Vallely Heart & Fist w/ Art By Greg Higgins.

Fun Shaped Modern Rider.

Hand Crafted By Master Skateboard Craftsman Paul Schmitt at PS Stix.

Size: 8.75″ x 32.75″
Wheelbase: 14.625″
Nose: 7″
Tail: 6.75″

Bottom Veneer: Natural
Top Veneer: Natural
Center Core Veneer: Red

Top Graphic:
Vallely / Street Plant: “Written In Blood”.

Recommended Truck Size: 149

The Art for the Heart & Fist Board grew out of an ongoing dialogue about Board Art between Greg Higgins and myself. A dialogue that has continually taken us Up a road where our main focus is to first develop a concept that has true Meaning and Purpose to us, and then Visualize that concept as Board Art. At one point I was explaining to Greg how I believed that Elephants symbolized both Love and Strength, and that it has always been that symbolism that has kept me using Elephants as imagery on Boards through the years. That conversation lead us to exploring the idea of expressing that same concept in a more literal and human way. At that point I mentioned the idea of the Heart and the Fist being Connected, being One. How Love and Strength are NOT opposing forces but are actually complimentary energies. Greg really opened up to this idea and he asked me to explain further.

I told Greg how I believed that Strength alone, with no Heart lacks compassion, is oppressive, mean spirited and predatory. And that Love with no Strength behind it is passive and lacking the raw energy to Burn with Intensity. That Together, these forces make a Caring, Protective, Open Hearted and Iron Willed Individual. That the marriage of the Heart and the Fist represent Humans at their Very Best.

It was at that point that Greg began to visually work through the concept of the “Handful Of Heart”. The Arrow was added to signify Forward Direction and Spiritual Output: Creativity. The blood drip from the Arrow, and the pooling of blood at the tail expresses the Nietzsche Quote, “Of all that is written, I love only what a person hath written with his blood.” Blood being Spirit.

The radiance behind the main image was added last. We felt strongly that it was important to show Light in the Art, to communicate that the Art itself is about Light, Positivity, Goodness, a Love for Freedom with Strong Values.

— Mike Vallely