The End Of Skateshops/Indoor Parks :(

[theskaterhere]

What's up everyone!?

I have something I really want insight on with other skaters like myself. One of my childhood/early year indoor shops/parks closed for good this week. Talent skateshop in Williston VT, if you've ever been it's been in business since 2001. From my perspective, it seems most indoor parks/shops have been closing. In Connecticut, most shops closed or have not recovered because of actual damage to the park (roof collapse due to snow.) Cost of leasing/rent, insurance and ultimately competition. Zumiez opened in at the nearest mall near Talent, which may have hurt them?? But thinking about $10/session per 2 hours open 12-8 is crazy (no revenue). Summer, everyones shredding the outdoor parks. It just breaks my heart how much love they put into this...but I get a feeling it's like the video store industry. Everyone's shopping online, better deals, and what not.

What are your thoughts? What changes have you seen? Sorry if this is a ramble...I'm drinking some beers playing pool

[shit_for_brains]

Indoors and parks like that have to make a profit to stay open, and there isn't much profit in what they do. They charge $5-$10 a head while maintaining a huge space, the park itself, insurance costs, and trying to run a profitable shop inside of it. Anyone who sticks around enough for the place to be making money off of them ends up getting a discount or doesn't pay to skate. That's a losing battle from day one. Parks can survive when they're part of the public space because they aren't businesses and don't have to make money.

[The Dope]

The indoor park we have is a real blessing because it is also a volunteer run organization that helps local kids stay off the streets and is a benefit to the city. I am pretty sure that it will stay open no matter what due to the impact it has on the community. It shows people who might not totally get what skateboarding is but they understand what skateboarding does for the kids. In the summer months it hosts events and skate camps. This park is legit too, indoor concrete bowl, 13,000 sq/ft..

Basically the indoor park we have doesn't rely on people paying $5 a session, it relies on impact and positivity within the community and has been open for 25+ years. It is part of a bigger complex when they rebuilt it a few years ago and got like 6 million in funding for the whole building from the government/city. The skatepark is only a section of the entire building and obviously not a 6 million dollar park but it is in a great location and under a great roof and ran by amazing loving people.

[Iceman]

^^ quite mysterious. where is this volunteer supported indoor park....and is it a covert religious recruitment branch?

[shit_for_brains]

If it got $6m in funding from the city and is run by volunteers it falls under that public space that doesn't have to turn a profit category.

[The Dope]

^^ quite mysterious. where is this volunteer supported indoor park....and is it a covert religious recruitment branch?

definitely a religious building but it is not required to go skate

If it got $6m in funding from the city and is run by volunteers it falls under that public space that doesn't have to turn a profit category.

Yeah for sure, the hours that it is open aren't too great either but you can still go a at least once a week in winter, maybe 3 times if you're lucky.

[FrenchFriedClownFingers]

Makes me wonder why 28th and B in sac doesn't have a small skateshop inside

[Willie]

The only ones still around seem to be in places that have shitty weather more than half the year and/or own their warehouse. That seems to be the recipe.


I’ve been told that having a successful shop is also a necessity - the economics don’t work otherwise.