Green and Eco Skateboards

Skateboard Trivia

• On August 17, 1993, patent #5,236,208 was issued to Thomas Welsh for a platform steerable skateboard
• The first manufactured skateboards were ordered by a Los Angeles, California surf shop, meant to be used by surfers in their downtime. The shop owner, Bill Richard, made a deal with the Chicago Roller Skate Company to produce sets of skate wheels, which they attached to square wooden boards. Accordingly, skateboarding was originally denoted “sidewalk surfing” and early skaters emulated surfing style and maneuvers.
• A key skateboarding maneuver, the ollie, was developed in the late 1970s by Alan “Ollie” Gelfand as a half-pipe maneuver.
• Freestyle skateboarder Rodney Mullen was the first to take it to flat ground and later invented the kickflip and its variations. ^[3
• The use, ownership and sale of skateboards were forbidden in Norway, during the period between 1978 and 1989. The ban was said to be due to the perceived high number of injuries caused by boards. The ban led skateboarders to construct ramps in the forest and other secluded areas to avoid the police.^[9
  

I Just Gotta Tell Ya

• A 2002 report by American Sports Data found that there were 18.5 million skateboarders in the world.
• 85 percent of skateboarders polled who had used a board in the last year were under the age of 18, and 74 percent were male
• The average time it takes to make a skateboard:Five months from the tree to the kids.(Source: Mike McHue, DNA Distribution)
• The average amount of skateboards that are thrown away due to defects per year: Less than one percent.(Source: Giant Skateboard Distribution)
  

Skateboards made with Sustainable Materials

Comet Skateboards Uses poplar and hickory from sustainable forests for a board’s core, topped with bamboo or maple veneer and coated with water-based paints. They’re also working with manufacturers and universities worldwide to help develop ‘green’ epoxies, reinforcements and coatings. The factory is solar-powered, buys and sources locally as much as possible.

All wood in Seismic decks is FSC certified. Constructions feature vertically-laminated poplar cores, fiberglass skins, wheel wells, and reinforced tails (extra glass or carbon cloth where needed). Graphics are reproductions of original paintings  Seismic Skate Systems is a 15-year-old skateboard company based in Boulder, Colorado. They design and manufacture advanced boards, wheels and trucks for high-performance longboarding, cruising, racing, and Old School styling.

Arbor- “Today, Arbor advocates the idea that you can’t just be “green” for the sake of being green. Choosing an environmentally friendly alternative should not involve sacrificing performance. Rather – you should expect improved design via eco-solutions accessed in responsible ways. This modern approach to environmental thinking and skate design is what Arbor is all about. Arbor’s eco-materials are chosen to improve the performance and style of our skateboards, while reducing the impact their production has on the planet. Natural materials, including maple plys, are sustainably sourced. In addition, they reclaim the wood and bamboo by-product created during construction for use in other Arbor products or by outside companies. Available from Amazon Arbor Bug Koa Skateboard

Super Green boards- Boards made from bamboo, low VOC glues

Gravity Skateboards- Gravity offers V-lam, a new technology that turns our birch scraps into some of the most resilient and cool looking skateboards on the market. The scrap wood from our skateboards, which would normally be recycled by us, now goes directly toward making a stronger skateboard, not only giving your board longer life, but adding a brilliant new dimension to the look of your ride. What could be more win-win than improved skateboards and more trees?

Skate Shoes

• Lakai Kost-One Recycled Skate Shoes These skate shoes use waste material from other shoes in production making less waste and a more healthy environment for everyone. Chocolate suede is on every pair of shoes, other colors may vary from production to production.
• Vans Recycled Skate Shoes These shoes are 100% recycled, and the insoles are bamboo & coal

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