Ethical Designer Spotlight: Hendrick Boards 4 Barks

I am so excited and honoured to introduce you to William & his paw-some friend David! This dynamic duo first caught my eye with their stylish tees but after a little digging I discovered that great design was only the tip of the iceberg. You'd be barking mad not to love Hendrick Boards!

Q. How would you sum up Hendrick Boards in 10 words or less?

An eco-friendly apparel and board company giving back to animals.

Q. Can you tell us about how you met a handsome fellow called William? How did this meeting change your life?

I founded Hendrick Boards in 2011 for one very small reason – my rescue dog, William. I adopted William from a local shelter in Orange County, CA after William was chemically poisoned via his mother during the first weeks of his life. Not expected to live past 1 year, I nursed William back to health. 

Q. What is Boards 4 Barks?

Combining my love of art and skateboarding with my passion for animals, I started Hendrick Boards and created the "Boards 4 Barks" collection of skateboards and apparel to give back to animal shelters and pet adoption programs across the nation – helping animals, like William, find loving homes. 

Q. When did your love of skateboarding begin?

My dad had taught me and my 3 brothers how to longboard and surf when we were all 8 (I'm a triplet). So he had his hands filled with us all trying to skate and falling around ha! We have all been skateboarding and surfing for years.

Q. How does the culture and lifestyle of Orange County influence your designs?

Hendrick Boards’ apparel and accessories pay homage to the Orange County lifestyle – the coastline, ocean and beach environments – while portraying skateboarding not just as a sport and activity, but as a way of life. Hendrick Boards’ apparel designs are made from eco-friendly, water-based paints and dyes; accessories, such as the Hendrick line of bracelets and necklaces, are constructed of natural materials including hemp and bamboo beads. 

Q. What steps does Hendrick Boards take to ensure a low ecological footprint?

Decks are crafted from bamboo, a strong, durable and renewable resource, making every board purchase better for you and our planet. Eco-friendly, handmade paints and stains made from coffee grounds are applied directly to the deck, revealing the natural bamboo wood grain, which gives Hendrick Boards its signature look. 

We have our 100% organic cotton apparel printed with eco-friendly water based inks. Our accessories are also eco-concious whether its our eco-canvas "I'm a Rescue" bracelet our our bamboo and hemp Newport bracelet and all these are helping rescue animals.

Q. Does William have a favourite toy?

Ha, yes he does! His favorite toy is a squirrel stuffed animal I bought for him the first day I picked him up from the vet's office after his first surgery. I gave it to him on our ride home and he has never spent a day without it! He even sleeps with it in bed! I think it gives him comfort and reminds him of me! :)

Q. What new adventures are on the horizon for Hendrick Boards?

We are so excited for the future! We have our sponsorship program coming up in 2012 where we sponsor brand new young athletes and the pledge as part of our sponsorship program is for them to be healthy and responsible athletes. We are looking at expanding our retail presence throughout southern California. We are really excited about our Spring/Summer collection for 2012 where we will be expanding our Boards 4 Barks collection with products and community outreach programs.

Boards 4 Barks Women's 'Kitty Tee'

Boards 4 Barks Men's 'Chi Tee'

Women's 'Dana Point Tee' made from 100% organic cotton

Men's 'Back Bay Tee' made from 100% organic cotton

Women's 'Henry Huntington Tee' made from 100% organic cotton

 You can also visit Hendrick Boards on Facebook and Twitter