Maple is often cultivated by clear cutting forests. This leaves the land barren and destroys the forest habitat. It takes more than 40 years for maples to become mature trees.
Bamboo grows like a weed. When one bamboo plant is cut down, multiple new plants pop up in its place. The rapid grow back of bamboo combined with using bamboo from managed forests is a big benefit to the environment.
“It’s worthwhile to do what we’re doing,” Olson said. “Maple trees take 40 to 60 years to mature enough to cut down and use. Bamboo takes two to six years tops. That’s a large difference.”
At the Oceanside warehouse materials are received, short board and longboard skateboards are shipped to buyers, and staff takes occasional test drives on the boards. The warehouse facility includes a layout of wood boxes and ramps for product testing.
“Our typical customer is kids trying to learn how to skate,” Olson said. “There are tons of kids all over the U.S. that buy the boards off the website or at local skate shops.”
BambooSK8 also sponsors two amateur competition skateboard teams. One of their top team riders is 26-year-old Ryan Strader, who finished as one of the top 75 competitors in the 2011 Tampa Am.