Krudco
Rochester, NY
Krud is the only skater owned & run shop in rochester for the past 16 yrs. EVERY year they hold demos, contests and other events. they're currently rasing money for a free, outdoor skatepark in rochester. the employees are always friendly, knowledgeable, and never "vibe you out". krud is also a great place to meet new friends since it's located directly in the city. they've also helped change a lot of kids lives with skating who otherwise were heading down the wrong track. employees always encourage kids to do well in school and look for a job. as if all of this didnt make krud the best shop ever, they have a flatbar you can skate outside and plenty of flatground to play SKATE on. everyone in rochester knows, krudco gives so much to the local skate scene.

Brian, age 21

Homage
Brooklyn,NY
Homage is a great place place. I'm in there then I am at home! Homage has so many locals that come and support the shop. All the customers that come in always leave the shop with something, and always come back either to buy another thing, or to hang out with the great employes. They also have amazing contests and promotions. To me Homage is the best skate shop I've ever been in

Chris, age 13

Faith Skate Supply
Trussville, AL
Faith Skate Supply has been supporting the cause to get a skate park in Birmingham for years. It is extensively important to me and many of my friends. The guys working there are very polite, and will answer any questions a customer may have about skateboarding, along with suggestions. The men there work day and night (literally) to make t-shirts, stickers and other merchandise, and they never fail to please. They also support groups such as Askate, an organization that helps children with autism by teaching them to skateboard. Faith has fantastic supplies from some of the best brands. And not to mention, Faith’s own decks are great. Getting the name of Faith out there could greatly support the shop, and possibly help Birmingham to get a real skate park. I love Faith Skate Supply, and everything they have done for the skate scene here in Birmingham.

Colton, age 13

Homage Skateshop
Brooklyn, NY
Well where do i begin...Homage skateshop means everything to me.its my local shop and like other shops they have cool people there and alot of chill kids who just love having a good time.on top of that this shop has been in newspapers and they host fundraising contest to help make skateparks in nyc.this is my favorite shop to go to and i would recommend it to anyone in brooklyn,ny that skates/snowoards/longboards.
plus the owner is like the collest owner out of every shop i ever went to in nyc.(really not exagerating)

Wade, age 20

Blacksheep Skate Shope
Matthews, NC
Blacksheep's been around since I first started skating. They helped me understand skateboarding and they encouraged me to become better. Whether I was skating or just chilling, Blacksheep has always been there to help me and the Charlotte community to push ourselves to become better.

Greg, age 17

BLACK SHEEP
Charlotte, NC
My skate shop means alot to me, they are the coolest,nicest, most hardworking guys i know, the minute you walk in they treat you like your part of the familly. Everyone there gets along great and i do my best to make atleast a weekly entry there. I love the shop, more than i could even explain. they truly are the best, i have been to skatehsops all over the east coast many even on the west and never have i ever been in a shop that accepts you and treats you the way these guys do, by the way, THEY ALL RIP, they try to help you out if your struggling with a trick or anything for that matter. You can actually talk to them. the first time i went in i was about 8 years old and i was pretty nervous because i wasnt as good as i thought i should be, but they still treat you the way they would treat any person and apply a sense of comfort i dont think any other shop could match up too. They actually care about skating, like m ost cities the community is agaisnt skateboarding but these guys "josh frasher, ian isenhour,chase doerflinger, trip bartlett, brian hansen" (sorry if i couldnt remember someone.. are doing everything they can to try and build us a skatepark. They put out footage which stokes up all the kids, but not as to make a profit and sell items, its kind of hard to explain but even if you cant afford new gear and you just want to go in and hang out and watch skate videos they dont treat you like an employee, they treat you like a best friend.

Chandler, age 13

Anti-Gravity SkateShop/Park
Toano, VA
My skateshop Anti-Gravity means a lot to me. They have helped out skaters by creating a amazing park, with everything a skater could want, had demos consistently, free session give aways, and many contests with amazing give aways. The staff is some of the most true people because they are the skaters too. They are 100% friendly and some of the best people a park/shop could ask for. Please choose Anti-Gravity. It would be an amazing christmas if so.
Thanks :)

Kyle, age 14

Fairman's
Chester Springs, PA
Local skateshops and why skating is where it is today. They support their communities and kids coming up and stopping in all of the time. I have been skating over 20 years and would only buy from a local shop. I feel like they've supported me, so I want to do the same. It's like going to a local store vs. WalMart. Ideally one supports their community rather than the big box stores that don't really give a crap about your community. I teach my kids this and also the local kids I know who ride. I'll be skating for as long as I still can, and I will be hitting the local shop for all of my gear.

Riverside, CA
SoCal started as an online Skate directory and forum..They now have the most awesome skateshop in all of Ca. We drive an hour each way to visit. The owner Mike is one of a kind..So generous, he gives us a new shop shirt just for coming out. All the latest and greatest stuff. They just built an indoor mini ramp with a bowl...So awesome! My dad loves going their because they have a whole wall dedicated to the old schoolers. most skate shops have a mixture of skates/scooters and other stuff....SCS is strickly Skate stuff. It makes a true skater feel like they are at Disneyland. If you live out of the area..It is a definite must see and worth the road trip. A+ all the way..Thank you SCS! God bless the Maloof Money Cup. Skate-4-Life

Anthony, age 15

The Station
Rockford, Ill
For some reason the lil dog name Gus is employee of the month every month.the station its been going out of business since 1985 and still running hard they helped me out growing up on ah count of when I was 12 they changed my king pin and I was the happiest kid ever,discounts, and (exc)..we set up Skate trips kickball comps some Skatebord comps if were lucky to get good weather cause all me have is 2outdoor parks and are down town is played out.ERIC HE RUNS THE SHOP DAY IN DAY OUT AND STUGGLES DAY BY DAY AND MAKES IT WITH A SMILE ON HIS FACE AND NOT A DOLLAR IN HIS POCKET..thank you for the time to read this.

Ricky, age 22

Refuge Skate Shop
Redford, MI
From the first day I walked into Refuge they have been nothing but like family, they were friendly, helpful and have mentored me through my seven years as a skateboarder. This skate shop is located in the Dearborn, Michigan and was the very first skater owned shop in the Metro Detroit area. This shop is exactly what the name suggests, a refuge for skaters to come and chill and be with others that enjoy skating as much as I do. With the unforgiving winters and hotter than hell summers I have watched the shop endure and carry on being a front runner for the relatively small skate scene that Michigan has to offer. When you hear talk about "core" skate shops, Refuge is the only one that fits the bill in this area.When you walk in into Refuge you immediately feel the energy of the old school and the new as it has the capacity evolve with the times, but never forgets where skateboarding began. The owner, Eric Ziembowicz, i s a real mentor when it comes to skateboarding as he always reminds me to remember why you starting skating in the first place, because it is fun, and to never neglect that fact. I always leave the shop ready to shred with new found inspiration. Refuge truly is my salvation from the criticism and ignorance from my own black community and will hopefully still be for years to come.

Matthew, age 19

Caliskatz
Fremont, CA
Dude where to start! Caliskatz is the reason of the Fremont, California skate scene. Tony (the owner) is such a rad dude. He spends alot of his time at the shop, and it's not about making money to him, it's about supporting true skateboarding and helping people get out there, skate, and have fun whether they're older, or they just started, or they're almost flat broke. Caliskatz has just recently been working with the city on getting an amazing skatepark, and it's going to be done soon. Without Caliskatz this park would never have started getting built. Alot of the team riders don't have much money, but Tony supports them any way he can. And all the riders rip! Caliskatz always throws events for the community where the team riders skate and chill with us too. We also made top 17 finalists of The Berrics Younited Nations. Just seeing that makes me feel apart of the skate scene on a global level and got Fremont on the map. This isn't one of those sappy exaggerated stories, Caliskatz is the real deal! I couldn't have asked for a more perfect skateshop. I hope you see this Tony!

Eric, age 16

NJ Skateshop
East Rutherford, NJ
My local skate shop is important to me today as a skateboarder and is a big part of my life. NJ Skate shop provides skateboarders with hospitality to hangout and talk about the latest skateboard news today. Everyone is chill there and super nice.
One main reason the skateboard community is impacted by these small locally owned skate shops is that they have a much better selection then chain skate shops and have the newest limited skate gear. Nowhere else would you be able to go into a skate shop and find actual skateboard products for skaters by skaters. Usually every skate shop has the right employees working to help the local kids out with a purchase or a skate trick they might not be able to land.
Another good reason to appreciate your local skate shop is because they spread news about the latest event getting thrown by the biggest companies in skateboarding. Also, you can meet new people, make friends, and maybe even get sponsored by the shop if you are good enough. This is why I am thankful NJ Skate shop is my local stop!

Austin, age 17

Nocturnal skateshop
Philadelphia, PA
To me, my skateshop means basically everything to me. My community values Nocturnal because thats where all us skater's go to get our boards and clothes, we get chased from city hall and love park everyday by bikecops and we get our boards taken. My skateshop also throws skate jams for us and they give us free stuff at these skate jams. I hope i can win this contest cause i can use some new clothes and boards. Thank you.

Steven, age 14

phase2
Wauwatosa, WI
You cant even describe phase in words, chill dudes everyone knows each other, the owner "mark" would be down to send your footy to reps, dude best skateshop out hands down

Jordan, age 16

Homage
Brooklyn, New York
My skateshop has been around since 2007, and I visit it almost every day. I have the privilege of living just a few blocks away, so I'm always there. I've made personal connections with all the staff, and I consider many of them to be my friends. They're all really nice, fun, and they all skate. Aside from being awesome people, they run Douglass Greene Park, a public outdoor park a few blocks away with flat, smooth ground. They've built some obstacles on it, and the park is soon getting some more skateable objects. They sponsor a lot of local events as well as local skaters, and they even act as a quasi-day care, because its where the kids go to hang out after school. During this past year's Maloof Money Cup, the Maloof brothers even stopped by Homage and chilled with the kids while they were giving out tickets to the event. Although its easy to see just by hanging out there how awesome the shop already is, the shop is clearly influential to a lot people just by the amount of kids that showed up. Anyway, I love Homage and I know a lot of other people who do as well.

Harrison, age 16

SHUT Skate Shop
New York, NY
Shut Skate Shop is my local skate shop and in my opinion the best there is. This is more than a skate shop to me, i consider it family. This is where i picked up my first board, and had my first kick pushes for the love of the sport. Shut was there when learning my first tricks, or even in need. They helped me when they saw me skating with trashed shoes or a board. I realized how much this skate shop has helped the community, since living in the projects there's so many negative influences but this skate shop opened us to stay away from it, instead skating gave us discipline and opportunities. Shut is the best skate shop because they do it for the love of skating and also because the man with the highest ollie is on the team (Luis Tolentino).

Michael, age 16

NJ Skateshop
Glen Gardner, NJ
What your skateshop means to you and your community: NJ skateshop is a second home to me. A place I can go for the gear I need. A place where I can go to hang out, check out the latest video, talk to friends, meet up with people to go skate. It's a place where I feel comfortable to go for all my needs, and won't be hasseled by some fool trying to suggest everything in the store for me to buy, and then rush me out to sell to the next person, like some stupid mall kid. NJ skateshop always has the stuff I need, and has treated me as one of their own.

Brad, age 23