Bones

With a vision to meet the needs of skaters who sought high quality bearings that were noticeably faster than competitors, George Powell founded Bones Bearings in 1983. Having co-created The Bones Brigade with Stacy Peralta five years prior, Powell already owned his own skateboarding company which he used as an outlet to experiment with new wheel shapes for boards and led him to play with materials for wheels, inspired by his own son’s experiences. Initially making his own wheels in his kitchen, Powell went searching for a manufacturer that met his desired level of standard. Having found this in Switzerland, Powell went on to design an easy to clean bearing that didn’t require tools or re-lubrication. Still available today, the design is a part of the Bones Swiss Ceramics line which is a higher price cost than average but for good reason due to the original focus on quality remaining alongside monitored manufacturing and thorough tests that accurately record how long the bearings drag, vibrate and last

through repetitive use.

Ensuring availability to all, the Chinese-made Bones REDS line sits alongside Swiss styles and is aimed at a lower price point but still delivers an impressive level of speed, strength and durability. Much like the Bones Swiss, the REDS feature high speed ball retainers, a single shield for easy cleaning and are pre-lubed with the brands own specially developed Speed Cream.

Based in Santa Barbara, CA Bones support an extensive team of professional and amateur skaters such as Brian Anderson, Lance Mountain, Alex Olson, Guy Mariano and Ryan Sheckler. Having parted ways with Peralta to work on separate projects, the duo returned to work together in 2006 which led to the launch of Skate One Corp. Remaining true to Powell’s original goal, Bones Bearings are recognised for making some of the best hardware for skateboarding in the world.