While skateboarding became huge in the 1980s and 90s, its history began in the late 1950s. Kids looking to keep themselves busy when the waves were flat, took to surfing the sidewalks on wheels instead. Since then, skateboarding has become an established sub-culture that is rife predominantly among teens and those in their early twenties.

The only piece of equipment skaters really need is their board, though safety gear is most certainly recommended for those wanting to avoid injury. Boards can range anywhere from $40 to a couple of hundred dollars on the expensive skateboard end.

But connoisseur collectors out there can cough up anywhere up to $59,000 for the most expensive skateboard offerings that are actually ridable, or upward of $400,000 for a virtual one!

The Most Expensive Skateboard Valuations in History

Like expensive cars, some of the most expensive skateboard decks are some of the older used classics. While Element, Toy Machine, Santa Cruz, Powell Peralta, and other similar names are often believed to be the most expensive skateboard brands, an elite collection of standalone boards eclipse these icons.

1. Azuki’s NFT Series Skateboards – $404K

With the uprising of the digital world, few people can argue that virtual assets, like NFTs, are not real. In fact, virtual items are often way rarer and more valuable than physical items. But this has only been the trend for the past half a decade.

When it comes to the most expensive skateboard collection, there is no exception here. In 2022, the Azuki NFT brand developed its own stable of rare and expensive skateboard decks. Until recently, the most expensive skateboard in the world was deemed to be the $59,000 Louis Vetton/Supreme. However, that has technically been overturned by the digital realm.

After release, all but 1 of 9 skateboard NFTs sold for a collective sum of $2.5 million. The cheapest deck, with a frog emblem, went on auction for 200 Ether ($270K), while the top seller and the new most expensive skateboard in the world went for a staggering 309 Ether ($404K)

Now, before you say, “They are not real, because they cannot be ridden”, they actually can be. Azuki will allow its buyers to redeem their NFT for the physical representation of the item if they want to. These physically backed tokens (PBTs) come plated with 24-karat gold. To redeem it though, the digital NFT would have to be digitally burned.

2. Louis Vuitton/Supreme Skateboard – $59K

In 2017, Louis Vuitton collaborated with Supreme to produce the world’s most expensive tried and trusted working skateboard. Only 10 were ever made and were offered to privileged Louis Vuitton customers and clients. The board is certainly a little over the top with a valuation of $59K but is built with some great components. These include Independent Trucks and Bone Swiss Bearings.

Can the skateboard perform though? Well, it was tested at a skatepark. You can view the video below to see how that went.

3. Jamie Thomas and Bob Dylan Blowin’ In The Wind Skateboard – $38K

Now here is where seasoned skaters are going to get really excited. This is an expensive skateboard deck that looks fit for the street. The board was developed in collaboration between Bob Dylan and American professional skateboarder, Jamie Thomas.

The underside of the deck includes the lyrics of the Bob Dylan song, ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’. As such it is truly unique. The deck was auctioned off at a Tony Hawk fundraiser, bringing $38,425 to the table. When sold, it was considered to be the most expensive skateboard at the time.

4. Bucky Lasek and Adam Yauch Four Duck Set – $35K

It seems that top boards bring top prices at Tony Hawks auctions, including these four stellar decks. The series was created as a collaboration between pro-skater, Bucky Lasek, and singer from the Beastie Boys, Adam Yauch.

The bottom right board in the image above actually belonged to Bucky, while the other three were new decks with the lyrics of the song Bodhisattva Voe emblazoned on them. The four sold together as a set for $35,000. The proceeds went to building a skate park in New York, in memory of Adam Yauch who passed away two months after the auction was held in 2012.

5. Tony Hawk’s Beatles ‘Blackbird’ Board – $27K

Who wouldn’t want an iconic deck that Tony Hawks actually used himself at his first pro-skate demo in Mumbai in 2011? You can just see the wear on this expensive skateboard deck. As with most of the expensive skateboard items on this list, the piece was sold at one of Tony’s iconic fundraiser auctions.

It fetched a $27,116 price, which was put towards the development of skateboard parks in low-income areas. What sets this board apart from others Tony owns, is the fact that Paul McCartney handwrote the lyrics for the song Blackbird on the board and signed it.

6. The Supreme Mundi – $20K

Despite the name of this board, it is in no way connected to the Supreme brand, at all. Instead, it was created by British artist, Adrian Wilson, as a piece of art.

Wilson said of the piece:

“This isn’t just a usable novelty skateboard. This is a commentary on the 500-year-wide artistic and financial hypebubble we are in right now.”

The board consists of an artist’s palette with trucks and wheels attached. But the Supreme Mundi is not just eye candy, the board has actually been skated on the streets and is fully functioning. Who knew that a palate could make it onto the list of the most expensive skateboards in existence? It sold on eBay for $20,000.

7. The Golden Skateboard by Caters Company – $15K

This next item was a father and son project that involved a labor-intensive process of bringing a skateboard to a mirror-like golden finish. While the board can technically function and is ridable, the intention was to create a piece of jewelry to hang on the wall or display in a cabinet. It is not recommended that this $15,000 expensive skateboard deck hit the streets.

The science behind the build involves:

• Finding a good quality wooden deck and sanding it to perfection.
• Coating it in a special epoxy and dipping it into a tank until copper forms.
• Mirror polishing the copper.
• Nickel plating the copper.
• Finally gold plating the nickel finish.

The Evolution of the Most Expensive Skateboards

With the addition of classic art, digital art, and jewelry-making to the skateboarding scene, it’s undeniable that the sub-culture is both growing and evolving at the same time. Who’s to say what further boarding renditions will make themselves onto the market in the years to come? But let’s see how long Azuki can keep its reign as the most expensive skateboard creator.