Grab yourself a new plank from Polar Skate Co and CHARGE! Here you can find a range of quality Polar wood in an assortment of sizes and unique shapes (if you’re that way inclined) alongside t-shirts, longsleeves, hoodies, caps and excellently crafted cut and sew apparel at Division 24 Skate Store.
After stepping away from Cliché Skateboards in the early 2000s, Pontus Alv withdrew from the skateboarding industry returned to his home of Malmo, Sweden. Over the following years Pontus embraced his homeland, channelling the scene and surroundings into cult favourite skate videos ‘Strongest of the Strange’ and ‘In Search of The Miraculous’ [2010].
The influence of Polar Skate Co quickly grew out of their native Sweden thanks to the brand’s focus on relatable and stylish skateboarding; an intentional rejection by Alv of California’s focus on stairs and handrails. Polar has worked with a variety of artists throughout it’s short but significant lifespan, Stefan Narancis was an early collaborate whose artwork incorporated sci-fi themes and the duo of AMTK have provided obscure paintings from season to season. Jacob Ovgren has been integral to the brand’s aesthetic, consistently producing darkly comical, and often controversial, cartoon-based illustrations reminiscent of some World Industries iconic graphical output.
The style developed throughout Pontus’ indie projects laid the foundations for Polar’s aesthetic. A focus on art, animations, raw terrain and DIY spots are prevalent in ‘The Polar Skate Co Promo’ (Wallride, Oh Yeah, Oh Yeah, Oh Yeah) – the brand’s inaugural offering which featured the original team of Alv, Hjalte Halberg, Oscar Rozenberg-Hallberg, David Stenstrom, Michal Juras and Jerome Campbell. A following promo released the same year, ‘No-Compies & Wallrides + Shuv Its’, welcomed the brand’s first US rider, Aaron Herrington, a mainstay with the company to this day.
Polar have been one of the productive brands when it comes to visual output, frequently collaborating with Converse Cons short films ‘Trocadero Days’ and ‘Manhattan Days’ to coincide with their coveted footwear collaborations.
In 2016, Polar premiered their highly anticipated first full-length video, ‘I like it here inside my mind, don’t wake me this time.’ Shining light on newer additions to their versatile team, such as Kevin Rodrigues, Dane Brady, Paul Grund and Roman Gonzales, and with parts from longstanding members Aaron Herrington, Hjalte Halber, Oski and more, the brand’s hour-long opus solidifying Polar Skate Co as an entity whose influence on modern day skateboarding will go down in history.
