Izzy Aune creates, sells skateboards made from old skis
IMLAY CITY — Twenty-twenty Imlay City High School graduate Izzy Aune is the proud creator of Bumfoot Longboards. Izzy searches out vintage water skis and turns them into unique longboard skateboards.
Her hobby began in middle school, when she worked on a special project with her dad.
Izzy Aune displayed her longboard at Imlay City’s Art in the Rough in September and hopes to visit other festivals in the future.
“My dad and I made my first longboard out of a 1960 Aristocrat. My Great-grandpa Aune taught my Grandpa Ale to water ski on them and my Grandpa Ale taught my uncle and my dad to ski on them. They all learned on Lake St. Clair in Harrison Township. My Dad found them in the rafters of my Grandma Sandy’s garage,” Izzy shared.
Together, Izzy and her dad created a longboard out of the sentimental skis.
“As the years went by, my dad and I started making more longboards out of vintage water skis and gave them away as gifts. A few months ago, I started selling them with the name Bumfoot.”
Izzy shared a little story about how the name Bumfoot was born.
“The name was thought of by my dad, who is a big influence for my boards. When we were making our first one, he had just sprained his ankle. He called it his ‘bum foot.’ And that’s what inspired the name.”
The boards made by Izzy are all created with vintage water skis.
“The water skis are found throughout Michigan. They are cut, refinished and made into longboards. I want to make sure that the skis can stay as natural as possible, to keep their uniqueness, so I do not make any major changes,” she said of her process.
“These boards give new life to old skis that weren’t in good enough shape to use as skis and were collecting dust in garages and sheds.”
Not only does Izzy repurpose the skis into longboards, but she also spends a lot of her free time longboarding around Imlay City.
“There hasn’t been a lot to do lately, so longboarding is a great activity to take up. It is cost efficient, easy to take with you, and it is good exercise. If you live in Imlay City, you have probably seen me and my friends longboarding through
town.”
Izzy made sure to share, these boards are not just for teenagers. “I’ve made a few special orders for adults in town,” she said.
Izzy plans to continue making longboards while she attends Rochester University, pursuing her degree in Criminal Justice, with a minor in Business Entrepreneurship.
Bumfoot longboards can be custom ordered or chosen from a selection of already completed longboards on the Bumfoot Instagram or Facebook pages. Izzy also had a booth at Art in the Rough in downtown Imlay City this fall.
“I had so much fun there, that I am hoping to go to other festivals and display my boards,” she said.
Bumfoot can be found at @BUMFOOTboards on Facebook, @bumfoot_ on Instagram, or by calling 810-542-4270.
