Q&A with BoardPusher: How NFC Technology is Supporting Sustainable Skateboards

In November, NFC Forum hosted the “NFC & NDPP - Powering the Digital Product Passport webinar”, which saw leaders from BoardPusher, ST Microelectronics, Identiv, Infineon and the NFC Forum discuss the critical role NFC technology plays in sustainability efforts and the implementation of the Digital Product Passport.

Following the webinar, we sat down with Lucas Bond, Founder of BoardPusher, a custom skateboard manufacturer, to delve deeper into his company’s use of NFC Forum technologies and how they are being used to create a new level of connection with consumers, develop trust and deliver on brand sustainability goals.

1. Can you tell us a bit about BoardPusher?

Our shared vision at BoardPusher is “creativity through technology”. BoardPusher was founded in 2005 to provide the skateboarding market with on-demand, customizable skateboards. We have continued to do this ever since, as well as expand to host online shops for skateboard teams and artists to sell their own designs.

Over the last 5 years, we have also shifted into new digital avenues. For instance, we’ve witnessed rapid developments in the augmented world and an increasing market for direct virtual replicas of the physical, customized boards we sell.

2. Can you delve deeper into why sustainability is so important for BoardPusher?

I have always been environmentally conscious on a personal level, and it’s been great to embed these same values at BoardPusher. We want our customers to know that when they purchase our products, they are doing so sustainably.

We are committed to providing our customers with a ‘cradle to grave’ environmentally friendly product. BoardPusher partners with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant a tree with each purchase and we use NFC and blockchain technologies to give customers access to a board’s detailed product sourcing and manufacturing on-request – delivering transparency and traceability throughout its entire lifecycle.

3. How is BoardPusher using NFC Forum technologies to achieve its goals?

We embed NFC tags in our boards as part of the manufacturing process and use them for a range of different purposes, building on our commitment to sustainable use of materials.

The embedded NFC Forum-compliant tags provide a unique identifier for each skateboard, which follows them throughout their lifecycle. White-labelled custom skateboards manufactured by BoardPusher can be highly collectible and sought after, with prices reaching over $100,000. When dealing with rare, high-cost items, certification, anti-counterfeiting and authenticity are critical for our customers. We store additional data on the embedded NFC tag to verify each board’s authenticity and a key benefit is that the embedded tags are also tamper-proof as they cannot be removed without destroying the board altogether.

BoardPusher is also using NFC Forum-compliant Digital Product Passport solutions to connect each of its skateboards to detailed sustainability data stored on the blockchain. This enables us to offer our customers full transparency into the materials and processes used, reinforcing our commitment to eco-conscious practices.

4. What do you think the future holds for BoardPusher and how will NFC technology help achieve that vision?

We’re just starting to use these NFC and blockchain-enabled tags to create a one-to-one connection between our physical boards and the information stored virtually. We hope to use this to create more brand-building opportunities and unique connections with our customers post-sale.

In time, users will be able to tap their board and use the NFC tag embedded within it to authenticate themselves for access to a whole host of additional, online user experiences. For instance, we’re looking at how the NFC tag can help provide customer with a virtual twin of their customized skateboard to be used in online games or the metaverse.

5. How have you found collaborating with NFC Forum?

We began using NFC technology to prove the sustainability and provenance of our products. It’s been great to broaden this usage and align with the NFC Forum on our shared vision. Together, we can innovate faster and further, enabling a more sustainable and connected future.