Boards for Bros is a group of skateboarders working together to collect and refurbish
skateboards so they can be redistributed back into the community for children who
cannot afford their own.
By helping the skateboard community give skateboards to those without the opportunity
to ride one otherwise, Boards for Bros works to show that skateboarding can help
children learn discipline, respect, and perseverance that will assist them throughout
their entire lives, while having fun and exercising.
Boards for Bros is the natural extension of an idea that formed one day in 2006
at the historic Bro Bowl in Tampa, Florida. Some skateboarders, their families,
and their friends were skating and the usual crowd of local kids stood by, watching
excitedly. Since the park had been built in 1979, the locals never seemed to have
their own skateboards, but were always stoked to borrow one of the visiting skaters'
boards.
This original group of skaters was Paul Schmitt, Ed Womble, and Ryan Clements. Realizing
they could be the ones to make a change in these kids’ lives, this group of skaters,
and by extension, the entire family at Skatepark of Tampa, organized the collection
of used skateboards, refurbished them, and gave them out to kids in some of the
sketchier areas of Tampa around the holidays. Boards for Bros was born.
Since that first year, Boards for Bros has been collecting and refurbishing hardgoods
for the kids in Tampa, and many folks in the skateboarding industry have noticed,
taking up their own collections and even donating complete boards.
In 2010, Emerica’s Wild in the Streets in Tampa
was held to benefit Boards for Bros,
raising money, awareness, and a bunch of gear to give to kids. That event
led to the formation of a long-term partnership between Emerica and Boards for Bros.
Wild in the Streets is about empowering kids, and by aligning with worthy causes
Emerica encourages kids to be part of something bigger than themselves, and even
bigger than skateboarding. All Emerica events will benefit Boards for Bros, and
the 2011 Wild in the Streets event in Los Angeles will be the launch of the first
Boards for Bros donation outside of Florida.
Boards for Bros Mission Statement: To inspire kids to use skateboarding as a gateway
to a healthy life by giving them refurbished skateboards through a joint industry
effort.
Participating Shops
The shops below are giving 10% off Emerica gear on the day you donate hardgood to Boards for Bros.
Active Ride Shop - all locations
Ambush, Kennsaw, GA
BC Surf & Sport, Littleton, CO
Billy's, Newhall, CA
Blue Tile Skateshop, Columbia, SC
Church of Skatan, Santa Barbara, CA
Clockwork Skateboards, Macon, GA
Epidemic Ride Shop, Cathedral City, CA
Escapist, Kansas City, MO
Fifty-50, Azusa, CA
Furnace, Cypress, CA
Goodtime Boardstore, Grass Valley, CA
Homebase Skateshop, Bethlehem, PA
Huntington Surf & Sport, Huntington Beach, CA
Identity, Anaheim, CA
IDS Boardshop, Los Angeles, CA
Index Skateboarding, Dallas, TX
K-5 Surf & Sport, Encinitas, CA
Kinetic, Wilmington, DE
Krudco, Rochester, NY
One Way Boardshop, Santa Maria, CA
Pacific Drive, San Diego, CA
Pharmacy Boardshop, Las Vegas, NV
Pharmacy Boardshop, Palmdale, CA
Pit Crew, Frederick, MD
Plus Skateshop, Fort Walton Beach, FL
Pride Surf and Skate, San Diego, CA
Rukus Boardsports, Baton Rouge, LA
Society Ride Shop, San Carlos, CA
Solstice, New Bedford, MA
Subsect, Des Moines, IA
Surfride, Costa Mesa, CA
Uprise, Chicago, IL
Vertical Urge, Raleigh, NC
Westside Skateshop, Tarpon Springs, FL
Boards For Bros Assembly 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
By Porpe
With the money raised from the “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” Art Show, we bought a good
amount of product from Ocean Avenue and Deluxe. A couple of reporters came by to do a story for Channel 8 while we put together over 200 boards. If it wasn’t for Frosty having a fridge full of beer to entice
us to volunteer our time, Clements probably would have been by himself putting boards together.
Check out some photos from round two of Boards for Bro's assembly.
Captain Clem leading the way making sure every single nut, bolt, hanger, kingpin, or any other truck part is being put to use. Talk about efficiency...
Skater Profile:
Ryan Clements
Thanks for the brews, Frosty. This is the beginning of the assembly line. Frosty is putting bearings in the wheels while Boston and Christa are putting the wheels on the trucks
Skater Profile:
Jason Fintel aka Frosty
When the wheels are on the trucks, it then continues down the line where Gonzo and Jeff “Death” Lako put them on the boards
The news your dad reads came by to do a little story on us. Thanks for coming by...
Thanks to DLX and Ocean Ave for giving us the bro deal for the bros. There are going to be a few lucky ghetto babies receiving some brand new completes
Captain Clem leading the way making sure every single nut, bolt, hanger, kingpin, or any other truck part is being put to use. Talk about efficiency...
Thanks for the brews, Frosty. This is the beginning of the assembly line. Frosty is putting bearings in the wheels while Boston and Christa are putting the wheels on the trucks
When the wheels are on the trucks, it then continues down the line where Gonzo and Jeff “Death” Lako put them on the boards
The news your dad reads came by to do a little story on us. Thanks for coming by...
Thanks to DLX and Ocean Ave for giving us the bro deal for the bros. There are going to be a few lucky ghetto babies receiving some brand new completes