Mount Pleasant mainstay Antisocial Skate Shop’s side wall is plastered in about-to-be-abused decks, and its back partition with a variety of Vans sneakers. Glass cases in the middle of the wood-and-concrete storefront hold pristine trucks that will eventually be grinding hard across city curbs and hand railings. But that's really only part of what makes the 15-year old business a community favourite. Whether it’s hosting jam-packed punk shows after business hours, or mounting a local photographer's debut show in the back gallery, Antisocial's cultural appeal extends beyond a kick-flipping clientele.
“I don't understand the concept of having a store where you just open and close every day,” owner/founder Michelle Pezel explains of her multifaceted approach to running the business. “To have none of that extra-curricular – art shows, music shows, community events – would be wild. I’m always trying to figure out a way to have something else going on.”
As a retailer, Antisocial is supplying pavement riders with anything from Shoe Goo to Spitfire wheels. The in-house line of understated, bold-typeface Antisocial T-shirts has become ubiquitous across all terrain. “We sell a lot of our own Antisocial stuff when we have it in stock – that’s what people want," says Penzel, adding that the company also markets house-branded hoodies and boards. Currently, you can pick up a Chocolate Skateboards-made deck sporting a watercolour painting of the storefront in shades of mauve and aquamarine. To celebrate the store’s 15th anniversary, the coming months will see the release of a co-release sneaker with Vans. A photo book celebrating the roster of Antisocial team riders, past concerts and more could come out by the holiday season.
Penzel notes that people who first came into the shop in the early ’00s are now starting to bring in their own kids to buy their first board. Nobly, the shop gives back to the community by hosting fundraisers for local organizations like the female-skateboarder-connecting Chickflip, or holding record-release parties for the likes of sludge-metal band Haggatha. Despite the withdrawn business name, it’s an all-welcoming environment.
“If we can make the skaters stoked, and all the other people stoked, than we're doing something OK.”
