Here are some pics from the Rock 105.3 snowboard contest that BambooSK8 sponsored this year. The winners were able to take home a new deck! Check them out!

Congratulations Winners!!

Thanks to El Niño, it looks like skating weather is going to come to the whole country a little earlier this year. That’s pretty exciting. We’re hoping this season is going to be the year of Bamboo; there’s no reason it shouldn’t be. Bamboo is a better material environmentally and our decks are real things of beauty.

I think right now we’re right around half way through our internship here. This last half has cruised by, and I’m excited to see what the next half brings; hopefully a world draped  in bamboo decks.

Hey Guys!

So you’ve already heard about the party and all that, so let’s look ahead – we’ve been very busy here in the Intern Cave and so there’s A LOT coming up!! We’re going to have another fundraiser party later this month. The more money we can raise the better!! We are also partnering with another charity to design a limited edition deck with part of the proceeds going to the charity, so keep your eyes out for that. Finally, we are going to be at Clash at Clairemont this year, so I expect you all to stop by and say hi! It is March 27th at the Clairemont YMCA.

In the next few days I’m going to try to get a picture or two up from the fundraiser so you can live vicariously through us. haha Till then, I’m out!

Hey guys how’s all the skating going!? How do guys like the new name of Hookit instead of Loop’d?
I can’t tell you how excited I am that our fundraising event so well! We raised a good chunk of money to go towards our after school program, but SO much more is needed. However, I guess part of me doesn’t mind though, I love throwing parties for a good cause! It was a great chance for us all to get together and spend some fun, team building time with each other that’s for sure! I can’t wait for you guys to see ALL the great graphics we’re creating, and some of them are thanks to you guys too!
Right now, I’m in the process of studying up on the BambooBuddy products, I really want to get the word out in any way I can about ALL the things you can make and do with bamboo! …Doing my own little part in saving the planet I guess 

Just had the fundraiser last friday, although I could not attend we had good success to contribute to out after school program. The program is starting next week and is going to be pretty cool. We are going to help the kids learn about business and the sports industry and environmentally friendly products. Then we have CLASH AT CLAIREMONT!!! It’s gonna be a busy next few weeks.

We are now in week 8 of our internship here at BambooSK8 and it has been a great ride. We had our fundraiser at the OC Tavern on Friday (2.26.10) and I think it went really well. We had a great time and got our name out there to a lot of cool people in the area. Throughout my time here I have learned a lot of unexpected lessons. I have changed my perceptions which has changed views of myself in different ways. This experience has only brought about good things for me. I have been learning more than I expected, and I hope to continue my education during my time here.

Last week was full of exciting events at Bamboo SK8. Despite my reputation for riding my motorcycle in the rain I was able to make it back and forth 3 times this week with out a single drop. That was accomplishment enough for me, but some other things were done too.

Monday I weaved my way around a few rain clouds on my way to  drop off the new Zine. (Its the paper in the box telling about our company and why bamboo is the right way to go.) If you’ve bought one of our decks already you know what I’m talking about. If not, be sure to look for it in your box on your next deck purchase. The new one touches on our environmental impact, strength of the bamboo, and long lasting pop. If you’ve sent in pictures for our Photo Contest your picture might be in the Zine! Check it out with your next deck.

Tuesday was a very productive day in the Cave. We spent some time getting things reorganized and primed for greatness in the future.We also consoled Marty on Canada’s loss and I ate a lot of PB&J.

Friday was our BambooSK8 fund raising party. We were raffling decks, taking donations, and cutting up the dance floor. The bands were really good with different people switching instruments, great vocal harmony, and a fun feel. I’d highly recommend checking them out. The event went well and once everything was done the BambooSK8 staff  commandeered the second dance floor until they kicked us out at closing time. I made it home dry once again to close out the week with no rain on the motorcycle. Wahoo!

I’m about a month into this internship and among a lot of other things, here’s a surprising thing I’ve learnt: The importance of Art. Its amazing how important art is to us; not just as skaters but as people. Having a good mix art in our lives (music, movies, design, etc.) keeps us sane while we spend time thinking about school and work and relationships or whatever. Its amazing how pervasive art is too: we all express ourselves through art, either ours or someone else’s; me, I’m getting sick of borrowing.

We’ve been talking a lot about art here lately; our new deck graphic, our graphic design contest; and just what a dope canvas a bamboo skateboard makes for art.

Anyways, that’s what’s on my mind these days. If you’re in the mood for watching something lifechanging about creativity check this out… education is where you find it…

Hey guys! Our kiteboarding event was so amazing to see if you haven’t ever seen that sport happen before, be sure you check it out one day! Right now, we’re all looking forward to our fundraiser at OC Tavern in San Clemente on Feb. 26th!
Be sure to donate on the site below if you can’t make it to our fundraising event! 

http://www.bamboosk8fundraising.myevent.com/3/donate.htm

Our Goal is at least $3,000 so we (and by that I mean, the kids) really need your help!
Things around here in the warehouse have been in motion with shipments moving like crazy! Somedays I fancy the thought of climbing up the mountains of bamboo in this place, but then the thought of an earthquake comes to mind and I quickly retreat to the intern cave!…Oh yeah, and I wiped out for the first time since I’ve been here…darn those cracks in the concrete! Haha! BUT, there is nothing quite like a bruise to brag about.

We have the Clash at Clairemont contest/event coming up in which we will be holding a booth and selling a ton of boards! Its going to be so sick. We also have the Fundraiser Party at OC Taver which is going to be so much fun. We have a lot going on right now and in our future which is going to help the company so much. Also we are having great results from the kids from hook it!

The Kiteboarding Event last Saturday was awesome! We met lots of cool people, sold a few decks, and hung on the beach all day. Unfortunately, the wind wasn’t strong enough for kiting, but there was a sweet surf contest with some really talented guys. After, a bunch of the crew headed to the Wave House down the street for the awards ceremony and after party, and to watch people test their balance and strength on the flow wave.

Next weekend on FRIDAY is our big CHARITY fundraiser party in San Clemente, come party with us!! Three bands, multiple rooms, and some cool, good looking people — gonna be a gooood time. =)

We also are going to be at the Clash at Clairemont on March 27th! Its a HUGE day of skating to benefit grindforlife.org, which helps people with cancer. Check it out!!

Tomorrow, Friday February 19th, the radio station Rock105.3 will be at Bear Mountain in Big Bear, CA. They will be giving away brand new skateboard decks from, you guessed it, BambooSK8! The conditions up there have been amazing, so if anyone is going, stop by the booth for some free music downloads and a chance to win one of our decks!

Hey Guys,

This SATURDAY 2/13, we will be at MISSION BEACH (at San Fernando St) in SAN DIEGO for the CKA Kiteboarding Competition. We’ll be playing beach games, hanging out and watching the kiters rip it ALL DAY. We also have some codes for discounted boards! Woo! See ya there!!!

I have really gotten in the grove of being an intern at BambooSK8 and I’m loving it! I am expecting to drop off a few boards to Clear Channel this week for a give away at an event in Big Bear later in the month. I have been in contact with Woot.com and other similar sites to get our boards for sale on their sites. They all sell one product a day for a 24 hour period. I was lucky enough to attend ASR last week after slyly getting in. I am still craving the waffle on a stick that was given away by the founder of Vans. It was far smaller than I expected. I think there were more half naked female promoters than there were booths. Crossroads, across the street, was pretty amazing  too, especially after meeting Christian Hosoi.

Last week I was fortunate enough to attend the Action Sports Retailers (ASR) and Crossroads trade show with Bri, Marty, Aaron, and of course our president Geoff Koboldt. We had a great time checking out all the booths of brands that I am familiar with and those that I have never herd of before. We talked to a lot of retailers about our company and showed off our new decks, while collecting contract information from those in the skateboarding industry. At Crossroads we were fortunate enough to meet and take a photo with professional skater Christian Hosoi. The whole experience was very informative and exciting, thanks again Geoff for inviting us.

Here we are in week 4 of the internship. Time is going quickly but really, we’re just getting warmed up.

Last week BambooSK8 made a spash at ASR and Crossroads – two industry trade shows aimed at action sports. I wasn’t able to attend but the company was represented well and I hear our decks turned some heads.

We’ve also begun to promote our fundraising party on February 26th at OC Tavern in San Clemente. There will be some great live music, good brews, good people and good times. Its all to help us start some after school skate programs in schools and you can buy tickets at bamboosk8fundraising.myevent.com in advance. Check out Bri’s post for all the details.

There are also going to be some good contests going up on Hookit hopefully by the end of the week. If you’re not on Hookit, get on. If you are, make sure you’re friends with BambooSK8’s Eco Tribe and check in frequently for updates. We’ve got three unique contests going up soon so check in and see what you can win.

As always, if you know of some good shops that need some good shop decks, let us know. Until next time, get out there and tear it up.

Hello World,

These are exciting times. A couple of us went down to walk around what has been called “ASR Lite” this week and took away some mixed feelings. Even though it felt like the event itself was on life support, our decks were turning heads while we were just walking around. It feels like there’s a wave of bamboo fever about to crash on the skate scene about our cleaner, better and just plain gorgeous decks.

But the coolest thing in San Diego this week wasn’t the (lusterless) glitz and glam inside the ASR; it was what was going on accross the parking lot at the Crossroads show; all sorts of people who just dig skating were slamming it. There was a little girl, who was maybe 2 and a half feet tall shredding it with the big boys. It was nice to just see skaters getting off on skating.

Anyways world, here at BambooSK8 we’re changing the face of the skating world one deck at a time. We’re in the proccess of getting our boards under some riders and people are digging it.

They say you can’t draw water from stone, so we’re liquifying; I suggest buying a boat, ’cause we’re gonna flood.

What’s up guys! I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am to be getting our fundraising efforts off the ground! We’ve got the BambooSK8 Band Bash on 2/26/10 @ OC Tavern in San Clemente going, and we plan to throw one each month in order to help out our after school program for underprivileged kids! Our kite boarding event is quickly approaching on 2/13 at Mission beach in San Diego, and I can’t wait to get us some great pics for you guys to check out!
On another note; the new sample decks that are both bamboo and hemp are in and look amazing!!….I can’t wait for us to completely get rid of the need to use maple!

Hey guys! We’re trying to team up with local schools to create an afterschool program, but we need money in order to get the ball rolling. So since we’re such a fun group of people, we’ve decided to throw a party – check us out: February 26th at OC Tavern in San Clemente, 21 and over only (it is a bar, after all). Doors open at 8:30, first band starts at 9. We got a great line-up together for everyone to enjoy – Frame of Mind, Off White, and Soul Rebel Alliance, check em out on their myspace pages. There will be a $10 cover at the door, but if you go to bamboosk8fundraising.myevent.com, you can get tickets for $8 before Thursday, February 25th.

See ya there!

This is the beginnig of week 4 for me here at Bamboo SK8. It has been a really cool experience so far. Along side of calling over 40 skate shops and drilling up whiteboards and shipping out skate decks, I was given the opportunity to make the contract for the BambooSK8 skate team which was a cool task. It is really fun and cool working and learning from these guys and cant wait to see what happens over the next few weeks.

Due to most kids current lack of money situation we are offering our newly sponsored skaters a huge discount on our new 70% bamboo decks. If you are a newly sponsored skater through the Hook It eco-tribe sponsorship and you have not herd about this deal please contact us though email, but hurry it is not going to last forever. We are also planning a fundraising party coming up at the end of February so stay tuned for more details.

Hi again, its Matt. Every day here at BambooSK8 we’re working towards supplying our decks to core skate shops throughout the country. As you know, we provide top quality boards with the beautiful ascetic and minimal environmental impact of bamboo. We can print your local shop’s logo or design on the board and then sell it direct to them. That way, when you need a new deck you can just walk in to your favorite shop and they’ll have a new bamboo board waiting for you in stock. When you roll out, you’ll be reppin your shop and have a stronger, lighter, better board than you went in with.
Our problem is that there are sooooo many good skate shops in the country its hard to know about all of them. If you have a shop in your area that you really like and think they should carry bamboo decks make sure you tell them about us. Let them know that we can customize the graphics and give them a genuinely unique product. And make sure that you’re asking for us by name, BambooSK8, and not just any bamboo board.
Now stop staring at your computer – get out the word and help you local shop, help us, and help the environment.

We have been working on getting some great graphics on our boards.  We have just gotten in a new monkey graphic which is awesome, and have been generating new ideas everyday on creative ways to get the coolest graphics ever. If anyone has something that you know other would love to see on our new 70% bamboo decks please let us know. We have also made huge improvements to the office, including 10 new white boards. I can already feel good things coming our way; Stay tuned for what they are.

Ahem. Greetings world wide web, Thanks for having me, I’ll try to keep this short so you can all enjoy your dinners.
I just started at BambooSK8 last week and its been a fun inauguration. Wednesday morning I hoped on my motorcycle and raced up to the BambooSK8 Intern Cave / Refrigerator. Kyle, Tyler (he’s at BambooBuddy), and myself got a quick tour from Mark and then got to work trying to sync our computers up to the servers, get registered on Loopd and some other social networking sites, and learning where the recycling bins were. Did you know that at BambooSK8 we’re so eco if someone forgets to recycle it costs ‘em two bucks. I highly recommend everyone adopts that policy. We donate the money to an eco action-sports nonprofit but you can find your own good deeds to do with yours.
I don’t know how many of you in San Diego noticed, but Wednesday’s weather in the morning was substantially different than the weather in the afternoon. Since full 5-gallon buckets of rain were dropping from the sky at 5:00, I regretfully ditched my moto gear and bummed a ride home. Watching the torrential rains was a good reminder of the power and scope of mutha nature. If I can get on my soap box for a moment, BambooSK8 and all of you that support us are doing a great thing for the environment. We’re proving that fun and environmental sustainability actually go hand in hand instead of being mutually exclusive. Bamboo has a much higher strength to weight ratio than maple and it has a lot more “pop” (although I don’t know the scientific units of measure for that one). In addition, bamboo grows fast enough that it’s a renewable resource. The same material that is stronger and pops more is also doing good things on a global scale. (You can even double your eco points by leaving your car in the driveway and riding our bamboo longboard to your local bodega and back.) In short, if you’ve been bumming about the weather lately make sure you’re doing all you can to minimize your negative affect on the environment, just like we are here at BambooSk8.
Check in again soon to hear about my quick dash between rain clouds on Friday.

Today is the first day of week 3 at BambooSK8! Besides going through two states in the master shop list, I have made a contact at the Clear Channel offices who will be stopping by later today. The plan is to give out a few of our decks at Rock105.3 sponsored events. This would also get the BambooSk8 name out on the airwaves. I have also been updating and adding people on myspace like crazy! I have created a group on there which has already brought a couple more onto the Loop’d site. I’m brainstorming with some other cheap promotion ideas, but you’re going to have to wait till my next post to hear about them!

Week one for me, week two for most of the rest of the group. Not much for me to say so far because I am still picking up the proper programs and learning about them, but things are starting to happen and get interesting. I am really looking forward to the next 4 months and am excited about the experience I get to be a part of.

This weekend, a bunch of us here are piling into a van and heading up to the Go Green Expo in LA. There’s no better place to get a feel of who’s doing what for the environment in the world of business.

If you’re in the area, I suggest getting out your bamboo board and cruising on down. Remember, the best weapon in the battle for sustainability is knowledge.

Learn yourself!

Hey everyone,

First let me say how psyched I am to be freezing inside the BambooSK8 cave, I love the vibe of this company! Let me give you some insight for what to expect from our class in 2010. If you haven’t heard about Loop’d yet, check it out! It’s an amazing site that connects action sports athletes with each other and most importantly, our sponsorship! We would love to see what you could do, so posts those videos of tricks we are yet to see in places that push the limits! We have graphic design, Top Promoter/Fan contests, and new contests are always in the works on Loop’d too.

On a side note, BambooSK8 is a totally green company and we want to know what else we could be doing that we may have missed. If you guys have any great ideas out there on how to manufacture even more green than we do and especially if you know of great, low energy ways we can heat this cave let us know! Also, if you know of any green charities and/or fundraisers we should get involved with, please email us at marketing@BambooSK8.com

We have a new contest on loopd.com (who is soon changing there name, again). Now skaters have the chance to create their own graphic. The winner gets a free deck. The ad was just finished, and it will be posted soon

Hey Guys, Bri here with an event update: We will be at the CKA Kiteboarding Competition in San Diego on Feb 13th, from 9am – 6pm. Its on Mission Beach at San Fernando St. We’ll have a tent set up with some games and goodies, more on that to come. For more information about the event, check out their facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/ical/event.php?eid=265889292921

See ya there!

The new %70 decks are in, and they are AWESOME!!! they have the BambooSk8 logo burned into the tail, and it looks great. They have so much more concave and pop, we are so confident that everyone is going to love them. We have been working hard on promo’s like starting a graphic contest and a “best promoter/ fan” contest for everyone. The winner gets a new deck and their graphic is going to appear on our new decks. So get your pencil and paper out or your computer and start working on those awesome graphics. We also have changed our levels or sponsorship for all the kids on Loop’ed so check it out at loopd.com and get sponsored!!!

It is now Thursday and my fourth day in the office. I have met just about everyone that is currently working here at BambooSk8, and I am very impressed with everyone. I have been working with Andrew getting to know the ins and outs of the Loop’ed networking site. I have been learning a lot of new things about different aspects of Bamboosk8. We are currently trying to come up with ideas to raise money for a marketing budget. If there are any good ideas out there please let us know. E-mail geoff@bamboosk8.com

I want to talk about Loopd. We spend a lot of time on loopd and it is a great concept. A social network site that is just for action sport athletes. A great way for skaters to meet skaters. Not only that but the people on it get inside hook ups and companies get to make more sales and get to know their fans better. Amazing! With that said I always thought Loopd.com would be full of kids. I was wrong there are plenty of older athletes on the website. I just want to say, “Right on!” Being an older skater I am glad to see all the older guys holding it down. I also want to encourage all of the grommets to keep skating as long as they can so they too can represent for us older skaters in due time.

Hey all;

Just landed here on Industry St. and am stoaked to get my hands dirty in the world of skateboard manufacturing. I got a mean green streak and there’s a strong environmental vibe going on around here, so I’m excited about that. I’m just getting my bearings so not much to report, except that the water is warm and I’m excited to dive in.

Winter is a wonderful season.

Hey all! Here I am, first day at BambooSk8. And I’m with Aaron, its freeeeezing in here! They should warn us to bring our parkas and mittens! Anyways, I’m psyched to be here and can’t wait to start in on the real work. I’m interested to see what the next few months will bring!

I’ll check back in a couple weeks. Cheers!

Here I am, hopped up on a couple monster drinks, in the freezing sk8 cave during day 1 of class 6. I’m part of a lucky elite few who have the honor of being interns and I am already loving it. The day has mostly been spent getting acquainted with the paperwork and assignments which will define my next few months here. I can’t wait to see how everything plays out!

I flew into LA on friday, and spent the weekend up there, but now I am in Oceanside at the Bamboosk8 office/ warehouse. I have only spent 5 hours here on my first day here, but I already know that I am going to like it. I like the cave and the warehouse, and the people seem really cool too. There is not much to report on yet, just getting everything on my computer set up…. Stay tooned for more updates!!

Back in the cave puttin in work had a great christmas break with the fam that involved sleeping, eating, watching sports, sleeping and eating not necessarily in that order though haha. First day back got hit with the essay and theres definitely a difference without the other interns there to do it with but got it done without to much devastation to my confidence haha. Aight stay up one love and all that jazz.

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and a very happy new year, I know that I did!!!! We are all gonna be very busy here in the next few weeks trying to finish up all of our stuff here as interns and tie up any loose ends that we might have. BambooSk8 will also be having there new interns arrive very soon!!! I am very sad and very excited to have this internship come to an end! So here is to a new year for BambooSk8!!!

So I just went up to LA where I have access to a state of the art printer called the brother gt541. This thing is pretty amazing but it does have some flaws such as the fact that it doesn’t have white ink…however the new model does have white ink and that will make if much more versatile. Anyhow I was able to do a couple of test prints and make samples of a bamboo tshirt and bamboo bandana. the material is great, it’s 70% bamboo and 30% organic cotton, I think the organic cotton really adds a dynamic to the fabric that brings out the true quality of the bamboo. The prints turned out well…however I think I could improve on the drying process a bit; it was a bit harsh on the bamboo fabric. Still the ink dye looks good and there is potential on this road…hope to get some pics up however I think they won’t do the product justice; you really have to feel the fabric it’s awesome! hope fully we can get some out in the market soon.

Peace.

The new 100% decks arrived last week and they look great.  We reduced the price on the new decks to make them affordable for everyone this holiday season.  When is the last time you bought a new deck for twenty-four bucks.  And the best part is, all you Loop’d kids can get even more of a discount off of that.  What more can you ask for? Get them while supplies last because they are going quickly.

On a side note, next week is our final week as interns at BambooSK8.  I am so thankful for having this opportunity at BambooSK8 and I can’t say enough goods things about the company.  BambooSK8 is truly the future of skateboarding and everyone in the industry is starting to realize the benefits of skating bamboo.  All of us interns who stuck it out and completed the internship have really learned a lot and good things are in our future.

Til next time.  KIR.

This week has been great. We did some remodeling around the warehouse…actually it was more like thoughtless moving of objects to create more space in this ever cramming warehouse. We gained a substantial amount of space to fill. Stayed up all night putting together designs for my own personal tshirt brand, as well as recreating existing designs for projects associated with bamboo. They look good so far, hopefully this success translates over to the garments. still have some last minute prep to do and another couple of designs.

Longboard sales are going well they are flyin’ off the shelves! They look really good to I think people will be stoked on them.

Hopefully all goes well in LA on Monday…fingers crossed.

Hello everyone!!!! So we are almost coming to a close here at BambooSk8.  It has been a great run here for me and I feel that I have learned a lot in my time that  have been an intern here at BambooSk8.  I have been fortunate enough to have meet and worked with some amazing people. There is a possibility of us doing a local skate park tour. If this happens we would like to visit a few local skate parks and promote the name of BambooSk8. It would be nice to have local kids, at local parks working with a local skateboard company. This is just an idea and everything is not final yet, but let us know your thoughts and ideas about this. Also, don’t forget about our video and photo contests of the week. Get skating and show us your moves!!!

recently we were presented with a business scenario of a mock skate company. After an hour of playing out all the information given in all possible combinations it was clear; things were not looking good for them. We calculated that even after taking all measures to cut cost there was still a loss of 5,000 per month. This was shocking for us. The only remedy for this loss is to increase speed and quantity of sales.

Back to the drawing board.

I went back home for good old turkey day and of course I had to go skate all the local spots. I went to Hawthorne skatepark, Daweong Song’s home park. It was closed because of some graffitti. I have skated that park forever and the people ruining it are the same people skating it. All I want to know is why do you have to ruin your local spot. If you are skating it every day wouldn’t you want the skatepark to be in the best condition. Here are some basic rules to follow no matter what skatepark you are at:

1. Show respect to everyone because you never really know who they are
2. If you spill your drink in the park take off your shirt and clean it up or else someone will slip and break their arm
3. If you are going to someone elses park bring a gift. If you are of age, beer, if you aren’t then water or energy drinks
4. Don’t drop in on any one EVER
5. If someone does something sick hoot and holler. Trust me they’ll do it for you in return and it will push your skating that much further.

6. Most importantly respect the park. Skaters barley have anywhere to skate anymore so why trash the one spot we are allowed to skate

Geoff surprised us with a business scenario where in solving we really learned the difficulties with running a business it was a greeat experience made you really think in a challenging way but at same time had the effect of causing me to desire even more to cut my own niche in this business.

As we enter the final month of the internship it is hard to believe how much I have accomplished.  All the projects that I have been working on are in full swing and good things are happening at BambooSK8.  The internship program is very labor intensive and a true test of skill and determination.  This is my third internship and by far the toughest. Our intern class has really been pushing our products and the sales are increasing as a result.

BambooSK8 was fortunate enough to have a month of free advertising on Rerip.com and I was given the opportunity to create an ad for the website. Check it out if you haven’t already.  The BambooSK8 website has been going through some changes as well and it is really coming together.

All of us interns have come a long way and dedicate a lot of time promoting a quality, sustainable product, that is truly the future of skateboarding.

Hello, hello!!! So we are coming to and end of week 12 here as interns at BambooSk8. We only have 4 weeks left! I can’t believe that we all have already come this far! People are starting to really buckle down on their projects and finishing up all other things. We finally got our longboards in a few weeks ago, so make sure you check them out!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Way to go for Greg who brought the idea of our longboards to life!!!!  There is also a really sick event this weekend! Come join us at PACIFIC BEACH SURF SHOP”S Green Room Opening on ASEC!!! It is this Saturday November 21st from 6-11. It’s going to be a great time so please stop by and support BambooSk8, Pacific Beach Skate Shop and ASEC!!!! Hope to see you there!!!!!

This Saturday (November 21st) ASEC will be opening their Greenroom at Pacific Beach Surf Shop. There will be food, drinks, live music, live art, a surfboard gallery, and much more. Come out and support ASEC with the BambooSK8 crew from 6pm-11pm! Go green!!!

The Kick Gas Festival, which took place a couple of weeks ago, is the West Coast’s largest eco-party which included a ton of music artists and D.J.’s from all over.  Music artist’s like Matisyahu came together to promote a cleaner lifestyle.  It is a great place to check out the latest forms of alternative transportation.

We set up a booth alongside Ocean Beach Surf and Skate which featured a skate demo. Below are some pictures I took at the event.

Next year this event will be even bigger and better so be sure not to miss it next time around.

Hey yall just keepin everybody up to date on what is goin on the decks are shippin out crazy fast like roadrunner fast i need to hurry up and get mind before theyre all gone. But slidefest is this saturday and it should be real legit cant wait to be there see these dudes tear up the hill.  Right now still we’re still building the business model for soft goods its a slow process but it sure to pay off huge dividends in the future!

Hello all!!!!! Week 10 here as an intern at BambooSk8 and everything is going grrrrrreat!!!!! This Saturday we will be attending an awesome event in Oceanside called Slide Fest!!! There is going to be a downhill slide contest, a contest for best trick and much more! BambooSk8 is going to be coming out with longboards very soon so this a perfect event for us and for you!!!!!! Please come and stop by and support BambooSk8 and all the longboard riders!!!!! For further info go to http://gravityboard.com/slidefest2009/  I really hope to see many of your faces!!! It’s a local event and it should be a blast!!!

Whats up everyone it’s Schwan checkin in week 10! Things are starting to pick up around here now that we have a bunch of decks…but they are moving quickly! Longboards are coming in soon, excited. There is never a shortage of things to do here. Currently I am wrapping my head around designing, gathering material and planning textile prints to make bandanas. Also there is talk of developing a street team…looking forward to working on t-shirt designs for eco tribe as well.

Peace…

October 17th was the Future of Surfing Event put on by Rerip in Solana Beach.  It was a gathering of eco-friendly companies to support the recycling and exchanging of old surfboards.  OB Surf and Skate and BambooSk8 put on the skate demo during the day giving the attendees some entertainment.  All in all it was a fun event that gave us a great presence among the green community. Here’s some photos from the event courtesy of Brian Keathley and Nathan Peacher:

Hello everyone!!!! It is week 8 here as an intern at BambooSk8. Everything is running smoothly over here.  This Saturday the 24th some of the team from BambooSk8 will be attending a huge eco friendly event at Qualcomm Stadium. This event is called the Kick Gas Event and it is all about finding alternative fuel technology. Matisyahu and 20 other bands will be there as well as many other DJs. BambooSk8 will be teaming up with the Ocean Beach Surf-n-Skate and setting up in their section of the event. Come check us out at the event!!! It should be a great time!!! There will also be a skateboarding demo, so if you can rip it up, get down there and show off your skills!!! Tickets are on sale right now for $10 and they will be $15 the day of the event at the gate!!!! I hope you all can make it out to this event, it is going to be huge!!!!!

Whats happenin people for the past two weeks i have been focusing on the developing of our t-shirts and soft goods department and its coming along slowly but with the rest of the interns working together we hope to get some designs out in the near future. Just got to visualize that day when you walk into your local skate shop and see the latest t-shirt from bamboosk8 on display its what motivates me.

I recently was in Mammoth and had a chance to stop by the Volcom Brothers Skatepark on my way out of town.  It was six o’ clock in the morning and about 36 degrees outside so it wasn’t exactly ideal skating conditions. Just rolling into the main part of the park towards the capsule is enough to get your heart thumping and your eyes watering.  It’s better than any cup of coffee I have ever had.

This park is a reflection of the big things that are possible when the skateboard and snowboard communities come together.

R.I.P. JLA
(“Jeff Anderson is snowboarding. Jeff Anderson is skateboarding. Jeff Anderson is passion. Jeff Anderson is unity.”)

Come out and support the cause!

Just wanted to keep everyone up to speed. This first month as an intern for Bamboosk8 has been a great experience and things are moving quickly. I have been working on various projects to get Bamboosk8 where it needs to be. Balancing various projects at the same time has been challenge and a learning experience.

I have been working on creating partnerships with other eco-friendly companies for future events and promotions.  I can’t really talk about the details but keep your eyes and ears open. The word of bamboo skateboards is spreading in a rapid way thanks to our interns.  Everyone is starting to realize the benefits of bamboo skateboards as opposed to maple.  One day when bamboo replaces maple we will all be able to breathe a little easier.

The last couple days we received a new shipment of our hybrid bamboo decks and wow do they look amazing. After years of testing and feedback, these are truly a reflection of perfection. These decks are flying like hotcakes so any of you shop owners out there or loop’d kids better get on it if you want to skate some fresh bamboo. Those of you who have already ordered your decks please feel free to send us some feedback.   It has been a great experience so far and I look forward to bigger and better things in the future.

Til next time.

Be a part of RAD on Saturday, October 10th!

RAD-Roll Anything Day

Hello all!!! It’s the end of week six here as an intern at BambooSk8. All is going well and we are working hard. I finally have my pics of BambooSk8 in Europe!! I hope everyone gets a chance to check them out! Let me know what you think! Soon BambooSk8 will be a  house hold name in Europe!!!!

the gloves are off, training wheels removed, etc, etc we’ve been given free rein as interns to cause havoc or come up big like kobe bryant in the playoffs hahaha. on the real we’re starting to get into our various projects and the beginning is always the hardest but once you get an idea or lay the groundwork everything else comes that much easier so im going to keep plugging away kowing that there is always light at the end of every tunnel. H.E.R.O.

These past couple of weeks were pretty busy for us, conducting market research, mailing out boards to sponsee’s from our new shipment and building things. Andrew G and I took some initiative and built the first addition to the warehouse skate obstacle arsenal and it turned out nice! we just put a couple of pallettes together that were similar in size and then jerry rig braced them together. At lowes we shopped for a desireable peice of plywood for the top surface but as soon as we got there someone told us that their saw was broken and that we were out of luck. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise because I walked out frustrated and found the optimal peice of plywood for us sitting in a pile of scrapwood in front of the store. Not about to accept defeat we grabbed the plank and headed to Home Depot where a guy cut if for us for free and it was on.  Plus I got a fresh complete on a hybrid bamboo deck.

Let the training  begin…

We are getting new decks in a couple of weeks. They are the hybrids. 70% bamboo. We are also getting new longoards by the end of Novmber. I love coming to work and being surrounded by skateboards. Breathe easy, sk8 bamboo.

The 5th annual Vans Downtown Showdown was once again held in the Paramount Studio lots in Hollywood over the weekend.  This event brings out some of the best street skaters in the world to test their abilities on custom features designed by certain companies.  This year was no exception when it came to creativity in features which showcased the talent of different skaters.  The features were Girl’s Little China Banks, Flip’s Extremely Sorry Ashtray Pyramid, Creature’s Hesh Cross, and Black Label’s Drunk Tank and Twelve Step Program.  Although everyone was killing it, Jani Laitiala took top pro performance while the overall team winner went to Foundation.  Until next year….

Photos courtesy of Skateboard Revolution:

Hello everyone! So I just got back from an exciting adventure in Europe. I went to Amsterdam and London.  I brought my BambooSk8 shirt and some stickers and spread the word of BambooSk8. I had an amazing time with the people I met in Amsterdam and London. A lot of people were very interested in BambooSk8. Hopefully soon we will see BambooSk8 across the globe!!! Stay tuned, I will be posting some pics from the trip and you will be able to see how BambooSk8 visited the canals and the Heineken Experience in Amsterdam as well as Stonehenge and Big Ben in London.

Just wanted to keep everyone up to date with what has been going on here at BambooSK8.  During the second week of the internship all the interns attended ASR which was a great experience for all.  You can read all about it in my last post. It was something I will never forget and I hope to attend it again in the future as my career in the action sports industry continues to grow.   

One of the main objectives of this internship is to spread the word of BambooSK8 and create awarness for future generations to come.  I can’t say enough good things about this company and the internship program.  Bamboo skateboards are the wave of the future and have proven to be superior to its counterpart maple.  Tested and proven in the Sole Tech labs to have more POP than maple!!!  What more do you want in a skateboard than a durable product thats got POP? 

We want to thank all you kids out there on loop’d network that are buying our decks and supporting us.  Keep on sending us those photos for the weekly photo contest and keep on rippin’.  Whether your buying our decks directly from us or in your local skate shop, you are starting to see the light and supporting a good cause.  One day when all those maple trees are gone what will you turn to?

This is a great company and a wonderful opportunity that I am proud to be a part of.  Until next time….

NateP

This past weekend hosted the annual Hot Dawgs and Handrails up in Big Bear, CA.  Every September snowboarders from around the world come to compete and party.  It’s quite easily my favorite event of the year because you get to hangout with pretty much everyone you’ve ever snowboarded with along with meeting new people at the same time.  Every year is amazing, and this year was no exception.  The following photos are courtesy of Snowboard Revolution:

Well I was glad to be a part of ASR this year instead of just being a spectator.  It was a great experience hanging out with the Bamboo crew and promoting the brand.  I was able to meet a lot of new people during these few days and hopefully made an influence on them.  Although ASR was mainly about doing business, we did have our fair share of fun too.  We attending video premieres, skate contests, and much more.  Here’s a link to a photo that made it onto surfshots website: http://www.surfshot.com/Surf%20Events/Photos/ASR+September+2009+Tradeshow+Pictures+The+Girls+The+Booths+and+few+Dudes-175301.html

Monday always seems to be a good day for healing. I skated all day on saturday on my new bamboo deck. After I skated I went to see Guttermouth. It was so much fun. I’m so sore today though. I don’t even want to move. A good sign from another great weekend.

The ASR experience was something I will never forget.  I have been to the show before but this was the first show where I felt like I actually belonged and served a purpose. Other times I had been there under some other alias, or at the job fair, but it was never this productive.  The first day was spent spreading the word of Bamboo as an alternative and superior product to maple.  Kids and other buyers that stopped by the booth were well aware of who we were and seemed very interested in our skate decks.  I spent a lot of time networking and talking to kids about our products.  It was really special to see that kids were well aware of our products and why purchasing our decks, as compared to maple, directly effected the environment.  To hear a kid tell me “bamboo grows three feet a day and has more pop than maple”, that was something else.  Its just a great feeling to know that part of our younger generation is aware of sustainability and its importance for generations to come.  By the end of the first day our company was lucky enough to land a spot on Fox News San Diego and I went home and watched it that night on the 10 o’ clock news.  It was a great story about how companies in the Action Sports Industry are going green and using environmentally-friendly products.  It set the stage for the days to come and created a buzz about BambooSK8 around ASR.  BambooSK8 is one of those companies at the forefront and I am proud to be a part of that.

There was plenty of entertainment and eye-candy throughout the weekend.  One of the highlights of the event was probably the Volcom skate ramp.  It was fun watching groms destroy it and old school skaters trying to hang.  One kid that definitely stuck out was Little Louie Lopez.  Its hard to keep up with the skate scene these days with all these young guns coming up.  The trick that stuck in my mind was a gap to frontside krooks down and across a good portion of the ramp.  Freakin’ Groms!  One other highlight was the first ever Office Boyz skate contest.  Its a contest put on by Malakye that involves desk jockey’s and employees from around the Actions Sports Industry.  You would be surprised at the level of skating by the people who sit behind a computer all day and  work in this industry.  Do they really work all day? I think they are taking way too many skate breaks.

Overall ASR was a great experience and our team of interns did a great job.  People were even asking for our decks when we were loading up the truck in the parking lot.  I would say it was a success for BambooSK8. Way to go team!

Peace out.

ASR was like a tornado blew around the world and deposited the leading action sports brands in one city at the same time it was like one of those dreams that you get mad at yourself after waking up from it. Walking around i was surprised over and over again how people who did not even skate were interested in what we were doing because of that it was important to have working knowledge of the products we were promoting. It was a great learning experience and i cant wait till the next one and maybe next time the security guards will let me into class@asr because i couldnt smooth talk them into letting me by. And on a random note its been discovered im the best box maker out of the interns if there was an olympic event for it i would have been the michael phelps for it hahaha. H.E.R.O.

Whats up everyone this is Mark S, most people just cal l me Schwan. I’ve been an intern here at good ol’ bamboosk8 for about four weeks and everyday I’m learning new things and getting excited about future projects. I’ve been attending Palomar College for a couple years mixing gen. ed. and graphic design classes and I’m hyped to be in a real world environment applying real world skills. Also I’ve been a cook now for about 5 years…can you eat bamboo? I found out about bamboo skateboards from a friend, and actually worked in the warehouse before I became an intern. I grew up surfing and still surf but skateboarding has become my new crush and is definately at the top of my list of extra curricular activities. Love the bamboo decks; I’ve ridden the 5-ply 70% and the 4 ply 100% and they got POP! haha. It’s amazing how there is always room for inovation and improvement, especially when you combine that with eco friendly morals.

LiV well…

ride grass…..PEACE!

ASR was crazy as always and I was glad to see they expanded on the free skate area outside of the mini ramp. I was definately a walking bilboard for bamboosk8 and lots of people noticed that I think. We sold lots of boards and I was able to talk with alot of people I never thought I would see inside and at the after partys. For example I shared conversations over long island ice tea’s with Christopher Campbell (the president of photon skateboards) at the ASR after party in the woodstock rooftop pool at the Hardrock. And of course the reef girls were there…yay! Overall I think it was beneficial for us to have a booth there, especially being a part the ASEC greenroom corner.

Does anybody know what was up with the booth that was selling Ron Burgundy sunscreen..?

Hello evryone!!!! So this past weekend BambooSk8 attended ASR at the San Diego Convention Center.  I was very fortunate to be able to attend with the rest of the BambooSk8 team. This was my very first time attending ASR.  This was one of the best experiences of my life!!! I had a blast walking around and seeing all of the different booths and  being able to meet new and interesting people from the action sports industry.  I was able to speak with consumers of our product as well as people from different companies in the industry. It was nice to be able to converse with people from all different types of action sports companies.  I was exhausted by the end of the weekend but it was well worth it!!!! BambooSk8 had a very successful weekend at ASR!!! I am very excited about the progress we made at the event and I cannot wait till next ASR!!! Now I am off to Europe and hopefully I will be promoting the BambooSk8 name in Amsterdam and London!!! Watch out Europe, here comes BamboSk8!!!!

My weekend started with ASR. It was my first time there and I was stoked. It was the most I have ever felt that I was actually part of the action sports industry, and man did it feel at home. I was runnig arond like a chicken with my head cut off checking out all the cool booths that were around. There ws so uch to see I was never in one place too long, and oh man the mini ramp they had, SICK! Volcom built it, there were like three diffrent sections on it, all a diffrent size with volcom stones connecting them.
I was tagged from head to toe in the Bamboo Sk8 logo. I was talking up bamboo with everyone I met. I eventually made it around to brands. I gave them my pitch, we talked for a bit. No matter what they said I stayed around and picked their brain as much as I could, to get insider information on the industry. The former owner of Vision (the second oldest skateboard company) gave me a full on lecture of the industry and answered all of the questions I had.
We ended up selling plenty of decks, both long and short. It was definitley worth our time there.
On Sunday I attended the paddle for clean water in Ocean Beach, put on by the Surfrider Foundation. The surf was lke 8 foot so the paddle got cancelled (I’m not going to lie, I was hoping it would so I didn’t feel guilty about surfing instead of doing the paddle). Sarting at 11 a there was a free concert with Iration headlining, and tribal Seeds playing too. Also Stone was there giving out free beer (hell yeah!) That whole event got attacked with Bamboo Sk8 stickers. Everyone there got a sticker, and if they didn’t they heard about bamboo, that’s or sure.

Breathe easy, Skate Bamboo

Afeter redoing the zine multiple times, it is finally done. Everyone who sent in an ad to our contest on loopd can see their ad placed on the back page of the zine. That is right all 74 Bamboo Sk8 ads are on the back of the zine. Make sure you check it out if you participated in the contest.
On a side note. This week officially makes it the half way mark of my internship. For those people looking for an internship I highly recommend this program. I have lerned a lot and enjoyed every minute of my time here at Bamboo Sk8.

First day was crazy like padded room occupant crazy they threw alot of information at me and at first your head is swimming but it gets cleared because everyone was real willing to help out  they were not joking when they said its like a family here. Right now im just learning how BambooSk8 operates, the correct way to contact different business and individual entities, and most importantly the goals and mission of this company. I know that this internship has me on the right track in terms of future goals such as owning my own apparel company hopefully that happens before BambooSk8 corners the market haha

I’m Cristina Dominguez, the new Spanish Marketing Intern. This is my first week in Bamboosk8 and I’m really happy to be part of the team. I studied Economics and Media Production and I’ve a strong passion about board sports. I hope to meet all the “bambooers” at ASR! cya around

My name is Nathan Peacher. I bring to the table a B.S. in Advertising from Northern Arizona University with a Graphic Design and Web Development background. I am currently pursuing a web publishing certificate from UCSD.  One day I hope to be part of a creative team for the action sports industry.  Growing up in Laguna Niguel and Orange County, the mecca for the industry, I am a life-long consumer of all the big name brands.  I was fortunate enough to grow up in an area where I was always at the beach, skateboarding, or snowboarding.  I love all outdoor activities and have lots of hobbies including photography and painting.  I pursued my passion for snowboarding by living and working in Lake Tahoe for six years. I have maintained a consistent amount of freelance work and recently moved back to Southern California to pursue a career in Web Development.  I am very excited to work with a company like BambooSK8 who is revolutionizing the sport of skateboarding. My life long passion for board sports will prove to be invaluable during my internship with BambooSK8. It is a great opportunity to work with a company that is involved in changing the world for future generations to come.

More to come……

Hey there!!!! It’s me Chandra. Started my first day as an intern at Bamboo Sk8 today! I can say that this place is great! I am super excited to be a part of the team and I cannot wait to see what this company has in store for me !!! Bamboo Sk8 will be at ASR September 10th-12th this year and I am very happy to say that I will be there as well!!! I look really forward to working ASR this year and I am even more excited that I will be working it with the Bamboo team! Stay tuned for more of my blogs to come!!!!

I currently attend Palomar College studying graphic design/communication and my hobbies are surfing and skateboarding. I also work in restaurants and know how to deglaze a saute pan.

The weekly photo contest is up and running on loopd and we’ve had a ton of great pics being sent lately. On a side note, the booth for ASR is coming along nicely with everyones help. Big things to come…..

BambooSK8 is coming to ASR this year with all new and improved 100% and 70% bamboo short decks, along with our New 100% bamboo Longboards in three different shapes and sizes!  If you get a chance to come to ASR this year, held at the San Diego Convention Center, come check us out in the ASEC Green Room, a section dedicated to sustainable companies in the action sports industry.  Hope to see you there!!!!

Skate Green,

Mark O.

grand prizeTime to get stoked. I am proud to announce a new contest in the works here at Bamboo Sk8. The contest involves shooting an Eco/Skate video. The video is a chance for contestants to get creative. I have been working closley with Ron (head of public relations), and we so far have finished an outline for a “pilot” run. The pilot run will include all the basic ideas of the contest for four teams of participants to compete against eachother. We will pick the best video for a grand prize (later to be announced, but trust us it will be worth competing for). If the pilot contest runs with out any major problems we will unleash the contest to the masses. We see this contest eventually going national, maybe even international. We also have diffrent variations of the contest, one will revolutionalize the skate market. We are changing the world one step at a time. There is no stopping us and eventually you will have no choice but to join us. Why not join us now. Go ahead, help us save the world. I dare you.

Hey everyone I know it’s been a while since I’ve made a post so I’m here to update you guys on what’s going on.  Inside the office I’ve been doing everything from finding and calling new shops to potentially carry our products, working on a deep cleaning product, answering e-mails, helping out with labels, helping with loop’d, and helping edit the new zine that Phillip has created. Today I’ve been busy reogranizing the warehouse and I’m about to clean out the kegerator.  Outside the office I’ve been surfing a bunch, visiting local skateparks to promote BambooSk8, and hangingout with some of the other interns.  Here’s some pics from a recent mini ramp sesh on the bamboo decks:

The X-Games were sick this year. Lots of sweet one footed skate nollie nose grabs. The Staples Center smelled like gas from all the dirt bikes that were going brrrrrrrrr!!!!! When it came time for the big air comp I was ready. We had great seats, and as Bob Burnquist flew through the air I was sure he would hit his head on the score board thingy……so close. It was a great time and fun was had by all. BambooSk8 will always be at the best skate events and look for our Zine dropping knowlege on the internet and your local BambooSk8 dealer.

The X-Games was AWE-SOME!! I had a blast. We went to the big air contest and we sat all the way at the top which wasn’t really bad at all cause we got a great view of everything. We were also sitting 3 rows away from the drop in and that was awesome to watch the skaters so close up and see them drop. It was an over all great atmosphere to be in and I will say it is definitely an experience for the books!

Hey just want to introduce myself, my name is Marina Baham I’m a new intern here at BambooSK8. I just graduated from Saint Mary’s College of California with a BA in Sports Management. I have been at the internship for a couple weeks now and I love it! I have enjoyed skateboard since I was about 8 years old and I have just recently become more fascinated with surfing. I am interested to start my career in the Action Sport Industry and I am even more excited that I am at BambooSk8 getting some experience!
Lately I have been getting to know more about how the company works and what us interns do to help contribute. I have just started working on the Loopd website and getting to know the people we sponsor and how to reach out to others and bring them on our team! I am excited to take on more and learn more, so I will let you know how it goes!

The Zine is almost done. You will get one with each purchase from the website. Included on the back page is all of the ads that were submited from the ad contest we held on loopd. Make sure to check it out.

As of August 2009, we are pleased to have hired Mark Olson, one of our interns who has spent almost 9 months of interning and then leading the intern class.  By being persistent, learning from his mistakes, being positive, getting results, and a few other quality traits, Mark earned himself a spot when the opportunity arose.  Timing + opportunity + hard work is what paid off.  Despite the fact that we had over 50 resumes for the position, hiring internally is what made sense for us, and all the more reason why we do the internship program; to grow talent.  As our company grows, we hope to continue this tradition.

Another former intern from class 3, Greg, is now working for us heading up our longboard business.  We expect great things from Greg!!

Also, yesterday, we had lunch with a former intern Kenny from the first internship.  Kenny is now helping our old friend Donald at Dark Horse Distribution (Grind King, Termite, Dogtown) with operations, as well as venturing into some new technological things.

Our former intern Krystie who was hired at Fox after our internship is kicking butt over there, and still finding time to help us with various graphical items.  We can’t say enough good things about her!!

Once the market picks back up, we are hoping to see more of our interns find jobs within the industry.  At the same time, some interns find that action sports just isn’t for them… or that they thought they wanted to do sales, but realize they dont… it’s all a part of the process of self growth.

All of the Interns and I are working on a new zine. We plan to have an e-zine along with one every time you order a deck. Make sure you check them out. Who knows some of your work might be in it somewhere.

So it’s been a while since my last post, thought I’d fix that…I’m still workin on the textile whatnot and things are going really well.  Bamboosk8 has been nice enough to add my name to a patent for a bamboo product I’ve been working on for quite a while.  I get to see the first samples either today or tomorrow, super stoked!  I can’t say any more right now, just know there’s all sorts of awesomeness goin on here…

What’s up! Today is my last day as an intern… I’ve been here 6 months and it has been a pretty good ride so far but as all good things must come to an end, so must this. The contest I created ended last week and now I’ve been working on it all wrapped up. The inner workings of the contest and helping the Loop’d kiddos with their skating and sponsorships were my some of my favorite aspects of the internship as it was an ever-changing project. Every day I would have pictures, videos and questions some related to the Eco Tribe and some just “check out my friend totally eat this trick”. I really enjoyed the variety! I really liked being involved with youth marketing; it seems to be a logical fusion of my previous work experiences and personal interests. I hope to enter into this field… (I’m currently job hunting)

Here are some pictures of Alyx, Andrew and I taking bamboosk8 into open water… just another average day at the office:
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A few of us interns had the opportunity to go out on a boat in the San Diego Harbor this week. It was really fun and had some awesome views. We took a Bamboo deck and wrote “I’m on a Boat” on it for some good SNL’eque and Titanic photo ops.

And last night two of our previous interns, Kristie S and Mark D, had some of their deck art work displayed at Tap Room in Pacific Beach. Their skate decks will be hanging at the bar for the next month if you want to go check it out.

TapRoom Art Show

I'm on a Boat

Bamboo Sk8 is a revolutionary company. It is dedicated to putting out the best product on the market, while saving the world one tree at a time. I am proud to call myself a Bamboo Sk8 Intern and I look forward to doing my part to develop, market, advertise, and sale skateboards made out of bamboo. I see this company as ground breaking, soon influencing other companies to get creative and eco-aware of their product. I look forward to working with everyone at the company and learning as much as I can from them. Every day I will come in with an open mind and suck up as much knowledge as I can that will better my performance ultimately leading to the betterment of the company. Stay tuned good and extraordinary things are bound to happen, soon.

Hi my name is Shawn Wood and I’m interning at Bamboosk8. I recently graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Business. When I was living in Northern California I worked at Ground Zero Board Shop. It was lots of fun and I learned the ins and outs of this crazy industry. Ground Zero opened some doors for me as being a sub rep for Electric Visual, and Sanuk. Lots of fun and challenging at times, and went from selling items to customers to placing reorders with owners. I moved back to Southern California to be closer to the hub of things. I’m now interning at Bamboosk8 and love that I’m working for a company that cares about the environment. I worked at a skate shop for over two years and had no idea that skate boards made from maple are cut from 60 year old trees. Not down with that and now that I know that I really support the fact that Bamboo is the way to go. It grows super fast and you can Ollie 3” higher. Stay green, but not like the Hulk.

Shawn

Erin and I got to go to the Hobie Surf/Skate Shop Green Room opening last week in Laguna Beach. It was really fun and a lot of people came out to support the first shop in America to have a Green Room; a room dedicated to all things environmentally friendly in surf and skate. It featured a bunch of Volcom and Livity products. Pro skater Ray Barbee played some music along with tons of free food and drinks from Adina, Chipotle, Amazon Energy, and Yerba Mate.

The ASEC Green Room @ Hobie Skate and Surf Shop, Laguna Beach, CA

Wuts Up guys!

I’m Christie one of the new intern for BambooSk8. A little about me I am Colombian and I was raised in San Diego, CA my whole life. I currently go to school at The Art Institute of California, San Diego. I graduate at the end of this summer with a Bachelors of Science in Fashion Marketing and Management.  My biggest passions are photography, art, and traveling. Growing up in SoCal has allowed me to be surrounded by surfers, skaters, and snowboarders which inspired me to get into the action sports industry.  As an intern at BambooSk8 I have been able to work and multiple projects while interacting one on one with skaters through networking sites.  I look forward to learning more about the skater’s lifestyle and being a part of crazy events throughout the summer such as Go Skate Boarding Day, ASR, and more!

Christie

On June 18th, we all met up (owners, interns, family members, etc.) at the El Callejon restaurant in Encinitas off the PCH; a delicious mexican restaurant who was recommended by our Office manager Laurie.  This was the final celebration of our 3rd graduating class of interns at bamboosk8, although unfortunately 3 of the interns couldn’t make it and 3 others never graduated.  We were very fortunate to have Chad, the owner of malakye.com come out and celebrate with us, as well talk to the interns about what he is seeing in the job market.  After having dinner, Geoff spoke to the interns about “value” which he accomplished by demonstrating who would still want a $100 bill after it was crumpled and stepped on – it’s still $100 and so are we as human beings, no matter what our circumstances – we’ve all been down, stepped on, etc.  but we have to recognize our value and increase it.  Next, Geoff gave Kevin (krystie’s boyfriend from Germany) the $100 bill and a plaque thanking him for his help with  some packaging of our decks.  Then, Ron and Wyatt spoke about each intern giving personal stories of the value we found with each intern, as well as handing each a plaque recogning:

 ”most likely to succeed” – Greg

“class clown” – Mark D

“best photography” – Jamie

“most creative” – Kystie

“most persistent” – Mark O

“most improved” – Brittany

“most congenial” – Monica

“most dilligent” – Monique

Most importantly for Geoff was giving a plaque to his lovely girlfriend Catherine – “the woman behind the man”.

We then followed the evening with a final thank you from Mark and then photos, hugs and autographs.  This group will definitely be missed and we are confident that they will do well in life in their future roles in action sports and hopefully skateboarding.  No matter what, they will always be a part of the bamboo family.

Mark D and I made the trip up to Santa Barbara to represent BambooSK8 at SurfRider Foundations Concert for the Coast in Isla Vista near UCSB’s campus.  We donated 6 of our decks to be raffled off and brought up some great new prototypes of our longboard line coming out later this summer.  We were also able to take a photo shoot and great video of our longboards in action on the great mountain roads in Santa Barbara, one being “Death Mountain”.  Here are a few great pictures from the event: 

yo dudes,

So I’m Kennen (a.k.a. kage, kbear, conan, rage, etc…).  I started as an intern here at BambooSK8 about a month ago.  I went to school in Ithaca, NY – the craziest hippie town around, think San Francisco but with happy hippies.  Got my bachelors in fiber science from Cornell in January and moved straight back home to Orange County.  Ithaca was awesome but it was way cold!  I thought I was gonna get a job right of college no problem, but the economy thought otherwise.  It’s cool though, this internship has been pretty sick.  I’ve been able to do way more as an intern here than I would have as an employee at any major company.  Right now I’m working on the textile side of bamboo and have a couple projects in the works.  I’m pretty stoked for this weekend, we got Go SK8 Day on Sunday – I’ll be wandering around various skate parks in Orange – and I plan to get a tech package done for my first bamboo product!  More about that next time though…peace

kage

Hey we’ll be at the Del Mar/San Diego Fair next Weds. We finally have stickers and will be handing them out and raffling off a deck. We’ll bring our new Bamboo long boards so come check them out!

So kids, farewell time!! This will be my last post.. I was lucky enough to get a job as a designer at Fox Racing and have already begun on that whole new journey.. I will miss the bamboo crew, and the fun crazy work environment, I had a ball and learnt a lot about how start-up businesses operate in this tough industry- was experience ‘behind the scenes’ that you definitely wouldn’t get at any of the bigger boys within the action sports industry.
I started my internship on the other side of the world- in Australia- and ended my bambosk8 journey here in Oceanside, CA. Just proves that you can be anywhere in the world and gain valuable experience- as long as you have skype!! While I was at bamboosk8 I worked on graphic promo material and I helped develop the new and improved website which will be launching soon, keep your eye out for it..
So thanks to everyone – Geoff for giving me a chance on the other side of the world, and thanks to all the interns- you guys are awesome and do a great job!
Will miss you all,
Krystie

ps
If you want to see some sexy bamboo decks I will be featured in a skateboard art exhibition down in San Diego on the 1st July, the gig is at ‘Taproom’ and will feature different artists from SD and OC- mark D- another intern, will also be in it so come along!

I just finished making a new poster for Bamboo SK8 today, hopefully i’ll be able to screen print it on posters and they will become give aways at events or be sent out with each deck purchase. I made it by hand which apparently was really unnecessary, so i’ll be learning how to use photoshop for future designs.

My name is Andrew Gray and I’m a new intern here at BambooSK8.  I just recently graduated from Cal State Fullerton with a BA in Marketing.  I surf just about every other day, skateboard often, and snowboard regularly in the winter.  I’m stoked to be contributing to the eco-friendly movement!

I’ve been learning a lot about the company, products and customers lately.  I was able to help out with some of the latest ASEC skate demos in orange county and had a blast seeing everyone stoked on BambooSK8 including some of the top pros in the industry.  I’ve also got a lot of positive feedback from a couple friends on how the boards perform which is awesome.  Here’s a pic from the latest ASEC event in Huntington Beach of some of the local skaters who will all be skating these rad boards soon.

Every day I talk via email to a variety of young skaters via Loop’d. These skaters range from children to adults and it is awesome because they share with me cool videos and pictures of themselves. But it is the youngest kids that I think are super interesting. At a recent ASEC event in Orange County, CA, I got to meet someone whom I believe is BambooSK8’s youngest skater, Shaw.  Shaw is 4 ½ years old, only rides BambooSK8 and tears it up! He is tough for his age too! He’d fall and just brush it off and keep going. HE DOES NOT CRY. He is probably about the size of the cruiser board we gave him to try out… see for yourself:

Im a new intern here at Bamboo SK8. I am a soon to be senior at the College of Charleston in South Carolina but living here in Oceanside for the summer.

This past weekend we went to the Orange County High School of the Arts and a high school out in Huntington beach for ASEC skate demos called Recylce Your Brain. Fabrizio Santos and Tash Townend were there! We gave away 100 decks! It was a pretty fun and I walked away with some free stuff of my own. Over all a good time.

Brett in front of the Bamboo Sk8 tent and deck sculpture!

I see a lot of random things on the internet related to skating and by far this has maintained as one of my favorites. Do you have $8,250 to spare?  They’re only making 3 of them… You’ll def. try to figure out a way to scrape that together once you see this bad boy. Maybe a good present for the girlfriend….

One word really describes this: Baller

So leave it to little blonde-haired me: I tried to login under my intern blog and it kept giving me an error notice. Typical.

Well kids, my time at BambooSK8 has come to an end and I’m very grateful for the opportunities I had during my four months here. I got to meet a lot of cool and interesting folks and really work on honing my photography skills. I had a blasty blast working on the start-up of the music program and I really hope it grows into something awesomely huge. As for me, I’m getting ready to dive back into ESPN full time in the fall for more drunken college football shenanigans. I’m also getting closer to seeing my dream of starting my own photography business come to life. I’m even shooting a wedding this month, eek! Cross your fingers and toes, too, for good measure.

a hui hou,
j

My web http://www.geocities.com/danni_bao

Here is the poster for the Isla Vista Surfrider Foundation concert this Saturday in Santa Barbara.  If you live in the area come check out the event!!!  This foundation is critical to keeping California coastlines excelent for surfers and marine life.  We are hoping on working more with this foundation in the future.

Party….Mark D

Back for more, cause I aint had enough.  Get ready for more blogs and more event photos.  Here are some pictures from Earth day up In Santa Barbara!!!

-Also, Isla Vista Surfrider foundation concert this weekend!!!!!

SO this internship is all about having goals, accomplishing your goals, etc etc. One of my goals was to create an advertisement contest on Loop’d… and I have! The contest revolves around the idea of including the BambooSK8 logo as well as a creative catchphrase onto an image. This can be an image of themselves or something random. (As long as they submit a signed photo release waiver, they can include pictures of themselves) I post all the eligible entries into a photo gallery on Loop’d titled “Ad Contest Entries” and the Loop’d members can view, comment and vote on their favorite advertisements. The winner of the contest will be picked by the interns and they will receive 5 decks and stickers. We have 24 submissions at the moment and it is growing every day. I am hoping that this contest will really take off now that most schools are out for summer and the Loopties will have more free time to take pictures and mess around on the computer.  

Here is a link our Loop’d profile where the contest is featured: http://www.loopd.com/members/bamboosk8/Home.aspx 

Toodles,

Mo $

Here are 2 example advertisements that krystie and I worked on:

Hey guys

So I finished another few boards over the weekend… Here is one of them! Workin hard on the new website design, check out the sneak peek.. Thanks to out past intern Jaimie for some awesome photos of the Alex..
Also finished a collaboration on a board with MarkD today. Image coming soon!

Cya
K

Hello Everyone! I just wanted to drop in and write on last final post and tell you all thank you for making this internship such a wonderful experience. I was able to learn so much about action sports industry as well as what it means to be a start up company. I enjoyed interacting with each one of you whether it was through email, skype, or phone. It has been a pleasure!

Good luck, have fun and skate safe!

-Monica

Hi all!

Just wanted to give this blogging thing a go and say a big hello to everyone that I have not had the pleasure of meeting quite yet

I had a great time at the ASEC event, those little kids can rip it up out there, totally fearless! Anywho, hope you all have a great week and see you all soon!

Cheers,

Erin

p.s. Chrystie- I love the skateboard!

Hey kids!

Krystie here… i’m a newbie (well kind of) here at BambooSK8, all the way from the land down under!! Im an Aussie who gets a hard time around here for my accent, but im slowly teaching the crew some good quality Australian slang

So a bit about me- im a graphic artist, i make things look pretty, and i love to paint. I’m currently working on a brand spankin new look for our website, so keep an eye out! I work on anything from labels, brochures, advertisements, logos, stickers, websites.. and lots more. I also paint boards, this image shows you one of them- they will be available for purchase if you are interested.

So i’m super excited about the long boards that will be coming out soon- you should be too!

I will upload new board images as I finish them- hope you like

Krystie

MarkD and I visited Earth Day in Balboa Park this past sunday reppin’ BambooSK8!!!! 

As promised is the photo shoot Jamie Mark O and myself did last week.  Just learned how to animate GIFS, lucky you.  Maybe the title should say “Bamboo Sk8, cleaning up the streets”

Any other ideas for a title or text to add?

Mark D out

This intern office is HOT!!! Literally, I am sitting still and sweating.  Atleast this means summer is almost here.  I am thinking there is no better way to do summer right than on a bamboo sk8 deck.  Maybe we will do some promotional speedos if it gets hot enough, I know this guy would appreciate one.

-Mark D out

So today was eventful….I made 2 new structures out of old decks that will go to events with us, made a new add for loopd, and did a modeling shoot in the back with a white tank top on.  I felt like a piece of man meat, much like these gentlemen.  Just a standard day as a Bamboo Sk8 intern.  mark out

Aww yes, Spring time.  Baseball, the prospect of summer, good weather, and prom.  who are you taking this year?  I was thinking Oprah, but looks like MJ beat me to her.

I love vomiting up rainbows in the afternoon…..yum… actually took a break from E-shield today and started notching some recycled skate decks to make a rad burning manish tower for events…. pictures coming soon.

-Mark DDDDDD

Yo yo yum…Pillaged in the intern pit again today.  Almost coming to a close with E-Shield and getting Wyatt prepared for the big pitch.    Strength and honor Wyatt, godspeed on your journey and make bamboo buddy/sk8 proud.   Mark D, out

Welcome to my……underground……lair….. muuuuhahahahahaha….Bamboo Sk8 interns just got the boot and moved into a new office today.  By office I mean glorified closet.  Good news is that there is now a fold out couch. Yay! After all this Monster (sleepy juice) I’ll need it.

Still alive annd kicking.  Got sick last week so I live the life of an intern via Skype…..ya ya!  Here’s what’s happened since:  Clash at Clairemont, Dodger’s luncheon, painted boards, and Santa Clarita Skate Park opening.  Enjoy the pics stalkers.

Still finalizing my T-shirt designs, but learned an important lesson today in marketing.  Always keep your target demographic in mind.  Yeah, I might make a design that is for more mature adience, but sometimes I forget who is going to be affected by what I am putting out……..with that said I ran into a leprechaun last night who convinced me that the one thing the Leprechauns like more than gold……….is Bamboo Sk8 decks…….keep your designs sharp, but your wits even sharper!

Yoooooooo, this weekend I went with some of the interns to Clash at Clairemont. It was an awesome event and good chance to talk to kids who were jacked on atleast 3 Monster energy drinks each. Anyways, today I started working towards one of my goals, designing some new T-shirts for Bamboo Sk8. I wanted to go for the………..

meets…………..

and then sprinkle some……….

with a touch of…………..

no wait….that’s not right…… well you get the picture. I’ll be pposting my retarded love children shirts tomorrow that I have come up with!!!
-Mark D

a simple question i would like to ask anyone who comes across this site. Would you skate bamboo…the majority of people i have asked responed with a second guess…”wait, whoaaa the boards are 100% bamboo?” They appear to be quite turned on to the eco-friendly factor and immediately begin asking more questions about the deck and how they can get their hands on one.

So this I ask you… would you skate bamboo?

If the answer is yes… join us on loopd.com and gain access to discounts and deals on our boards… soon you’ll be asking the same question to others…or maybe it will even take a turn around to be

“Do you skate Bamboo?”

Just a thought

Cheers,

Kerrya

Hey everyone,

I am super excited to announce a very exciting event that should happen next month!!!

I am in the process of working with Ron, and Cayden, a High School Senior @ Poway High School.

I don’t want to give too much away just yet, but just know that this will be like no other event. Some details to entice you… bamboo ramps, bamboo decks, bamboosk8, it will be a revolution

Stay tuned for more info… till then

Have a wonderful weekend!

Cheers,

Kerrya

The events that led me to Bamboo Sk8 as follows:

Graduation

No money

Moved in with parents

At the computer for a month straight

Finally found Bamboo Sk8!!!

-It’s my first intenrship, and a great learning experience already.  Working with such a large team with different schedules has proven to be difficult, but will make all of us interns stronger and better leaders once we figurethis out.  I really want this internship to be successful and help jump start some amazing careers, so i am staying positive and learnning how to listen more than anything!!!  If I take anything away from this internshhip it is to be positive!

-Mark D

Internet, I have a confession to make…March is one of my least favorite months. Sure, St. Patty’s Day is a good time to celebrate being GREEN. But the later light makes me yearn for suh-hum-mer nights while the biting winds and cloudy skies remind me that Old Man Winter hasn’t hit the road just yet. Don’t get me wrong; I love shreddin’ some pow pow just as much as the next girl. But summer brings glorious sunshine and perfect weather for putting your wheels to the pavement — and using your Chevro-LEGS!

So needless to say, I pretty amped for upcoming events at BambooSK8. Summer brings more festivals and contests, which means more opportunities to get our name out there!

In the meantime, while you’re waiting for March to go out like a lamb, check out one of my favorite sites: www.freerice.com. This non-profit site provides a free vocabulary game in which every definition you choose correctly, the United Nations World Food Programme donates 10 grains of rice in an effort to end world hunger. Totally rad! Now you can talk about that transcendent, majestic kickflip down the thoroughfare. : )

a hui hou,

jj

Whats going on guys? My name is Gary and I am an intern here at the infamous BambooSk8. I have been here at BambooSK8 for about a month and half now and really enjoy everyone I work with. The tasks are demanding yet extremely rewarding when done. Since alot of you dont know much about me let me fill you in. I grew up in Costa Mesa, a small city in Orange County next to Huntington Beach/Newport Beach. Graduated from a small school called Estancia High School, and played Junior College Football before getting a scholarship to Southern Miss. at Orance Coast College. I played Center for 2 years at Southern Miss and for  Confrense-USA and received a degree in Business.

Once I was done with that part of my life I quickly moved back home because I couldn’t get out of the “Dirty, Dirty” fast enough. Yet when I got home, there seemed to be void in my life since I was playing football anymore. I didn’t have to wake up a 5am for weights, be at a meeting, get ready for next weeks game. I literally had nothing to do. So i went back to school, am currently working on a double major in Graphic Design and Advertising and hope to get a job for wicked awesome action sport company.

I am wicked excited about working at BambooSk8, I found the add on Malakye.com and applies as soon as possible. I am way stoked on being a pioneer of these 100% Bamboo skateboards, its a innovation to the industry to say the least and the future of ec0-friendly thrashing. So that is a little about myself, and my first post. Hope yall enjoyed it, and I look forward to more. Till next time!

Gary, Out!

Hola Mi Amigos!

I really didn’t know what to expect for an Action Sports Industry internship.  I guess I expected that my internship would entail me packaging boards, attending and creating skating events or some other fun things that skateboard manufacturing companies do. I have always wanted to work in the Action Sports Industry ever since I went to my first Roxy Amateur Surf competition when I was 13 years old.

BambooSk8 looked like a great place to start building my resume. I have grown up with skaters and love the counter culture! This internship has definitely tested my email skills. I have never checked my email so often!

I am currently working on building a Bamboo skate ramp! Nothing is set in stone just yet but when it is……it will be ridiculously awesome!

The best part of this internship is the trade show! I went to the ASR trade show in January and it was Rad! Everyone is so stoked to be there and I met so many funny people , I can’t wait to go in September. The Action Sports Industry is sick because everyone is so chill! I was stoked when I found out I didn’t have to wear a suit to the office! Keeping everything relaxed and mellow gets the job done!   

Till next time!
B

So in my search to broaden my Action Sports knowledge even further (I’m pretty well versed in BMX, Snowboarding, Surfing, Wakeboarding, FMX, and even Inline) I came across this internship with Bamboo Sk8.  It caught my attention because I was intrigued by the overall concept of it all.  Skateboards that are 100% bamboo.  At the time, I had NEVER heard of this being done…I knew that most decks were pressed out of Maple, but a bamboo alternative was something that I did not know was an option.  So that is what brought me to Bamboo Sk8 initially, the Curious George in me wanted to know more.

My initial expectati0n of the “internship” is that it would be like every other internship that I have done…I have had them in both the Music and Sports worlds…and each one starts off with you doing simple tasks and errands to show to the higher ups that you are not a complete moron and are, in fact, capable of increased responsibility.  However, with Bamboo Sk8 this is not the case.  Early on you are given a small bit of direction and then you are left to get things done on your own and thus show what type of self starter you are.  This is not a method that is utilized by most, but one that I think was supremely affective once we interns figured things out.  I know for myself in my past internships, a very close eye is kept on you and you are given continuous direction as to what needs to be accomplished per each day.  So I was thrown off for a bit.  But once we all started to piece it all together and were asked to put down what goals we wanted to accomplish during this internship period on paper, from there things started to materialize…it was like greyhounds at the races…off and runnin.  The longboard work gettin done at bamboo sk8 when I arrived was sporadic, so my pet project was to research anything and everything I could amongst the longboard market to determine what would be the best board size and accompanying components to go into putting together Bamboo Sk8 completes.   So that is what I am in the middle of as this goes to press.  Stay tuned.

On the street deck side of things, we were recently part of the ASEC Green Room section at ASR a few months back and were able to release our newest generation of decks.  The response to the boards was awesome!  People were super stoked on the new level of concave and the how the boards held up.  Plus, our booth was right next to the mega ramp so we got to watch some current pros like Andy McDonald and Christian Hosoi as well as a gang of different groms launch themselves throughout the three days.

Until next time…viva la Bamboo!

What was your expectation coming into the internship and what brought you to Bamboosk8?  Hrmm… lets see well the Action Sports Industry brought me to Malakye.com and the overall feel of the company brought me to BambooSk8, from skating to socially responsibility they got me. From that point, I scheduled an interview date and now I am a part of the team! My expectations have been met: a laid back working environment where we are expected to take responsibility and take pride in our actions. Working efficiently and effectively is of utmost importance!

What is one obstacle that you have overcome in the internship?
One obstacle that I have had to overcome is that fact that I communicate with the majority of BambooSK8 employees through the internet, not always an easy task. I work in Los Angeles while others reside in the greater San Diego area. But through the use of telephones, email and most importantly Skype I have been able to overcome this and communicate effectively! 

Elaborate on where you are heading your goals and the importance of laying down goals and sticking to them.
Currently, my goals are still being established. Now with the help of another intern I have expanded by goals to include a more detailed project that I am very excited to be a part of. Without laying down goals and sticking to them the goal itself will never be accomplished. Therefore, setting realistic goals from the get go is key to success. 

What has been the most fun part of the internship?
As a part of the internship program I am encouraged to attend as many events as possible. Although, I have not been able to attend all the events, the ones I have been able to participate in have proved to be the most fun. Representing a company that you are excited about and learning about “the real world” is super fun! We have multiple events in the next couples of weeks and I cannot wait to attend! 

Peace, Monica 

Holler!

My name is Monique but most people call me Mo and I’m a new intern at BambooSK8.  I started just a few days ago and at this point, I’m still figuring out where the stapler lives and what my future goals are with BambooSK8.  I figure my best bet is to give you a little bit of information about myself.

I graduated in May 2008 from Trinity College in Hartford, CT where I double majored in Art History and Hispanic Studies.  Between graduating and now I’ve been a busy bee. After working at the New Children’s Museum in San Diego all summer, I embarked on some travel escapades from September until the end of January. First, I went on a cross country road trip for a month through the south of the US. Then I flew to Ireland, Chile, Argentina and Peru.  I read about the internship on Malakye.com while in Chile and decided not to apply right away because I still hadn’t finalized the date of my return to San Diego.  So 2 months later, when I was back in San Diego, I applied for the internship and here I am!

Three things I’m currently amped on:

1. Working on our presence on the Loop’D network. I’m particularly interested in Youth Marketing so this seems like a very direct way of reaching that demographic. 

2. Working with Ron on projects involving skateboarding programs and fundraisers for the Hollenbeck Youth Center in East L.A

3. The Civil War reenactment happening in Vista this weekend.  Yaaa get excited! http://www.goldcoastfestivals.com/civilwar/civilwarpg.htm

Toodles,

Mo

I’m one of the experienced interns at BambooSK8, having graduated the program in January and having the opportunity to stick around and help out in improving the program. When your coming into this internship it can be shocking how much input you can have in a final product. However, this can also seem overwhelming with the amount of freedom you are given to search for ways to aid in the company’s development. I advise in asking tons of questions and working with everyone to learn from each other, while taking your goals seriously and updating them every chance you get. Being able to choose S.M.A.R.T. goals and work toward achieving them takes a constant effort, while seeing the larger scale at which we are all working towards. These are a few of the challenges I have worked on with the time I’ve been here and am still working on.

To be able to see where I and we (BambooSK8) have come only over the past few months is amazing. It is also great to see this new group of interns develop and improve on what the previous group has achieved. This is also a motivator for what the future can hold for the company along with myself.

Some of the great times I have enjoyed are of course at the many events I have had the pleasure to attended representing BambooSK8. 1^st Annual Battle at the Bay, Veterans Day all Military Skate Contest in Coronado, ASEC event in Huntington Beach along side Tony Hawk’s 80s day at Quicksilver Headquarters, Black Box Crossroads retailer event in Carlsbad, and the biggest and best ASR (Action Sports Retailer) at the San Diego Convention Center. ASR was my favorite event, having not been to one before, being able to see all the different companies and connecting with all the people at the event was incredible.

Until next time…

Mark

Decided today, to get my ass in gear.  I am charging ahead with bringing Bamboo Sk8 to Isla Vista April 11th.  Yes, I am going back to my college stomping grounds for some good times and good vibes.  If there are any young people concerned about the environment and are interested in alternative sports, this has to be the perfect place!

Attack of Bamboo Buddy… working on packaging for another environmentally friendly product.  In fact, it is so eco-friendly, I hear you can drink this magic elixir and be fine.  I’m actually getting thirsty, which got me to thinking……….

Day 10 brought the interns together again for another group meeting, plus Gary via electronic futuristic conference call thingy.  More clarity and less confusion were the result……. Yay!!!  I also tried setting some skate goals for myself and started skating around the warehouse.  Needless to say, I was winded after 2 minutes and was on the edge of black out/ heart attack…..which got me to thinking that these boards would be perfect for me.  yummy yummy heartattack

-Mark D

Put your hard hats on, myself and Greg did some renovating in the intern office today.  Four power drills and a jumble of wires later, we made two holes in the table…..Yay!!!!!  It actually organized everything way better than it was before and should make the office more conducive to creativity.  I’m not exactly amazing with the power drill, but I am working on it….so watch out Village People.

So last week brought big things in this neck of the woods…with that came an earlier then normal start time, but all for the good of Team Bamboo.  I myself was here to actually see it all go down and lend a hand as the trucks showed up and some of our bamboo products were loaded up and sent to numerous Lowe’s stores across the state…and a few neighboring ones.  So you might be askin what any of this has to do with the world of skate…well, without our fearless leaders makin these big moves, Bamboo Sk8 would cease to exist.  What some would consider the “not so sexy” side of this business is what in the end keeps the lights on and keeps it all progressing forward.  I was pretty stoked to be a part of the maiden voyage and hope there are countless more to come.

Viva La Bamboo

mmmmmm….donuts and red bull does a body good……… Day 8 brought the other intern, Monica, down from LA, very fun.  I worked on a marketing platform for Bamboo Sk8 and took some pictures of the first boards i painted.  Photo quality sucks i know, but I hope you enjoy.  I think i’ll do some more themed decks, they are just so fun and funny.

Mark D…. day 7….. mission possible….. loaded trucks today, fresh with Bamboo Buddy fencing.  It reminded me why i never wanted to become a professional mover.  It was definately cool to see a product being shipped to stores though.  Also, started thinking about american trucker culture and how crazy their lifestyle must be.  I want to know everything about it, especially the shady side of trucking.  Till tomorrow, keep on truckin.

What brought you to BambooSK8?

I come from the corporate world of traditional sports and sometimes football is just not the business. I had a brief taste of being a professional in the action sports world and was hungry for more. I came across this great opportunity with BambooSK8 and was stoked! It combined one of my most valued personal ideals of being environmentally sustainable with my love for action sports. Zing!

How is the internship so far?

While there were some bumps in the road at first (Master List ‘O Death, as Mark D. likes to call it), things appear to be rolling along and picking up the good vibrations. It’s been said that nothing worth having ever comes easy, so I know our hard work doing the icky parts will really pay off in the end.

What are you learning?

As a surfer girl, my board is missing wheels, so I’m learning about all the things that go into making it roll. And I’ve been learning how to work as a team again, which is so important in the professional world. Even if you’re the president, you’re often a small piece of the bigger picture that keeps everything rolling along.

What are your goals?

I’d definitely like to work on the networking and branding for BambooSK8. Ultimately, I want to work on my photography and eventually become legit where people throw wads of cash at me to take their picture. I kid, I kid. But I really do want to use my photography to tell a story and hopefully strike a chord to promote that which I am passionate about. I hope to start by taking some photographs for our nifty company to promote the radness of our bamboo movement.

A hui hou,
j j

Greetings Bamboo Sk8 folks,

First entry into the bamboo blog, or blogs in general for that matter, so hopefully this treats me kindly.  So things on the Bamboo Sk8 front are starting to take shape for us interns.  First month was a little up and down as we all got our feet wet and figured out all that was goin on.  We were able to attend both the Blackbox Distribution show as well as ASR (ASEC Green Room…Holla!) and as we make our way into month numero dos things are gettng interesting as we all have our pet projects at this point that we want to champion and charge full speed ahead on.  For myself, it’s testing sample decks and goin all Sherlock Holmes on any and all info that I can as it applies to wheels, trucks, bearings, glues, etc. as to what would be the best combo for a complete long board.  Took one of our sample decks into a local skate shop near my house in PB last week and had the guy put some trucks and wheels on it and then took it out this past weekend to see how it held up…and so far so good.  I’m a little bigger then your average long board rider and I ride my boards pretty hard.  Took this board out for a good two hours, or 5-6 miles…whatever you prefer, and it held up great.  Had to pump way less then I normally would with my shorter board and was able to kick back and cruise.  So for the first voyage…two thumbs up.  Stay tuned for more things to come from the Longboard Lothario.

Laterz

What brought you to bamboosk8? Well, the process began when I came to the realization that corporate America was not the thing for me. What can I say…sitting in a cubical is just not my jam! But, I do want to make good use of my education and combine that with my passion for snowboarding. So I thought to myself, what combines passion, excitement, and business? The Action Sports Industry! From that point forward I began researching various companies looking for internships and part time work. In my search, I came across BambooSk8 and instantly became excited because the company combines skateboarding, environmental sustainability, and practical experience that I can take with me on my journey into the real world.

How is the internship so far?
I have previously been employed as an intern for various corporate firms within the business world and as such I have had the privilege of making copies and running errands. Basically, I felt like I was not reaching my fullest potential and let me tell you it is one of the most unfulfilling experiences I have ever had. As a result it is no surprise that I am stoked to have my own responsibilities here at BambooSk8. There is a great sense of accomplishment when you are able to directly see the results of that work that you have completed. Although at times we all want our hand to be held and told exactly what we need to do I have come to realize we are only going to learn by figuring things out on our own and by making mistakes.

What are you learning? Lets see…I am leaning a lot! Seeing as we are still in the beginner stages as a company I am able to get a feel for what is means to work in various departments. For me this is very important because like so many I still do not know what I want to do with my life. By experiencing the various aspects of starting a new company I hope to find direction and ultimately an area in which I would like to specialize.

What are your goals? My goals are centered around the Loop’d network and increasing the knowledge and importance of becoming eco friendly in all aspects of life which includes our passions i.e. skating! We are living in an era that is going to see the direct consequences of our actions today therefore I am striving to get the younger generations excited and educated on the positive effects bamboo has on our environment and how they can play a direct roll by participating in our Eco-Tribe.  PEACE-Monica!

Oh! How I love Fridays! It’s raining and freezing today at the office. Yesterday I was talking to my Dad about skating in its formative stages. He told me about this film they showed him in Second grade called Skaterdater. It is a short film about the dilemma all Second grade boys encounter. Which is it, skating or girls? This short is sick because it shows where skating started. The skaters in this film are barefoot on tiny boards covered in wax because grip tape wasn’t invented yet and they had clay wheels. My dad was telling me how mind blowing and cutting edge hopping a curb was back in the 60’s. Skating has come so incredibly far and this film proves it! Check it out!

Till next time…..B

With each new class of interns, we have new personalities and skillsets to work with.  This time, we have a very diverse group of 9 from various backgrounds and education levels.  When I look back at all the learning lessons over the past 3 intern classes, the central theme becomes how to motivate people and see the vision.  Ultimately, people don’t know what they don’t know, so it is our job as leaders to help them see the light.  Here are a few key concepts to really think about as one progresses:

1.  Learn to kick your own ass and take responsibility.  In the future, the days of the industrial revolution mentality of carrot and stick and being managed are highly unlikely.  You have to learn to manage yourself and take responsiblity for getting results.  How will you ever grow as a leader in leading people if you can’t manage yourself?  4 functions of management are planning, organizing, leading and controlling.

2.  Attitude – people get hired for ability and fired for attitude.  I’ve seen my share of people with bad attitudes and its draining.  Between stimulus and response, we have the ability to choose.  If you choose to have a good day, you will have a good day.  We’ve had interns who got good results but their attitude was poor, which is ultimately why we know they won’t do well in the business world until they change it.  We try to help them, but its hard to change a behavior of someone who doesn’t even recognize their weakness.  They will when they fail a few times though, which everyone will experience at some point for the most part.  I learned this personally when I wasn’t getting promoted and I had to stop and look at the situation – so I asked for 360 feedback from everyone around me and chose from that day on that I would work on my attitude.

3.  Communication – It is imperative to be in touch with your team and know how your piece fits in with the others towards reaching results.  I often find folks not responding to emails quick enough or failing to ask their colleagues for assistance or feedback.  We had to get rid of 1 intern this class because of failure to communicate.  The most disappointing thing for me is when people don’t take the time to rack my brain with things; they forget I am a resource.  My door is always open…  Oh, and another weak part of communication is when people whine a lot and then complain to others to support their complaints.  That negative feedback always gets back to us; always!

I am looking forward to tremendous results out of this current group of interns.  2009 should be a strong base year for BambooSK8 as the world gets educated more on our 100% bamboo skateboards.

be kind,

Dr. Geoff

Had intern group meeting today…..finally some clarity in the group and some new goals to look forward to.  we are super close to slaying the beast that I call the “master shop list ‘O’ death”.  I like to remember that recycling and caring about the environment is not just for the hippies.   It can be fun, exciting, edgy, and sexy.  I mean look at Paris….she just paid 100 clams for this guy’s whole bag of cans, proving that recycling is like totally “in”.

Hey Hey

So I will be calling my first skateshops today on the famous “master list” shop…or as Mark likes to call it… “the master list ‘o’ death! I really don’t think it will be that bad… I’m listening to Mark calling one now and he sounds like a PRO! Holla

Wish me luck…

Cheers,

Kerrya

Dude whats up!

So I just got back into town after being gone for a week in Arizona!!!

It’s great to be back in SD and definitely awesome to be back at BambooSK8!

So I have started working on a facebook page for Bamboo, we have a myspace, but seriously myspace was so five years ago. Facebook is the new thing and think it is an absolute must have for companies these days, especially those reaching out to the younger consumers.

I had some difficulties with it at first (kept saying my password was wrong, but it wasn’t!) so hopefully today it should be up and running.

Check it out!

Cheers,

Kerrya

Yup yup…..I’m trying to post as much as possible to document my time here at Bamboo Sk8 for myself and others.  learned the whole shipping process today, messed up gripping my firstt boards but got the hang of it.  The first decks looked like a group of angry badgers used the decks to floss with.  Then i got on to looking at my goals I first set for myself.  One of which is a recycling program at skate parks.  Anywho found this sweet recycled chair.  Darth Vader use to rock it in his skate days.

Literally some Crap you could respect.  Crapeyewear based in San Diego is taking eyewear to a whole other level.  Stuff like this gets me stoked to get more creative and innovate, just like Bamboo Sk8 decks.  America is still innovative and sets trends around the world.  Our generation is amazing and needs to get its ass in gear.  Rad stuff happening, let’s be a part of it.

Still on the mastershop list ‘O’ death……took some time to catch back up with skating, and never realized how insane the carlsbad Gap is.  I always had classes next to it at Carlsbad High, and never realized how important this gap is to Skate history, and some of the very first tricks ever attempted.  It looks inoccent enough, but is really just a lurking beast ‘O’ death.

Hey girl hey, It’s my third day here at Bamboo Sk8 and am learning more and more. I worked on calling shops today which seems mundane, but builds character and confidence. I am always looking to build skills on my path to where ever it is i am going. Always remember to do what you love.

As the BambooSk8 internship comes to an end, I have learned and experienced so much during my three months here.  The internship has helped me mature and take a look into an industry that I really enjoy and care about.  I met a lot of really interesting people, most especially the other interns.  I learned about sales, goal-setting, and following up on commitments. I admire BambooSk8 for starting up during these frustrating economic times.  They are an innovative company with a lot of unique ideas.  Thank you, Wyatt, Geoff, and Ron for teaching me about the action sports industry and pushing me to get a job done.  I wish BambooSk8 much success in the future.

Thank you,

Ryan Buchholtz

          Mark, Kerrya and Greg                                             Brittany and Jamie

                               Monica

THE NEW YEAR WITH NEW OPPORTUNITY…

I know it’s been a little while since you’ve heard from me, however I have been around the whole time getting my full fill of the Industry.  Over the holidays it was great to travel back home to Minnesota and visit some of my local shops from my younger years of shredding! 

This past month has been a great turning point for me, as well as, for the company.  After being apart of the BambooSK8 family and playing a role in the huge improvement the company has seen over the past 3 months, has been tremendously satisfying.  I have come to learn more than I can imagine about starting a company and working within the Action Sports Industry. The compliment of Geoff, Wyatt and Ron to learn from on a daily basis is outstanding, not to mention the great variety the interns bring to the table with all of our different areas of expertise!

I am stoked in the opportunity I have in spend some extra time learning more and more each day!

Recently, the team and I were able to represent BambooSK8 at ASR (Action Sports Retailer) with a nice booth in the “Green Room”, which was in associated with ASEC (Action Sports Environmental Coalition).  It was a great event for us, receiving some positive response from skaters around the globe.  It was my first time to ASR and it really gave me a great perspective on the industry and the people involved!

I am excited for what’s to come..

 Skate Green,

 Mark Olson

Hey It’s Mark D. 2nd day down and am learning the ropes still. All of these social networks have my head spinning. I always refresh myself with a little Butteryass Mondays episode: Advertisin
Butteryass Mondays Advertisin

Well, here I am, on my third week of interning with BambooSK8 and just now getting around to introducing myself.  Sometimes late, but worth the wait! That’s the charm of me.

I’m completely amped to be working here with an innovative and eco-friendly company such as BambooSK8, and promote the green revolution! Hopefully, you’ll see some more of my photography ’round here soon.

For now, dig how rad this baby is:

peace and mahalo,

j j

Hey Bamboo Sk8 fans.  My name is Mark DeMitchell, and yeah, I am one of the new interns here at Bamboo Sk8.  Walked in this morning at around 9am after a couple cups of coffee and was pumped to start doing some work.  little did I know that I would be preparing my intern goals and doing a little soul searching.  For anyone of those that do drink coffee and are caffeine sensitive, soul searching is the last thing your mind can focus on.  Anywho my good friends down the street at Alberto’s hooked it up with a burrito to counteract the coffee.

I am stoked to be a part of the team and am amazed by the boards getting produced.  Hopefully i can upload some pictures of hand painted decks once I get the chance, so keep posted.  Maybe a time lapse video.

-Adios

So we hit up the Black Box Crossroads Retail Show
It was like a mini ASR for the skate brands that didn’t want to go
The skate park was open for all
Lots of falls and one hot doll
That all the skaters wanted to kiss in their moment of fun and bliss
But it ended with a diss
Because she charged a dollar
Causing some hoots and hollar

The kids loved the bamboo wood
And they should
Because the pop is amazing
Grazing the concrete it rides so smooth
So get in the groove
Be clean
Be part of the new scene
Skate green

At ASR
Partied like a rock star
Booth in the Green Room
We strive to be on top soon

Creating brand awareness
Causing lots of stress
Polluting less
Skate wheels are rolling
Open-minded skaters are strolling
With us, to make a stand
Not a brand, but an OEM
Finding that gem
We are Bamboo
Who are You?

Lets push not pollute
Skate a bamboo shoot!

Peace out Bamboosk8, you were great!
Erica

Hey everyone! Chanelle here. So this is my final post for the BambooSK8 Intern blog. I’m actually sitting in my KAB booth at ASR San Diego and writing this : )

BambooSK8 was definitely an experience. I met lots of cool people and talked to lots of great people from all of the shops that we were calling all the time. I learned a lot about what it means to push and strive for the best within the skate industry (and let me tell you, it’s not as easy as it looks). I had tons of fun with all of the other interns and Ron and Wyatt in the office, and I’m sure I’ll see everyone again. A special thanks to our pres Geoff for pushing us and making us do better everyday because it was honestly that extra push that made us the awesome interns that we became! I’m glad to have had the opportunity to work with BambooSK8 and I can’t wait to see great things for this company in the future.

As for the new intern crew, the workload is a handful, but it pays off in the end, trust me!

Keep up the awesome work BambooSK8 and everyone else remember…THE GRASS IS GREENER ON OUR SIDE!

SKATE BAMBOO

xoxo,

Chanelle

Ummm…yea well here I am finished with my internship at BambooSK8, what can I say but the journey is complete…  I am happy to say that I leave with a feeling of accomplishment, and pride.  I worked my bum off and got a lot done in the end (love those goals)!  I also feel that some of the things I accomplished will have some kind of lasting impression (I hope so anyway).  I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to work with everyone that I did, from Wyatt (Mr. Smiles) and Ron (The Councilor) to Geoff (The Whip/The Funny Guy/The Brain), and the best part of this journey was sharing it with a kick ass group of interns!  I don’t know if I will ever get to experience that kind of camaraderie in an internship environment again?  I hope so…  Well good luck to all current and future interns, you are in for a ride, but when you are done you will look back fondly…trust me on this one!

All the best,

Rachel

Being part of the Action Sports Environmental Coalition
That’s our mission
Recycle for your planet and your brain
Don’t be lame
We are skating along
Singing the sales call song
Time for a new year
With a new path and new interns we steer…
Towards our bamboo boards
Hitting the skate market full force
Are they really made from 100% bamboo?
Of course!

Lets push not pollute
Skate a bamboo shoot!

Peace,
Erica

So here I am trying to come up with something thoughtful and insightful to say about BambooSK8 besides the usual “WE ROCK” stuff.  Sometimes I feel that you can only here so much of that before you just stop listening.  So rather then tell everyone how awesome this company is and talking about the innovative product we are trying to get out there let’s talk about the realities…
It is hard to start a company-REAL difficult, especially in these challenging economic times, and there are frustrations; for example, when you call a shop and they insist that they already have bamboo decks, and though you explain that ours are 100% bamboo not maple hybrids and that we are the only company out there doing this, they just don’t understand! WOW frustrating, BUT then you get those shops that are so stoked on our product!  They keep us on the phone, to learn more and hear about all the benefits of our decks…that is AWESOME (they get it)!!!   And that keeps me making calls!
Another challenge for us as a manufacture is helping shops and kids understand that we are not a BRAND; we are really just trying to help out, and support our local shops, not compete with them!  As much as we are able, we try and get the kids to buy at shops that we sell to!  Now we just need more shops to BUY the decks so we can keep telling the Groms where to go!
Those are just a couple examples of roadblocks I have come up against as an intern here at BambooSK8, but the nice thing is that you can just look across the table and see someone else doing the same thing you were just frustrated about making progress and laugh, and realize that it is all part of the process.   We can get upset for a moment, and then it is time to get back to the important thing-GETTING THE DECKS OUT THERE!!!

Spread the SKATE GREEN word!

Rachel

This year has been so crazy, so fun, and has gone by so fast! It’s been really busy around the BambooSK8 office and we’re getting decks out there! Thank you to all of the shops who have been willing to order decks and try our samples even though we know times are tough economically. The new year is just around the corner and there will be lots more coming from BambooSK8 so keep a look out. By spring all of the shops across the nation will be fighting for our bamboo decks, I know it! My internship will be over soon, but I have learned so much working here and I know there will be more success to come.  As for now, Happy Holidays everyone and have a safe New Years! See you all in 2009!

xoxo

Chanelle

Well it’s been sometime now since I’ve last posted, so let’s recap! Things have been rolling along here in Oceanside. We attended the A.S.E.C. event in Huntington Beach on 12/6. It was a great time. We were able to get out there and set up our booth, meet with some kids and watch some demos. The kids were so pumped on the skateboards. We started games of SK8 for them to win decks, we eventually had to stop we had so many participants! It was nice to get out there, talk to the other vendors, and watch the product work it’s Bamboo magic.  We then cruised over to the Quiksilver compound to watch the legends skate it 80’s style. What an experience that was! So far so good in the GREEN world. It’s coming time for my internship to end I’ll be posting my Jerry Springer final thoughts soon! And for all you reading this…..you up for the challenge?! We’ll talk soon……Kelly

Everyone got together at Wyatt’s house in Oceanside for a festive evening this past Saturday… A white elephant gift exchange that more or less turned out to be simply – pick a random gift and its yours worked out well.  Sadly, 3 of the interns were out as well as Ron but we all had a good time!

I grew up in the Midwest and was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to come out to the west coast for college.  Similar to a lot of you out there, I graduated from college excited to start making some money, however not really sure how I was going to do that.  I went on to try many different career paths in the past two years since graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Marketing.    The variety of marketing and sales jobs I have tried range from Enterprise Rent-a-car to selling car wax at gas stations on only commission.

After all my experiences I have found the industry I want to build my career in, yet have struggled to find a way into.  BambooSK8 has given me a great opportunity to get my foot in the door of the action sports industry, while being apart of a company making a difference in the industry.  The atmosphere and working environment is unlike any other I’ve been around, the fun and determined leaders who are great teachers and are always there to help.  To be able to have peers in the internship program to team up with and learn from is a great asset. 

One of the great experiences I have been apart of is representing BambooSK8 at a skateboarding contest called Battle on the Bay in Coronado.  We helped sponsor by donating our 100% bamboo skateboard decks to give out as prizes.  It was great to see all the young skaters excited about our bamboo decks!

Mark

Bamboosk8

What a great

Company to work for

Gettin my foot in the door

Interning, learning, yearning

It’s all about the green

If you know what I mean

Skating Bamboo

It’s the right thing to do

This eco-friendly deck puts maple in check

100%

Harder to dent

Your money well spent

Bamboo decks have better Pop

So all you maple riders better stop

And think about it the next time

You screw up that grind

Flail on that rail

Or can’t ollie as high as you want to

And ask What can I do?

Well the possibilities are endless on a Bamboo

Lets push, not pollute

Skate a bamboo shoot

Peace ,

Erica

So that was my Bamboosk8 rap hope you enjoyed it haha! So anyway back to my story. I found out about the internship with Bamboosk8 on Malakye.com and it immediately got my attention. I graduated from University of Central Florida 4 years ago, and have lived in California ever since. I moved out here mostly because of my passion to surf. Waiting tables and working nights has allowed myself plenty of surf sessions. But serving greasy food and beer is not what I want to continue to do much longer. Since I have been out of school for so long, I felt an internship, especially with Bamboosk8, could give me new experience and further my knowledge in the action sports industry. Plus, I figured I could start using my brain for more meaningful tasks instead of remembering food orders. This is my first internship with any company and I couldn’t have found a radder one then this! I have really enjoyed working with the other interns on our projects so far; one of them taking photos of and arranging Bamboo Buddy fences at Wyatt’s house. Not to mention working in a laid back environment, with hilarious bosses is a bonus! I am just stoked to have the opportunity to work for Bamboosk8 and be a part of this hopeful change for the skateboarding industry! And you can too! So friend us on Myspace, ride a Bamboosk8 board, and spread the word! Remember: Lets push, not pollute, skate a bamboo shoot!

Peace ,

Erica

Being an intern for BambooSk8, is working with great people while representing a company that’s setting the standard for going green. I moved out here a little over a month ago now, from Arizona where I graduated college from University of Arizona. When I first got out here I got myself a job to pay the bills, the job that I got to pay the bill is not enjoyable, which encouraged me to get involved with something I cared about, a company I would want to work for. I found a marketing internship at BambooSk8, talk to Geoff and started working for them about a month ago now, and it really evened me out, shows that work can be enjoyable. I’m working for a company that I actually respect, and while my time and efforts, are going towards improving the way the action sports industry views and uses natural resources.

Ryan

OK for real…life changes quickly and dramatically.  We all can agree on that I am sure.  So a year ago I was living in NY shooting pictures, now I am in School in LA at FIDM, studying Merchandise Marketing and Interning here at this RAD company (plug for future interns…).

Today was pretty fruitful.  We had a meeting about our accomplishments thus far, as well as our concerns, and how those can be addressed.  Nothing like having a marketing/sales meeting with people who really know what they are talking about to learn a few things.  It is nice to feel a part of something that REALLY is unique (100% Bamboo Skate decks).

I am excited about each week and the process as well as the what the future will hold for me and this great company…

Updates will be posted soon!

xx-Rachel

Ah the BambooSK8 intern blog…I love Mondays!(Especially when my dinosaur of a computer decides to not work so I have to use Ryan’s back up baby computer. Just another day in the life). Ever since I started interning for BambooSK8, my Mondays have been quite interesting. We have a team of interns and 4 of us get the privilege of working together every Monday which is awesome. This is the first internship that I’ve had where there are actually multiple interns working together at the same time and it’s definitely a bonus. We all come in, coffees and red bulls in hand, and start the work day with plenty of stories from the weekend and laughing histerically at the most random things, but even when we get down to business we still have a great time in the office. It’s never boring, that’s for sure.

Here at BambooSK8, we work on promoting our amazing 100% bamboo skate decks and spreading the word on how these decks will one day change the entire skateboarding industry. I actually feel like I am a part of something that has so much potential for success and I love that the interns actually play an important role here at BambooSK8. Not only am I learning more about the skate industry and what it takes to start a company and build from the bottom up, I am also learning valuable skills in sales, marketing and PR which I will carry with me throughout my future career…I’m hoping BambooSK8 will help me jump start that step : )

Overall, I’m really enjoying working here at BambooSK8 and can’t wait to see what the future has in store for this company. And one day when bamboo takes over the skateboarding industry, I can proudly say that I was a part of it from the beginning which is coolest part. But now it’s time for me to get back to work and keep selling bamboo! P.S. If you like our site and like reading our blogs, you should check out our myspace page too, Kelly and I have been working hard to get it looking good : )

Until the next blog,

xoxo

Chanelle

    Well here we are, another beautiful Monday in Oceanside. When I took this internship I had no idea what I was in for. So far it has met my expectations and exceeded them. I get the opportunity to work with awesome people, in a rad industry, and not to mention with a great product. Days here are productive and very, very interesting to say the least. It’s never been a dull moment so far around here and the energy around the office is great.

  Our main purpose is to to spread the word of Bamboo, find new opportunities to grow as a company, and have as much fun possible while doing it. I am proud to be part of something that is going to one day change the face of skateboarding. We work together to get the word out, we are making it happen, one day at a time…..

Talk to you all soon….. Kelly

Here’s some tips to help those lost souls on applying with BambooSK8.

1.  Read the entire posting.  I hate cover letters, and specifically ask for “NO COVER LETTERS”… yet I always get full page cover letters that are cookie-cut.  Last thing a skateboard brand wants is cookie-cutter; we want creativity and originality, but just as important – can you follow a task?

***No cover letters please!***

2.  I always ask 3 questions at the end, which I specifically say:   If you are ready for the challenge, then please answer the following questions with your submission and by all means – let us know what questions you have.

1. What are you looking to get out of an internship in relation to your future goals?
2. What do you feel makes you a qualified candidate?
3. Why have you chosen BambooSK8?

For some reason though, some people fail to answer these questions and I ponder why?  Again, by not answering the questions, it shows that you can’t follow a task and most companies don’t want to hire people that can’t even follow simple requests.  If you failed both 1 and 2 – I just delete the application…I don’t even care if you went to Harvard.  You can’t follow a task.

Now, being a nice guy, I often take the few seconds to write people and tell them that they made these mistakes and they should focus on all the details, as this might help their chances with getting hired.  Today, I got an email from a kid who wrote this:

G,

you are asking for free work with no specifications on pay.., what kind of complete weirdo are you for sending me such a rediculous reply.

T

Again, being a nice guy, I take the few seconds to email him and ask him to show some respect.  I took time out of my busy day to help you, when I didn’t have to.  Next, if you read the posting, you would see that it is a non-paid internship, not once, but twice.  Last but not least, rediculous is spelled “ridiculous”.   Again, my point is – this is someone who doesn’t not only know how to pay attention to details, but they can’t even spell nor structure a sentence.  Not going to work for our company, or most for that matter.  Now, most people don’t write back negative stuff, they are typically thankful but my point is – don’t burn bridges and black ball yourself; this industry is small and tight and people talk. 

3.  When you get a chance to interview, please be on time, be yourself and be prepared to ask intelligent questions.  Always follow up with a thank you email after the interview.  Furthermore, you should display your passion for wanting the internship and why you feel you are a great fit for the organization.

thanks,

geoff

I can’t believe my internship is wrapping up. The experience has been amazing and I’m honestly reluctant to let it go. In a previous blog I provided some insight as to where I came from – so I’ll just skip over that and just talk about some of the things I will be walking away with (aside from the free Monsters I got…hah!)

Last year I went back to school to better educate myself…but I really didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do with it. I just knew I wanted and MBA for personal reasons, but I wasn’t sure how I would parlay my educational experience into a career. Basically, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do after graduation. Well, I think I now know – an intrapreneurial role within a startup company.

The time with BambooSK8 has been pretty rad. It definitely was not your typical internships and Geoff is definitely not your typical boss. Aside from actually working, I was basically able to shadow him and see all of the day-to-day decision making that occurred. He let me see, and often be a part of, some of the major decisions that a President of a company faces. Now, compare this to a my previous tax consulting job where I worked for two years and never stepped foot into the CEO’s office.

Going forward, I now know how I need to position myself in order to get into the type of company that I desire. I know what type of skills I need acquire and the steps I need to take in order to obtain my career goals.

So, to BambooSK8 – I’d like to thank you for helping to build my foundation and giving me a running start. The experience was truly invaluable.

Cheers,
KT

I still can’t believe our internship is coming to a close. I’m sorry to see it go. The experiences and experience I’ve gained through this program were absolutely amazing. I’ve talked about these before on the intern blog, so I won’t bore you with the same story.

But with every end there is a new beginning. I really didn’t have any idea what PR actually included but I’ve had a blast trying to figure it out and being a little creative with it as well. I will definitely pursue a career in PR just because it isn’t your typical behind a desk nine-to-fiver. I feel I have a certain knack or talent in it and I just enjoy everything that comes along with it; going to events, meeting cool and interesting people, creative writing and trying to “hustle” my way with certain publications to get us some exposure. It’s a blast!

Going into my BambooSk8 internship, I didn’t know what I would be doing. I was given the option to do what I am strongest at and it helped me and it helped the company. I gained  tangible results and received some experience points to mark up on my resume.

In years to come, I know I will look upon my days at BambooSk8 as a truly fun and rewarding experience. And truly life altering. In this crazy economy no one wants to take chances on new college graduates. Employers want people with experience and get results and now thanks to BambooSk8 I have the experience to get a decent career started in the PR field.

And to quote Whitesnake “Here I go again on my own…”.  – TJ

Here’s from an earlier post:

From Unremarkable to Marketable

I have to admit, going into the BambooSk8 marketing internship I didn’t know diddley squat. It seemed like everyone else in the program was a Marketing major in College and I was just had a seemingly pointless degree. But the first day of the program I immediately found my niche in the program. I was “creative one”.

Let me go through my story a little bit just to let you know where I come from. I graduated from a four year college with a degree in English. Originally, I wanted to be a teacher but decided against it by my second to last semester. So when I graduated, I found myself with a degree that was worthless for the types of jobs that pay above minimum wage. So one day, I was perusing Malakye.com and came across a job posting for Bamboo Buddy. I’m not going to lie, I was a little skeptical of the whole thing. But after meeting with Geoff and his enthusiasm for the company, the product and helping people out who are willing to work to get where they want to go, I decided this was the gig for me.

The first day of the program, we all went to the X-games to pass out fliers. I had a blast! I got to see many skaters that I had only seen in the magazines and videos like Eric Koston and Corey Duffel up close. Then we got kicked out for guerilla marketing in an un-authorized guerilla marketing zone. But that was alright, I laughed all the way out of the competition area.

In the upcoming weeks, I got to see what I was really talented at. I chose the public relations route of the program and truly felt like a natural at it. I already knew how to write pretty well; so I decided to make some absurd Blog posts (if you scroll down you will see the Marty McFly blog; that one was mine) Also, did I mention we didn’t even have the first shipment of boards in! So I had to be creative to be productive. Geoff saw the creative potential in me and had me doing all sorts of art direction things to work on from criticizing the website and throwing in my two cents to make it more useful to our target customers.

I also got to use my talents by writing and sending out pitch-letters left and right and writing all sorts of blogs and editing magazine articles and press releases. It is amazing to see how a guy with no experience suddenly started seeing his ideas turning up all over the web. 

This all turned into great information on my resume and not just padding to BS my way into a decent position. I actually have the ammo now to take to an interview and make the interviewers coo at my coolness (inside joke there).

I’ve either been actively skateboarding, BMXing, aggressive inline skating, body boarding, or snowboarding since I was 5 years old. Action sports have always played a major role in my personal life and recently I have made the decision to make it part of my professional life as well.

I was at the midpoint of my MBA program and I thought it would be a good idea to start getting some contacts within the industry, especially since I did not have any prior professional experience within the action sports arena. I was already pretty busy with another real estate internship, school and other side projects so I wasn’t really sure how I was going to fit in an additional job into my schedule. I came across the BambooSK8 job posting on Malakye and I thought it was almost too good to be true. They offered experience that I needed within the action sports industry and they only required interns to come into the office once a week. So, I submitted my resume, interviewed with Geoff, and my first day was the following week.

Within the first few sessions, Geoff had each of us interns set goals for ourselves in regards to what we would like to achieve for the company and what we would like to attain on a personal level. He encouraged us to work together and help one another to accomplish their goals. He also put forth an additional effort to tailor responsibilities in a way that would set us up for success. Since I didn’t have any prior action sports industry experience, one of my goals was to learn as much as possible about the intricacies of the industry. Geoff did a tremendous job at showing me the ins and outs of the industry and how I need to position myself if I want to be a successful player.

I have to admit, this internship is definitely atypical when compared to my previous internships. First of all, I come from mostly a corporate background and now being able to wear shorts and a tshirt into work is the most epic thing ever. Being able to come in at 10a.m. is probably just as awesome. Secondly, Geoff Koboldt, the President, gave me the opportunity to really be involved in many of the inner workings of the business and be a part of decisions that directly affect the livelihood of their company. For a President of a company to show that level of trust and respect for an intern is definitely uncommon.

The journey over the past 3 months has been amazing. The time intensity was higher than what I had originally anticipated and only coming into the office once a week quickly turned into working from home on a daily basis. There were several sleepless nights and long weekends but I must say that it has definitely been worthwhile.

KT

Hill Valley, Ca — Marty McFly, local skateboarder and time traveler, announced his endorsement for bamboo skateboards. According to McFly, age 17, “Bamboo is the next step in skateboarding’s future. Trust me, I’ve been to the future.”

In a recent time traveling adventure to the year 2015, McFly encountered what seemed to be a hovering skateboard. The “Hover Board” , used by McFly, will supposedly be produced by Mattel in 2012 and will be an imitation of BambooSk8’s legendary design from 2008. The incredible lightness and pop of the board creates the illusion that the board hovers across all surfaces, including water.

“I owe it all to BambooSk8 for helping me stop Biff Tannen from ruining Hill Valley and helping my parents get together in 1955″ stated McFly.

Dr. Emmit “Doc” Brown, local scientist/inventor, announced to reporters “BambooSk8’s incredible design is beyond anything I could possibly dream of. [BambooSk8] shall go down in the annals of time; alongside Jules Vern, Albert Einstein and of course, Me”.

Biff Tannen made no comment due to a recent collision with a manure truck.

The past three months have been loaded with various events; The X-Games, ASR and GvR.

Looking back on these past three months, I have been in close proximity to more professionals in one area than I ever have before. Seeing Danny Way make his insanely epic fall only to get up and try again from basically the first row was inspiring. Seeing Bob Burnquist winning the X-Games Big air event close up was way better than television. Standing next Brayden Safranski at the High Ollie contest at ASR was a cool little bragging right. Actually skating the mini-ramp at ASR was surreal. And hanging out with the real fans of skateboarding at GvR in Lake Forest, was truly fun and entertaining. And being able to see Bad Religion for free was an extra added bonus to this internship.

It’s been a crazy, fun, and educational experience. For all future interns at BambooSk8. I hope you get as much out of this program as I have.

Getting an internship at BambooSk8 (as cheesy as it sounds) was an amazing twist of fate. Let me give a little bit of my story. I graduated from college in May of 2007 with a degree in English. Originally, I wanted to be a high school English/Language Arts teacher but as my schooling went on and on I suddenly realized that teaching may be a noble profession and summers off are an added bonus but it wasn’t for me. With one semester left, it was way too late to change majors to a more marketable degree, I decided to just to finish up and get it over with.

The following year was an “introspective nightmare” to quote Hunter S. Thompson. I moved back home to live with my parents for what I thought would only be a month or two. That was a culture shock in its own. I was used to having parties all of the time and just having all of my stuff around me. But moving back home that’s when the parties stopped and I had to find a…. a….JOB! Cruising monster.com and craigslist for every type of job that would pay enough for me to get out of my parents house. I eventually found one going door to door selling AT&T fiber optic cable. I hated it and failed miserably at it. I went into some serious soul searching after that. I didn’t want to live my life slaving away at some desk job and fall in line like every other corporate tool bag. I wanted to work with something I was absolutely passionate about. So began a new adventure.

I had been working for a comic book company as a warehouse guy all throughout college (I have to admit I am a geek) and I had some strings pulled for me by my old boss to meet with the editor-in-chief of Dark Horse Comics up in Portland, OR. to see if I could get an assistant editing position. Also, my best friend from college moved up to Portland after graduating college, so I stayed with him for a month with plans to live there. I was so sure that I was one of those rare lucky people that was able to live the dream. Unfortunately, Dark Horse didn’t have a position open for someone with my qualifications or should I say lack of qualifications.

I have been skating more years of my life than I haven’t and it’s always been a passion of mine. Another bonus about Portland was they have the best skateparks and one of the most active skate scenes in the world. So I spent the rest of my time in Portland patrolling the skateparks all over the Northwest with some new found friends. I had the time of my life skating places like Burnside and Battleground but I had to go back home because my funds were running out and though Oregon was fun in the summer, there was 9 months of cold and rain that a California kid like me could not handle.

I had no idea what to do with my life at that point. Here I was twenty-five years old with a pointless degree, no relevant experience and had no more options. My mind began to wander and soul search even more. I wanted to do something that was interesting and exciting, so I came up with the idea of joining the Air Force. With my degree, I could become an officer and my dad who was an staff sergeant in the Air Force during Vietnam had been trying to get me to join the “Force” for a long time. So it sounded like boot-camp would be my next stop.

The same day I had “The Talk” with my dad about joining the Air Force, I found a post on Malakye for a marketing internship for a bamboo skateboard company. So I randomly applied because I figured I had nothing to lose and gaining experience in a field I was interested and passionate about was worth more than a job Enterprise Rent-A-Car could ever be worth.

A couple days later, the same time I was looking at recruitment offices near my house, I received an email from Geoff from, then, Bamboo Buddy regarding an interview. I was so excited I actually now had a chance to get experience and perhaps find a career in something I was passionate about. I had very little to no marketing experience but I did know skateboards. I was so worried that I wasn’t qualified to get the internship.

Needless to say, I got the internship! I figured well maybe this is a sign from a higher power saving me from some terrible fate in the military. I was stoked.

My experiences at BambooSk8 have been great! Like the time we got kicked out of the X-Games for passing out fliers (trust me, it was funny) and the whole experience at ASR was fantastic. Even as an intern, I have had so much say in the company like a real employee should have. Everything from the littlest comments on the website to future product designs are taken into great consideration. I feel like I went into this internship with absolutely no experience in marketing or PR but I feel like all of the stuff I’ve learned from the other interns and Geoff has given me enough knowledge and experience that a year working at a shitty corporate company could ever teach.

Thanks to all you guys at BambooSk8!

-Taylor

I am testing the intern blog.  whoo-hoo!