Naturalists | 11.04.24
Mikey Muirhead
Nocs Naturalists
Introduce yourself and what you’re up to these days!
Hello my name is Mikey. :) I’m a mid 30’s millennial living in the heart of Utah, US. I work full time as a photographer for a men’s backpack company while dabbling in the freelance world with my free time to keep things interesting and new. 2024 has been my busiest year to date which has meant lots of travel and new opportunities, but even more so, it has me even more appreciative of my own backyard and has me capitalizing my moments at home.
From the looks of it, you’re always outside either on your bike, moto or skateboarding. Tell us more about what being on wheels means to you…
Skateboarding has and forever will be my first love. I started skateboarding in the late 90’s and it is something I still do regularly to this day. It’s also where I got my start in my career as skateboarding and cameras are so hand in hand. As I’ve grown older, I’ve added more wheels to my quiver, first with road cycling, then motorcycles, and now gravel bikes. Living in Utah, we have such amazing access to world class trails. Within a handful of miles from my home are multiple canyons, peaks, and endless trails. I participated in many sports growing up, but something I realized in my mid 20’s was the simplicity of anything with wheels. If I want to ski or snowboard, I have to buy all this equipment, travel 1-3 hours, pay for a pass, and ride a lift to get started. When it comes to skateboarding, cycling, or motorcycles, the adventure begins the moment I step foot out my front door. I don’t need to rely on anyone else, it’s beyond simplistic, and the only barriers are my own creativity. Being on wheels is true freedom the very second I leave the house.
Tell us more about your awesome business - The Recycled Ring?
Simply put, I bring new life to old skateboards by repurposing them into
unique wearables and timeless house pieces.
The long of it:
Okay, so this entire thing started as a hobby. I’ve always been fairly
sentimental. My entire life I kept every skateboard I’ve ever owned.
Around 2016, I literally had a pile of skateboards taller than myself.
Each skateboard is constructed from 7 layers of thin wooden veneers. To
make the boards more interesting, these layers are dyed in various colors.
My father worked as a general contractor so I also grew up working with
him and had access to a lot of his tools at the time. Looking at this
giant pile of skateboards, I knew there had to be a better way to upcycle
these. On average most skateboarders throw away 1-2 boards a month. I was
seeing it every time I went to our local park. Meanwhile, a close friend
of mine was making metal rings with his father out of coins. After
spending a weekend with them we figured out how to adapt the same process
to skateboards. At the time, I was already making things out of wood in my
spare time to help pay off my student loans. Coffee tables, book shelves,
cutting boards. I raced home from my friend's house and made a handful of
these skateboard rings. I was so proud of what I had just made, I quickly
threw them up on a little website I already had built and posted them to
instagram. Little did I know, and by pure luck, a very popular skateboard
blogger at the time who had over 500,000 followers reposted my work and
linked me to his group. I woke up the next morning with hundreds of
orders. I nearly shit myself. I was in no way prepared to hand make that
many orders. I had to write to every customer and let them know it could
be as long as 6 months before they saw their orders. To my fortune, they
were all okay with it. And thus my brand was born.
We now sale to over 120 skate shops across the world and have saved
thousands of boards from reaching the landfill. It’s still just my side
hustle, but more than anything, it is truly my therapy. To make a physical
product with your hands while living in such a digital world is truly
satisfying.
We’re curious… How do you find peace in nature?
I really pride myself on being a weekend warrior. During Covid, I took on my biggest motorcycle project to date. I bought a brand new Honda XR650L. I was drawn to this bike because of how simple it is. Honda has not updated it in over 30 years. They’ll change the colors occasionally, but that is it. I spent all the entirety of the Covid19 lockdown adding accessories to this motorcycle and truly making it my own. I dare say it is the most tricked out XR650 in the entire country. I started out doing short camp trips with friends and has the years have passed I now do 90% of my camping completely solo. This is where I truly find my peace. It takes guts to camp alone. Because of the freedom the motorcycle affords me, I can reach camping spots more people only dream of. Getting there is half the adventure. I have gotten my bike stuck more times than I can count. But when I reach my destination and set up my humble camp, there is something about being completely alone and vulnerable that really feeds my soul. It's hard to explain, but the solemnity of watching a sunset in the Utah desert with out any distractions is one of the most peaceful experiences one can have.
Who or what are you inspired by these days?
I am continually inspired by those around me who continue to work hard and are just nice to people. Without naming names, I am surrounded by hard working friends and family members who show up everyday and give it their all. They say we are the average of our friendship circles and I have been especially blessed to have elevated circles around me.
We’re stoked that Nocs are in your toolkit. In what situations do you find yourself grabbing your Nocs? How are they helping your craft?
Traveling on a motorcycle, I am very limited in what I can bring on my adventures and my Nocs have truly earned their place in my bag. Something I’ve always appreciated as a photographer, is that we can hide in plain site behind the view finder and observe quietly from a distance. My Nocs give me this same freedom in the outdoors. They have helped me to connect with all kinds of local wildlife and better understand the world around me.
If you could describe yourself as any creature or animal, what would it be?
If I could be any animal, it would absolutely be a bald eagle. These birds are so majestic here in the US and we are lucky enough to have these raptors call Utah home during the winter. Watching an animal this big fly around is truly magical and in my opinion the epitome of absolute freedom to roam and do as they are.
Anything on your calendar that you’re looking forward to? We’d love to stay in touch! Where can we find you these upcoming months?
Great question! My busy year continues with a few bigger trips, I’ve been invited to go sailing near St. Lucia in August, a photography trip to Greece in October, and a couple trips to both California and New York before the years end. But most importantly to me, I will be spending as much time as possible outside and on my wheels not too far from home.
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