Hopkin Skate under the steady hand and iron will of a man who lets his actions do the talking, Dave Robertson, has helped to facilitate the growth of a movement. Together with the Executive team from ASRA they have been busy, creating widening circles like a ripple in a pond, that travel wider and wider throughout the community. These circles are not bound by international boundaries as was discovered when a family from Reunion Island dropped in, while on holidays in Australia, to see their favourite skate shop. By the way Reunion Island is a French speaking nation off the coast of Madagascar, near Mauritius
If you build it they will come...and like most businesses that begin in a garage or at home, the HopShop procured an old and nondescript factory unit in St Leonards. The HopShop is located very close to St Leonards Station making it an ideal location for their clients; it also happens to be less than 100 metres from the suburb boundary of Naremburn which in 1853 was known as Dogtown. It too, became Mecca for the skateboarders.
The interior of The HopShop wasn't real big but it seemed to transform and morph daily into a fully functioning and workable business with a welcoming charm for the groms and also for the discerning old school skater looking to get a skatey beneath his feet again. It became more like a lolly shop with an assortment of colours and products to dazzle and bewilder with the sheer variety and choice of everything from decks, trucks, bushings and wheels. The old school dads would reminisce over the older skateboards which adorned the ceiling and high up on the walls. There are skateboards from the early 60's and through every transition from Surfer Sam and Bahne Superflex through to an original and extremely rare Saurus and all of the SIMS collectables. A treasure trove and very valuable piece of skateboarding history resides within the walls of Hopkin Skate.
The Boardroom is also small yet impressively filled with all of the serious tools of the Longboard trade. Wheels, helmets, shoes, complete mini cruisers and complete longboards adorned the slatwall structure that Dave and his team managed to fill to capacity. With the requirement for more boxes to ship boards, the structures grew, further construction of shelving above the board building area to accommodate the growing need for space and like a game of Tetris, the Hopkin Skate team made everything fit in with a minimum of fuss. It was clear though that something would have to change, to stay where they were was not an option - expansion had to happen.
An interesting fact is that in the current premises, Hopkin Skate achieved an amazing feat - voted #3 in the Concrete Wave Readers Choice awards. The accolade is well deserved.
Supplier meetings must be extremely difficult to conduct when there are a dozen groms in the shop; a shipment of boards, trucks and wheels being unpacked; and their are boards being built for shipment. Good job guys for your ability to get the job done with challenges and an ever present smile on the dial.
Time to consider a move. Take it to the next level.
If you build it they will come...and like most businesses that begin in a garage or at home, the HopShop procured an old and nondescript factory unit in St Leonards. The HopShop is located very close to St Leonards Station making it an ideal location for their clients; it also happens to be less than 100 metres from the suburb boundary of Naremburn which in 1853 was known as Dogtown. It too, became Mecca for the skateboarders.
The interior of The HopShop wasn't real big but it seemed to transform and morph daily into a fully functioning and workable business with a welcoming charm for the groms and also for the discerning old school skater looking to get a skatey beneath his feet again. It became more like a lolly shop with an assortment of colours and products to dazzle and bewilder with the sheer variety and choice of everything from decks, trucks, bushings and wheels. The old school dads would reminisce over the older skateboards which adorned the ceiling and high up on the walls. There are skateboards from the early 60's and through every transition from Surfer Sam and Bahne Superflex through to an original and extremely rare Saurus and all of the SIMS collectables. A treasure trove and very valuable piece of skateboarding history resides within the walls of Hopkin Skate.
The Boardroom is also small yet impressively filled with all of the serious tools of the Longboard trade. Wheels, helmets, shoes, complete mini cruisers and complete longboards adorned the slatwall structure that Dave and his team managed to fill to capacity. With the requirement for more boxes to ship boards, the structures grew, further construction of shelving above the board building area to accommodate the growing need for space and like a game of Tetris, the Hopkin Skate team made everything fit in with a minimum of fuss. It was clear though that something would have to change, to stay where they were was not an option - expansion had to happen.
An interesting fact is that in the current premises, Hopkin Skate achieved an amazing feat - voted #3 in the Concrete Wave Readers Choice awards. The accolade is well deserved.
Supplier meetings must be extremely difficult to conduct when there are a dozen groms in the shop; a shipment of boards, trucks and wheels being unpacked; and their are boards being built for shipment. Good job guys for your ability to get the job done with challenges and an ever present smile on the dial.
Time to consider a move. Take it to the next level.
I
