“Your board is an extension of your body,” says Paul Schmitt otherwise known as Professor Schmitt for his academic take on skateboard design. He’s wearing a lab coat, and we’re not…so we’re listening.

It’s a sawdusty classroom with students big and small, those just starting to ride and those who showed up early for ramp time. But when it came to making decks, all of us needed help doing the math. It turns out, crafting what you ride is a rewarding task sourcing from nature, hard work, and polyurethane. Lots of polyurethane.

Yesterday, the awesome people at Converse held a free workshop in Beverly, MA where Boston skaters got the opportunity to shape, sand and paint their own wooden decks and learn more about the manufacturing processes behind the sport.

Talks accompanied by videos on deck composition and graphic design complemented the hands-on takeaway of a free board with hard facts. Did you know one maple tree averages enough wood for 150 skateboards? And that mother earth is good to us? And that practicing sustainable forestry techniques is the best way to not be an asshole? Now you know.

Check out some photos from the event below, and follow The CONS Project for future creative workshop opportunities in the genres of skate, music and art.