Skate Style

If you’ve ever wondered what happens to all those old skate decks once they’ve cracked, withered, or snapped, you’ll find your answer in skater-cum-designer, Hiroshi Ito.  Finding inspiration in the piles of discarded decks at skate shops, five years ago Hiroshi started making his sketches into an array of unique and wearable accessories. Well past 1,500 decks used, Ito repeats the same process—rigorous removal of grip tape, cleaning, drawing his design, finely sawing through the seven plys one by one, and finally sealing with a Japanese lacquer for a smooth, presentable finish. Through Harvest, Hiroshi continues to find plenty of use for the pile of over 500 decks currently sitting in his atelier in Tokyo’s quieter East end. Restless imagination has led him past the exhausted ‘skate chair’ of ‘skate-design,’ to more artistic sculptural works. One of his signature pieces, a skull made from a painstakingly accurate cross section of layered decks, sold for 150,000 Yen (about US$1,400). Ito’s creative designs evoke the limitless creativity of skateboarding. He is open for custom orders. Look out for upcoming collaborations with Burton and FTC. http://www.harvest-re.com