If you skate long enough, you end up with a graveyard. Snapped decks in the garage. Razor tails under the bed. That one board you swear you'll fix someday.
I had that pile too. It's actually how my whole business started. So if you're wondering what to do with old skateboards, here's what I'd do, from someone who's turned 50+ of them into something new.
First, Is It Actually Done?
Before you retire a board, make sure it's really dead. A few things can bring it back:
Worn out grip. Regrip it. Fresh grip makes an old board feel new.
Slow and crunchy. That's usually your bearings, not your board. Clean them or swap them.
Chipped nose or tail. Small chips are fine. Keep skating it.
No pop, soggy, cracked, or snapped. Yeah, that one's done.
If it's truly finished, don't throw it out. Here's what you can do instead.
1. Keep Your Hardware
Trucks, wheels, bearings, and bolts almost always outlive the deck. Strip everything off and put it on your next board, or give it to a friend who's just starting out. A lot of new skaters get their first setup this way.
2. Hang It on the Wall
Some graphics are too good to toss. Two screws and a couple of brackets and your old deck is wall art. A snapped board can look even better, because it shows it got used. Some people turn a few old decks into a shelf too.
3. Give It to Someone Who Can Use It
If the board still rolls, someone out there wants it. Younger skaters, a friend who's learning, a local program that gets kids on boards. A deck that's too worn for you might be perfect for someone learning to push.
4. Build Something
If you're handy, old skateboard decks are great material. They're seven layers of hard maple pressed together, which makes them super strong for their size. People make benches, bottle openers, key holders, and all kinds of stuff out of them.
5. Turn It Into a Ring
This is my favorite, obviously.
When you cut across a skateboard, you see the dyed maple layers stacked inside. Blue, green, red, yellow, whatever that board was pressed with. Cut a ring out of that, shape it, sand it, and finish it, and you get a colorful ring that nobody else in the world has.
That's exactly what I do. I cut the deck into squares, cut out circles, rough shape them on the scroll saw, sand them through a bunch of grits on the lathe, and seal them with a hard CA finish. If you want every step, I wrote it all out in how skateboard rings are made.
Snapped boards actually work perfectly for this. A broken deck still has plenty of good wood in each half.
Why Not Just Throw It Out?
You can. But a skateboard deck took real resources to make. Maple trees, glue, pressing, shipping. When it goes in the trash, all of that is gone.
Giving a board a second life, whether that's on your wall, under a new skater's feet, or on someone's finger, keeps all of that from going to waste. I wrote more about that in what happens to a skateboard after it's done being skated.
Where My Boards Come From
Every deck I use comes from skaters. Every brand, every condition, as long as there's clean wood inside. Most are 7 ply maple, usually made in the US. Each one becomes a ring that's completely one of one.
A lot of people ask if I can turn their own board into a ring. Not yet, but it's something I really want to do. Stay tuned.
FAQ
What can you do with a broken skateboard?
Save the hardware, hang the deck as wall art, build something with the wood, or turn it into jewelry like a skateboard ring. Snapped decks still have a lot of usable maple.
Can old skateboards be recycled?
Most regular recycling programs don't take them, because the deck is layers of wood and glue. Reusing them is usually the better move.
How do you know when a skateboard deck is done?
If it has lost its pop, feels soggy, or is cracked or snapped, it's time to retire it.
Can you make a ring from my old skateboard?
Not yet. Custom rings from your own board are on my list. For now, every ring I make comes from decks that skaters have already worn out.