Skate Shop Support

Thank you to all the shops supporting The Nine Muses, our artist collaborators and the introducing of new art to skateboarders. You took a leap of faith on a new, small, non-traditional board brand and I cannot express possibly enough gratitude.

I was the manager and buyer for a skate shop in NJ called Out of Bounds. They were my first sponsor and I eventually worked there as a second job, from 1996-2004. The joy I had selling kids their first or 50th setup never changed. I would sit for hours and live and breathe skateboarding—watching videos, nerding out on all the product, skating in the parking lot, reading the mags, calling in special orders for the customers who I knew it meant so much to, and, ultimately, writing and pitching articles to the mags on the west coast, networking and building what would soon be my future writing and skate industry career.

My love for every minute in that shop is immeasurable. From ordering product, to unloading the UPS truck, to gripping hundreds and hundreds of boards, to smelling the new shoes, to stacking wheels and trucks in the display cases, to carpet boarding, to introducing kids to their new passion, to closing up alone at 10 pm and driving home on empty roads to eat dinner and watch more skate videos before bed ... every moment was the essence of skateboarding to me.

You are appreciated. You are the very heart of skateboarding. You are skateboarding. Your love for skateboarding and the sacrifices you make for it and the skate community do not go unnoticed. It has been amazing connecting with you all over the last few months, revisiting my skate shop brain and memories. I look forward to so much more.

Sincerely,

Robert Brink: Founder, owner, lone employee, skateboarder ...