ATLAS SKATE SHOP 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

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Let’s start with the basics – What are your names and when did the shop start?

Ryen Motzek, Mike Manidis, Patrick Beaudouin.  We opened in May of 2007.

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When you opened the shop, did you immediately have a shop team or did that come together over time?

Little bit of both.  We had some of the local rippers with us from the start and then we’ve watched some of the other local talent emerge and started hooking them up as they were coming up.

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Congrats on having the doors open at Atlas Skateshop for 10 years. That’s a huge milestone and puts you in really good company with other shops across the world. What’s your secret? What advice would you give to shops that are just starting?

Thank you!  I think it helps that we are still out there skating the streets and local parks.  Our customers see that we still actively skate.  As for our product mix, we carry all of the brands that we want to wear and try to stay away from brands with a heavy mall presence.  In addition to supporting the classic tried and true brands (DLX, Thrasher, Vans) we like paying attention to small brands doing rad stuff in street skateboarding and making cool gear that’s hard to get your hands on.  Advice for a new shop is to do what you can to support and build your local skate community.

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Where did the name Atlas come from?

We had a list with about 100 possible names on it.  A few months before opening and we were still in the air on the name so we had a group of close friends meet up at a cafe over some coffee and eliminated names one by one until we were settled on Atlas. We ultimately picked Atlas because it’s a literal and figurative description of what skateboarding is, the thing that takes you places you will never forget and introduces you to a culture that will remain with you for the rest of your life.

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What’s the go-to burrito spot near the shop?

Pancho Villa is the go-to, but La Cumbre has this Chipotle Ranch salsa that I fiend for too.  Two solid classic SF burritos that have their second taquerias by the shop.

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Why do you think skate shops are important?

They are the hub of the skate community, the clubhouse, the place where people meet before skating, where the kids get schooled by the elders.  It’s the organization that throws contests and puts on demos for the locals.  It’s the path to get a rider on shop flow with companies. 

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If you could pick one rider from any Deluxe brand to ride for the shop, who would it be?

Dennis Busenitz and Ishod Wair.  Can’t decide on one!

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Now that you have 10 years under your belts, what’s planned for the next 10 years?

Keep skating.  Make more Atlas gear that people will want to wear.  Hopefully pull off some more cool collaborations with companies that we are down with.

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Can you give us a quick one liner about why everyone should go to your 10 year party on Saturday?

Open bar, Señor Sesig burritos, Atlas x DLX x Levi’s video premiere, Spitfire video premiere and Peanut Butter Wolf… it’s going to be a fun time with a bunch of Bay Area skate peeps.

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