Skateboarding - people just don’t get it!  This is a divide and conquer sport. Getting all beat up is part of the mystique and the price you pay ... it's not just to beat someone else - but to beat the greatest force in the universe... gravity.

Best Skate Shop: Plan Nine
Skateboard shops, much like the punk bands their clientele shred to on their iPods. Most come from humble beginnings and are forced to embrace the business side of things as their reputation and demand increase.

This, is where most fail. Not only has the small chain flourished like salmon in the Atlantic, but they've done so in the shallow pond of local mainstream malls. These are extreme sports equipment stores run by extreme sportsmen for extreme sporters. Nothing extreme conceptually, but Plan Nine has wonderfully created its own niche by offering products fueled by personal passion (RFT 2009).