On a recent Saturday, a group of teenagers and young 20-something skaters gathered in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, to repurpose old, worn-out boards into functional, modern furniture. Mostly clad in hoodies, with power tools in hand, the crafters worked with a quiet focus on building stools and low benches as sawdust whirled through the air. Some popped ollies and flips in between taking turns with the belt sander, while others chatted up the pro skater Quim Cardona. While the event felt like a mellow hangout, it was actually organized by Converse as part of its ongoing series, the Cons Project Creative Recycling, aimed at skating enthusiasts between the ages of 13 to 24.
The free, community-based meet-ups will roll out in various North American cities this winter, and are part of the sneaker company’s larger initiative to bridge the worlds of skateboarding, art and music with hands-on projects and collaborations. Jason Podlaski of Deckstool, a design company that works exclusively with recycled skateboards, led the Brooklyn event last weekend, and also offered to give me a little DIY instruction on making a stool of my own. For those youthful sorts who want to catch the next workshop in person, there are two taking place this Saturday, in Toronto and Boston; register here while spots last.
