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December 10, 2008

There’s a New Skateboard Shop in Town!
The word is spreading about jpskate and Board Shop

Image courtesy of jpskate and Board Shop

Students walking to and from class by way of Spring Street may have noticed one of Delaware’s newest businesses, jpskate and Board Shop. This sports store, which features a variety of skateboards and accessories, is owned by Greg Patton and his wife Laurie Patton, a member of Ohio Wesleyan’s admissions office.

Patton explains that the idea for the store was sparked by her own six-year-old’s interest in skateboarding. “Our family spent a lot of time at the skate park at Mingo Park this summer, and we quickly realized that there was no place to buy skateboards and accessories here in Delaware,” she explains. Noticing that a large number of skateboarders were traveling to Powell to buy gear, the Pattons decided to open their own skateboard shop locally.

“It gave us a great opportunity to serve Delaware youth, and it was a great market without any competition,” she says.

After spending the summer working hard on the store, jpskate and Board Shop opened its doors at the end of September. So far, Patton says that the store is serving its market well. In fact, they have put together a skate team of participants ranging in age from six years to15, and the store sponsors the team for various skate competitions.

“The word about the store has really spread quickly,” Patton explains. “A lot of the kids from the skate park have become regulars.” While their target market is elementary and high school students, Patton says the store’s location near campus gives them a market for college students as well.

“Our hours are catered to younger kids, but we’ve had some OWU students come in to buy longboards, shoes, and clothing. We’re hoping to increase that market with time,” she says.

According to Patton, skateboarding is a sport that has become very mainstream in recent years. “I grew up in a generation when skateboarding was just beginning, and it was very much underground,” she comments. Today, however, there are skate parks in city parks all over the country, including the central Ohio area.

Jpskate and Board Shop is located at 36 Spring Street. The store is open from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. It is closed Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. For more information, visit www.jpskate.com, or call (740) 369-9200.

– Amanda Zechiel ’09