Justin LaRose (he/him)

Justin LaRose - New Mentor for 2027

Long Beach, CA. USA. Justin is an American artisan woodworker and woodturner based out of Long Beach, California, widely recognized for his innovative craftwork utilizing recycled and laminated skateboard decks. While your previous searches focused on ceramicists, LaRose's medium is strictly maple skateboard wood, which he repurposes into high-end, colorful, functional design pieces

Individual Meetings: -Individual sessions: first and third Tuesday and Thursday of every month 

Group Meetings: last Wednesdays of every month

Workshop Agenda: in person dates to be determined with artist

– workshop focus/agenda:

1. Teach how to acquire broken skateboards for projects.

2. Process and strategy behind cleanup and lamination of broken skateboards to be used into new usable wood. 

3. Woodworking and Woodturning tips using recycled skateboards.

4. Finish types, applications, and techniques

5.  Tips and strategies using social media and apps to show the artists individual story, how to meet and engage with new customers/clients and gain audience and following. 

my Wood shop is ADA accessible

About Justin

Justin LaRose is a woodworker/Wood Turner/skateboarder that lives and works in Long Beach California. He is compelled to show love to the skateboards that have brought him much enjoyment over his life and recycles them into new objects and projects once there job as a skateboard is finished. While the project appears to be brand new it is made with thrashed hardwood laminated maple skateboard decks that have a history of getting rad! The thrash skateboards are collected throughout Long Beach and Los Angeles to be recycled into new material and the projects to reduce the carbon footprint of skateboarding and lessen the impact on landfills. With his attention to detail and drive to learn new processes in order to deliver the best results, there is no limit to what can be produced with this material that was previously thought to be trash.