“Yew” is a word people use in action sports to express excitement and celebration when someone lands a trick. For Noah Moncrieff, a junior at WSU, this word is his business.

He said it perfectly captures his passion for skateboarding, and it is the word he chose to name his very own skateboard company.

Moncrieff’s first introduction to skateboarding came after a 13-year soccer career. He traded his cleats and shin pads for a board and some knee pads and never looked back.

“My dad was a skateboarder in the 80s in Canada, so there was always a board around the house,” Moncrieff said.

When he lived in Portland, Oregon, Moncrieff noticed a lack of skate shops in a city that normally supports local businesses. He decided then that he wanted his own company.

He said the idea to form his skateboard retailer came from his dad, who wanted to start a skate shop in 2013. They knew people with skills in graphic design and figured it would come to fruition.

Owning a company comes with a lot of responsibilities, especially when it is a one-man show. Currently, Moncrieff is the only person working for the company.

“I do everything,” Moncrieff said. “I do all of the social media. I create all of the website content. I do all the shipping. I do all of the orders and processing.”

Moncrieff works with local artists and friends to create the designs that adorn the backs of his boards. He transfers the designs from paper, or even sometimes cardboard, to a computer and then sends them to a distribution company in California. The final result: original graphics that Moncrieff uses on his boards while proudly supporting local artists.

“I love supporting local because I know how hard it can be sometimes,” Moncrieff said.

One of the biggest components of Moncrieff’s daily life is time management. He said difficulty arises when he has to juggle schoolwork and his company, especially when it is time to send orders out to customers.

“I wish I had other people, but it is fun doing everything, too … I just wish I had an accountant,” Moncrieff said.

A close friend of Moncrieff’s, Thor Stoppard is a junior at WSU studying sports management and an avid skateboarder. Stoppard said Moncrieff’s passion for skateboarding is a constant in his life.

“There is not a day that goes by where [Moncrieff] doesn’t skate, but if the weather doesn’t allow him to, he’s watching skateboard videos or working on things involved with Yew,” Stoppard said.

Stoppard also said it is inspiring to watch Moncrieff run Yew because he started the company years ago, and now runs it successfully as a college student.

Even if Yew does not become a large company one day, Moncrieff said he still intends on running the company after college. His company combines two of his biggest passions, he said.

“I do art all the time, and I skateboard all the time,” Moncrieff explained.

Moncrieff’s favorite pro-skateboarder is Cory Kennedy, a Seattle native. Moncrieff said Kennedy is the reason he continued skating through his teenage years. He even said they look alike.

“His style of skating and the way he comes off is a full circle of who I strive to be,” Moncrieff said.

You can keep up with Yew on Instagram or Facebook with the handle YewSkateboards, or using the company’s website.