Driven by his passion for the environment and skateboarding, Galen McGee hopes to breathe new life into broken skateboards by handcrafting them into various custom products.
Mr McGee upcycles broken skateboards into jewellery such as rings and pendants through his business, Saucy Woodz, in Diep River.
“As a child, I always made my (environmental) footprint on the earth as low as possible and started recycling. Upcycling broken skateboards is a blessing because I get the chance to give life back to trees, which provide us with clean and breathable air,” says Mr McGee.
Saucy Woodz was established in 2015 and has been operating as a business since 2018.
“Whilst learning about skateboarding, I was stacking up broken boards… so I thought of ways to upcycle skateboards. I cut out an Africa (shape) and turned it into a pendant and after that more ideas started flowing.”
The skateboarder’s love for the sport is inspired by the freedom associated with it, he says. It teaches you patience when learning new tricks and perfecting your balance.
“When you’re on a skateboard, nothing can stand in your way. We have the creative freedom to do things on a skateboard that most cannot do, even while walking.”
Mr McGee stresses the importance of recycling, and he urges skateboarders or those with broken skateboards to donate them to Saucy Woodz.
“We can make you a free gift to say thank you and you form part of helping the trees.”
Sourced from Constantiaberg Bulletin by Craig Nelson – Diep River Area Specialist
