Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeremy Vincent.
Hi Jeremy, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My name is Jeremy Vincent and I own Knife Party Skateboards. The company originally came to be a joke when I met an awesome friend James Lloyd while attending nursing school at Idaho State University. We wanted to get his art on skateboards and made a short run of his graphics in 2010 of a space cowboy. We chose the name Knife Party taking something serious as a knife and something light-hearted as a party and combining the two not thinking much would ever come of it. Flash forward to 2015 we made a few more graphics but didn’t do much as a business. In 2018 I was married and my stepson at the time got really sick and was brought to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City. This is when the company took off. As he developed an extreme neurological disease I coped with his illness and was going through a rocky marriage and coped the best I could through skateboarding. I am not artistic in any way but I drew a board for my stepson once we got there. We spent 4 months in Salt Lake City as he was in the hospital I am a native of Idaho. I feel that my biggest start in the skateboard industry was due to an unfortunate event. I have always loved Utah and am always seen skateboarding in a Utah Jazz Donovan Mitchell jersey. We even have boards that pay tribute to the Utah Jazz. Many Utah skate shops welcomed my company and continue to sell my boards today. I feel truly blessed to have gone from one random graphic to 40 graphics and launched an additional skateboard deck company Spoken Skateboards, a bearing company, a wheel company, a skateboard wax company, and I now press my own decks as well and am working on a new technology that sustains cars and trucks running over the boards I produce. We at Knife Party Skateboards have truly been helped by the State of Utah. It’s been an amazing time of my life I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have been the ups and downs along the way of course. By trade, I am a Mental Health RN for nearly the past decade. Helping people has been easy. Selling people skateboards has been a lot harder actually. It was hard to approach people at first. Now I realize it’s the same as nursing. Some people will treat you better and some will be harder to please but if you treat people well and are genuine people pick up on that and recognize that. It makes it a lot more fun and it also makes the challenging experiences easier. One thing that sets us apart as a skateboard company is customer service. I want to know everyone I work with and about them which really makes my company personal.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
What I love about our brand is what it stands for. Our slogan for our brand is, here for the fun, and to me what is more appropriate than having fun and skateboarding. I don’t know why anyone would start any sport, hobby or pastime to not have fun! To me, we are known for silly graphics that aren’t serious but are for fun and that’s what we are all about. I’m proud of the skaters the are sponsored by us and represent us and the level of talent and creativity they have. I look at my brand as a big family that when I see someone riding one of our boards wherever it is in the world that I just say thank you for being part of the family! We offer various goods primarily skateboard decks, grip tape, logo shirts, logo hoodies, hats, beanies and stickers. I always carry stuff in my car to give away to someone in need! It’s all about the family and making sure people are having a good time!
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
We are actually at a crossroads right now from being a single-brand skateboard company to a skateboard distributor. What that means is we will have separate deck brands, wheels, bearings, hardware, wax, grip tape and eventually launching a clothing brand all under the distribution title Slant Skateboard Distribution. The future is exciting!
Contact Info:
- Website: Knifepartyskates.com
- Instagram: Knifepartyskateboards
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/knifepartyskateboards/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/user/jeremyvincent32
