Luis Carrera of Carrera Carving Co.

Consider this your new go-to for custom short boards, cruiser boards, long boards, cutting boards, tables, and benches. It’s certainly an impressive  list of hand-made, custom, wood-working, and Luis Carrera of Carrera Carving Co. is just getting started..

Our chat about his new enterprise taking shape…

So how did the Carrera Carving Co. come about?

I started Carrera Carving Co. back in October of 2015, originally we were doing a pro bono project here at work and I volunteered to make some benches for this children’s courtyard. Long story short, I finished the benches and had a ton of left over cedar… So one afternoon once I finished one of the benches I literally thought “it would be dope to make a board out of this.” So I found a couple of pieces of cedar that had tonal variations and glued up my first board. The second I rode it, I knew that I wanted to make more of them.

What all do you create?

I truly love woodworking. I make short boards, cruiser boards, long boards, cutting boards, tables, benches… basically anything that I try and set my mind to.

There is a growing community for custom boards. It is definitely a niche market. One, the prospective buyer is a skater/ aspiring skater. Two, the buyer appreciates the handcrafted aspect of the board and is willing to pay a little extra to get a product that is different from the mass produced boards out there. Instagram is 95% of how I get the word out about my work. Since June I now have over 1,000 followers, and that number is growing steadily… which I’m STOKED about!!

 Whose a part of the community?

There are a lot of handcrafted skateboard makers in California, Australia, Brazil, and even Michigan. I follow as many woodworkers as I can on Instagram. Makers who make wooden paddle boards and canoes area super influential to me.

 Do you partner or collaborate with anyone in Dallas?

I recently made some boards for a group called TX Longboarders, they are an aspiring longboard team who also do great cinematography and photography. I am trading them these boards in exchange for some photos and videos of me in the shop.

What’s been the biggest challenge with C.C.C.?

The biggest challenge would have to be getting the word out to the masses and having those who are on social media to really commit and want to buy a board. Admiration and appreciation is free, but to actually buy one of my products is another story. If I was able to get in with a distributor, or retailer I think this would help alot. Back when I was in California, a lot of the skate and surf shops welcomed hand made products, but down here the few skate shops that are here discourage that sort of thing for some reason. Don’t know why.

The biggest reward?

The biggest reward is just when I barely cut out the shape from the glued up pieces of wood. Its this fine window of going from seeing just a few pieces of wood to the beginning of an actual shape.. THAT is the moment I feel when the board is born. From that point on, shaping gives the board life and eventually it gets sealed and finished!

Top tips for creatives looking to start their own production?

Do not give up and welcome failure. The very first LONG board I ever made (right after the first short board) broke when I was test riding it on a Friday afternoon here at work. It was devastating…but I found this need to figure out where I went wrong and how I could fix it. That was the moment when I switched from cedar to hardwoods…much more durable and I haven’t had a broken board since. Success I feel, is keeping your motivation even after failure. Get the word out, keep tagging companies in your pictures on Instagram, keep sketching, keep your dreams alive!

 So where can we find Carrera Carving Co. next!?