Vintage Board ID?

Larry Leake · Post by **Larry Leake** » Thu Nov 17, 2005 1:25 pm

This is my first post to slalomskateboarder.com and I've got to say "What a great site!"

Does anyone know if Maherajah (the water ski manufacturer) ever made any of their own skate decks? We've all heard the story of the cut-down ski with the roller skate trucks, but I may really have one - minus the roller skates.

I purchased this deck in 1976 in a skate shop in Atlanta GA and built it up with some Bennett Pros and YoYos that I had on a cracked FiberFlex and added the grip tape. Carved a lot of asphalt with it and have been skating it on and off ever since. This board took me around the Road Atlanta road race course after an IMSA race in '79; probably the best session ever! Those auto road racing guys know how to maintain a surface!

So, produced by Maherajah or cut down by someone in Atlanta? Here's some pics and thanks in advance.

Larry

Ron Barbagallo · Post by **Ron Barbagallo** » Thu Nov 17, 2005 1:52 pm

If memory serves me correctly, they did indeed make skate decks. Now I don't know if yours is one of those OR a cut down waterski, but I think it looks like a legit skate deck.

Larry Leake · Post by **Larry Leake** » Thu Nov 17, 2005 2:11 pm

Thanks, Ron. That would certainly be a lot of rocker for a water ski, wouldn't it?

Larry

Marty Schaub · Post by **Marty Schaub** » Thu Nov 17, 2005 3:49 pm

Maja definetly made their own decks circa 76ish. I remember that Kim Cespedes was a team rider. She was the girl with the most boy style until Jana Payne came along.

Larry Leake · Post by **Larry Leake** » Thu Nov 17, 2005 4:33 pm

Good stuff, Marty. I remember reading about Cespedes on the Hobie team, but didn't know she rode for Maherajah also. Not much info on the brand on the net as far as their skateboards. A search turned up no useful hits. Question now answered! Thanks.

Larry

Joel Crawley · Post by **Joel Crawley** » Thu Nov 17, 2005 4:43 pm

Larry have a look at this: http://web.infoave.net/~private/MAHER.HTML

Larry Leake · Post by **Larry Leake** » Thu Nov 17, 2005 4:47 pm

Man, Craw', I just did another search and also found SK8WURM's site and was going to post it, but you beat me to it! Some very stylish boards. I think I was leaving off the final "h" when I searched before. Now I've got more eye-candy to look at. Thanks for taking the time to post. PS - www.skullandbonesskateboards.com has some talk about Majas.

Larry Leake · Post by **Larry Leake** » Thu Nov 17, 2005 5:17 pm

Bill Evans raced a Maja with Stroker trucks, and Sims Pure Juice Bowl Riders at the Bahne-Cadillac SlalomCross in April '03. Finished equal 9th in open class!

Jonathan Harms · Post by **Jonathan Harms** » Fri Nov 18, 2005 4:33 pm

I definitely remember ads for Maherajah in SkateBoarder magazine. Don't have a scanner at home, but if you'd like me to dig up one of those old ads, let me know and I can do scan it at work next week.

Larry Leake · Post by **Larry Leake** » Fri Nov 18, 2005 4:45 pm

Yea, that would be great, Jonothan. No need to rush it, but I'd really like to have an add to put up on the wall of my "rumpus room" (does anyone actually have a rumpus room anymore?) You can just email it to me whenever. Thanks alot!

Jonathan Harms · Post by **Jonathan Harms** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 5:46 am

Yea, that would be great, Jonothan. No need to rush it,

Well, since there was no need to rush it...

I finally remembered to scan those ads after having the magazines sitting around on my kitchen table for months. "Oh, I'll get to them, um, next week," I kept saying. Oops.

Check out http://photobucket.com/albums/c95/harms ... Maherajah/ for scans of Maherajah ads from SkateBoarder magazine. One is actually a Kanoa Surf ad that features Maherajah boards, as well as many other now-classics. The Maherajahs are in the bottom left corner. Oddly enough, there are also two identical ChapSticks in the ad.

Jani Soderhall · Post by **Jani Soderhall** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 9:29 am

Seems like you need to log in to PhotoBucket to see them. Should we publish them here instead? (WT or I can upload them, or I'll give you FTP access).

/Jani

Jonathan Harms · Post by **Jonathan Harms** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 4:32 pm

Sure, you can publish them on-site. Just tell me what I need to do.

Lee Redfern · Post by **Lee Redfern** » Wed May 10, 2006 10:34 am

Larry,

Looks like a deck that I have as well, also bought in Atlanta exact same time.

The decal above the Hijackers sticker, what does it say? Progressive?

I remember that decal exactly, as far as color and design. Can't remember the words. Mine has the exact same decal cut-out in the grip tape but alas the decal has worn off.

If it's Progressive, those guys were a force to be reckoned with at that time. Mike Maloof was the owner I believe.

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