Vallely left former sponsor Powell-Peralta in mid-December, and according to a blog on his personal site, had been working on the launch of Elephant brand since October. Vallely wrote, "When I returned to Powell Skateboards for the third time, I expected it to be my finest moment in skateboarding. I was primed for it. [George Powell] and his company could never have found and never will again -- a more enthusiastic or passionate supporter. Others had tried to warn me -- but I was blinded by my desire to make it all alright. I really believed that this time it would work. I found out for myself that nothing had changed."

"They just wanted me to simply ride their boards, go do some demos and shut up. At 41 years old, they just wanted me to be a "Legendary Team Rider" but this time with a starting pro's salary," he added.

Elephant Brand"This brand is not framed by someone else's idea of cool, or what they think skateboarding is from moment to moment. It's a brand that simply represents what I have always represented: 100% skateboarding for love," says Vallely.

According to a December 19 post on the Powell-Peralta site, "Mike Vallely has resigned and is no longer riding for Powell-Peralta. Mike has asked us not to mention what his future plans entail. We thank Mike for all his contributions with Powell-Peralta and wish him the best in the future."

Vallely's aims with Elephant are to represent skateboarding as he sees it. "This brand is not framed by someone else's idea of cool, or what they think skateboarding is from moment to moment. It's a brand that simply represents what I have always represented: 100% skateboarding for love."

Vallely's previous attempts at creating his own brands include TV skateboards, Vallely skateboards and By The Sword skateboards.