WIND
Who would have thought that coming from such a turbulent background would set the destiny for an individual to create Element. Fate or not; it took passion and endurance for this person to find his calling. An avid skateboarder since the age of four, Johnny Schillereff was just in his youth with only a few things keeping him grounded; nature, art and the skateboard under his feet. After years of challenging times, Johnny made the conscious decision to reshape his life and do something positive with his unwavering dedication to skateboarding. This was when his "Elementality" began to surface and things would never be the same.
WATER
The first incarnation of Element came in the form of a small collaborative company from the East Coast called Underworld Element. Most often referred to as Underworld, the company was inspired by the hip-hop movement and used a mixture of urban styles to reflect a raw and controversial vibe. Underworld's Atlanta based headquarters facilitated art, music and design for many creative individuals. Soon after its inception, the company was plagued with many challenges, the business began to collapse and its original crew had moved on.
FIRE
Johnny was left with two choices: either turn a struggling company around, or abandon the project altogether and start something entirely new. He chose a bit of both and moved forward with the word Element. In his eyes, Element alone stood for something totally different than it's previous life. It wasn't merely a name change, he created its iconic Tree Logo and rebuilt the company from scratch. The negative was turned to positive, and Element was born. At the time, it was the antithesis of the industry and misunderstood. Through hard work, imagination and determination the tree began to grow.
EARTH
Since its humble beginnings, Element was created out of passion and an unwavering dedication to making a positive difference. The tree continues to grow while it respects its deepest roots and embraces the landscape of skateboarding, and the lifestyle that surrounds it. From team riders to advocates, and product to marketing, Element is all inclusive, whose mission is to lead not follow, and leave an imprint deep enough, that it continues to make the world a better place.
