It’s the duel collaboration of the century: Konami and Bear Walker Industries (BWI) are set to unleash a Yu-Gi-Oh-inspired skateboard collection. This partnership is (almost) bigger than the showdown between Yami Yugi vs. Seto Kaiba, and it will debut at Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC).
Releasing this summer in celebration of 25 years of Yu-Gi-Oh, the collection will include several variants of Yu-Gi-Oh-themed wooden skate decks and skateboard accessories. Fans can display their skate decks on a floating wall mount or attach some wheels and ride it to their next duel. Each detailed, handcrafted board is made with maple plywood and hours of dedication.
The skate decks and accessories feature designs inspired by classic Yu-Gi-Oh cards, including the Gods, the Exodia set, Millennium items, Secret Rares, and even holographics — this collection is BWI’s first to feature holographic elements!
The BWI line features the Egyptian aspects seen in the franchise. | Source: BWI
Fans can collect an entire Exodia set featuring The Forbidden One. | Source: BWI
While the Heart of the Cards guides Yugi, the Yu-Gi-Oh TV series, trading card game (TCG), video games, and manga guide Bear Walker, founder of BWI and collection designer. In an exclusive interview with The Pop Insider, Walker revealed his goal for the collection, how it differs from other collabs, and how Duelists can get a piece.
“I grew up in the ’90s, which I feel like was the heyday for TCG and collectible cards and all that kind of emergence. So getting to work on something like Yu-Gi-Oh was just sick on its own, but I was always also super into paleontology and archeology. So, the Egyptian aspects that Yu-Gi-Oh brought to [the TCG] was always really intriguing to me,” Walker says.
“I really wanted to create original artwork, everything we did in-house and by hand, and I wanted to do my take on some of the things that really stood out to me in Yu-Gi-Oh while still paying respect to the brand. Plus when I was a kid, pulling an Exodia card was like the grail, and then the aspect of the Millennium items and that being kind of the focal point of the show and trying to collect all those, just all those things resonated with me and I wanted to bring that to this series,” he continues.
Fans will recognize symbols, characters, and more from the Yu-Gi-Oh universe in Walker’s unique style. The Certificate of Authenticity (COA) also comes as a collectible COA card with a holographic face.
This collection is different from other pop culture-inspired lines — some skate decks and accessories will be available as blind boxes, so fans can collect pieces and trade with others, just like they do with Yu-Gi-Oh cards.
“I wanted to make an interactive launch, so we’re doing a blind box with this,” Walker says. “I wanted to create almost these miniature collections within the collections, to where when people open these boxes, they’re pulling grails, they’re pulling Secret Rares, they’re getting pieces of the collection that they might want to trade with other collectors to complete their little sub-collection … there’s just so much opportunity with this set for people to be communicating, trading, and interacting with the collection and with the fandom.”
There's just so much opportunity with this set for people to be communicating, trading, and interaction with the collection and the fandom
SDCC attendees can visit Konami at Booth No. 3713 to find the collectible skate decks and accessories or speak with Walker. There will be 500 pieces available to purchase, and they will ship to fans directly after the con.
Fans who don’t purchase a blind box or couldn’t make the convention can find the collection online at bearwalker.com on Aug. 31 and at the company’s Pensacola, Florida storefront. Walker also revealed that the Yu-Gi-Oh line will be available at a major skateboard retailer later this year, and it’ll be the company’s first collection available in stores worldwide!
Fans can look forward to more Yu-Gi-Oh accessories and merch from BWI as well — the company plans to release items in stages, including products other than skate decks.
Between duels, or while you wait for the collection to drop, you can visit bearwalker.com to see how Walker turned Spider-Man, Dune, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and more into skate decks!
