Storefront: Sk8 Skates
Storefront: Sk8 Skates
By Rob Brink
The Skateboard Mag January 2008
A skate shop is lucky to make it three years these days, much less 20. Hell, I bet many of you reading this haven't even been around 20 years.
But Sk8 Skates in Winnipeg, Manitoba has, and they've figured out a formula for two decades of survival despite harsh Canadian winters with temperatures dropping to -40 degrees Fahrenheit, multiple changes of ownership, the tragic loss of an owner, eight or nine shop relocations (which is suicide for many shops), no snowboards, wakeboards or gimmicks, no online retail, and all the peaks and valleys the skateboard industry has seen since 1987.
What is it? Well, they just do the right thing.
Put simply, Sk8 was opened with $4,000 by Steve Harnish and Klaus Hoffman in 1987 because Winnipeg needed skater owned and operated shop. The logic was if the store took a dive, they could at least skate the stuff themselves.
A few years later, in the early '90s, Sk8 was sold to Jai Pereira, Alex Man, Scott Rankin, and Chris Larson. "Four skaters for skaters," was their motto. Pereira established Sk8 as one of Canada's most well-known and reputable skateshops and kept skating alive in Winnipeg before his untimely passing in 2001. After which, the shop was taken over by the current owner Genico Aiello, with the help of many of Sk8's existing staff and family.
Through it all, the "skaters for skaters" mentality has remained.
"I don't think anyone thought we'd be around this long," says Aiello, "especially with the ups and downs of the skateboard industry. It was the loyalty of Sk8's clientele and our commitment to skateboarding and our city that helped us weather the storms over the years."
Sk8 just relocated a stone's throw away from the 44.000 square-foot Plaza at The Forks skatepark. They were involved with some of the initial planning for the Plaza and are currently responsible for its' staffing, programming and maintenance. Sk8 even has a kiosk in the skatepark so you can buy a deck or whatever other hardgoods you need—on the spot. Obviously being so readily accessible to their clientèle in one of the best skateparks in the country is amazing for business—something most shops could only dream of.
With the recent influx of skateparks, Winnipeg is seeing a resurgence in skateboarding's popularity.
"Because we're a relatively small city (750,000), our core skate scene is pretty tight so everyone knows everyone," says Aiello. "Sk8 is the only real skateboard focused shop in Winnipeg and the surrounding area so our involvement in the scene is evident across the Province. Staying committed to skateboarding and keeping our scene healthy has always been the goal. The skateboard community feels a sense of ownership in Sk8 so they're on our case if we're not being legit."
Sk8 also started the Winnipeg Am (WAM) amateur contest this year (or in 2007 depending when this prints?) with a $20,000 cash purse. They were instrumental in forming The Skateboard Coalition of Manitoba. They run three weeks of skatecamps at the skatepark and sponsor a variety of local concerts and art shows.
Aiello believes that the Sk8 Skates family is what makes the shop stand out from the rest. "Treat your staff, team, and loyal customers like family and they'll help you through the hard times and stay committed to your scene," he says. Although he and the shop have admittedly made "too many mistakes to list," Aiello acknowledges their longevity and retaining a family vibe as their greatest success.
Sk8 is currently working on a follow up to their Third Try video, but this time it's a documentary about their first 20 years.
"It's an opportunity to pay homage to the many people that have been involved and look back on how skating has changed from '87 till now," says Aiello. If you don't give a shit about your skate scene, don't do it. There are better ways to make money. The reward is the people, so get involved!"
701 Corydon Ave.
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3M 0W4
Canada
204.452.4802
www.sk8skates.com
(2) responses to: Storefront: Sk8 Skates
scum city said:
20 years with only skateboarding is pretty impressive. Atleast during the start, these days you can sell skateboard brands to any kid out there, or even 25+ people, since they all think that skateboarding is so hot right now.
Cool to see that there are atleast some core shops left in the world.
Sam said:
Not to mention, it gets so cold for so long there--and by cold I can't really even describe how ridiculously cold. I just looked on weather.com and it's -27 there right now. It's insane that skateboarding even exists there, not only that but how strong of a scene Winnipeg has.
Those guys do awesome stuff, hyped they got a storefront finally, awesome write up Rob---I know those dudes are hyped!
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