Fucking Awesome

FA carries the premium that comes with street credibility and limited availability rather than any technical edge. A graphic deck skates the same as a blank, so what you are paying for is the artwork, the team and the brand's standing in skate culture. If that authenticity matters to you it is worth it; if you only want a board to skate, the value calculation changes.

It is the real thing — FA was created by working professional skateboarders Jason Dill and Anthony Van Engelen, not marketers. The brand is known for brash graphics that read as an extension of Dill's personality, and it helped usher in a new wave of independent brands. The hype exists because the skate credibility is genuine.

Fucking Awesome — often shortened to FA — was created by professional skateboarders Jason Dill and Anthony Van Engelen. Both are respected riders, which is exactly why the brand reads as skater-first rather than corporate. Their personalities, especially Dill's, run straight through the graphics.

Hockey is FA's sister brand. The two are closely tied — FA often releases video parts using both sets of teams, and currently runs two skate squads, Fucking Awesome and Hockey. If you like FA's attitude, Hockey is the natural companion label to explore.

FA opened its first physical location in 2019 in Los Angeles on Hollywood Boulevard, then added a second in 2021 in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Those two stores are the brand's brick-and-mortar homes. Beyond them, FA reaches most people through skate shops and its drops.

FA has collaborated with the likes of Vans, Adidas and Independent Trucks — and it has worked with Adidas twice. Those partnerships span footwear and hardware, which fits a brand rooted in actual skating. Collabs are a big part of how FA pieces gain collectability.

Alongside founders Jason Dill and Anthony Van Engelen, the FA roster includes Kevin Bradley, Gino Iannucci, Sage Elsesser, Elijah Berle, Aidan Mackey, Louie Lopez, Curren Caples, Jake Anderson and Romel Torres. It is a deep, well-regarded line-up. The strength of that team is a large part of FA's reputation in the skate world.

Dylan Rieder was a professional skateboarder and model who was a founding member of the Fucking Awesome team. He died in 2016 due to complications from leukemia, and the company has frequently memorialised him since. That ongoing tribute is part of why FA feels personal rather than purely commercial.

Yes — FA and its sister brand Hockey have released numerous skateboarding videos, including titles like Industrial Light and Magic, Triple Backflip and 420 E 9th St. Video parts are central to how the brand expresses itself. Watching them is the best way to understand the FA attitude before you buy.

A graphic tee or a deck is the classic entry point, since FA's bold, expletive-driven graphics are the heart of the brand. A deck doubles as both something to skate and a piece of the artwork to display. Start with whichever graphic genuinely speaks to you — that is very much the point with FA.

FA helped take the industry back from commercial graphics and mall-account excess, leaning instead into independent, rider-driven identity. Its graphics are an extension of a founder's personality rather than a marketing brief. That indie, authentic positioning is exactly what sets it apart.