SHORELINES

25 Shor e l i n e S | 2016 Vol :3 In January 2015, everything changed. Wallingford was diagnosed with stage four cancer. Living on the lake provided solace, a place of recovery and restoration. Wallingford decided to try his hand at creating refurnished ski furniture. "I told myself if you make it through this, you're going to build these things. It gave me something to focus on," Wallingford says. Wallingford began seeking out antique skis, and built his first repurposed Adirondack chair shortly thereafter. Naming his company Re- Ski Business, his motto "repurposing these old forgotten skis" means much more than simply making furniture. "I took on this motto myself. With the cancer, I felt old and forgotten. But through this art, I have been able to be renewed as well; it gives me purpose," Wallingford says. From his studio based in Titus, Alabama, Wallingford travels across the country to pick up antique skis for his furniture. "In one week, I traveled more than 2,200 miles and came home with only nine skis," he says. But it's worth it. Wallingford thrives on building relationships and discovering possibilities in old skis, most of them 40-60 years old. He calls the process of finding his materials "miraculous." "I find skis all over, in thrift stores, online, simply from having conversations with people," says Wallingford, who recalled meeting someone in a Goodwill store in Kentucky who had 10 skis at home. Wallingford struck up a conversation with a woman at an appointment at UAB during his cancer treatment who was a skier at Cypress Gardens and gave him her old skis. While it takes five skis to create one chair, Wallingford said it isn't as easy as putting five skis together. They have to fit artistically and functionally. "They have to come together with color and age. There are all types of skis and you want to make sure the chair is cohesive," he says. "I say a prayer every time I cut a ski – we are dealing with up to 60 years of history in these." Some families give Wallingford their own antique skis for him to re- purpose into furniture, an aspect of the craft that he treasures. "These skis have decades of history. For me, it's very moving to be able to transform them into a functional piece of art that can be around for another 30-40 years," he said. Wallingford's chairs have found their way to Lake Martin, Logan Martin Lake, Jacksonville, Florida, and Salt Lake City, Utah. For him, Arti Gras is the perfect combination of community and inspiration. "This is an art show for the lake community. For people who truly appreciate my art. It's not a flea market, it's an art show and you can tell just by the caliber of artists represented here. My craft is appreciated here and that's inspiring right there," Wallingford says. Above: Photo by Ted Tucker – One of Alisa Shivers and Rene Mason's repurposed robot sculptures stands at attention.

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