The Killing Floor

The Killing Floor Skateboards aka "TKF" is a brand from John Vitale, a skateboarder and designer from Portland, Oregon. Since 2009, Vitale has been designing for The Killing Floor - always with art at the forefront.

The Killing Floor Skateboards - a breath of fresh air for skateboarding

The brand's name comes from an old blues song from the 60's: The Killing Floor was named after the song "Killing Floor" by Howlin' Wolf. In Vitale's eyes, the song resembles the nature of skateboarding - a never ending battle with ups and downs:

"It's a constant struggle. The best thing and the worst, all in one" - John Vitale, Founder of The Killing Floor Skateboards

Josh Anderson - Foto: Zachary Bishop

From the very beginning The Killing Floor's goal was to create a brand whose deck graphics were completely different than all of the others at skate shops. The inspiration comes from different areas - musical influences and abstract expressionism both play a role in the design process.

Nate Guest - Foto: Nick Kraus

Wide color palettes and collage styles characterize the skateboard decks from The Killing Floor which you can shop at the skatedeluxe skate shop. By the way, The Killing Floor Skateboards are made at Generator Distribution - also home to Polar Skate Co. decks.

Vitale might be the main driving force behind the designs of The Killing Floor t-shirts, caps and decks, but he regularly offers guest artists the opportunity to work on TKF items. Are you currently looking for a The Killing Floor review? Simply check out the TKF skate team with riders like Lance Chapin, Mark Gutterman, Josh Anderson, Nate Guest, Andrew Gray, Clement Oladipo and Matt Barry. Edits like "Aquarius" clearly show what The Killing Floor also stands for: independent skateboarding.