The Killing Floor aka TKF was founded by John Vitale, a skater and designer from Portland, Oregon, in 2009. The name comes from the old blues song "Killing Floor", which was composed in the 60s by American guitarist, singer and songwriter Howlin' Wolf. In Vitale's eyes, the song resembles the nature of skateboarding - a never-ending battle with ups and downs. "It's a constant struggle. The best thing and the worst, all in one" - John Vitale, Founder of The Killing Floor Skateboards.

John Vitale is inspired by music and abstract art when creating graphics. He combines the style of collages and the use of a wide range of colors. The boards are made in the USA, in the same factory as Polar Skate Co. The TKF team includes names such as Lance Chapin, Mark Gutterman, Josh Anderson, Nate Guest, Andrew Gray, Clement Oladipo and Matt Barry.