Tom of Finland – Collection 1

Happy Hour Skateboards is the first ever skateboarding company to collaborate with Tom of Finland Foundation. The Happy Hour Skateboards X Tom of Finland collection includes three skateboard decks featuring original Tom of Finland drawings, as well as a limited edition clothing collection including t-shirts, hoodies and tote bags. The products will hit the shops on Saturday, April 8, 2017.

Tom of Finland is one of the world’s most influential artists. From the late 1950s onwards he produced an impressive body of work, depicting strong, proud gay men. He played a key part in gay liberation, is a pop culture fixture, admired and collected by artists like Robert Mapplethorpe.

The collaboration began when Happy Hour Skateboards founder and owner Jarkko Poropudas met Durk Dehner, President of Tom of Finland Foundation, at Mr. Leather contest in Helsinki in August 2016.

“After a beer, we both agreed that this collaboration needed to happen,” says Poropudas.

“When you travel the world and meet skateboarders you soon realize the two Finns people know are skateboarder Arto Saari and Tom of Finland. This collaboration is our tribute to a legendary artist. In addition to the bigger picture of gay rights, we want to do our part in supporting diversity within skateboarding.”