Hey, I’m Byron – a 27-year-old Ipswich local who got his first skateboard at 7 years old. Like a lot of us, I’ve had an on-and-off relationship with skating over the years. Through my teens and early twenties there were plenty of times when life got heavy, and the board was the one thing that always made sense. It pulled me through some dark patches, and showed me a way of living that I still love to this day. I’m definitely not out there throwing down tricks like the pros – never have been – but skateboarding has given me way more than I’ve ever given back. Opening a proper skate shop in my hometown has been a dream for years. Ipswich has always deserved its own spot that’s by skaters, for skaters – somewhere convenient, stocked with good gear, and welcoming to everyone from little groms to the old heads getting back into it. There are some killer skate shops around south-east Queensland (big respect to them), but with skating finally getting the recognition it deserves and more kids picking up boards than ever, I figured now was the time to give it a crack right here at home. If this shop does nothing else, I hope it becomes a place where a few local kids who are going through their own rough stuff can walk in, feel at home, grab a board, and find the same lifeline that skating was for me. That’s why we exist. Thanks for supporting a little independent skate shop in Ipswich. Come say g’day – the kettle’s always on.