Decked out

Local woodworker turns old skateboards into jewelry

David Seburn

“I’ve been recycling skateboards for my job for the last few years,” Sheena Crookes says as she applies a cote of varnish to one of her custom rings. 

Crookes owns and operates SkateBetty, a business that transforms discarded skateboard decks into pieces of art. 

Working out of her quaint woodshop in South Osborne, Crookes crafts bar stools, side tables, shelves and tiles, but most popular is her line of jewelry, which includes bangles, necklaces, keychains, earrings and rings.

Each piece that Crookes creates is one of a kind. From the beautifully vibrant colours adorned in the pressed layers of wood, to the paint and graphics that remain beneath wooden bangs and bruises, and finally ending with her choice of cut, these are pieces that can never be replicated. They are as individual as the board and skater to whom they once belonged. Each scratch and dent left in these planks of wood represent a moment locked in time.

“Each board that comes to us has a unique story and energy,” says Crookes. “That board belonged to a skater who put so much passion into what they were doing. With that board they accomplished goals, and felt defeat. There is a sentimental value left in each deck, so I try to move that energy forward and make something special out of each one.”

Crookes understands that energy from an insider prospective as skateboarding has been a part of her life from a very early age.

“When I was quite young, my dad ran a print shop out of our basement and he started printing shirts for the first skate shops and brands in Manitoba,” she says. “Often times they couldn’t always pay their bills and so they would pay us in wheels and decks and trucks and stuff for the kids. And that’s where I got my first introduction into skating.  

“Me and my neighbour Candice would take our boards and go and giver all day.”

Crookes’ love of skating continued into her adult life, as she managed a skate shop for many years. 

It was seeing the old boards pile up and ultimately go into the garbage that sparked the idea for SkateBetty. After watching a special on the woodworking of Anthony Pappalardo (a pro skater for Chocolate Skateboards), Crookes was inspired to learn the craft herself.

With not much experience, it wasn’t easy at first. 

“My first bangle took me like nine hours and it was horrible,” she says. “I remember being so frustrated. 

“Now, something like a ring takes me about an hour to shape and sand, and then a process of three days generally to cure, because I’ll varnish it and do more sanding between coats.” 

Crookes not only manufactures the items herself but she is a retailer in her own right. SkateBetty has a very successful online retail presence in the form of an Etsy shop.

“Etsy has opened the door for me to sell my products in skate shops all over the world, as well as customers from everywhere you can think of,” Crookes says. “Yesterday I sent to New Zealand, the day before was Dallas, the day before that was Germany. It’s so cool”.

Published in Volume 68, Number 8 of The Uniter (October 23, 2013)

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