Worst skate shop ever

[Stony Hawk]

My mom bought me my first real skateboard from a hair salon in Niceville, FL, in 1987.  The owner’s son had some decks and hard goods in the corner near the reception area.  I was only 12 at the time so I didn’t really care.  I was just stoked to be getting a “real” complete.  I ended up with a white Hosoi “rocket air” deck, white tracker ultralights, and blue hosoi oj wheels.  God DAMN I was soooo hyped.  I remember the guy putting it together for me, cutting weird grip tape designs for me and everything.  He farted really loudly while putting the trucks on... it made me really anxious and uncomfortable but he didn’t skip a beat.  Hands down one of the best years of my entire life.  But,  yeah, the “shop” was a hair salon, too.  That shit kinda sucked.

[ungzilla]

if you can get an 80s perm while you're getting your 80s pro complete i'd say that's the best skateshop ever

[nocomply900]

Was expecting this thread to be about 2 Felons...

Good story, though!

[2000]

zumez, everyone that works at mine is overweight. wont even look at my sponsor tape fuck em

[kentrock]

zumez, everyone that works at mine is overweight. wont even look at my sponsor tape fuck em

they aren't going to sponsor you.

[tom]

I haven't been to NYC in a few years, do they still have those deli's/bodegas that have a skateshop in them? That shit was cutting edge

[backinaction]

I had to order my first complete by mail order from the back of Thrasher. Second deck and my first actual shop experience was in 1988 in a fabric store named the Thread Shed.  Same deal - her kid ordered a few parts and called his corner  the "shred shed".  It was a half hour drive away and not a town we went to often. I had to beg my mom to take me there. I picked up a Powell Mike Vallely elephant and was super stoked on how big the nose was.

[TheLurper]

My mom bought me my first real skateboard from a hair salon in Niceville, FL, in 1987.  The owner’s son had some decks and hard goods in the corner near the reception area.  I was only 12 at the time so I didn’t really care.  I was just stoked to be getting a “real” complete.  I ended up with a white Hosoi “rocket air” deck, white tracker ultralights, and blue hosoi oj wheels.  God DAMN I was soooo hyped.  I remember the guy putting it together for me, cutting weird grip tape designs for me and everything.  He farted really loudly while putting the trucks on... it made me really anxious and uncomfortable but he didn’t skip a beat.  Hands down one of the best years of my entire life.  But,  yeah, the “shop” was a hair salon, too.  That shit kinda sucked.

So this place was the inspiration for Willy's Workshop?

http://www.caughtinthecrossfire.com/skate/interviews/willy-santos-interview/

[Neil]

Captain Lou's Hobby Shop in Huntington Beach, CA. What a dump. The old man who owned the place was a curmudgeon. He did model airplanes, trains, RC cars, and well will you look at that skateboards are popular, let me sell those too.

During full World Industries boom, he would bootleg Flameboy and Wet Willy decks by painting them himself. They looked horrible. I still remember some kid showing up with a new Captain Lou's special and couldn't believe he wasted his money. 

[Willie]

Captain Lou's Hobby Shop in Huntington Beach, CA. What a dump. The old man who owned the place was a curmudgeon. He did model airplanes, trains, RC cars, and well will you look at that skateboards are popular, let me sell those too.

During full World Industries boom, he would bootleg Flameboy and Wet Willy decks by painting them himself. They looked horrible. I still remember some kid showing up with a new Captain Lou's special and couldn't believe he wasted his money.

That's awesome.

[SHIREFLIP]

I am under the impression that these guys are whack for holding Olympic team tryouts:
https://www.facebook.com/events/244639176084896/

Though it's entirely possible I'm just a fucking hater.

[Monkey_Mcpott]

Pharmacy Hollywood sucks

[headtowall]

Growing up there was no skateshops in my area except this kid I was friends with brother had a shop in the back of a weird head shop strange trinket type place, which is where i got my first real complete. After that they closed and that weird store stated selling powell blanks and venture trucks only.

after that, there was a skateshop in a computer repair shop. I legit exclusively had to buy boards through mail order or when I went down to NYC

[thebacker]

kcdc is shit compared to labor

[headtowall]

kcdc is shit compared to labor

SHIT? that seems a bit over the top no?

[se7en3two]

My first complete was bought out of a Getty gas station here in NJ, with a similar setup as that hair salon.

Bike shops were everywhere at the time, but nobody carried skate shit... 87-88' ish

[Jared]

Pharmacy Hollywood sucks

Pharmacy in general is trash. It’s only a matter of time until they start selling scooter gear.

[Aaron Cayer]

I am under the impression that these guys are whack for holding Olympic team tryouts:
https://www.facebook.com/events/244639176084896/

Though it's entirely possible I'm just a fucking hater.

That whole event is a huge joke - check the video for some context. It was a connect the dots entry made by that shop a few years ago.

[Cherb]

RIP Spirit Skateshop. The owner could be a fucking prick. I remember sitting outside the shop once waiting for a ride to pick me and a friend up after I bought some bearings and the guy comes out telling us to get the fuck away from the front of the shop and stop to loitering. Never went back there again. Then they got shut down for stealing Hosois logo and just swapping the name Hosoi for Spirit.

[cloudy]

call it the los angeles magazine curse, call it the great recession, call if whatever you want, but ever since 2009, things just haven't been the same over at two felons.

[Pigeon]

any smoke shop that sells boards

[drunkenshredder]

RIP Spirit Skateshop. The owner could be a fucking prick. I remember sitting outside the shop once waiting for a ride to pick me and a friend up after I bought some bearings and the guy comes out telling us to get the fuck away from the front of the shop and stop to loitering. Never went back there again. Then they got shut down for stealing Hosois logo and just swapping the name Hosoi for Spirit.

Spokompton is a tough place. I still talk with Steve. He's nicer now that he's back to being "one of us" I still have photos from the Toy Machine demo, black label and 88 footwear. He did bring some good to the east side of WA.

[TwisT]

Expand Quote

Pharmacy Hollywood sucks

[close]

Pharmacy in general is trash. It’s only a matter of time until they start selling scooter gear.

is Pharmacy a skateshop chain that only sales shop brand merch?

[se7en3two]

call it the los angeles magazine curse, call it the great recession, call if whatever you want, but ever since 2009, things just haven't been the same over at two felons.

Carrying all that inventory for such a niche market must be tough, unless you're in a huge skateboard market. On top of having razor thin margins, having a super select base is a receipt for disaster...

One of the coolest skateshops in central NJ during the mid-late 80's was based out of a florist in North Brunswick, NJ. (ABF) The shop ran its course and other competitors popped up in the New Brunswick area in the early 90's... But that shop was so much fun as a kid and nobody gave a shit that they sold floral arrangements as well.

Not sure if that would work with today's core or go-home mentality...

[AitchBeeGayBuh]

See this one 'skateshop' when I go to the Golden West swap meet every weekend where everything is overpriced. Dudes's got a bunch of Primitive stuff n that's about it.

There was this one terrible skate shop next to me for a bit. Funny thing is that when reefer stores were poppin up a few years ago owner started selling vape stuff, bongs, n what have u where u couldn't even go into the place unless u were 18. Probably did that as a last attempt to stay in business cuz it was closed not too long after that.

The first Pharmacy Boardshop was the first real shop in the High Desert. Over the years that shop has done so much for many riders and workers, the skate community, n just the community in general over there. They got a cool little scene over there. Been to other Pharmacys around n they lack something the original has, at least to me.

Their Hollywood shop does suck...

Expand Quote

Captain Lou's Hobby Shop in Huntington Beach, CA. What a dump. The old man who owned the place was a curmudgeon. He did model airplanes, trains, RC cars, and well will you look at that skateboards are popular, let me sell those too.

During full World Industries boom, he would bootleg Flameboy and Wet Willy decks by painting them himself. They looked horrible. I still remember some kid showing up with a new Captain Lou's special and couldn't believe he wasted his money.

[close]

That's awesome.

[Craig Lutzka]

He farted really loudly while putting the trucks on...

[SHIREFLIP]

Expand Quote

I am under the impression that these guys are whack for holding Olympic team tryouts:
https://www.facebook.com/events/244639176084896/

Though it's entirely possible I'm just a fucking hater.

[close]

That whole event is a huge joke - check the video for some context. It was a connect the dots entry made by that shop a few years ago.

Ooof.

I'm both a hater and uninformed. Thanks for putting me on.

[TITANIUM NIPPLES]

Captain Lou's Hobby Shop in Huntington Beach, CA. What a dump. The old man who owned the place was a curmudgeon. He did model airplanes, trains, RC cars, and well will you look at that skateboards are popular, let me sell those too.

During full World Industries boom, he would bootleg Flameboy and Wet Willy decks by painting them himself. They looked horrible. I still remember some kid showing up with a new Captain Lou's special and couldn't believe he wasted his money.

Captain Lou was actually Dill's dad.

[brycickle]

zumez, everyone that works at mine is overweight. wont even look at my sponsor tape fuck em

If you want to be sponsored by zumiez, then you shouldn't be sponsored. Ever.

[bucketoftruth]

Captain Lou's Hobby Shop in Huntington Beach, CA. What a dump. The old man who owned the place was a curmudgeon. He did model airplanes, trains, RC cars, and well will you look at that skateboards are popular, let me sell those too.

During full World Industries boom, he would bootleg Flameboy and Wet Willy decks by painting them himself. They looked horrible. I still remember some kid showing up with a new Captain Lou's special and couldn't believe he wasted his money.

I still remember Captain Lou selling my stepdad on a slickbottom Madrid board that was like 7.5 for more cash than I had at the time because "you gotta have the slick" and I could never find trucks for it. I'm still angry at that dude.