Giant Distribution

History

• New Deal's founders, Paul Schmitt, Andy Howell and Steve Douglas, went on to set up Giant Distribution. [2]
• Steve Douglas, a skater born in North London in 1967, co-founded Giant in the early 1990s on the back of New Deal's success. He later became its president. [1]
• Giant was based in Huntington Beach, California. Its brands at various times included Element, Black Label, New Deal, Destructo, Monster Trucks, Zoo York, Mad Circle, Popwar, Stereo, Golden State and the 411VM video magazine. [3]
• Hugh 'Bod' Boyle, a British former pro and friend of Douglas, joined the company after a knee injury ended his skating career in the early 1990s. [1]
• Mike Vallely started Vallely Skateboards in 2002 after leaving Black Label. Giant distributed it, but the brand folded in 2003. [4]
• At one point Giant dropped its clothing operations to focus on hard goods. [3]