STEVE'S STORY
TOP SHOP: A BRIEF HISTORY.
IT ALL STARTED IN THE WINTER OF 2003, 8 TEAMS SHOWED UP TO THE FIRST TOP SHOP. WE WANTED TO HAVE A PARTY WEEKEND. A WEEKEND WHERE SHOP TEAMS COULD ALL GET TOGETHER TO SKATEBOARD AND KICK IT. I GUESS WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A WAY TO BRING TOGETHER THE CORE SHOPS IN THE AREA, AND HOPEFULLY HELP BUILD A STRONGER COMMUNITY HERE IN MINNEAPOLIS.
FRIDAY NIGHT 2005 WE WONDERED WHAT TO DO. I MEAN WE HAD TO PARTY. THERE WERE ALSO A TON OF OLD GRIZZLED WASHED UP SKATEBOARDERS HERE. THEY NEEDED SOMETHING TO DO BESIDES DRINK BEER. SO WE STARTED UP THE FRIDAY NIGHT TRIVIA EXTRAVAGANZA!
GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO 2003, THE SATURDAY NIGHT PARTY TRADITION BEGAN. WE CONSIDERED OVER THE YEARS TO HOLD THIS INSANE PARTY SOMEWHERE OFF SITE. THEN WE WOULDN’T HAVE TO CLEAN UP, AND MIGHT EVEN GET SOME SLEEP. WE CONCLUDED THAT THE SATURDAY NIGHT PARTY HAD TO REMAIN HERE, AT THE PARK. PUNK ROCK, AND SKATEBOARDING. HELL YAAA!
IN 2006 WE INTRODUCED THE TOP SHOP TRADE SHOW TO THE EVENT. IT SEEMED SO NATURAL TO INVITE CORE SKATEBOARD COMPANIES OUT FOR A CORE SHOP CONTEST. WE FIGURED SHOP OWNERS AND COMPANIES WOULD BE ABLE TO HANG OUT FOR A WEEKEND AND GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER IN A REAL SKATEBOARDING SITUATION. MAYBE EVEN FORGE SOME BUSINESS?
THE YEAR WAS 2007, THAT’S RIGHT, LAST YEAR. WE BROUGHT IN A NEW TRADITION. IN THE PAST YEARS WE RECOGNIZED THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT LIKE TO PARTY. THE PROBLEM WAS TRANSPORTATION. NOBODY COULD GET ANYWHERE. THE SOLUTION: THE TOP SHOP PARTY BUS!
OK…THE STAGE IS NOW SET FOR 2008!
WE HAD 41 TEAMS THIS YEAR, THAT’S OVER 280 SKATERS. I COUNTED THE TEAM ALTERNATES. IT MAKES THE NUMBER BIGGER YOU KNOW. THE TRADE SHOW HAD OVER 40 COMPANIES PARTICIPATE. I’LL SAY EACH COMPANY HAD 2 PEOPLE. LET’S DO THE MATH. THAT’S OVER 360 ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS! THEN YOU MUST FIGURE IN SHOP OWNERS AND TEAM MANAGERS, AND LET’S MOVE THAT NUMBER TO OVER 450. YOU GET THE PICTURE. THIS PLACE WAS ROCKING!
THE 2008 PARTY BUS WAS CRAZY OF COURSE. WE WENT TO GRUMPY’S AND THE TRIPLE ROCK. I AM STILL AMAZED THAT THE BUS DRIVER DIDN’T JUST LEAVE US DOWNTOWN AND GO HOME. IT GOT CRAZY!
THE WEATHER TURNED BAD THAT NIGHT AND OUR FRIEND NICK MATLIN WAS ABLE TO SEE SNOW FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HIS LIFE. THE SIGHT OF SNOW SICKENED ME.
I FELL OVER AT ABOUT 4 AM, AND WAS UP AT 7 AM. SURPRISINGLY, I FELT GREAT. I WAS STOKED FOR THE REST OF THE WEEKEND. LIVING OFF ADRENALIN. THE LEVEL OF SKATEBOARDING OVER THE WEEKEND WAS UP A TON. COLIN HALE, AND CHAZ ORTIZ HELD DOWN THE TOP RUNS OF THE WEEKEND. I WON’T GO INTO IT TOO MUCH. DO A WEB SEARCH. THERE’S ALREADY A TON OF FOOTAGE UP ON YOU TUBE.
I ALWAYS GET NERVOUS FOR SATURDAY NIGHT. I MEAN WE OPEN THE SKATEPARK UP FOR A PARTY. THIS YEAR CREATURE HOSTED A CHUG AND JUMP CONTEST. YA, THAT’S RIGHT A CHUG AND JUMP CONTEST. THINK ABOUT IT FOR A MINUTE. INSANE, AND NOBODY DIED. SATURDAY NIGHT ENTERTAINMENT THIS YEAR WAS WONDERFUL. THE CRANBERRY SHOW KICKED IT OFF. THESE GUYS ARE FROM MILWAUKEE, AND THROW OUT THE SKATE RHYMES. SKATEBOARDING MIXES IT UP FOR REAL WITH HIP HOP! NEXT UP WE GO TO THE PUNK ROCK PLAN WITH USELESS WOODEN TOYS, AND GOITER. EPICNESS ENSUED! THE GREATEST THING ABOUT THIS PARTY WAS EVERYONE HAD A GOOD TIME, AND NOBODY TRASHED OUR PARK. I FELL OVER AROUND 3AM UP AT 7AM. SURPRISINGLY, I FELT GREAT! I WAS STOKED FOR SUNDAY!
LAST DAY, WHO IS IT GOING TO BE THIS YEAR? 3RD LAIR AGAIN? AFTER THE DUST SETTLED THE CREW FROM McHENRY ILLINOIS STOOD ON TOP. WARP/MB SKATEPARK AND SHOP, YOU ARE THE CHAMPS! THE FIRST TIME AN OUT STATE TEAM WINS. BIG UP!!!!!!!! WE THEN MOVED OVER TO THE BONES BEST TRICKS CONTEST. THANKS SO MUCH TO ROB WASHBURN AND KELLY ROBERTSON! BONES WHEELS KICKED $1000.00 FOR THE BEST, BEST TRICK CONTEST 3RD LAIR HAS SEEN. CHECK OUT THE FOOTAGE ON OUR WEB SITE.
I COULD GO ON FOREVER, THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT! IT’S TRULY AN HONOR.
TODD SWANK AND THE TUM YETO CREW YOU GUYS RULE. FOUNDATION, PIG, AND DEKLINE SHOES WERE THIS YEARS TITLE SPONSOR. BIG THANKS. THE SKATEBOARD MAG. BIG THANKS.
TIME TO SLEEP!
HELL YA. SEE YOU ALL NEXT YEAR!
STEVE-
