When Jerry Madrid founded Madrid Skateboards on January 6tth 1976 in Huntington Beach, California, little did he know his new company would become a great part of the skateboarding history and continue to thrive decades later.
A surfboard shaper in the 60s, Jerry Madrid started making fiberglass skateboards in his garage. More than 45 years later, Madrid Skateboards are still handmade in the company’s Huntington Beach facility.
Madrid’s longboard production
Thin sheets of 100% Canadian maple are glued 7 or 8 sheets at a time, then run through presses before curing for a couple of days. The blanks are then shaped by hand in the wood shop – most manufacturers in the industry use CNC machines for this stage.
The decks are then back sanded, seal sprayed, printed using heat transfer, and grip taped before shipping.
Madrid’s evolution
Over the years, the Madrid brand and business has grown a lot. Jerry has helped iconic skateboard pros of the 1980s like John Lucero and Lester Kasai create their own innovative and cutting edge shapes and graphics.
Jerry Madrid helped several great brands like Hasoy Skateboards get started. Madrid also produced concave molds for Santa Cruz, Skulls skateboards, and other historical skateboard companies.
Madrid skateboards’ image and public recognition was significantly boosted after appearing prominently in Steven Spielberg’s “Back to The Future” mid 80s blockbuster, and recently in the 2016 Netflix TV show “Stranger Things”.
Madrid also teamed up with Vans in 1987 to create the Vans x Madrid Flypaper Sk8 Hi Pro, one of the most popular skate shoes in history, which Vans reissued in 2016 with great success.
Madrid longboards
Besides street decks, Madrid’s longboard lineup is rich with a big variety of styles. It includes a wide range of mini-cruisers, some of them reissues of 1980s hits, including many retro style pool decks. Madrid cruisers have a durable build and stunning graphics.
Madrid also has a good selection of longboard shapes – drop-through, topmount, and drop down cutout shapes, pintails, and a rich series of technical downhill/racing boards.
Below you’ll find our selection of 10 great Madrid boards that we feel are representative of the Madrid brand and style. Note that we’ve left out the more “niche” shapes of racing/speed boards and fiberglass dancers – which we’ll likely cover in a separate article.
Madrid Dream 36″ / 40″ Drop-Through
The Madrid Dream is a mid-sized, fully symmetrical cutout shape with length ranging from 36″ to 40″ depending on the version. At 9.625″ it has comfortable width including for larger shoe sizes.
The 26 to 30+” wheelbase on this board makes it very stable for distance pushing and fast freeride. The slight rocker and W concave allows for secure foot placement when riding fast.
The Dream comes in either drop-through or topmount style. The drop-through versions ride lower to the ground, facilitating LDP pushing and adding greater stability at speed.
The topmount versions, on the other hand, offer a very responsive feel and deeper carves but require more advanced skills for riding big hills. The topmounts will also let you break traction more easily but with less control unless you have the skills.
The Madrid Dream ships with the responsive and flowy Caliber 180mm RKP trucks. The big and fast 70mm Cadillac Cruiser wheels offer a cushy 78a duro and will roll comfortably over most rough terrains. The big wheels are wheelbite-free even in deep turns due to the deck’s generous cutouts.
- Size: 36″ / 39″ / 40″ x 9.625 (26.5″ to 30.125″ wheelbase)
- Drop-through or Topmount
- Caliber 180mm RKP trucks
- 70mm 78a Cadillac Cruiser wheels & high-perf bearings
Madrid DTF 36″ / 39″ Drop-Down
The Madrid DTF is another symmetrical drop-down cutout shape with a 36″ and 39″ variants. This board is designed for freeride at high speed as the drop gets you riding super low and stable – even more so than the Dream.
The DTF is quite wide in its center (9.75″) for comfortable foot placement at higher speeds, with secure foot lock-in thanks to the drops near the truck mounts and the confidence-inspiring W concave.
The DTF also gives you the choice between a drop-through or topmount style (e.g. this variant) depending on whether your focus is on extreme stability (double-drop setups are the lowest riding you can find) or faster turns and quicker slides – which a topmount typically offers.
The 180mm RKP Caliber trucks and large 70mm Cadillac wheels constitute a fast and responsive setup for freeriding – the 80a duro gives you a nice balance between grip and sliding. The boards free of wheelbite thanks to its large cutouts.
The DTF also makes an amazing LDP longboard thanks to its wide platform and super low ride, especially in drop-through version.
- Size:: 36″ / 39″ x 9.75″ (wheebase 26″ to 29″)
- Drop-through or Topmount
- Caliber 180mm RKP trucks
- 70mm 78a Cadillac Cruiser wheels & high-perf bearings
Madrid Blunt 36″ pintail
The Madrid Blunt is a classic 36+” pintail shape with a nice and wide aspect ratio (9.5″ width) for comfortable cruising and carving. This is a great surf-style carving pintail with a stylish look which offers a buttery smooth and super responsive ride.
The 25″ wheelbase brings nice stability and foot space to this board, while the 180mm Cadillac TKP trucks result in a flowy, turny, and carvy feel.
The Blunt pintail is designed to run big and soft 70mm Cadillac Chaser wheels without wheelbite thanks to carefully crafted wheel wells on the deck bottom. The Chasers contribute to that very smooth ride including on uneven pavement.
The Blunt is available in several cool graphics e.g the stunning Leopards, Tiger, and Seer:
- Size: 36.25″ x 9.5″ (wheelbase 25″)
- Cadillac 180mm 50° Trucks
- Cadillac Chasers 70mm/78A wheels
- Cadillac High Perf Bearings
Madrid Dude 37″ kicktail longboard
The Madrid Dude is a pintail with a kicktail, somethings called “kicktail longboard”. The midsize 37+” length and 9.5″ width makes it a comfortable board with an ample foot platform for carving on bike trails and neighborhood roads.
The diamond kicktail on this board makes it easy to do kick turns and hop on and off curbs and cracks -something you don’t find on a classic pintail. Also, the slightly cambered profile gives this deck a lively response when carving on flat.
The longish 25″ wheelbase also gives this board good stability for riding down mild hills, as well as a comfortable commuting experience around town.
Combined with this sleek deck, the Caliber 180mm + Cadillac 70mm wheels combo result in a very responsive, turny and smooth carving-focused setup.
- Size 37.25″ x 9.5″ (wheelbase 25″)
- Diamond kicktail, camber profile
- Caliber 180mm Trucks
- Cadillac Cruisers 70mm/80A + high perf bearings
Madrid Marty 29.5″ 1980s pool board
The Marty is a revival of the pool skating shapes from the 1980s, and is based on a board made for the movie “Back to the Future” (1985). Retro pool decks have a very wide aspect ratio, here 9.5″ width for a short 29″ length and 15″ wheelbase.
These dimensions and the wide and relatively long kicktail all make this board super maneuverable and “slashable” for down the line and surf-style pool riding, but also ditch slashing and skatepark.
The Marty comes with 9″ traditional kingpin (street) Calibers trucks for snappy turns and radical surf turns. The Cadillac Junior wheels have the size of street wheels (58mm) albeit a lot softer (78A) for good grip when riding pool, park, or beat up back alleys.
- Size: 29.25″ x 9.5″ (wheelbase: 15″)
- Caliber 9″ Blackout trucks
- Cadillac Juniors 58mm/78A + high-perf bearings
- Wedge Risers
Madrid Picket 28.5″ mini-cruiser
The Picket surf-style mini-cruiser fits in a backpack and is similar in size to popular mini-cruisers like the Landyachtz Dinghy or the Loaded Ballona.
This deck has a very functional diamond-shaped kicktail that gives you plenty of pop and kick room for such as small deck. This board is great for sidewalk slashing and is easy to ollie and kick flip around curbs and street elements along your commuting path.
The stock setup includes strong and snappy Caliber 8″ street trucks that match the deck’s width, and street size wheels with medium duro designed for tricks and slides without sacrificing cruising comfort.
- Size: 28.5″ x 8.25″ (wheelbase: 15″)
- Cadillac 8″ Black Trucks
- Cadillac Clout Cruisers wheels 57mm/80A + high-perf bearings
- Wedge Risers
Madrid Retro 30.5″
The Madrid Retro series boards are reissues of classic pool decks from the 1980s. They are built in Madrid’s Huntington Beach factory using the same molds as the original releases, which range from 1983 to 1988 depending on the model.
The classic pool shape is very wide at 10+” for a 30+” length, with a narrowed “waist” and beefy and wide kicktail for those snappy surf-like top and bottoms turns when riding pool.
The retro complete comes with 9″ Cadillac street trucks and relatively hard (90A) 60mm wheels ideal for pool and ditch/bank slashing.
The Retro reissues include the Beau Brown pro model (1984), the Shaman (1985), the Eddie Elguera (1988), and the collector Glow in the Dark series
- Size: 30 to 30.75″ x 10.25″ (wheelbase: 15.5 to 17″)
- Cadillac 9″ Trucks
- Madrid Retro Fly Wheels 60mm/90A
- Madrid Copers
- Madrid Fly Wheels 60mm/90A
In addition to the classic pool shape with the tapered waist and super wide kick, the Retro collection also includes another classic 1980s reissue shape with a plainer, slightly shorter and narrower (29.5″x 9.5″ – W 15″) outline:
These decks are fitted with the same setup as the retro pool shapes.
Madrid Combi 32
The Madrid Combi belongs to the hybrid category, a mix between street deck and cruiser. A symmetrical shape with big double kicks, it’s similar in size to a street deck at 32.5 x 8.625″ with a 14.5″ wheelbase.
The Combi has a pronounced concave for street tricks. It’s named after the renowned Vans Combi Bowl contest and is meant for a mix of street / skatepark / bowl riding and slashy urban cruising.
The complete includes 8.5″ Caliber street trucks and 59mm 78A White Wall wheels which, while small enough for tricks, pops, shuvits, and park transitions, are significantly softer than standard street wheels to allow for a pleasing and comfortable cruising experience.
- Size: 32.5″ x 8.625″ (wheelbase 14.5″)
- Caliber TKP 8.5″ Trucks
- Cadillac White Walls 59mm/78A – Precision Steel Bearings
The Combi comes in several cool designs including Hummie, Owl, and Dogs
Madrid Turbo 33
The Turbo is a scaled up version of one of the Madrid Retro shapes. This is a relatively big cruiser shape at 33″ by 9.8″ (16″ wheelbase) making it suitable for bigger riders.
Despite its beefy size, the Turbo’s classic surf shape with a short but functional kicktail is perfect for pool/ditch/bank riding and general urban slashing.
The street/pool focus is further reinforced by the 9″ Caliber street trucks and the 58mm/78A wheels. The wheels are deliberately small for a cruiser this size to facilitate pop tricks and slides, while the soft duro still makes for smooth cruising including on rough surfaces.
- Size: 33″ x 9.8″ (wheelbase: 16″)
- Caliber Standard 9″ Black Trucks
- Cadillac Juniors 58mm/78A Black + Cadillac bearings
Madrid Yeti 39
The Yeti is a full-size downhill longboard with a symmetrical shape, subtle kicks, and arc-drop concave for secure foot lock-in when fast riding. Its formica construction gives it the stiffness you need for downill speed.
The kicks are mellow but they allow for shuvits, manuals, and other classic longboard freestyle tricks. Its size also makes the Yeti a comfortable board for pushing distance and cruising e.g. in city parks and bike trails.
The complete comes with 10″ Caliber reverse kingpin trucks with a 44º baseplate angle for added stability at high speed – though at the cost of a slightly less turny feel for everyday riding. The setup includes large and soft 70mm Cadillac Chasers wheels for a fast roll and cushioning on all kinds of terrain.
- Size: 38.875” x 9.875” (wheelbase 28.75” / 29.125″ / 29.5”)
- Caliber II 10″ 44° Trucks
- Cadillac Chasers 70mm/78A Black
Final thoughts
Madrid has been around for decades and will likely be here for a long time thanks to their authenticity, quality in manufacturing, and ability to listen to riders, innovate, and collaborate with the best riders, artists, and businesses in skateboarding.