Le Dep – The Skate Shop that Montreal Really Needs

More and more skate shops across Quebec have taken the habit of building on Wal-Mart frames, foreshadowing a slow death for the homey atmosphere of backstreet boutiques that can make you feel like a kid in a candy store.

Thankfully, a new shop that's about to be opened by Kris Rose and Adam Green is just the opposite.

Their objective is to recreate the feel of a small, neighborhood boutique but with a rich, modern flavour.

Instead of quantity, the focus will be on offering a quality inventory of both unique and limited edition boards.

The pair also wants to tap into the artistic side of skateboarding because they feel that it's an intrinsic part of the sport, affirming even that it's nothing less than an art form.

 

Kris and Adam plan to offer free space to various local artists in order to exhibit their work. What's more, all boards will feature vertical graphics because, as we all know, a skateboard is also a work of art.

Since cooperation and involvement are important values for the two entrepreneurs, they've chosen to only carry brands that are truly committed to the sport. Distributors, who were already totally stoked at the idea of working with them, loved the concept from the start. Partnerships formed almost effortlessly and the list of companies who've since climbed aboard is quite impressive.

The project took off when the two kept hearing over and over that Montreal didn't have enough of this kind of skate shop despite the obvious potential.

Originally from Toronto, Kris sourced his inspiration from the different shops that he visited during the course of his extensive travels. He wanted to bring the art gallery/boutique approach to Montreal. 

He and Adam both had the same vision of what the skate shop should be. From that moment on, nothing could stand in the way of their plan to create a boutique that would resemble them in every possible way.

Almost all skate shops screen the latest flicks… but how many command a direct view of Peace Park, Montreal's skate Mecca?

Located at 1201 Saint-Dominique, home of the defunct Temple Skate Supply, the shop sits directly in front of the city's cult gathering place. The avant-garde shop will no doubt contribute to changing the ghetto image of Peace Park and maybe even help to improve relations between skaters and police who often clash at this popular location.

Montreal no longer has any reason to envy cities like San Francisco, New York or Vancouver.

In fact, thanks to the efforts deployed by Kris and Adam, perhaps it's they who will now envy us.

Check 'em out on Facebook here.

By skaters, for skaters, at its best.