Behind the Boards: Juliana Salles
Welcome to "Behind the Boards", an editorial series from Shred where we profile the shapers, board makers, creatives and community members who make Shred Skateboard Co possible.
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In this installment of Behind the Boards we’re getting to know Juliana Salles, a staffer at Shred who plays a key role on our production team. Her passions for crafting things by hand and for staying active collide in her role with Shred, where she puts her creativity to work. We recently caught up with Juliana to talk about her role at Shred, the future of skateboarding, and the ever-pressing question: Point Break or Lords of Dogtown?
Okay, Juliana, let’s warm up with a lightning round. Quick questions. Quick answers.
Shred Skateboard Co. (SSC): Surf or skate?
Juliana Salles (JS): Skate!
SSC: Streaming music or vinyl?
JS: Streaming music.
SSC: Beanie or Ball Cap?
JS: Beanie.
SSC: Rocket Power or SpongeBob?
JS: Rocket power forever.
SSC: Dream Surf Destination?
JS: Costa Rica.
SSC: Boardsport athlete who inspires you?
JS: Tony Hawk.
SSC: One dinner guest, dead or alive. Who are you picking?
JS: My dad.
SSC: Point Break or Lords of Dogtown?
JS: Point Break!
SSC: Now for the basics – What’s your name? What do you do? What’s a day-in-the-life entail?
JS: My name is Juliana Salles. I love art, nature, outdoor activities, and sports! So if I’m not out enjoying the day, I’ll be at home creating some art!
SSC: What’s your relationship with Shred? How did you come in contact? What inspired you to collaborate/stick around?
JS: I’ve been friends with Marcelo for almost ten years now, and I was already very excited about this project even before it started! So I reached out to him to see if he needed any help, and here I am! I love handmade projects and protecting our planet, so working at Shred is like a dream come true to me! I love it!
SSC: Okay, let’s back up a bit. How did you come to do what you do with Shred? What’s your (brief) origin story?
JS: These past three years, I dove into the handmade world! I’ve built lots of wooden furniture for my house and started working with resin and macrame, making house decor and accessories for selling.
SSC: What about your work/collaboration with Shred are you most proud of? What brings a smile to your face when you think about it?
JS: To be honest, all the boards I’ve built! It is such a long and detailed process to make each board that seeing the final product is always priceless! Big smiles every time!
SSC: When not working with Shred, what keeps you busy / entertained?
JS: If I’m not at Shred, I’ll be creating some art at home, or enjoying the beach, having a beer with my friends, working out, camping, hiking, reading!
SSC: What’s your favorite Shred board shape? If you could put any graphics on a Shred board, what would you put on the deck?
JS: I love the Electrical Ninja! I would make a galaxy board with the planets, stars, and all that jazz (I love astrology, lol)
SSC: What’s the next innovation/trend in skateboarding that you’re most excited about? How do you think skateboarding will be different in 5 years?
JS: I love what we are doing at Shred, honestly. The fact that we don’t cut trees down to make our skates and the hundreds of pounds of toxic waste that we take out of the environment is the biggest innovation out there!
SSC: If you could drop any personal effect (memento, souvenir, your cat’s ashes) into the Shred machine and make a skateboard out of it, what would it be?
JS: I don’t think I would. I think I would get too emotionally involved with the skate and wouldn’t wanna ride it/scratch it, lol.
SSC: What’s one book, podcast, show, movie, or other media that you’ve drawn inspiration from recently? Or learned something valuable from?
JS: These two books taught me a lot: The Power of Now and The Law of Success.
SSC: Where can people find you online if they’re so inclined?
JS: On my Instagram page, @juba.life.
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Thanks for stopping by, and remember to shred after reading.
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Featured Boards:
Electrical Ninja ( 30”)