NAMPA, Idaho — Imagine skateboarding but with your fingers, for this week's Made in Idaho we shed light on a growing community here in the Gem State.
"Don't hate it because it looks like a toy or its small,” said Brandon Loureiro.
Brandon Loureiro is the owner and creator of Gem State Finger Skate, after hurting his knee while skating in high school, he picked up a fingerboard to scratch the skating itch.
Loureiro said, “I remember Tech Decking in middle school and pulled it out, searched a hashtag on Instagram because that was a thing and boom.”
A few years into finger boarding, Gem State Finger Skate was born.
Loureiro locally making fingerboards, obstacles, and parks.
"In 2021, I was just making, some parks some miniatures spaces that I could fingerboard here at home and some friends noticed it and I started making customs, for them started pouring some obstacles and it progressed into I can try making a fingerboard deck,” said Loureiro
As the company grew in popularity, so did the community.
“It only takes one meet-up for other fingerboarders to realize hey wait there's other fingerboarders here and then start to group up,” said Gnarl Joe, a professional fingerboarder with Groove Fingerboards
At the Nampa Street Market, Gem State Finger Skate hosts pop-ups, introducing the activity to those passing by and bringing the growing community together.
Tyler Olivas is a local fingerboarder, he said, “I actually met Brandon in 2020 through Instagram and was fingerboarding with him at his house that was when i got back into it around 2020 and then I pretty much been at everyone one of his events or pop-ups at the park.”
“There's folks out there doing this stuff because they can’t skate anymore and they’re still trying to remain in skateboarding or scratch that itch in any way possible, this is just an extension of it, don’t hate on it because this stuff is life-saving,” said Loureiro.
To see more products from Gem State Finger Skate, Brandon Loureiro, posts obstacles, events, and fingerboarding on his Insatgram Gemstatefingerskate.
