FUSESKATE
Not Gonna Hide My Pride / Skateboarding for Sustainability
FUSESKATE seeks to create and provide the LGTBQ+ community with sustainable, reliable, and thought-out designs that allow the community to show who they are and how they want to express themselves.
Role:
Designer, Illustrator
Skills Used:
Product Design, Brand Identity, Action Sports, Illustration
The Brand:
Brand Philosophy:
We believe that anyone should be allowed to skateboard if they choose to. We value the LGTBQ+ community and want to help these people who suffer from not being accepted to show their pride, and they should be allowed to show this through their gear.
Outcome:
A line of skateboards that are sustainable, reliable, and have a thought-out design that also help protect our environment at the same time.
The Research:
Making of a Board:
Boards are still being made out of raw maple and the damage is still increasing = to maple deforestation. This also means only the bottom of the tree is useable.
Canada allows the tree’s to grow slower and allows the boards to be strong and flexible.
Production of the boards end up releasing a lot of chemicals into the air.
Some companies working on this:
Langbrett, decided to use ash trees to produce the boards allowing the leverage and the use of the broken trees. They also make sure to use eco-friendly urethan for the wheels and glue, so the boards can be recycled.
Uitto, use Kareline, a natural fiber composite that are non-toxic and 100% recyclable. They resemble wood and after usage they can be made into new boards.
Buero, produces boards from the “ghost nets” by working with fisherman and local communities.
Wasteboards, help clean up the environment by making boards made out of old waste bottle caps, with a unique design for each. They also made this process mobile, which allows them to make at festivals, events and any other location.
Brands That Inspire Us:
Accepted the challenge of creating eco-friendly alternative to maple decks that provides superior durability, pop, performance, all at a completive cost.
Skating bamboo connects with nature, it trains both mind and body and connects us with a broader community of positive, peaceful, health conscious people.
Bamboo is naturally shock-absorbent to help the deck from cracking. They are also naturally lighter and stronger than maple.
They picked bamboo, because it’s a minimal effect to the environment and knew after skateboards passed flooring with the deforestation that they needed to find a way to make sustainable skateboards.
Every board boughten = a tree planted.
They say the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.
Was founded to focus on the environment in the construction of the most mindfully crafted skateboard possible.
They have used sustainable forest products to achieve this objective, as well select the most responsible process and components possible.
They have use proceeds from the sale of the line to fund the preservation of indigenous forests - giving back much more than what was taken out.
Their process is called “Forest to Forest”.
Non-Profits We Support:
Causes: Children & Youth, Children & Youth Services, Civil Rights, Hot Lines & Crisis Intervention, Lesbian & Gay Rights, LGBTQ, Mental Health, Suicide Prevention
Mission: The Trevor Project is the leading national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among LGTBQ youth. Their helpline is a free and confidential helpline that is open 24/7 that offers hope through its trained counselors. Ask Trevor, is a confidential resource where youth can ask questions about sexual orientation and identity issues.
Target Audience: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Youth ages 13 -24
Causes: AIDS, Civil Rights, Community Clinics, Health, Lesbian & Gay Rights, LGBTQ
Mission: Since 1969 the Los Angeles LGBT Center has cared for, celebrated and championed the LGBT communities of Los Angeles and beyond. We provide services for more LGBT people than any other organization in the world through programs in four broad categories: health; social services and housing; culture and education; leadership and advocacy. We are an unstoppable force in the fight against bigotry and the struggle to build a better world in which everyone can be healthy, equal and complete members of society.
Target Audience: LGBT People