MUNCIE, Ind. – “Skateboarding is my form of therapy,” said Casper Jones, a pro skater and co-owner of Life Skateboards.
The founder of Life Skateboards, Sam Koch, chose the name because he felt skateboarding gave him a new life with sobriety. Their shop is located on W. Powers St. in Muncie, IN where they sell their handmade skateboard decks.
“They’re just really high quality boards and I like them better than any of the big brands I’ve skated,” said Gavin Svetlick, an 11-year-old skater who is sponsored by Life Skateboards.
Svetlick met Jones at a skate competition and has skated with them ever since.
The shop doesn’t stop at skateboards, keep walking and you run into an indoor skate bowl built by the owners themselves. Jones hosts public events in the bowl for $5 to help support the shop.
“Life Skateboards is super important for the Muncie skate community because this is really the only place we have to go at the moment to skate in the winter time,” said Caleb Swartz, an avid skater who found Life Skateboards through an instagram post.
Swartz says skaters tend to get harassed by the police and are now getting tickets for skating on the streets. Koch and Jones’ shop ensures the skaters’ safety and fun.
“Even if you are a beginner you can come here and everyone’s gonna be super friendly to you and you’re gonna be welcomed with open arms,” Swartz said after attempting to drop into the skate bowl but falling and having everyone cheer him on.
Contact Teagan O’Meara with comments at teagan.omeara@bsu.edu
