Skateboarder and artist Johnny Schillereff first established the skateboard brand Underworld Element whilst studying at The Art Institute of Atlanta in 1992. Schillereff began working with the Giant skateboard distribution company, and they marketed and distributed the Underworld Element skate brand.
Dark Element Past
At the time Underworld Element was an aggressive anarchy skate brand with a gangster like vibe with ads featuring mug shots and guns. In 1994 Giant were making the decision to let the Underworld Element brand go, but Schilleref wasn't happy with the direction that Underworld Element had taken, with so many aggressive skate brands in circulation, and he wasn't willing to let his skate brand die. Instead, he removed the word 'Underworld' from the name and chose a radically different direction for his skateboarding label, and the Element skate brand was born.
Californian Skater Roots
Johnny reinvented the Element skateboard brand with a positive outlook, in an attempt to show the positive effect that skateboarding can have on life. The logo became a white stick style tree inside a circle with a red background surrounded by the four elements of wind, water, fire and earth, emphasising the life of natural wood and being one with the skateboard. Realising that he needed to take Element far more seriously, Schillereff moved to California. The initial advert ran in TransWorld skateboarding with the famous line, "If you don't know your past, you'll never know your future." Initially it proved to be a tough sell as so many skate brands were into the anarchy train of thought, but Element persevered to great effect. They began to gather a growing customer base buying into its boards and eventually moved its headquarters to Santa Monica.
Global Skating Empire
Element is now one of the largest skateboarding brands, producing skateboards, trainers, and a large range of skate clothing such as T-shirts, shorts, jeans, hoodies and boardshorts. Element also sponsors a large number of talented skateboarders, such as proskater and MTV star Bam Magera. Element produces great quality skateboards and cool clothing designs, and with its positive life ethos Element is the soul surfer of the skateboarding world.