- nicholasrosenthal8
- Feb 13
- 3 min read
Updated: Feb 25
The ultimate guide to finding your perfect skate shop
Whether you’re a seasoned skateboarder or just starting out, finding the right skate shop is crucial to contributing to the success of your skateboarding journey.
Finding the right shop consists of someone being there to provide the right advice on skateboarding gear while also providing a supportive community that makes you want to keep skateboarding.
With so many skate shops out there, how do you know you are going to the right one?
Why choosing the right Skate shop matters
A reputable skate shop doesn’t only focus on selling things. Instead, a skate shop that is focused on progression in the long run will make sure the center of its attention is on creating the best customer service experience possible to maintain long-term relationships.
By customer experience, I mean a person behind the counter that does not only focus on selling product. Shops that only focus on this aspect of the industry do not have a good reputation, and the reputation of the man behind the counter and the shop overall is what matters and what will take a shop to new heights of respect.
When going to different skate shops, you need to make sure the owner cares about you. When you walk into the shop, if the owner makes conversation with you first over anything else, then you know you might be in the right place.
Step one to knowing you are in the right place
Take a look at the skate shop. If it is more product oriented, you might infer that the owner is more focused on selling things than keeping people in his shop.
If it has things like the images above, a basketball goal, a TV with gaming consoles to use and videos to watch, or a nice place to sit down after a long work shift, then this owner cares about people just coming to hangout in his shop and giving them somewhere to go in their free time. This is what maintains long-term relationships and more support - giving someone a place to go that needs it.
This conveys that the owner is not only focusing on product, rather focusing on giving people a place to go and a good reason to be in their skate shop that does not have to do with buying something
Step 2: community
Having a community that supports a skate shop will contribute to your journey the most
If there is a supportive community, this provides you with the opportunity to learn from people that are experienced and want to help you progress
It also gives you a chance to connect with a diverse set of people. The set of people that skateboard ranges from all ages and backgrounds, and can teach you a lot about different individuals
Another tip: A skate shop that supports all levels of skateboarding is where you want to be.
In the bottom of the image above, there is beginner skateboards.
Shops that have beginner skateboards support starting skateboarding early. This is a reason you know you are in the skate shop. When an owner cares about having boards at an affordable price for young individuals to start their skateboarding journey, it shows that they support the overall message and journey of skateboarding.
Lastly, you want to make sure your skate shop has a variety of brands, as shown in the video below
To visit a skate shop with a good reputation with a caring owner, visit Still Pushing Skate Shop as shown in the video above