We are dedicated to making figure skating more sustainable and accessible through innovation and education. By diverting skates and skate manufacturing byproducts from landfills, providing low-cost skates to underserved communities, and hosting STEM-based sustainability workshops, we empower the skating community to protect our planet while growing our sport.
We are Tanya and Kaja, two competitive synchronized figure skaters who believe our sport should be as green as it is graceful. After seeing how many skates end up in landfills, we founded Skating Beyond to create a circular economy within the skating community. From national-level rinks to local programs, we are working to ensure every skate has a second life.
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Collection Drives: We partner with rinks and skate stores to run collection drives of gently used skates, providing an avenue for skaters to donate their used skates instead of filling up landfills.
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Accessibility to Skating Equipment: We provide high-quality used skates to adaptive skating programs, and skating non-profits for the use of their athletes. In addition, through our online storefront, we offer these skates to individual skaters nationwide for only the cost of shipping and fees.
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Creative Upcycling: Skates that are no longer ice-ready are transformed into holiday decor or used in educational workshops to teach young skaters about sustainability.
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Industrial Recycling: We partner with skate manufacturers to redirect leather scraps from the skate manufacturing process, keeping thousands of pounds of waste out of landfills. We distribute these to artists to repurpose them into creative objects.
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Sustainability Workshops: We host hands-on sessions at skating camps where skaters learn to upcycle old skates into art, turning waste into creativity.
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Skating Through Science Workshops: Our 'Skating Through Science' curriculum educates skaters on the physics, biology, chemistry and environmental science behind skating, using the rink as a laboratory to inspire the next generation of STEM leaders.
OUR IMPACT
SKATES DISTRIBUTION MAP
Every point on this map marks someone whose skating journey has been supported by our donated skates.
From nonprofit organizations to individual skaters, these locations reflect a growing movement committed to increasing access and empowering skaters everywhere.
Together, these points illustrate the reach of our mission to make skating fun, inclusive, and accessible for all.
NAOMI WEST
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Chief Growth Officer
Figure Skating in Harlem
“A huge thank you to Tanya and Kaja for organizing such a thoughtful and creative fundraiser on
behalf of Figure Skating in Harlem! Thank You for your leadership and heart."
ELIZABETH THORNTON
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Sales and Marketing Director,
Riedell Skates - Ice Division
"I love your enthusiasm and initiative, as well as your consideration of the environment."
PAUL WARD
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Director of Adaptive Sports
Fransiscan Children's
“This sounds like an amazing project, and it means a lot that you thought about us. I think this would be really helpful for some of our participants. Many of them rent their skates and would benefit from having something that actually fits them without the expense.”