Hobbies And Interests
History
While fingerboards have been in use since the mid-1980s, the Tech Deck brand did not appear until 1998. The Tech Deck brand is owned by Spin Master, a company founded in 1994 that also releases Air Hogs and Bakugan products. The miniature skateboards have been made available in toy stores such as Toys R Us as well as bog box stores such as Wal-mart and Target.
Function
Tech Decks and other fingerboards are a miniature version of skateboards that you control using your fingers instead of your legs and feet. Tech Decks can perform the same tricks as full-sized skateboards such as ollies, nollies and kickflips. You perform tricks by translating the footwork to your fingers.
Accessories
Similar to how skateboarders can do tricks off of obstacles in a skate park, there are accessories available for Tech Decks that mimic these parks. Tech Deck users can purchase ramps, rails, stairs and loops to use separately or combine to form a complete skate park. Owners who do not purchase these accessories can also perform tricks off household objects such as books and pencils.
Customization
You can purchase Tech Decks as a complete product or broken down into several pieces that combine to form a custom deck. You can remove trucks, wheels, grip tape, decals and boards and replace them with parts of different colors or textures to make each deck unique. You can loosen the trucks and wheels on your deck to make the toy more maneuverable for performing tricks.
Other Products
Beyond standard Tech Decks, there are also larger handboards available, which are meant to be controlled with your entire hand. While the traditional Tech Deck size is 96 mm by 26 mm, wider decks are available measuring 27 cm. Tech Deck Dudes are also available, which are finger-shaped characters that you can place on your decks. Tech Deck bikes have also been released, taking the Tech Deck model and applying it to trick bikes.