Skate boarding has come a long way from the streets of 1970s Venice, California as depicted in the classic documentary film Dogtown and Z-Boys. Skating style, fashion, technology and social acceptance of the sport has changed dramatically in the last 40 years, making it a multimillion dollar industry. Once considered a fringe group of bad boys, this renegade subculture has grown into international community — and because of companies like Comet, proving that skaters aren’t such bad kids after all.
Founded in Oakland, Calif., Comet Skateboards started out making decks the way every other skate company makes them — with an eye on performance and design innovation, but without consideration for the environment. They pioneered decks with materials like fiberglass and carbon fiber before having an eco-revelation. They partnered with e2e Materials in Ithaca, NY and started on a path to discover the potential of natural biocomposite materials that are kind to Mother Earth.
What started with Comet’s conscious consideration for materials grew into an obsession with the triple bottom line of the business. They relocated from Oakland to Ithaca to be closer to the core supplier e2e Materials, consequently cutting down on tons of CO2 emissions from shipping materials across the country before they even got to the shelves. A number of massive moves like this one led the company to be one of the founding members of B Corp; proving their mission to be a leader in social and environmental sustainability.
Let’s take a look at the facts of Comet Skateboards triple bottom line:
People:
- Comet Skateboards moved their offices to Ithaca, NY to be closer to their partner e2e Materials. All materials are sourced regionally putting money into community and keepin’ it local.
- Community Designed started 2 years ago when one of Comet’s close friends asked for a deck that was a little different to what was already produced. Comet obliged, and then went further by opening the design process up to all riders. According to their website: “After extensive input and feedback on the Comet blog and the Silverfish Longboarding forum we released the Voodoo XL … the first skateboard revision that was driven entirely by the community.”
Planet:
- Comet is a Cradle to Cradle certified company. “C2C eliminates the concept of waste through “closed loop” manufacturing, which examines the entire life-cycle of all products and bi-products of the system.”
- The company is also composting nearly all of the scraps which fertilize gardens, heat homes and serve as media for works of art, etc.
- As stated on their website, this company is serious about recycling. “Ride your Comet skateboard with a clear conscience.” Once you are done with it you can send it back to them. They will recycle the material and also give you a five dollar coupon toward your next purchase of a Comet board.
- 50 percent of the energy used in manufacturing is from renewable sources.
Profit:
- Being a responsible company isn’t just good for the environment and the community — it’s actually also good for business. In a presentation that Comet co-founder Jason Salfi gave in 2009, he points out that e2e manufacturing has actually saved his company 50 percent in overhead costs and hence increased their profitability potential.
Image courtesy Comet Skateboards.