Spirare Surfboards–art of surfing via recycled materials from beach trash by Kevin Cunningham.
Action sports industry leaders are often on the leading-edge when it comes to eco-friendly solutions. In this story, we take a look at Kevin Cunnginham’s Spirare Surfboards, made from recycled beach trash, and Brian Lopez’s Glide Skateboards made from an old wooden basketball court.
Spirare Surfboards began for Cunningham as an extension of architecture which he was studying in Rhode Island. Surfboards to him, were also pieces of art, and he learned to handcraft boards into finely tuned, ridable objects.
However Cunningham also realized that most boards are highly toxic and certainly not eco-friendly. Coupled with his goal to help beach cleanups, he created various different ways to recycle plastics, bottles, and other beach trash into beautiful boards. He’s also known for creating bamboo honeycomb core boards which are incredibly strong.
Cunningham has taken his project of creating more sustainable surfboards from beach trash to Kickstarter to raise $3,200 towards his goal. According to Cunningham, “It is a dichotomy between the natural and unnatural. Natural materials form my surfboards; conversely, fragments of man-made debris such as plastic and glass are recycled and reused in the skin of the surfboard. Plastic bags woven into a strengthening cloth, plastic bottles cut up and reassembled into fins, and many other possibilities to be explored.”
With 17 days left on Kickstarter, he’s almost reached his goal with 51 backers with $2,831 pledged. Those that pledge also receive cool Spirare Surboard gear such as T-shirts, totebags for the boards, and stickers.
Brian Lopez creator of Glide Skateboards made from recycled wooden floors. Photo courtesy of Brian Lopez.
Brain Lopez, founder of Glide Skateboards, recycled the old wooden basketball court at Virginia State University into durable skateboards. Like Cunningham, Lopez considers his art of skateboard-making a craft. His thoughts on creating a more sustainable future coupled with his passion for skateboard manufacturing has turned into an entire, on-going series of boards which he now makes from all sorts of reclaimed hardwood flooring.
