Skateboarding: Reduce Your Footprint
Written by Daniel Turner, Thursday April 30 2009
These days everyone is measuring their carbon footprint and vowing to do all possible to be more eco friendly. After all, we all have the same Mother and other hippie drivel about the Earth. Still, there’s no denying that we can all do things better when it comes to approaching the environment.
For instance, most wooden skateboard decks are made from maple and we have just about worked our way through Canada. Face it, every time you bust a board you are stripping the earth of another tree which could be tapped for syrup. Plus, wood is expensive and since mostly everything is made in Asia and that area is not renowned for Maple that means that wood has to be imported to the plant at your cost.
So, what’s the answer? Well, it ain’t strapping on rollerblades. How about bamboo skateboard decks? They’re coming into the market hard and fast and if you aren’t riding one yet, you will be before you turn into an aging long board riding stoner telling anyone foolish enough to listen to you about the good old days of Thrasher Magazine, the US Bombs and skate videos.
When I went to Hong Kong for the first time in the early ‘90’s it blew my mind to see construction workers using bamboo as scaffolding. Remember, that like NYC Hong Kong spreads up, not out, so these guys were standing on bamboo 20 stories high and above. Since Chinese construction workers didn’t fall on my head, obviously this stuff works.
Bamboo is resilient and has dynamic tensile strength. It is already being used in flooring and it is sustainable and renewable. In other words, making a new deck isn’t the equivalent of strip mining if it is manufactured from bamboo.
The proof is in the riding and those who have used bamboo boards have been mostly positive. There are some quirks that take getting used to, but that’s life. Some guys complain that they have to use a power screwdriver to mount their trucks since the bolts really have to work their way into the bamboo. I even heard some complaints about the bamboo boards being heavier, but I think that is caused by guys using a seven ply bamboo board when they were using a six ply maple board. The ply difference really means that the maple is heavier, but you can’t tell some guys anything.
Another complaint was that the board felt stiff and hard when landing tricks. Like having to use the power driver for the bolts this is something you will get used to and it is a beauty of bamboo. You can’t bust it. Bamboo boards are virtually indestructible. Sure, you can try your hardest, but under normal wear, tear and shredding these baby’s are going to hold up much better than maple.
So, there it is in a nutshell. Along with being a better, greener person, you are going to save money. Blank bamboo decks go for under $20.00 and more companies are starting to feature them in their inventory. Change is coming, my man, so get on board and ride the bamboo. Your Mother and your wallet will thank you.
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Interesting piece. I never really thought of bamboo boards, but it makes complete sense. I have bamboo growing in my yard and that stuff is ridiculously strong. It only makes sense to build a skateboard out of the strongest and equally most flexible material.