Shop Talk: Your initial impression of Antisocial Skateboard Shop—the shop that’s been supporting skateboarding in Vancouver for nearly two decades—depends greatly on the particular time and day that you arrive. Show up early and, well, maybe go grab a coffee and find a seat nearby. There’s a lot that owner Michelle Pezel does before the doors open each day. Once the stoop chairs come out, you can head in. While it’s always evident that you’re in a skateshop, at times you might also feel like you’re in a flower shop. Enjoy it, and don’t hesitate to buy a bunch for someone special when you leave.
Throughout the day, you’ll see a stream of local skaters, artists, musicians, and neighbourhood characters pass through, and you might even see some folks from the big videos of skateboarding’s past and present. Show up at night though, and things really start to vary. There might be a video premiere, a metal show, a protest, a fundraiser, an art show, a community market, a skateboard coalition meeting, or really just about anything else you can imagine. Skaters always come first here, but the greater community is never far behind.
All of this to say that while you can never be quite sure what the scene of the moment may look like, rest assured that you’ll be among skaters, organized and facilitated by someone with love and the best of intentions in their heart at all times. Want to support people that have always supported you, with a place to drop you travel bag, a place to meet your friends, a place to make friends, a place to post up on rainy days, a place that’s always got what you need to keep rolling? Order a skateboard, order a shirt, order whatever knick-knacks that have turned up in the back, because Antisocial now has a webstore!