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If you need gifts for skaters fast, here is the short version. Buy something they will wear every day, something that keeps their board rolling, or time on the board itself. A bracelet or necklace made from a broken deck, a skate tool, fresh bearings, a block of wax, a certified helmet or a skate shop gift card all get used. A complete board picked off a supermarket shelf usually does not.
We have been making skateboard gifts from snapped decks in our Vilnius workshop since 2014, and many of the people who write to us before ordering are not skaters themselves. They are parents, partners and friends who want to get it right. The list below is what we tell them, and it covers skater gifts for every level, from a kid on a first board to someone who has been riding for twenty years.
What makes good gifts for skateboarders
Skaters are picky about their setup. Deck width, wheel hardness, the tightness of the trucks: all of it is personal, and a well-meant guess often ends up in a cupboard. So the safest skateboard gifts fall into three groups.
Things that wear out
Wax, grip tape, bearings and wheels get used up. A skater who rides three or four times a week goes through them all the time, so a fresh set is never wasted.
Things they carry off the board
Jewelry, keyrings and small accessories don’t depend on how someone rides. They stay with the skater at school, at work or on the bus, and they say “I know what you’re into” without any sizing risk except a wrist measurement.
Time and skills
Lessons, a session at an indoor park or a gift card for the local skate shop let the rider choose. That is often the most useful present of all, even if it feels less personal.
10 unique gifts for skateboarders they’ll actually use
We put our own pieces first because we make them and know them inside out. The rest are practical things we have seen skaters use until they fall apart.
1. A recycled skateboard bracelet
Our recycled skateboard bracelets are made from beads cut out of real broken decks. The colour comes from the layers of the skateboard itself, we don’t paint or dye the boards, so every bracelet looks a little different. There are two kinds: waxed cord with adjustable knots, and stretch bracelets that slip on over the hand. Bead sizes go from 6 mm on the minimal bracelet to 10 mm on pieces like the red bracelet, so you can pick something small and quiet or something bold.
For sizing, measure the wrist and use the bracelet size guide. Most women wear M and most men wear L, but a quick measurement beats a guess.
Knotted or stretch? Knotted bracelets on waxed cord can be made a little looser or tighter by sliding the knots, which is useful if you are not sure of the exact wrist size. Stretch bracelets have no clasp and no knots, so they are quick to put on and take off, which teenagers and people who take their jewelry off every evening tend to like. If the person already wears a beaded bracelet, look at which type it is and choose the same.
2. The bearing pendant necklace
The skateboard bearing necklace is a stainless steel bearing core with recycled skateboard wood fitted inside. It is 2.2 cm across and 7 mm thick, so it reads as a small pendant rather than a chunky piece of hardware. You choose a waxed cord with adjustable knots or a 50 cm stainless steel chain, and one of the colour styles: Unicorn, Neon, Indigo, Coral, Earth or Clear. Skaters recognise the bearing straight away, which is half the fun.
3. A surfboard keychain cut from a deck
The surfboard keychain is shaped by hand from 7-ply Canadian maple out of an old skateboard. It is 82 mm long, 24 mm wide and 7 mm thick, with a waxed cord and a solid metal keyring. The graphic on the top is whatever was printed on the original deck. Plenty of people never put it on their keys and hang it from a backpack zip instead.
4. A skate tool
A proper T-shaped skate tool fixes most problems at the park. It has three sockets: 1/2 inch for the axle nuts that hold the wheels, 3/8 inch for the nuts on the mounting bolts, and 9/16 inch for the kingpin nut that sets how loose the trucks turn. A good one also has a Phillips and an Allen bit. It is cheap, light, and skaters lose them all the time, so a spare is always welcome.
5. A fresh set of bearings
Almost every skateboard wheel takes the same bearing size, 608 (8 mm bore, 22 mm outside, 7 mm wide), so you can buy these without asking. Don’t pay extra for a high ABEC number. That scale measures tolerances for industrial machines, not the side impacts a skateboard takes. A respected skate brand matters more than the rating on the box.
6. Grip tape and new hardware
Grip tape loses its bite after a few months and gets torn on the edges. A sheet is around 9 by 33 inches and fits every normal deck. Add a set of mounting bolts (7/8 inch without riser pads, 1 inch with them) and you have covered a full setup refresh.
7. Skate wax
Wax helps boards slide on curbs, ledges and benches. A block lasts a while, and skaters tend to share it, so it disappears faster than you would expect. It makes a good small add-on to a bigger present.
8. Wheels that match how they ride
This is the one gift where you need a quick question first. Street and skatepark riders mostly use hard wheels around 99a to 101a, roughly 50 to 54 mm. People who cruise around town prefer softer wheels between 78a and 87a, usually 55 mm and up, because they roll over cracks and pebbles. If you don’t know which they are, look at the wheels they ride now and buy the same type.
9. A certified helmet
Good skateboard gifts for beginners often start with safety. In Europe look for EN 1078 on the label, in the US look for CPSC certification for bikes, and ideally ASTM F1492 for skateboarding as well. A helmet only works if it fits snugly, so this one is better bought with the rider in the shop.
10. A skate shop gift card or lessons
A gift card for an independent skate shop lets them choose a deck in the width they like. Lessons are great for kids and for adults returning after years away. Both also support the local scene, which skaters care about more than most people realise.
Gifts for surfers, and for people who do both
A lot of skaters surf and a lot of surfers skate, especially in coastal towns where the board stays in the car all year. If you are shopping for that person, a few ideas cross over well.
Surf gifts that get used
Surf wax is sold by water temperature: cold, cool, warm and tropical, plus a harder base coat. Ask where they surf, or check the bar they use now. A board sock or bag protects the fins and rails on the way to the beach, and a changing poncho makes cold car-park mornings a lot less miserable.
For surfers who travel
Surfers who chase waves abroad live out of a board bag. A fin key, a spare leash and a small repair kit for dings take little space and save a trip when something breaks far from a surf shop. A waterproof pouch for car keys is another small thing every surfer ends up needing, because keys and the sea do not mix. If you are not sure what they already pack, ask a travel buddy of theirs. Surfers like gear that has a reason to exist, and a thoughtful practical present is remembered longer than a decorative one.
Where our pieces fit in
The surfboard keychain was designed with exactly this crossover in mind: a surfboard shape, cut from a skateboard. The bracelets and the bearing pendant are water resistant thanks to a protective varnish, but they are not made for long sessions in the sea. Take them off before surfing and keep them away from sunscreen. Our jewelry care tips cover the details.
Skateboarding gifts for adults
Plenty of people in their thirties and forties skated as teenagers. Some still ride on weekends, others have a deck hanging on the wall. For them, the best gifts for skateboarders are usually not gear at all.
A piece of jewelry made from old boards connects to that part of their life without asking them to drop in again. A bearing pendant on a steel chain works in an office. A thin knotted bracelet looks fine with a suit. If they are getting back on the board, lessons at an indoor park and a good helmet are more useful than a new deck, because the muscle memory comes back faster than the balance does.
Why our recycled skateboard gifts last
Every skateboard deck is seven thin layers of Canadian hard rock maple glued under pressure. It is built to take impacts on concrete, which is why the wood is so good for jewelry once the board itself is finished.
We collect snapped and worn decks from skate shops, parks and skaters. Each board is stripped of grip tape, cut into pieces and pressed together with other boards into a new block. That block is shaped, drilled and sanded by hand through several grits, then sealed with a protective varnish that brings out the colour layers and makes the finished piece water resistant. Every item is checked before it ships, and anything that does not meet our standard stays in the workshop.
Why every piece looks different
Deck makers colour some of the thin maple sheets before they press a board, and every brand and every batch uses different colours. When we cut a board open, those hidden layers show up as stripes along the edge of a bead or keychain. We don’t add any colour of our own. That is why two bracelets of the same model never look exactly the same, and why skaters like to guess which kind of board their piece came from.
Why the boards need a second life
Around 2 million skateboard decks end up in landfill every year. We have saved more than 10,000 of them so far. You can read how the process works step by step on our story of the Vilnius workshop page, or go deeper into the material in recycled skateboards explained.
Skateboard accessories gifts: ordering, sizing and delivery
All our skateboard accessories gifts ship tracked from Vilnius, and free standard shipping is available worldwide. Delivery times depend on the country, and you can check yours on the shipping and delivery page before ordering. Because every piece is handmade, order early for birthdays and the December holidays.
If the size turns out wrong, exchanges and returns are possible within 14 days. Common questions about materials, sizing and orders are answered in our customer FAQ.
Buying for a whole team, a skate shop or company event? We make custom pieces and branded eco-friendly corporate gifts from the same recycled boards, and shops can stock the range through our wholesale programme.
Cool gifts for skateboarders, sorted
If you only remember one thing: buy what gets used. A skate tool, bearings, wax or a gift card cover the practical side. A bracelet, pendant or keychain made from real broken decks covers the part that stays with them every day, and it carries a bit of skateboarding history with it.
Want more ideas sorted by who you are buying for, like a boyfriend, a teenager or someone who has everything? Read our skater gift ideas by recipient. For a wider list of planet-friendly presents, see the sustainable gifts for skateboarders guide and our eco-friendly gift ideas for every occasion.
Or skip the research and shop recycled skateboard jewelry and accessories straight from the workshop.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are good small gifts for skaters?
Skate wax, a skate tool, a set of 608 bearings, a sheet of grip tape or a surfboard keychain made from a recycled deck. All of them get used and none of them needs a size.
Are recycled skateboard bracelets strong enough for everyday wear?
Yes. The beads are cut from 7-ply Canadian hard rock maple, the wood skateboards are made of, and sealed with a protective varnish that makes them water resistant. Take them off before swimming or showering and keep them away from sunscreen to keep the gloss.
What gifts work for someone who skates and surfs?
The surfboard keychain cut from a skateboard, surf wax for the water temperature they surf in, a board bag, or a bearing pendant necklace they can wear on land.
How do I pick the right bracelet size for a gift?
Measure the wrist and check the bracelet size guide. Sizes run from XS to 3XL; most women wear M and most men wear L. Knotted bracelets can also be adjusted a little by sliding the knots.
Can I order skateboard gifts for a team or a company?
Yes. We make custom pieces and branded gifts from recycled boards, see our sustainable corporate gifts and wholesale and custom projects pages.