Spirit moves skateboarders
Now in its seventh year, Spirit Skate Shop is Spokane’s oldest mom-and-pop skate shop.
Spirit sponsors skaters, produces skateboarding DVDs and brings professional skate demos to town. Spirit’s skate team was the only Northwest representative and placed third in 3rd Lair’s annual Top Shop competition last year in Minnesota.
Owner Steve Sanchez talks about the challenges and rewards of running a shop and keeping kids from becoming skate bored.
Listen to the full audio interview online at spokane7.com/360.
360: Tell us your background in skateboarding.
Sanchez: “When I originally started skateboarding, it was kind of (like when) I had my break dancing pants. My mom really questioned me spending 90 bucks on a board, and she thought for sure it was going to be something leaning against the wall, much like the break dance pants. I went out with my paper route money and bought a board and probably 20 years later – now I own my own business. It’s pretty amazing that something like skateboarding could lead me to where I’m at.”
360: Tell us about why you opened the shop.
Sanchez: “I just really wanted a skate shop that would provide for my needs as a skateboarder and I didn’t feel like there was any shop truly living up to that expectation here already so I felt like the community needed it, I needed it, and if I was going to stay living here then I was going to have to build it by myself and try to incorporate the talent around me to do that.”
360: You talked earlier about being involved and attached to your community; tell us some of the things Spirit has done to support and foster skateboarding in Spokane.
Sanchez: “From the beginning I really just tried to bring professionals and talent and people in the media and skateboarding industry. I tried to bring them up to Spokane … to have the kids interact with these pros and see that these are regular people. They’re skateboarders; they’re not superheroes. … I just want to keep people excited about skateboarding and keeping doing it. Whether you’re in it for the tricks or in it to be sponsored, it’s really just about keeping everybody rolling.”
360: You’ve talked about how your perspective has changed since you’ve become a family man. How has that impacted the way you look at the world and skateboarding?
Sanchez: “Probably my biggest concern now is knowing that my oldest son is 8. It’s not gonna be too much longer until he’s hanging out under the freeway or somewhere. I really wish that the whole community was a little bit cleaner and little bit healthier when he steps into the world as a young man. This skate park we have here is covered. It’s the best thing in the Northwest. … When all the other communities and Idaho and everything are covered with snow and water, usually the park is a clean place … or at least it should be.”