The story behind "Kangaroo Country": Blackriver and Radical Fingerboards

To mark ten years of Radical Fingerboards, the Australian brand teamed up with Blackriver on a deck graphic called Kangaroo Country. I like that the team explains the thinking behind the design in such detail.

The starting point is the English word "Country". In Australia it means much more than a place. It refers to land, waters, stories, values and the responsibility for an ancestral area. Even the word kangaroo goes back to "gangurru", a word from the Guugu Yimidhirr language that was shared with James Cook and the crew of the Endeavour in 1770.

The graphic draws on the way many Aboriginal art traditions connect storytelling, animals, nature and land. The team stresses that Australia has many different communities with their own languages, laws and artistic styles, so there is no single look that represents them all. The design is therefore not meant to imitate the sacred stories or symbols of any particular group. Instead it is a broader tribute to the natural and cultural importance of the kangaroo, made with respect for Australia's First Peoples.

What stood out to me most is the closing thought: fingerboarding is a culture made of creativity, shared sessions and local scenes, not just the small object under your fingers. For Blackriver and Radical, the deck celebrates a decade and thanks the people who keep the Australian scene alive, one session at a time. According to the post, it should soon be available in the US shop.

Source: Blackriver Fingerboard Shop