Skateback
Grove, makers of bamboo cases for iPhones and MacBooks, have introduced a new environmentally friendly add-on for the iPhone 4/4S. The SkateBack uses waste material from a skateboard factory to give a unique -- although not particularly protective -- look to the iPhone. Grove has partnered with MapleXO, a company that makes recycled skateboard jewelry, to make the case.

The SkateBack makes a short journey from raw skateboard waste at skateboard factory PS Stix, to eye-catching ply with Lindsay at Maple XO, to cell phone accessory at Grove. PS Stix owner Paul Schmitt, of Costa Mesa, CA, has been designing and producing skateboards for nearly three decades. A skateboarder himself, his products are known worldwide for their quality, performance, and durability. PS Stix makes more than 4,000 skateboards every day, 200 per hour, almost three per minute! Thanks to Paul and Lindsay, we’re repurposing those scraps.


SkateBack comes in three color schemes and are available on Grove's website for $49 each.

Top Rated Comments

Cheerwino Avatar
141 months ago
Cool look. But, are our landfills really overflowing with skateboard scraps?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
2 Replies Avatar
141 months ago
Weakest use of the term "case" I've EVER heard.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
antman2295 Avatar
141 months ago
What I love is they are taking scraps of skateboards, sawing them down, slapping some "glue" on them, and then selling them for $49 each... Wow I love the mark up on cases...
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
laserbeam273 Avatar
141 months ago
Well that could have been a little more tactful.



I'm confused by this as well.

4,000 skateboards per day / 200 skateboards per hour = 20 working hours

That still seems a bit high. To check my work,

4,000 skateboards per day / 20 working hours = 200 skateboards per hour
200 skateboards per hour / 60 minutes per hour = 3 1/3 skateboards per minute

Even at 20 working hours, they are still producing over three skateboards per minute. So at what point (how many working hours) do they produce equal to or less than three skateboards per minute? (Note that the 200 skateboards per hour rule must be disobeyed to calculate this.)

4,000 skateboards per day / 21 working hours = 190.47619047619 skateboards per hour / 60 = 3.1746031746 skateboards per minute. Nope!

4,000 skateboards per day / 22 working hours = 181.81818181818 skateboards per hour / 60 = 3.0303030303. Pretty close to 3!

4,000 skateboards per day / 23 working hours = 173.91304347826 skateboards per hour / 60 = 2.89855072464. Bingo!

Or, to be exact,
3 skateboards per minute * 60 = 180 skateboards per hour
4,0000 skateboards per day / 180 skateboards per hour = 22.22 (repeating 2) working hours per day!

They would have to work over 22 hours a day for them to produce 4,000 skateboards per day at three skateboards per minute. :eek:

This doesn't add up! :confused:

Haha how on earth has a post about skateboard cases attracted so much maths. Brilliant.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jmgregory1 Avatar
141 months ago
I went a slightly different direction with my iP4s, although it's currently just the sides. I've wrapped it with a extremely thin, natural cherry, that is just .009" thick, that has a pressure sensitive adhesive on the back.

The wood itself is made using a proprietary process that uses no chemicals or sanding and offers both a unique look and just enough grip to make it easier to hold the phone or pull it out of my pocket. The process for making the wood is so green and efficient that a single log, 15" in diameter by 8' long generates 10,000 square feet of wood. The logs are all hand-selected and sustainably grown and harvested.

All the off-cuts and bark are pelletized and used to fuel a high-efficiency wood fired boiler that heats the building using an in-floor radiant heat system.

I'll do the back as soon as I can create an accurate template.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nohaver Avatar
141 months ago
The concept is awesome, however what's up with the rainbow?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 16

iOS 16.4 Now Available for Your iPhone With These 8 New Features

Friday March 31, 2023 8:55 am PDT by
Following six weeks of beta testing, iOS 16.4 was released to the public this week. The software update includes a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone 8 and newer. To install an iOS update, open the Settings app on the iPhone, tap General → Software Update, and follow the on-screen instructions. Below, we have recapped eight new features and changes added with iOS 16.4,...
CarPlay Phone Call

General Motors to Phase Out Apple CarPlay Starting This Year in EV Transition

Friday March 31, 2023 8:43 am PDT by
General Motors (GM) will phase out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in its vehicles starting this year, shifting to a built-in infotainment system co-developed with Google (via Reuters). GM owns Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC in the United States. It will stop offering Apple CarPlay and Android Auto starting with the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer, which goes on sale this summer. The company plans ...
iOS 17 on Phone Feature

Three New iOS Features Coming to Your iPhone Following Apple Music Classical

Thursday March 30, 2023 7:13 am PDT by
With the Apple Music Classical app and an Apple Pay Later early access program now available, the list of previously-announced iOS features that have yet to launch is beginning to shrink. However, there are still a few features we are waiting for. Below, we have recapped three more iOS features that are expected to launch in 2023, including an Apple Card savings account for Daily Cash,...
wwdc 2023

Three Products We Might See at WWDC 2023

Friday March 31, 2023 3:37 pm PDT by
Apple this week announced the official dates for the 34th annual Worldwide Developers Conference, with the annual WWDC keynote event set to take place on Monday, June 5. The keynote is where Apple unveils new versions of iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS, and sometimes, we get hardware announcements. Rumors this year suggest there are at least three new devices that are set to be unveiled in the ...
iPhone 15 Pro Multi Purpose button Mute Switch Feature Green 2

iPhone 15 Pro Solid-State Button Sensitivity Can Be Customized to Cater for Cases and Gloves

Thursday March 30, 2023 11:36 pm PDT by
iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max users will be able to customize the sensitivity of the solid-state buttons on their device, thanks to a new sensitivity toggle in Settings. That's according to details provided by a hitherto reliable source that shared additional details on the MacRumors forums. Earlier this week, the same anonymous tipster revealed that the iPhone 15 Pro models will use...
apple mixed reality headset concept by david lewis and marcus kane

Kuo: Apple Mixed-Reality Headset May Not Appear at WWDC as Mass Production Pushed Back Yet Again

Thursday March 30, 2023 4:50 am PDT by
Apple has again pushed back mass production of its mixed-reality headset and the device may not appear at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said. Apple headset concept by David Lewis and Marcus Kane In a tweet, Kuo explained that Apple "isn't very optimistic" about whether the headset will be able to create an "iPhone moment." As a result,...
iPhone 15 Pro Periscope Mock Feature

Periscope Camera Lens Exclusive to iPhone 15 Pro Max Will Be Supplied by Largan

Thursday March 30, 2023 1:18 am PDT by
The periscope camera lens that will be exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max will be solely supplied by Largan, according to the 相機鏡頭中獲利-apple-camera-lens-suppliers-face-two-risks-high-53db8da990b2">latest no by Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Rumors about the iPhone getting a periscope lens have been circulating since early 2020, when Kuo first mentioned the possibility. The analyst...