LATHROP, Calif. — A skater from the Stockton area is using his skills to turn trash in to sustainable, everyday goods and make a difference in his community.
Kabir Gonzalez, 21, owns a workshop out of his Lathrop home where he specializes in creating sustainable goods and art from recycled skateboards under his brand 'Untitled Skate Co.'
"There's a lot of kids breaking skateboards, going to skate shops and buying new ones, and the broken ones just really just get thrown out," said Gonzalez. "They just go into the dump and never really get a second chance."
Gonzalez gets broken and worn down skateboards from other local skaters and skate shops that likely would've ended up in a landfill.
Using his woodworking skills and artistry, he's able to make wooden composite panels out of the skateboards and create colorful custom goods.
"I've done things from jewelry, to furniture, sculptures, picture frames, really anything people can ask me," said Gonzalez. "I can go as far as making pieces of furniture like, you know, small love seats, coffee tables, desks."
Some of Gonzalez's most popular items include plant pots and jewelry like rings and pendants.
His process to create usable lumber with the skate decks includes sanding down, gluing and pressing the decks together before intricately cutting up and bringing his colorful creations to life.
"It's really a fun process," said Gonzalez. "It's very labor intensive, because you got to make something from nothing, but it's very rewarding at the end."
He began practicing his recycled skateboard business due to his love for the craft, but also feels he is making a small but meaningful environmental impact in his quest turning trash into treasure.
"If you're putting your part in making a small difference, I feel like that matters - because every little bit matters," said Gonzalez "So even if I'm just .001%, that's helping out with all the broken skateboards, keeping them out of landfills, I'm happy with that."
While he currently works as a contractor in the Bay Area, he comes home weekly to work on his creations, expand his workshop and continue to network within the Stockton community.
"If there's a way to do it with wood, there's a way to do it with skateboards," said Gonzalez. "You just got to put in a little work to make it into something you want to see hung up on a wall or on your hand or around your neck."
He sells his art through custom order requests on his social media accounts as well as events he either attends or hosts with other small businesses, artists and creators in the Stockton area.
"Buying lumber at a store and making it into a desk or coffee table, that's great too," said Gonzalez. "But to turn trash basically into art, I think that's the most fulfilling part about it."
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