Robert Brink - Writer

Shop Kids

October 28, 2005 | Skip To The Comments (0)

Shop Kids
By Rob Brink
TransWorld Business August 2005

Since the dawn of skateboard retail, shop sponsorships have been vital to skateboarding. Even the recent film Lords Of Dogtown—as mainstream as it is—revolves around the core belief that a skate shop and its team can accomplish amazing things. Ask almost any pro, ex pro, or amateur skateboarder who their first sponsor was, and they'll most likely tell you it was a local skate shop. In the last decade or so, shop videos like Coliseum's P.J. Ladd's Wonderful Horrible Life, FTC's Finally, or Sub Zero's Real Life have been wildly successful—even legendary.

Active Ride Shop has assembled one of the most impressive skate shop teams in history. With thirteen shops in California and a massive online/mail-order business, Active views its skate team as a vital part of its success. “Having a skate team for a skate shop is like having water in the ocean,” says Shane Wallace, cofounder of Active. “It has to happen to make any sense of staying in business. The bottom line is you get what you give. From supporting Koston to the kid who just learned a kickflip, you have to support every dimension of skateboarding to be a successful skate shop today.”

Chris Nieratko, one-third owner and one-third “president” of NJ Skate Shop in Sayreville, New Jersey, doesn't view his shop's team as a make-or-break necessity. Instead, Nieratko says having a shop team is rewarding to the shop and its owners. “Aside from food, clothing, and shelter, nothing in life is necessary—but it's something that's rewarding,” he says. “We're not in business to leech off skateboarding. Helping nurture the talent of kids in New Jersey and to get them thinking beyond the borders of their little towns is the least we can do to give back to skating.”

Growing up, Nieratko shopped the stores that Jersey pros like Fred Gall, Chris Pastras, and Mike Vallely rode for. “They were the best skateboarders in my area, and I looked up to them,” he says. “Granted they rode for shops that weren't near my house, but I made my mom drive there because I wanted to be down with what those guys were down with. It's a natural thing for kids to want to be associated with greatness.”

That kind of greatness also helps sales. Having the best skaters in the area promoting your shop and wearing your shirts really helps to get the brand out there. “As those kids progress and start getting coverage in magazines and graduate from shop flow to paid ams, they'll take your shop's name with them and help brand your shop even further,” says Nieratko.

Dave Fairman, owner of Fairman's Skate Shop in the nearby town of Westchester, Pennsylvania, shares a similar philosophy. Fairman has been making decks since 1975. “There was always somebody who deserved a hook-up,” he recalls. “We've been continuously sponsoring some of the best skateboarders in the region ever since (1975). It really helps the shop stay connected to the local 'core skate community.”

David Dowd, owner of Division East in Montclair, New Jersey, says a huge part of his advertising revolves around decking out his team in the shop's clothes and helping them get out there to get coverage. “It's helped a ton,” says Dowd, “but it's also important for the shop to be part of a thriving (local) scene and to have all the younger kids who shop here really wanting to be a part of it and constantly asking how they can get on the team.”

Since shop teams are often built using the DIY ethic, there are no obvious rules for how to choose and operate a shop skate team. With the exception of some shops that don't have teams at all, or the few shops that can actually afford to pay their riders, many shops share a common model for managing their shop teams.

“It takes good skateboarding and a good attitude,” says Dowd. Most shop owners, in exchange for the shop's support, hold a list of expectations for their athletes. Dowd says he expects his riders to come by the shop and hang out occasionally, wear Division East gear, put shop stickers on their boards, mention the shop in interviews, skate in shop demos, and film parts for the videos.

“There are kids who aren't officially on the team who I do hook up with discounts and Division East gear because I want them to remain affiliated with my store. Eventually, it's possible I'll put them on the team.”

Like many small shops, Division East doesn't pay its riders. However, sometimes a shop's connections can be even more valuable than monthly cash stipends. Dowd says that in addition to hooking up his team with discounts and product, he does things to help their long-term careers. “I've helped a number of the guys get sponsored by other companies by sending out their sponsor-me videos and talking them up to my contacts.”

Over at NJ Skate, Nieratko also says that he doesn't pay anyone: “We're a small business.” His shop even has an alternate team for comic relief (with Ricky Oyola as head of the boxing team and Kris Markovich running the tattoo team, to name a few).

“People ride for us because they're down for us,” he says. “I tell people that all we can give them is free griptape. If they agree to that, then I know they truly care about the shop and not what we can offer them.” In terms of incentives, Nieratko's shop tries to support those who get photos and additional coverage that features the shop logo. “It may not be huge, but it's what we can afford,” he says. “We also try and buy them a case of beer of their choice—beer incentive, if you will.” Of course, he gives teamriders everything at cost and also uses his industry and rep connections to get them hooked up with shoes, decks, and wheels.

For shops that can afford it, cash compensation is a real benefit for shop riders and can land you some big fish. At Active, Wallace has assembled a team of world-class skateboarders who have huge spheres of influence when it comes to generating sales with young consumers. Wallace pays his team with cash, love, respect, and loyalty. “The combination seems to work for us,” he says.

So what else are shop teams good for, aside from promoting your shop in the streets? Shop teams are great for making videos, and videos are great for widespread shop promotion. “I just expect my team to go skate, film, be happy, and not get the shop into too much trouble,” says John Montesi, owner of Westside Skate Shop in Tarpon Springs, Florida. Montesi is currently working on the fourth Westside video with his team. In Pennsylvania, Fairman's is also working on video number four, in addition to reissuing the shop's first three videos on DVD. “We just ask them to give a positive representation of the shop,” says Fairman when asked about what he expects from his riders.

“Aside from natural skateboarding talent,” says Nieratko, “the main thing for us is a good attitude. We don't want some kid representing us that's a crybaby, who throws his board every time he misses a trick, who chain smokes in front of little kids, who tries to one-up everyone he skates with, or just has a negative attitude.”

Of all the shops mentioned, not a single one could envision running their store without a team. “No way,” says former New Deal pro and Westside Skate Shop Owner Montesi. “Only if a shop owner is cheap and greedy would he not have a team.”

So what's the financial model behind having a shop team? Should retailers build in a budget for a team? “In terms of dollars and cents, it (having a team) may not be that smart,” says Nieratko, whose shop has just celebrated its second year in business. “We take care of our kids and give away a lot of stuff when we can't really afford it. But it's always worth having the respect and friendship of the people who ride for us and support us. It's good to know that you can help a struggling kid not have to stress about how he's going to afford his next deck. It's also good to know they're genuinely down for us—from the heart—and not because of what we can offer.”

Dowd was in a similar situation when he started his shop, but he says hooking up his riders paid off in the end. “When I was starting out and didn't have much product in my shop, it was often difficult to accommodate them, but it's definitely been worth it.”

While many shops say their teams are a big part of the business, other retailers feel having a team isn't always practical. “I don't think a team is necessary,” says Nick Kuzmak, manager of Out Of Bounds in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, who says that the dynamics of managing a team can be complicated. He believes too many kids are so sponsor crazy nowadays and that to build a team of kids who have both skills and shop allegiance can be a tall order. “We have a crew of kids who all skate together and only shop here—and they have love for us. So there you go, that's our team,” says Kuzmak. “I see so many kids who ride for other shops, and then roll over here for a hook-up, too. That's so lame. Kids who are down for this shop get shown more love than some ‘shop-sponsored riders' for some other places. If I'm at the skate spot and some local is just always ripping, I would most definitely help him out in terms of finding someone to hook them up—regardless of if we have a team or not. Isn't that the true role as a shop?”

Whether you believe in the value of a team or not, it's difficult to argue that a shop team isn't somewhat beneficial. Whether they include major pros or local rippers, shop teams are an incredible promotional tool for stores to expose their name worldwide and help to build and support their local skateboarding scene.

“It's important for shops to support and build a bond with their local skateboarders,” says Wallace. “We've learned so much over the past fifteen years about sponsoring skateboarders. We've even helped some of the best dudes in skateboarding get their current sponsors. We listen to our team and they listen to us, it's a bond.”

The role of the team is to create buzz for the shop and bring in customers. “Kids are nearly as influenced by a local ripper as they are an international pro,” says Nieratko.

Local riders, however, aren't the only ones who back local shops. Pros often claim shops and shops claim them in return. “I think having huge pros on your team is great for both parties,” says Nieratko. “If I was a pro, I'd have twenty shop sponsors, because those shops would push my board in return. Trust me, when we place Habitat orders, Fred Gall, Tim O'Connor, or Brian Wenning's name is on the bottom of nearly every deck we buy.”

For skaters, getting on a shop team is often the first rung on the long ladder of professional skateboarding achievements. By getting onto a reputable shop team, a skater will gain confidence and see that perhaps he can get sponsored by a deck or clothing company, possibly get paid, and maybe even go pro someday. “By no means is sponsorship the reason anyone should pick up a skateboard,” says Nieratko, “but in life it's good to set goals in order to grow as a person. From the shop side of things, our main responsibility—aside from not going bankrupt—is to keep kids psyched on skating.”