In 1939 Howard Head began working as a riveter for the aircraft manufacturer Glenn L. Martin before turning to engineering.
Head worked for Martin during the war years, when he was known for his interests in poker and partying. He was still working in 1946 when his fondness for socializing led him to try skiing on a trip to Stowe, Vermont, an event that marked a turning point in his life.

Although embarrassed by his efforts on the slopes, he is still addicted to the sport and determined to improve his skills. Like many beginners, he blames the team for their poor performance, but unlike most skaters, Head has the technical knowledge to make a compelling case. The skateboard is now long, heavy and hard; It''s also made from walnut, a material that easily loses its shape and creates an unsteady gait.
Rather than just perfecting the use of traditional skating, Head prides itself on being able to create a better, lighter and more efficient skating using aircraft and metal working techniques.

Head bought a chainsaw for $ 250 and began designing skateboards in his spare time. His concept was not just to make a metal skate, which others have tried and failed to do. Instead, he focused on the metal sandwich method of aircraft construction, which was developed during World War II when chemists created flexible water-resistant adhesives to combine aluminum and plywood.
In 1947, Head began his "honeycomb" skate project, so named because he envisioned a skate made of two layers of aluminum attached to plywood sidewalls wrapped in a plastic honeycomb core.