OPTICAL PRISM | FEATURE
Gnarly
SHADES From scrap skateboards to snazzy shades BY DENIS LANGLOIS
Achance visit to an eclectic shop in Nova Scotia eight years ago would set the wheels in motion for Chris Anderson to develop a line of products fashioned from scrapped skateboards .
The 38-year-old Ottawa father-of-one recalls walking into the store with his wife and spotting some rings made of previously loved boards .
“ I thought this was such a neat idea that I just had to try it myself ,” he tells Optical Prism magazine .
“ When we got home , I got to work on an old skateboard until I had figured it out .”
While rings were the gateway to upcycling skateboards , Anderson went on to create other items such as earrings , coasters , cutting boards , bottle openers and belt buckles .
Then he came up with an idea : using the seven-layer maple veneer decks to create one-of-a-kind shades .
“ Deciding to create the sunglasses out of the boards came when I noticed the natural curve and strength . Also , each board is totally unique with beautiful coloured veneer , graphics and wear-and-tear from the streets ,” he says .
The wooden recycled skateboard sunglasses are now the hottest ticket item at Anderson ’ s SKRAP Skateboard Inc .
He said it took about a year of research and development to create a process for developing the shades .
He receives old skate and snowboards that are too beaten up or broken to be saved by SK8 shops .
26 OPTICAL PRISM | July 2021