In the late 1970s and 1980s, Soviet skaters couldn't import Western boards or urethane wheels due to trade restrictions, so Soviet military defense plants and heavy industrial factories manufactured the USSR’s official skateboards.

Models like the iconic "RPO Riton" or "Roll-Serf" were built alongside tactical gear and heavy machinery using repurposed aluminum, industrial steel bearings, and solid rubber or hard-molded synthetic plastic wheels. Because these defense facilities operated under state economic directives, the boards were built like tanks—weighing as much as 7 to 10 pounds—making high-impact street tricks nearly impossible, but downhill carving exceptionally durable.