These bourbon barrel skateboards are definitely a first! Here at Upcycle That we love featuring skateboards that been upcycled into art, furniture and accessories. However, this is the first time we’ve seen a skateboard itself made from upcycled materials! These bourbon barrel skateboards are an awesome innovation and a current Kickstarter project. Read on for the full story.

These bourbon barrel skateboards are made by a Kickstarter called Hepcat. Hepcat is a lifestyle brand that focuses on repurposed and reclaimed materials. They set out to create something that was fashionable and skateable. The bourbon barrel skateboards are their first product.

The story

Co-founder George McDonough was skating around on his lunch break when he started getting tired of his old skateboard. He decided to take a look around his wood shop and found an old piece of redwood. He then turned that into a board. His partner, and other Hepcat co-founder Nash Finley was impressed by the board and so the two started to create skateboards out of planks of reclaimed redwood. The problem with the redwood boards was that they were flat and easy to fall off of. The pair started researching alternatives and came across bourbon barrel staves. This material was readily available and created a durable board.

Bourbon barrel skateboards

The bourbon barrel staves lend some nice pre-existing characteristics to the boards. The natural curvature is great as it hugs the foot. These bourbon barrel skateboards therefore don’t require grip tape. The bung hole is also great as it allows for a finger grip.

Hepcat offers 2 styles of boards: Jive and Flip. Jive is the cruiser version of the board, with a short nose and gentle kicktail for optimum manoeuvrability and safety. The Flip is the freestyle board, for more aggressive skating.

Hepcat intends to use the money they raise from their Kickstarter to get the equipment that they need. This will be used to produce their bourbon barrel skateboards as well as future products. They already have a second product in the works too. Scratch is a money holder made from reclaimed wood and stainless steel. It’s thin, fits comfortably in the hand, and even has a bottle opener.

To support Hepcat and their bourbon barrel skateboards, head on over to their Kickstarter here.