Skate shop ignores hype

Seven years ago, the Silver Skate Shop began with five boards, a handful of shirts and a mini ramp.
It has since grown into a favorite among local skaters looking for something better than any mall could offer. Owner Nicole Montes always wanted to start her own business and decided to go with something she was already was passionate about: skateboarding.

It’s this passion, she said, that differentiates her from competitors who run their shops by the book. Montes said it’s not unusual to see skaters testing out boards in the shop.

“I would say we’re definitely more of a hands-on skate shop. We’re not necessarily a ‘don’t touch’ place,” she said.
That attitude has transformed the shop into something of a hangout spot for local skaters, Montes said, and she often considers her customers her friends.
Customers Nick Cdebaca and Cooper Tomlinson said they can always find something they like at Silver Skate Shop, and they appreciate that Montes’ shop isn’t a corporate entity concerned solely with making money.

Greg Ziomek, a longtime customer, said the shop has a peculiar atmosphere.
“It’s really laid back, he said. “Every once in a while, people will think I work here because everyone’s just hanging out.”

Montes said her shop sets itself apart from the competition by offering more unique products, like decks painted by local artists and a wide selection of local clothing lines. And when choosing products, Montes said she seeks recommendations from her customers.

“That’s the sort of stuff you wouldn’t get out of your basic mall shop,” she said. “We have the independence to bring in more of the smaller name brands and not necessarily these mega-brands you see now.”

That type of customer interaction brings in a diverse clientele ranging from elementary school to college students to professionals like teachers, doctors and lawyers, Montes said.

“We have the kids that do it every day all day long, and then we have the weekend-warrior-type skateboarders who don’t have time during the week,” she said. “There really isn’t a typical boarder anymore.”

In this vein, she said customers don’t come to the shop in search of the skater look, but rather quality products. Over the years, Montes has seen so-called “hip” new products enter the market. However, her own discretion has kept many of them off the shelves because she said they are lower quality.

“We just don’t offer low-quality products,” she said. “Even if we carry something that’s cheap price-wise, everything is a good quality product.”

Ziomek said Montes’ devotion to supporting the locals in addition to the connection she’s established with her customers has built a respectable reputation in the eyes of those she serves.

“Nicole’s been doing a lot for skateboarding, and she’s always trying to find ways to contribute to the community outside skateboarding, trying to do something good,” Ziomek said.