From Service to Illustration: The Story Behind WarBoardz
Origins: Growing Up in Motion
Every story has an origin, and mine begins in the foggy, eucalyptus-scented town in California, a place balanced between SoCal and Central Cal, just outside Vandenberg Air Force Base. It was there, surrounded by surf, concrete, and tri-tip smoke, that my love for motion and design was born.
Days were spent skating, biking, surfing, bodyboarding and skimming. The kind of reckless freedom that only youth and asphalt can provide. We lived for the ride, even when it ended in a face plant or a scraped knee. That energy, that constant movement, would later shape everything I did; from military service to digital design to creating art on skateboards.
The Call to Serve
After September 11th, like many of my generation, I felt a pull, a need to serve, to stand for something bigger. This was a dream of mine and that day solidified it. I went from recruiter to recruiter: Marine Corps, Army, Air Force; before finally joining the U.S. Air Force.
I went to my first flight, needless to say they were a bunch of hooligans. Avenger Flight. A band of weightlifting, hard-charging maniacs who taught me what real teamwork looked like. We trained, competed, and laughed harder than I ever had. Those men showed me that strength wasn’t just physical, it was creative, adaptive, and loyal.
Between quick response force patrols and exercises, I found myself designing logos for friends, filming skate clips, and editing videos late into the night on a virus-riddled Dell laptop. Even in uniform, I couldn’t stop creating.
Lessons in War and Brotherhood
My next chapter took me to Germany, and soon after, Iraq. There, I learned the fragility of life and the power of brotherhood. I worked alongside the Army units (Italian and US), Australian and other foreign partners. We earned commendations, and saw both the best and worst of leadership.
War changes you. Not just in how you see the world, but in how you value time, purpose, and art. I began to see creativity as survival, but a way to process chaos and give meaning to what I’d seen.
From left to right: Maximo, Derek, and Joseph Italian STO operator.
When I returned home, I carried those lessons with me. I transferred to Maryland, joined the Presidential support side, and started flying missions with dignitaries. In the air, I found quiet moments to sketch, plan, and dream. Between deployments, I built logos, websites, and graphics for tactical brands; learning the business side of design and the egos that sometimes came with it.
But through it all, one thing stayed constant: skateboarding and art. They reminded me of who I was before the uniform — and who I still wanted to be.
Birth Of Warboardz
WarBoardz was born from that intersection. Where discipline meets creativity, and service meets self-expression. It’s an homage to those who’ve served, fought, and endured. The grim reaper isn’t about death; it’s about presence. The reminder that life is fleeting, and that veterans carry both the weight and the wisdom of that truth.
Each custom skateboard I design is a tribute; not just to the ride, but to the resilience behind it. Every deck tells a story: of motion, memory, and mastery.
For me, skateboarding has always been more than a sport. It’s a metaphor for life — falling, getting up, adapting, and carving your own path. It’s the same mindset that carried me through the military and into the world of art and design.
WarBoardz is where all those worlds collide: the veteran, the artist, the skater united by the drive to create something that lasts.
Closing Thoughts
From the streets of California to the sands of Iraq, from digital sketches to custom decks, this journey has been about transformation. WarBoardz isn’t just a brand, it’s a story of motion, meaning, and memory.
Every board I design carries a piece of that story. A salute to those who served, a nod to those who ride, and a reminder that art, like life, is always in motion.
