Variflex Skateboards was founded in 1977 by Raymond H. Losi and his son, Raymond H. Losi II, in California. In its early years, the company faced c...
Variflex Skateboards was founded in 1977 by Raymond H. Losi and his son, Raymond H. Losi II, in California. In its early years, the company faced challenges defining its identity. While Raymond Sr. focused on producing high-quality boards, his brother-in-law pushed for more mass-market appeal. Despite these initial struggles, Variflex gained prominence with an impressive team of riders, including Lance Mountain, George Orton, Steve and Mike Hirsch, Al Losi, Eddie Elguera, and Eric Grisham, who helped establish the brand’s reputation in the skateboarding world.
By the mid-1980s, the company faced a turning point. Allen Losi’s father left Variflex, and Allen briefly considered starting his own brand, Team Losi Skateboards, through Santa Cruz/Bullet. However, he chose to remain with Variflex and launched the Team Losi brand under its umbrella. Unfortunately, after this period, Variflex shifted toward producing lower-quality, mass-market boards. These were still superior to the inexpensive "market boards" often sold in discount stores but were far from the top-tier skateboards of the time.
As the quality of Variflex boards declined, so did the brand’s prominence in the skateboarding industry. While it was once a leader, it lost its competitive edge after the mid-1980s. Today, Variflex Skateboards is largely remembered through a nostalgic community of collectors who continue to share memories and relics of the brand. Despite no longer being a top brand, vintage Variflex boards remain popular among collectors, with even the less expensive 80s models considered valuable.
