BY THE SWORD

mike V has a new company "BY THE SWORD" be on the lookout!

Mike Vallely Announces the Creation of By The Sword Skateboards

Los Angeles, CA--July 13, 2010--Legendary professional skateboarder,

Mike Vallely has created a new, independent skateboard company, By The

Sword Skateboards. Vallely has partnered with artist and long-time

skateboarder, Jason Filipow, who will serve as Creative Director for

this start-up brand. The two have worked together on a number of

projects in the past, but this is the first time Vallely and Filipow

have combined their collective talents and passions for skateboarding.



As a co-sponsor of Vallely's upcoming 'Glory Bound Tour', By The Sword

Skateboards is debuting their first product offering, a deck entitled

"DIY or DIE". The graphic, designed by Filipow, speaks to the

inspiring and empowering abilities of authentic, do-it-yourself

initiative. The boards feature a bold, three-color graphic, which have

been manufactured and screenprinted in the USA. The "DIY or DIE" board

will be ridden by Vallely during the tour and will be available for

purchase at each of the tour stops.



The 'Glory Bound Tour', which is also sponsored by Good Fight

Entertainment, Landshark Wheels, Fuel TV and ShredorDie.com, features

Vallely skateboarding alongside Duane Peters, Bill Danforth, Kristian

Svitak and Cyril Jackson. It is scheduled to make more than 25 stops

at skateparks across the United States from July 18, 2010 through

August 18, 2010.



Mike Vallely, also known as Mike V, has been an active and relevant

professional skateboarder since 1987. He has played a defining role in

the evolution of street skating, skateboard tricks, shapes and

graphics. He has traveled the world as an ambassador for

skateboarding, asserting the authenticity of skateboarding as a

creative pursuit and a form of self expression. He sees this new brand

as an extension of his work as a professional skater.



Vallely states, "The DIY spirit that has driven me as a skateboarder

and as a professional skater hasn't always lined up through the years

with the reality of who my sponsors happen to be. It's always been

something that has weighed heavily on my mind. My own independence in

skateboarding has been crippled at times by the demands and whims of

my sponsors. I'm just not interested in that game anymore. It's simply

time for me to put my money where my mouth is and to truly do my own

thing."



"Once I decided I had to do this brand, and that I had to do it

independently, it was important for me to find the right artist and

designer to help shape this vision. I had to look no further than

Jason Filipow."



"Through my years of knowing and working with Jason, he and I have

really connected. In many ways, By The Sword is just an actualization

of the conversations Jason and I have had about skateboarding and how

much we love and value it. To us, skateboarding is still a sacred,

ritual act. We want our products to speak of and represent these

ideals."



Jason Filipow, also known as JRF, has been an underground creative

force within the art and design world for many years. With a long

history of involvement in creative pursuits, Filipow began designing

and making his own stickers, t-shirts, stencils and 'zines as early as

1985. A passionate and dedicated skateboarder himself, Filipow has

followed Vallely's career from the moment Vallely burst onto the scene

by appearing on the August 1986 cover of Thrasher Magazine.



Filipow recalls, "When Mike appeared on the cover of Thrasher, I

identified with him immediately. Here was a fellow East Coast kid, who

was boldly pioneering his own type of skating; one that didn't rely

upon the inaccessible, and sometimes nonexistent, terrain of backyard

ramps and pools. His skating thrived within the sprawling, suburban

wasteland of shopping mall parking lots, curbs and walls so familiar

to the skateboarders outside of California."



As Creative Director, Filipow employs a variety of aesthetics and

techniques to help bring the brand to life visually. The "DIY or DIE"

deck is his first completely independent, and widely-distributed,

skateboard design. He states, "Skateboard graphics are such a crucial

ingredient to the act of skateboarding. They must possess that unique

visual and visceral punch that gets you stoked and begs to be

sessioned."



"Working together with Mike to forge the foundation of By The Sword

has been an amazing experience. Starting it completely on our own has

been challenging, but the reward of retaining complete creative

control makes it all worthwhile. We have the freedom to guide our

brand and our products in any direction we wish. It's that kind of

freedom that really speaks to the spirit of skateboarding."



Since 2004, Filipow has lived and worked in Los Angeles, balancing a

workload of commercial design and fine art. As former Creative at

Studio Number One, Filipow's client list included Honda, Adidas, Nike/

Air Jordan, Fox Pictures, Swindle Magazine, Obey Clothing, Independent

Film Channel, Dangerbird Records and Fender Guitars Custom Shop.



Currently working as a freelance designer, Filipow has most recently

worked with House Industries, Six Stair Productions, Royal Elastics,

Obey Giant Art, Poster Child Prints, Hurley International, and RRock

Enterprises.