The Fastforward "BLACKHAWK"

When the first ski came out of the press, my jaw dropped. Seeing the raw metal and wood core behind the art looks absolutely insane in person.  Tom DeVries is an Australian tattoo artist and fine art painter who runs Birds of Prey Tattoo and has spent his career mastering Japanese-style tattooing. Bold lines, deep detail, harmonious contrast between aggression and serenity. He created this piece with ink and tea on a cotton rag, which gives his art this incredible organic warmth you don't expect from someone who also creates high-contrast tattoo imagery. The centerpiece of this artwork is the hawk sitting on an old twisted pine tree. It’s deeply Japanese in feel, the kind of image you'd see on an ancient scroll, but with this raw aggressive edge that keeps it soulful and lethal at the same time. We love how the branches bring your eye down the length of the ski.  We went with a clear topsheet so the raw metal laminate and wood construction of the Fastforward shows through wherever there's no art, adding unique depth and dimension. For the base we zoomed in on the hawk in the branches. When you’re in the air, you’re the bird of prey. The terrain below doesn’t stand a chance. We made just 200 pair of these Limited Edition Fast Forward skis and J Lev hand-signed and numbered each, so grab a pair quickly before they sell out. See Tom's rad tattoos on his Instagram