Subzero Skate Shop

           If you are walking down South Street and you see a group of skaters tearing up the sidewalks, chances are their main destination is Subzero skate shop. Since opening in 1993, Subzero has been the keystone in developing this growing Philadelphia scene to what it is today. Before the store first opened, the only places you could snag skate gear were at hobby shops. But that all changed when Subzero opened and offering nothing but skateboard equipment. Schane, the owner of Subzero, sponsored riders right away and dedicated the shop to its customers. Also within the first year, the shop gained national attention by snagging ads in Slap and Thrasher magazines. By the second year, the shop was able to produce a full length video featuring ten team riders and by that time they were sponsoring skate jams and demos at Whitehall Public Park.

          Although the shop is expanding its client base by offering their own line of boards, denim pants, t-shirts and hats and managing a growing website, the biggest blow to their ongoing success was losing Love Park in 2004. But still the shop has maintained a regular clientele which keeps growing and growing each year.

          The main difference between the scene today and the scene 14 years ago is how mainstream skateboarding has become. “Kids today go into skateboarding thinking to get sponsored,” Schane mentioned. He went on to explain that the whole industry now is considered a sport and that a lot of different companies are trying to capitalize on skateboarding’s popularity. “But to me Skateboarding will always be more of a lifestyle,” he told me.

         When you walk into Subzero you get the sense that Schane and the rest of his employees are living the lifestyle. You don’t feel pressured to buy their merchandise or to prove your skateboarding knowledge as soon as you walk into the store. Instead, you can stroll in, skim through magazines and check out their clever line of shirts (ex. A pig dressed in a cop uniform with Love Park in the background). But whatever the circumstance, you know that Subzero makes customer service a priority and that Schane (who spent his own money opening the store) has an overall passion for skateboarding, something that can be overlooked in mainstream America today.

Subzero Skate Shop
520 south 5th street
Philadelphia, Pa 19147
215.925.9376
www.subzeroskateboarding.com