How badly does your local shop suck?

**CasterTown** · 06-01-2009 10:24 PM

BDS is the SICKEST

**Griff223** · 06-01-2009 10:38 PM

BDS is the best shop ever, but i am in San Jose. I can go, but it is kinda far for me, being that i can't drive. However, Caltrain stops right on university avenue!

My local is Ohana boardshop. The guys there are cool. they have a ton of pool boards, a few abec 11/retro wheels, ladera and sector9 completes. They have no randal type trucks whatsoever, no bushings, no replacement kingpins, very limited longboard wheels. it is an awesome shop for park and street skaters, but it is just ok for longboards.

There's another shop somewhat near my house, but really close to my best friend's house. it is on the pricey side, bu they have a good variety of completes from many brands, a small selection of decent wheels. they are an all around surf/skat/wake/snowboard shop. they really cater to street skaters, but its a little bit better than ohana. still no bushings/randals that aren't already on completes.

it is hard to find specialty stuff like venom or other decent bushings, edger grip, and other specialized items. even BDS doesn't have those, and they carry almost everything.

**speshlspeclsteak** · 06-01-2009 10:47 PM

Originally Posted by ChrisFranco

I say you move Mile High Skates over here to NorCal!

but then hed have to change the name to mile high skaters

**fergdizzle9090** · 06-01-2009 11:05 PM

i guess it sucks pretty bad...since i dont have one. the nearest actual skate shop besides zumiez is 2 towns away

**Bookworm** · 06-01-2009 11:07 PM

Originally Posted by Griff223

BDS is the best shop ever, but i am in San Jose. I can go, but it is kinda far for me, being that i can't drive. However, Caltrain stops right on university avenue!

My local is Ohana boardshop. The guys there are cool. they have a ton of pool boards, a few abec 11/retro wheels, ladera and sector9 completes. They have no randal type trucks whatsoever, no bushings, no replacement kingpins, very limited longboard wheels. it is an awesome shop for park and street skaters, but it is just ok for longboards.

There's another shop somewhat near my house, but really close to my best friend's house. it is on the pricey side, bu they have a good variety of completes from many brands, a small selection of decent wheels. they are an all around surf/skat/wake/snowboard shop. they really cater to street skaters, but its a little bit better than ohana. still no bushings/randals that aren't already on completes.

it is hard to find specialty stuff like venom or other decent bushings, edger grip, and other specialized items. even BDS doesn't have those, and they carry almost everything.

I picked up a set of reds for my friend at ohana. nice guys there, gave me a couple speed rings.

**camlyks2lb** · 06-01-2009 11:20 PM

New Zealand is full of longboarders, but there's only maybe one or two reasonably alright shops selling decent boards. Otherwise, all we get down here is overpriced boards. I think we need a easier way to get more "variety", and "bang for our buck".

**SirKale** · 06-01-2009 11:21 PM

Headquarters would be my local. its about 30mins away from my house. They don't have much longboard stuff, mostly short board. a couple gravity board really, which is sad cause one of the owners is suppose to be a longboarder so idk whats up with that. Although they do have mounting hardware/risers, no kingpins, extra nuts, or any of that stuff. The owners are real cool though and will place an order with w/e you want, getting some knee pads in a few days.
Overall, selection for longboarders = low
coolness of store owners = high

**Daniel M.** · 06-01-2009 11:25 PM

New Orleans Surf Shop representin!!!

They kick ass, especially since they carry NOLA Longboards, woot woot! Also hardware is only $2 which is cheaper than you can get it at a hardware store. Durians are $51 so that really isn't too bad considering. They stock NOLA Longboards, gravity, arbor, loaded, carver, have their own shop decks, have had some BDS, he's got alot of Kane Garden surf boards right now too (these things are rad!).

edit: Oh yeah, 3 blocks from my house!

**Liven2diE** · 06-01-2009 11:55 PM

My local shops sooo much balls it could pass as a Taiwanesse hooker!!!!

Every time i walk n say anything that relates to longboards I get blank stars. I went in for just a set of hardware. The dude pulls out 6 different hardware packs none of them the lenght i asked for. Just different colors. 10 minutes later he finds the right size. I ask him if I can setup my board in there in use his drill. He said ya man that no prob. So i bring in my board n trucks all setup. I just want to put the trucks to board. He say " Do u want me to that for u so u can look around?" I said yes thinking it was a simple enough task. I come back n the trucks are BACKWARDS!!!!

I just looked at him and was only able to say "pivot cups out...." He replies "oh I have never put a longboard together" I was like ALL TRUCKS ARE THE SAME!!! Just bcuz my randals dont look like grind kings some how the operate completely different! I have a bunch more stories like this its quite sad.

**Daniel M.** · 06-01-2009 11:59 PM

Originally Posted by Liven2diE

My local shops sooo much balls it could pass as a Taiwanesse hooker!!!!

Every time i walk n say anything that relates to longboards I get blank stars. I went in for just a set of hardware. The dude pulls out 6 different hardware packs none of them the lenght i asked for. Just different colors. 10 minutes later he finds the right size. I ask him if I can setup my board in there in use his drill. He said ya man that no prob. So i bring in my board n trucks all setup. I just want to put the trucks to board. He say " Do u want me to that for u so u can look around?" I said yes thinking it was a simple enough task. I come back n the trucks are BACKWARDS!!!!

I just looked at him and was only able to say "pivot cups out...." He replies "oh I have never put a longboard together" I was like ALL TRUCKS ARE THE SAME!!! Just bcuz my randals dont look like grind kings some how the operate completely different! I have a bunch more stories like this its quite sad.

lol dude they operate differently so to speak. the kingpin/pivot/axle relationships are way different between a set of Randals and a set of Indy's. He's probably thinking okay, top bushing and nut on the inside, not pivot cups on the outside. It's an understandable mistake.

**PDP** · 06-02-2009 12:17 AM

My Local Shop Kick Ass, Mainly Cause I Order The Longboard Stuff :d

**killerzombie163** · 06-02-2009 12:19 AM

Only ones i've seen that sold some longboard supplies is sport chalet and zumies. They arent much either with S9 boards that fill the racks and 1-2 type of wheels that arent't great compared to online sites.

**camlyks2lb** · 06-02-2009 12:29 AM

Originally Posted by Daniel M.

New Orleans Surf Shop representin!!!

They kick ass, especially since they carry NOLA Longboards, woot woot! Also hardware is only $2 which is cheaper than you can get it at a hardware store. Durians are $51 so that really isn't too bad considering. They stock NOLA Longboards, gravity, arbor, loaded, carver, have their own shop decks, have had some BDS, he's got alot of Kane Garden surf boards right now too (these things are rad!).

edit: Oh yeah, 3 blocks from my house!

I envy you

**flannelman** · 06-02-2009 01:11 AM

all i have is mainland skate and surf. they have a wall 6 board high, 8 boards long of S9 completes. but they just started to stock S9 wheels including all the RFs in every duro, and Gullwing Trucks, so hope is on the way that they will be legit someday. they even have one employee that knows about longboards!

**jhelm007** · 06-02-2009 07:36 AM

I have several local (within 30 min. drive) shops and two in my neigborhood. I try to support them when they have what I need, but online retail almost always beats them on price, and often they don't carry what I want to buy. Local shops mostly just carry longboard completes, so it's hard to find just the deck I want or specific components. Many of them are starting to carry longboard wheels and multiple sizes of indys, so there's progress.

**turbovince** · 06-02-2009 07:43 AM

All local shops here are okay for skateboarding, horrible for longboarding.

**beef** · 06-19-2009 12:10 PM

my local skate shop has 0 longboarding things. i went in once and asked about some longboarding gear and they looked at me like i was speaking a different language or from outerspace.

**mystiktrueno** · 06-19-2009 12:26 PM

The only skate shop near me is at my local mall. They have a bunch of decks on the walls, a very small selection of trucks (no indys!), and a small selection of street wheels. They have a rack of longboard completes, and a few years ago they had a dervish for sale. Other then that, they don't have any other longboard merch. The shop sucks because its clear they're starting to focus more on clothes and shoes.

**killdozer** · 06-19-2009 12:33 PM

I got lucky since I live on Vancouver Island. I can drive to Switchback and a host of other local shops that are great. Living close to Landyachtz is great too.

**mateo** · 06-19-2009 12:44 PM

Carve skate shop FTW great shop owned and operated by skaters. Not only do all of the workers and owner longboard but also skate pools, and ditches. They were a longboard specific store but have since expanded to accommodate the street and park, pool skaters also.