NETWORK SKATE

Interview w/ shop owner: Glenn Davidson Owning a skate shop or having your own skatepark is every skateboarders dream at one point or another but Glenn Davidson of Evansville, Indiana has made this a reality. Glenn is the proud owner of Killer Skate Park and Shop out in Evansville and does an awesome job supporting the skate scene out there. He pushes VOX with pride and even sent in a photo of one of his shop riders rocking a freshly inked Vox tattoo! Read why Glenn opened the shop/park in the first place and get a small history about how it plays such a positive roll in their area.
Interview with Shop owner, Glenn Davidson.

Where is the shop located and how long has it been open?
Evansville, Indiana --- Opened on October 31, 2009

Who's in charge?

My wife! Haha! My wife, Sheena Davidson, and I own and operate the place. I designed the park myself. And it was built by myself and my family. Day-to-day business is handled by both of us with the help some local grooms.

Have you always had a park and shop, or did one come before the other? If so, how did the plan come about?

The idea was always to have both a park and a shop because it helps feed the scene in so many ways. If you have both then demos, contest, talent scouting, skate lessons and camps, are all way easier. Plus, with Killer located in Southern Indiana the park is great to get out of cold, wet, or hot weather.

What are the pros and cons on running a skatepark? Do you allow scooters and BMX bikes or is it strictly skateboarding?

On the good side I get to skate with all sorts of people a lot more often than if I had a 9 to 5. I can build whatever I can think of to make the park as unique as possible. After hours sessions kick ass! The worst is you pretty much become a freakin' janitor and always have to fix stuff or clean. Sometimes it can be a bummer when you become a baby sitter. We don't allow scooters or BMX. I'm a skateboarder and have been one since I was 8 years old. It's nothing personal, I just don't give a crap about BMX and scooters. They'd get in the way and damage the park too. I'm not greedy, I don't need their money.

How much does a session cost?

$6.00 for 3 hour session
$10.00 for all day session
$20.00/hr for a skate lesson
We have $3 Thursdays every week to give the older guys a break.

What's the skate scene like out there? Do you have a bunch of local shop kids hanging out all the time?

Yeah we have ton of kids that have become our Locals. The scene was pretty weak before I opened Killer. Everybody seemed to be at odds with each other and it was a cool kids only vibe. After I opened I've been creating more of a community of all the local skaters and treat the ones I don't know with the same respect as any other. There have been a slew of younger kids starting up that have a better attitude than the previous generation and totally get what Killer is all about...... Skateboarding! And I feel like the future scene will be sick! I sponsor 7 guys and try my hardest to get them hooked up in the industry whether it it be a small local company or a national one like VOX. By having a shop team and getting these guys involved on more of a National level it gives kids a chance to open their eyes and realize they're part of a world wide community of skaters. Maybe one day a skater who saw that as a kid will get stoked and will try hard enough to become a Pro and inspire even more kids to start skating.

What are some pros and cons of owning your own shop?

The best part is that I can directly affect skateboarding in a positive way. You get to set your own hours and be your own boss. You don't have to take shit from people. I get the chance to help a lot of kids out and make their lives better. Plus it's one of the coolest jobs I can think of. The negative side is not having much free time (I'm here around 60 hours a week.) The worst by far though, is the stress of being at the mercy of kids who don't know shit, and what they think can either break or make you even though you're always trying to help them and skateboarding for the greater good. Sometimes the internet is evil... haha.

Give us a little background information on Jay Lauf's VOX tattoo?

In Jay's own words: "The tattoo was done by one of my friends up north in Bloomington Indiana. I've had it for about 3-4 months now and used a VOX sticker for a template/design. I got it on my leg to impress the ladies with my big calf muscles and to show off during the summer when I wear shorts. It's one of two tattoos I have, the other one is Skate and Destroy on my upper back. Black and Blue are two of my favorite colors plus the black and blue are colors that remind me and other people of VOX."

Jay Lauf
Team Rider: Killer Skate Park & Shop - Evansville, IN
Flow: VOX Footwear

What's your favorite VOX shoe?

My favorite VOX shoe is the one that sells the most, no just kidding, but I'm sure that's what any shop owner would probably say. If I had to pick one, it would be the Trooper because it's affordable, comes in several colorways, has a clean look, and preforms well. Skate Shoes aren't supposed to cost $100!

Does the shop have any upcoming demos or events?

Yes - we really try to do some sort of event every month.
April 12th - we're having a video premiere for Think's new video - Business as Usual. Half price skate sessions & free give aways
April 21st - we're having a huge blow out sale and $5.00 all day pass skate day
May - street contest
June - 4th-8th Skate Camp (day camp for skaters ages 6-14)
June 21st - Go Skate Day - FREE Skate for everyone Contests, & tons of sales going on in the shop

What does the future hold for Killer Skate Shop & Park?

Hopefully we can just keep building our scene and help skateboarding out anyway we can. In return if that keeps us in business and making money then I'm okay with that.
Shout outs to your employees and riders:
Team Riders: Jay Lauf, Coby Krieg, Joe Lester (sponsored by Blind, Flow for Globe), Alex "Deekler", Phillip Greer, Zach Newhouse, Josh Griffin
Friend/almost shop employee but not quite: Chase Adams

Closing thoughts, last words?

Never look down on skaters you don't understand. Maybe you're trying to kickflip that 12 stair to get sponsored and they're killing it at a boneless on a bank and doin' their own thing. When you hang the board up because you didn't get anywhere the guy you thought was weird will still be RIPPING! It's okay to try to be somebody but don't forget why you started skating in the first place. Skateboarding is about fun!

Killer Skate Park & Shop LLC

1315 N. Cullen Ave.Evansville, IN 47715

(812) 402-2940
http://www.killerskatepark.com/

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