Hopps Skateboards

Hopps may be not the most familiar company but to anyone that pays attention New York’s skate scene it is practically a household name. Headed up Jahmal Williams, the company name reflects his favoured pastime prior to skateboarding, BMX, as completely unaware of what an ‘ollie’ was the young Jahmal translated it over as a bunny hop. Jahmal spent a good portion of his youth B-Boying and riding BMX until his bike was stolen. Afterwards he picked up a board thinking that no one in his Boston neighbourhood would care or see enough value in a skateboard to steal it.

Years later after solid career spent riding for companies such American Dream Incorporated, TV and Toy Machine; during a hiatus from sponsorship Williams’ realised he still felt the same things driving him to skate now as he did in his younger years. “The spirit I had when I was fourteen and going out to buy my first board was still lit inside of me. Skateboarding still had me stoked and I didn’t want to walk away from it. I felt like I still had something to offer. The flame was still burning.” he told The Chromeball Incident in 2011, regarding why he started Hopps.

Williams handles most of the brand’s artistic duties while himself, Steve Brandi, Static alumni Joel Meinholz, Dustin Eggling, Brian Clarke and finally Piro Sierra make up the current Hopps team. Since starting in 2007 the intention for Hopps has been to embody a youthful skateboarder’s attitude and to represent the innocent joy of those first years spent riding a skateboard.