! If we can’t be ourselves whether that is girly or tomboy, funny or serious, tall or short, curvy or straight, confident or shy, pretty or plain and everything in between, then what kind of life would that be!? We want girls who live out loud and make no apologies. And if you’re not quite there come join us on the ride and we’ll see if we can get there together. And I think we’ll find that we are not so plain after all.
Are you in Carlsbad, CA? Do you ship everywhere?
Margan: We are in Carlsbad. Our boards are made and manufactured through Plain Skateboards (more specifically through Quincy Woodrights in Carlsbad) and then sanded and painted and finished by me.
All boards are made of 7 ply Hardrock sugar maple. They are great decks that give a lot of pop and really ride well. We ship anywhere in the US for free and out of the country for as cheap as we can.
How did you come up with the idea? Where you just experimenting, created a board and went wow this is something I want to do & share? Do you skate or were you motivated by a skater?
Margan: I wanted a girls line of Plain for a long time. We started with girls’ shirts and stuff. I really got the idea for a board when I decided to try skating with my husband. I saw him having so much fun skating with all his friends and meeting so many cool and fun people, that I decided to try it. I thought we could skate together.
When I was a little girl I loved skating on the street. I was a tomboy who played sports and played with the boys, but as I got older I outgrew being a tomboy and fell in love with everything girly, flowery and beautiful. Looking back I always loved girly things, but there were no girly things in sports. When I grew up, sports equipment was all very boyish and manly so it seemed you had to like boyish things to be a part of it.
If you wanted to play or skate you had to run with the boys, which I did, but inside I really wished there was something that was more me.
As a 33 year old returning to skateboarding, I just wasn’t excited about my board choices. I went into the store and there was literally not even one board in my size that I identified with. I ended up just settling for a Lance Mountain board that was the right shape. I absolutely mean no offense to Lance. He is awesome, but he does not create the girliest boards. Ha-ha. I wanted a board that I loved and that spoke to me.
I am all about aesthetics. I choose cars based only on how they look. It drives my car-selling husband insane. Regardless of how it performs, if the car doesn’t speak to me, it is worthless. I believe that when we get dressed and put on makeup we feel better about ourselves. Not to impress other people, but to be confident and feel like we are bringing our best game. Not that you have to wear make up, I just share that because that’s what I like to do.
But whatever you like, whatever your style, just show up and bring it and care.
I think that translates over to sports and skateboarding. I know I would feel more confident and excited about learning to skate that bowl, if I loved my board with matching wheels and trucks plus I had pads in a color I liked. It’s cool that everyone has different tastes and loves what they love. I think we all gain confidence when we have something we love with us.
I couldn’t find really girly and pretty boards so I decided I would make them.
I felt there had to be other skater girls who would also want beautiful girly boards to skate on. While I love beautiful things, I am also tough and a competitor when I am active, so I wanted to make a beautiful and strong board.
I think it’s possible to be both beautiful and strong. I believe you can love makeup and flowers while being a good skater and awesome at what you put your mind to. They don’t have to be mutually exclusive. So that’s basically what made me want to start this journey.
I love to create and I have always loved to draw. I have been making hand lettered signs for friends and family for a long time, so I just combined my passions for drawing and art with my wanting a beautiful skateboard that says this is me, this is mine.
Our motto is “Be who you are” because I strongly believe that people should not have to change to be accepted in whatever thing or area of life they want to be accepted into.
We should be enough. It has taken me a long time to be comfortable with who I am and feel good about it, so I wanted to make something that would let girls know that they are amazing just how they are. Right off the bat, as little girls you are amazing.
Girls don’t have to change to be harder or tougher if they don’t want to be or on the flip side, they don’t have to like pink if they don’t like it. I wish that I had felt an acceptance like that when I was younger. I wish I had had a girl group to skate with or play sports with, but I didn’t until much later. With boys you have to be tough all the time. You can’t cry or they make fun of you. I think girls are different and they create a more accepting and encouraging atmosphere and that’s what I love about girls and why I specifically wanted to create for them.
What’s the process for ordering a skateboard –for example do you pick a template (5 boards on 3/8 post) that you can then have customized or send in a design or ??? Pick your shape? Pick your size?
Margan: Currently we are taking custom design requests by e-mail at [email protected] plus I have my designs on the website. Soon we will have a template up on plainskateboardco.com with options such as size, shape, type of art work, quote or name personalization.
I try really hard to create whatever people have in mind because I want them to have a board they’ll love and know is all theirs. I encourage people to share their dream board with as many specific as possible so I can try to create it.
Some people prefer to give me an idea and let me create from there or I can give suggestions whatever it takes to create the board that speaks to them.
boards in picture below are available on the website
Can you describe the art process?
Margan: The art process usually starts with me drawing on pencil and paper. Then the board is sanded down a bit so I can pencil the design on the board. Next I do color which could be sharpie followed by paint over or just paint or just sharpie or a mixture of both. Finally, I seal all the boards with a few coats of enamel and lacquer to seal the art.
A board usually takes anywhere from 3 to 7 hours depending on the depth and complexity of the design. I put a lot of love and heart into these. I probably should charge more than I do, but I want people to have them and enjoy them. I don’t want them to be so expensive that people don’t want to even ride them. Lol, I want people to enjoy riding them Plus it’s a creative outlet for me that I love doing so we all win when someone gets the board of their dreams.
How does someone order theirs?
Margan: Right now to order people should email [email protected] with the size, shape and specifics of what they want on the board or order pre made boards on PlainSkateboardCo.com.
New things are in the works including a logo deck that will be a standard heat transfer deck and stickers can be bought online now at plainskateboardco.com.
Follow us on Instagram & our Facebook group Plain Jane Skateboards to keep up with updates on all the new products and see the latest creations.
Can you buy a complete or are you just selling the deck?
Margan: We don’t have completes right now but that might be coming soon.
Thanks Margan, your share was incredible. An inspiration to all – love who you are & if you can’t find it make it!