Douglas frequented Harrow from the day it opened, along with Rodga Harvey, John Sablosky and Jeremy Henderson.
In 1981, at the insistence of skate-photographer Tim Leighton-Boyce, Douglas began entering English Skateboard Association (ESA) contests.
Throughout the early 1980s, Douglas wrote and published a skateboarding magazine with Benjamin Thomas called Go For It!, named after a Stiff Little Fingers record.
The company released a Douglas signature model deck in 1988, which featured a picture of a spoof beer bottle label with the caption: 'Imported from Crystal Palace, London, England'.
Schmitt then relaunched under a new name, 'New Deal Skateboards,' with a new team, new product line and renewed focus.
Schmitt, a notable international skateboard manufacturer at that time, created the new brand with Douglas and Andy Howell.
Hugh "Bod" Boyle, Douglas' UK friend and former professional skateboarder, eventually joined the company after a knee injury prematurely ended his skating career in the early 1990s.