Toy Machine is a skateboarding company, housed under the Tum Yeto distribution company, started by Ed Templeton in 1993.[1][2]
Toy Machine is a skateboarding company, housed under the Tum Yeto distribution company, started by Ed Templeton in 1993.[1][2]
Prior to inception, Templeton was unable to decide on either "Toy Skateboards" or "Machine Skateboards" for a company name—friend and fellow professional skateboarder Ethan Fowler suggested a combination of the two propositions.
Some of the skateboarders who joined the company during its early period were Brian Anderson, Elissa Steamer, and Brad Staba; however, all three quit the company at the same time. Austin Stephens then joined the team, followed by Caswell Berry, Diego Bucchieri, and Josh Harmony.[3]
Stephens, the longest-serving team member aside from Templeton, retired from professional skateboarding in December 2013. The company released a tribute skateboard deck to commemorate Stephens's career and Templeton officially stated 2010.
I recall Austin coming to me at the Toy Machine Halloween demo a few years back saying that he didn’t think he could do it anymore. And I said, “Do what?” and he said, “Skateboard. My ankle doesn’t work anymore.” It was a heavy realization, one a skateboarder hates to actually come to grips with. Every skateboarder thrashes their ankles over time, and for Austin, it was just one tear, tweak, twist too many and after loads of procedures and healing time it seemed to be worse than when he started.
I respect a man who is willing to see things as they are and make an honest choice. So it was with great sadness that we retired Austin Stephens, the rider who was on Toy Machine the longest aside from me.[4]