Note to skaters – according to the Science Channel, skateboards have replaced furniture as the leading contributor to maple deforestation. The Canadian maple takes 40 to 60 years to mature before it can be cut down to make your decks. The good news? BambooSK8 is a true-green company that makes first rate skateboards that are durable, sustainable, and even stronger than maple.
Bamboo is a renewable grass that can be harvested after just five years and requires relatively little energy to produce. Most skateboards are made from maple, although there are some “hybrids” on the market that use a layer or two of bamboo, and some shams that use it only as a veneer. BambooSK8 boards are made from 100% bamboo grown in managed forests.
BambooSK8’s decks are made of three and four layers, or ply, of a certain ideal strain of bamboo that is cured a secret way (BambooSK8 is very guarded about the exact source of their bamboo). The boards are strong, since bamboo has a higher weight-to-strength ratio than maple — it takes 1639 pounds of pressure to bend bamboo versus 1450 pounds for hard maple.
In addition to being strong, the boards are light. Decks weigh between 2.5 and 2.85 pounds. Bamboo is also more elastic than maple, making these boards resilient and less likely to break. Testimonials from BambooSK8 fans on their web site gush about the boards’ light weight, unbreakability, and “pop.”
BambooSK8 is a member of the Action Sports Environmental Coalition and their commitment goes beyond the company — the owner has installed the largest residential solar panel system in California.
Is the bamboo for these skateboards processed in a way to minimize formaldehyde emissions?