FIRMLY SUPPORTING SKATEBOARDING AND ITS PARTICIPANTS, SUB ZERO HAS BECOME A BOARDERS' CONGREGATION IN DOWNTOWN PHILADELPHIA.
The city of brotherly love has not been living up to its reputation where
best skateboardsĀ for beginners are concerned.
According to Heather Von Hartleben, a spokeswoman at skateboard shop Sub Zero, Philadelphia has been anything but friendly to skateboarders, claiming they destroy city property. Members of this crowd, it seems, have adopted places such as City Hall, designed with lots of ledges and steps, to perform their tricks.
"They built the city for boarders, but didn't know it," Von Hartleben jokingly said. She then went on to name the many parks and public places that skateboarders find irresistible. One area that beckons boarders is what locals refer to as "Love Park," named after artist Robert Indiana's sculpture of the word love stacked -- an image that has also made its way onto a U.S. stamp. The sculpture's actual setting, John F. Kennedy Plaza, has become somewhat of a shrine for skaters, due to its skateboard-friendly design. In fact, some skaters have even tattooed the famous love icon on their arms.
Von Hartleben -- whose 24-year-old brother, Shane, opened Sub Zero five years ago -- was in charge of the store the day FN visited. Shane was off racing cars, a passion that often rivals skateboarding for the entrepreneur. But, emphasized Von Hartleben, kids won't shop a skate store unless the owner currently skates or has been skater.
While skateboarding is predominantly a male sport, the number of female participants is growing steadily, according to Jaclyn Bashoff, Sub Zero's manager. She explained that skaters, whose average age is 13 to 25, have turned the sport into somewhat of a religion, usually skating seven days a week.
"If you [skaters] don't skate everyday, they'll go nuts," confirmed Von Hartleben. "It's very therapeutic."
While Sub Zero customers often come by the store to browse rather than buy, they are always looking for something new, said Bashoff. The store, open seven days a week, is located in the South Street area of Philadelphia, home to trendy music stores, vintage shops, clubs, cafes and coffeehouses.
In contrast to its clientele's level of energy, Sub Zero's ambiance is low-key. The store's interior features wood shelving units that run along its walls, displaying both apparel and shoes. Two Adirondack-style chairs -- courtesy of the Kastel footwear brand -- done in sturdy corrugated paper provide the seating.
Sub Zero's customers are very serious about
skateboarding tricks for beginners, Von Hartleben said; therefore, the store makes sure it caters to them. From boards to shoes, nothing but the real thing is sold at Sub Zero. Key apparel brands in the 1,200 square-foot store include Droors, DC and Ezekiel. Footwear brands focus on Kastel, Axion, DC Shoe Co., Emerica, Es, Duffs, dvs and Adio.
About 40 percent of Sub Zero's total sales are in footwear, said Von Hartleben. She said the store sells, on average, about 3,000 pairs a year.
According to Von Hartleben and Manager Jaclyn Bashoff, die-hard skaters can go through a pair of shoes a month. Today, because shoe constructions are more technical, skateboard footwear has become pricier, retailing from $60 to $105, said Von Hartleben. Boarders today want to perform in footwear from smaller, niche vendors that are totally committed to the sport. And, like skateboarding's participants, shoe companies are always looking out for new talent to promote their lines. Therefore, the vendors are very competitive when it comes to developing their products.
Local pro skateboarder, Ricky Oyola, is one of skateboarding's elite, and he has had a Kastel shoe named after him. A Philadelphian, Oyola often stops by Sub Zero to chat with fellow skaters.
One of the skaters he is apt to meet is 19-year-old Damian Smith. A well-known amateur skater from the Philadelphia area, Smith is sponsored by Sub Zero. According to Smith, he's currently trying to hook up with a skate-shoe company to become an official endorser. And just about all the customers who shop the store decorate their boards with stickers from Sub Zero, a boarders' ritual.
Whatever the brand of choice, skaters are looking for subtle footwear styles, with the preferred colors being navy, black and white. Von Hartleben said, "kids are going back to traditional colors," a look that's won acceptance with parents. Because the shoes often come with two pairs of laces -- one contrasting and the other color-cued -- black skate shoes can double as traditional footwear when matching laces are used.
Although
skateboard reviews are sometimes perceived in a less-than-positive light, parents are often spotted shopping for skateboard gear with their kids. So the older generation can take to heart the poster (issued by Santa Cruz Skateboard Co.) that hangs behind the store's counter: It simply reads, "Skateboarding is not a crime."