Hey readers, check out the latest issue of the zine for a recap of the closing of renowned and well-loved downtown skate shop Pitcrew. Here is what some of you had to say:
The word that comes up most often when you talk to people associated with Pitcrew is this: FAMILY. Sure, it might sound like a word casually tossed in an advertisement, but you get the sense from the conversations that it’s quite real. Therein lies some of the powerful emotions riveting the community over the closure of Pitcrew. We’re going to hear from just a few people that can add to the record of what Pitcrew meant to them, their impact in the community and beyond. They include local musicians, Pitcrew riders, business owners, and close associates: Joe Wallace, J Berd, Paul Horning II, Cory Springirth, Retro/Ricole, and Marlene England. There are so many more people whose lives they changed and made immense impact, but this gives a sampling to the chorus surrounding Pitcrew.
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Interview with Joe Wallace – Pitcrew associate / owner of Bony Mug Skates in the early 1990’s
Subversive: People say you’re OG
Joe: I am OG
Subversive: People have been giving me interesting stories – and you got a story with your relationship with Pitcrew.
Joe: I grew up idolizing Malcolm. Our whole baseball team quit because we saw him and this guy Screw (this guy Rob Chapin) skating at TJ. We all put our gloves down and started staring at them. They were local legends. I started skating with Malcolm after that. We became good friends with him. My relationship with Tim, I became friends with his big brother, Jamie. Tim would kind of follow us around, he was always in the fringes there. We loved him, but he would kind of blame me for making him the cynical asshole that he is today (laughs), I say that with love and respect. He’ll tell you that story every time. We’re all brothers. Malcolm and Marcie, Malcolm’s wife are the godparents to my children, my 2 daughters. It really is family.
Subversive: That word family. It sounds real.
Joe: It’s totally real. Tim and Mal and me are kind of adopted fathers to a lot of young skaters coming up in Frederick. It’s been like that for…forever.
Subversive: what are your thoughts – it seems like they’re such an iconic brand. Coming in from outside of Frederick, you can’t escape the influence of Pitcrew.
Joe: The reason they’re so important is because of what they do for the skateboarding community in this area. Not only Frederick, we’re talking about Maryland, DC, Virginia…from being there for people, welcoming them into their shop, you’re not just a customer, you’re a skater. There’s some brotherhood and sisterhood that kind of goes there right when you walk in the door. What they really have done is brought so many skateboard teams through Frederick that would never have come here – do a demo – do a signing. Pitcrew is so regarded and respected throughout the country from companies that teams want to come through Frederick, they want to do a demo at Hill Street Skate Park, which they were very integral in getting that in Frederick. Along with mayor Dougherty – she made it happen.
So yeah, just being there for people, bringing the pros through, making any kind of event – even if there’s not a demo – they’re going to…just make something happen. You know how it is, if nothings going on, MAKE YOUR SCENE. Make it happen.
Subversive: They’re creating culture then
Joe: Totally. No other mall shop is ever going to do anything like that. They don’t care. They do not care.
Subversive: I got my kids skateboards right as Pitcrew was closing, but I could tell -there’s acres of knowledge that’s oozing out of this place. Being an outsider – even then I can tell we’re going to lose a lot of knowledge base from this place.
Joe: All of us, we really don’t know what to think, we’re still kind of spinning a little bit about it from this – a state of shock. For young kids, they can go there, they’re going to see some local skater – ‘oh, there’s so and so.’ Someone is going to come help them put a board together – things like that. That’s what I’m afraid that they’re going to lose a connection from this – or the history too. I’m always going in there, telling stories about whatever – ‘hey this happened -somebody did this trick-wise years ago. I’m 46 years old, I still skate. I’m still connected with these young kids in their 20s or so. I can go there, shoot the shit with them, connect with them. You really get to know a person doing that.
Subversive: Pitcrew is connected to the identity of Frederick – the edgier part of Frederick. Pitcrew helped put Frederick on the map. IF gentrification is on the rise, I wonder if Pitcrew going down is coincidentally happening with this other Frederick on the rise – will there still be a Frederick underground ?
Joe: I don’t think it’s going to be carried through the skateboard scene – I think it’s going to be carried through the art scene -something like that. I would hope there would still be a skateboard presence that does carry that, with the tradition. I hope it does but it’s like we’re still reeling from death of a loved one where you don’t really know what’s going to happen. We’re not ready to let it go. We’re looking for the younger generation to step up. Tim and Mal have been doing it for 23 years. They’ve done it for this long. I had a skate shop before that called Bony Mug Skates. I was 15, almost 16, got a $900 loan from my parents, got a little space back behind Sumittra – I had that shop for 2 and a half years. I was a young kid, so I graduated from high school, sold it to a surf shop. It was a little too much for me to handle, but it did create a scene and Tim and Mal would say as well, that was like the first Pitcrew. We all tattooed ourselves BMS (he shows his right ankle) that was some crazy design I came up with. The idea was born there and carried on through with Pitcrew.
We kind of already did it already. (Talking directly to the younger generation on the idea of taking up the flag and starting a new skateboarding shop) Guys step up. We’ll be there to back you 100% – more than that. Somebody’s got to do it. I hope someone does.
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J Berd – Hip Hop musician
When I was about 17 or 18, I made some cassette tapes. I went around to a bunch of places trying to sell them on consignment. Tim and Malcolm didn’t get them on consignment; they bought like 6 straight up and sold them in the display cabinet. I felt like I was on that day!! Just things like that built my confidence.
I think there are thousands of people that could tell a similar story about Tim and Malcolm’s kindness. So Pitcrew meant many things to me. It was a refuge from the world that didn’t understand street kids or skate kids. It was pride in being from Frederick because people knew the brand and we repped it. I watched them grow, and skaters, filmmakers, and artists that were inspired from their growth. From 121A to 808 you knew you could do anything because those guys showed you that they could. They were truly a family for those without a family, or if yours was messed up, you could always join theirs. Over two decades! I have a child that is almost the same age I was when they opened. My son was crushed at the news, he said, “DAD, I grew up there.”
On the connection with the music scene:
Absolutely a connection. Most skaters, especially back then were little street kids. We were out all day, everyday getting into shit and luckily we found skateboarding. It gave us a family connection to each other because we had to look out for each other. Cars, cops, bums and then you get older and get into art or music or worse. But the roots are in skating and Pitcrew is just that. Everyone wants to rep where they’re from, and Pitcrew was the sickest way to do that. They gave you the dopest choices for styles too. I always thought music mirrored what was going on skating wise. Skating is the streets and the streets run it. Music is just the voice to that.
[J Berd just released a new album “Overtime.” Check it out his bandcamp https://makeshift-deluxe.bandcamp.com/track/10-graph-commandments ]
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Paul Horning II – Pitcrew sponsored snowboard rider
I was fortunate to be welcomed to the Pitcrew family with open arms their first year in business. I was snowboarding for a shop in Annapolis called “Evolve” when Pitcrew opened in 94′. I was a fresh high school graduate and had no desire to further my education in college. When I was in school all I thought about was skateboarding and snowboarding, so I knew more school wasn’t for me. I wanted to pursue a pipe dream of becoming a professional snowboarder. I went into the shop one day to get some grip tape and check out their snowboard selection. It was kinda surreal because Malcolm was a skate legend and I heard about Tim through snowboarding. When I entered the shop at 121A, it kind of shocked me because it was so small with minimal merchandise, but after looking around, they had the right merchandise. The shop I was riding for in Annapolis was huge and carried surf, skate, snow and wake so it was very different than what Pitcrew was. After hanging out in the shop for a while Malcolm looked at me and said, “Why don’t you ride for us, man? We don’t want to create anything between you and Evolve, but it only makes sense since we’re in your home town and all”.
I really liked Robbie at Evolve but the part about “it only makes sense since we’re in your home town” echoed in my head for days. It made perfect sense so I had to break the news to Evolve, but they were really cool about it and understood. It wasn’t but a few days until Tim and Malcolm had me riding on the product they carried and the product they repped for. They made me instantly feel like part of something real. I knew at that point that they had my back and would push me to be my best. At that time, fresh out of high school, all my friends were doing was partying with no real goals or perspective. Me, I had a picture in my head where I wanted snowboarding to take me, or where I wanted to take it. I loved hanging out with all my friends but snowboarding took over my life in 1989 and has been steering me since. I feel like without the support Tim and Mal provided for me, I could’ve ended up like one of the 8-10 friends that died of an overdose or something. Don’t get me wrong, I would party, but getting up early to make a contest or just to go shred was way more important to me, so I wouldn’t over indulge on the partying… most of the time. Tim and Mal provided opportunity to me that I would have never had without them. I traveled to many places and events that I would have never been able to get to without them. They supported me for many years doing the local contest circuit in the mid 90’s and set me up with all my sponsors as a “rep rider”.
After I won the 1997 USASA Nationals in Big Bear, CA, the companies they were reps for sent me professional contracts. It was all because of them hyping me and pushing me to levels that I had no idea, or faith, that I could make it to. My lifelong goal was met. I was a pro snowboarder. Was I the best? Nope. Did I go on to win, or even place top 10 in a pro event? Nope. What I did do is make it to a place I thought was impossible to make it to, growing up as a snowboarder in the Mid-Atlantic and only getting 70-80 days on snow a year, if that. Those guys were so good at building your confidence, when you had none, and pushing you to be your best without being pushy or jocky about it. They just knew how to motivate people and instill confidence in them. Not long after I won nationals I broke my ankle pretty bad skateboarding. During snowboarding’s “off season” I was a landscaper. Since I had a cast on my leg and needed to heal I couldn’t work. Tim and Mal said they’d help me out and give me a job at the shop when it was at 153. At that point I was in pretty rough financial shape from chasing snowboarding and not working. I actually had a repo guy chasing me down trying to get my jeep! Tim and Mal offered to catch me up on payments and told me to just pay them back when I could afford it. That is truly amazing! It took me forever to pay them back but I am forever grateful to them for helping me out like that. It is really impossible to put into words what Pitcrew means to me, but I am just one of many that they provided the same opportunities for. At a time when skateboarding in this area was frowned upon and confined to backyards, launch ramps and dark alleys, they opened up. They gave skateboarding a home, a good name, and a place for like-minded people to meet. What they have done for skateboarding, not just in this area, but worldwide is truly amazing. There was no other shop that was like Pitcrew in the early days… or even now. It is a family. They brought teams in town to do demos and autograph signings, held annual free bbq’s at local skateparks and supported many other local businesses. On the snowboarding side of things, they did the same. They supported a handful of local riders, sponsored local events and donated tons of their time, money and prizes for those events. They have done more for people in 23 years than most shops could do in 50 years. They’ve sold kids their first skateboard and many years later watched them turn pro. They were a true hub for the entire skate community and always remained true to the roots of skateboarding/snowboarding. I am forever grateful to them for what they have done for me and countless others in helping us achieve what we didn’t think was possible and to this day, pushing us all to HAVE FUN and keep doing it. From their perspective, it’s got to feel pretty damn good knowing how many people they’ve helped accomplish their goals, dreams, and exceed their own expectations, even though they would never take credit for it. Pitcrew is an important part of skateboard history in Frederick. They picked it up, dusted it off, and nurtured it back to health when nobody wanted it. I might even say that they are partially responsible for keeping local ski resorts in business when winters were bad. I could write a book about what Pitcrew means to me personally but I’ll stop here because I think you get the point. I could never repay Tim and Malcolm for the experiences, guidance, opportunity and life lessons they provided for me. I am forever grateful to them and Pitcrew will always be one of the greatest things that ever happened to my life.
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Cory Springirth – Musician (Old Indian / Tuff Junior) and Pitcrew rider
Subversive: I saw you at Pitcrew pretty much the day they announced they were closing. I’d imagine it’s hard to put entirely in words but what did Pitcrew meant to you personally?
Cory: I spent the majority of my time in the 207 shop on Market. If I wasn’t actually skating you would probably find me in Pitcrew reading the latest mag, watching videos or just hanging out. It was home base… for every skater. Eventually I became good friends with everyone and I guess good enough at skating that Tim and Mal put me on the shop team. Pretty much every local skater wants to ride for Pitcrew….So that meant a lot to me. I was stoked! Pitcrew is another family to me… my best friends who I have shared some great memories with.
Subversive: From rock to hip-hop, I’ve seen Frederick musicians sport Pitcrew gear. It makes me think they were unofficially a muse for underground musicians even though Pitcrew dealt primarily with the culture and sport of skateboarding.
Cory: I don’t think it’s restricted to just Frederick. Music and skateboarding go hand and hand… it always has. There’s Music in your favorite skate videos, a lot of skaters (or use to skate) play music in bands. Huge part of why I got into music was listening to rad bands in skate videos. It just goes together. A lot of skaters hear songs and remember who skated to that song in some old ass video -haha- it’s awesome.
Subversive: Mark Weeks, when he returned to Frederick in late December (he moved to Denver) posted up his pictures visiting Pitcrew. Pitcrew meant a lot to you and to Mark – and both of you were part of Old Indian. When the band was still together, they played a very unusual stage on the day Pitcrew played host at a Kennedy Center event, a quirky series on the art and culture of skateboarding. Tell me about that. That also wasn’t the only association you had with your band and skateboarding.
Cory: Yeah that was nuts! Very cool experience! That came about through Pitcrew rider/ skateboard activist /best dude ever Jimmy Pelletier. Just another example when skateboarding and music go cross paths. They wanted live music happening while people were skating the bowl they built to get things going… which can be a slippery slope if the music doesn’t really fit. But yeah, we played a few other “Vert Jams” which is pretty much the same idea except a little more of a party atmosphere. Mark worked at Pitcrew for a while and also rode for them… so I think just being skateboarders associated with Pitcrew got us a lot of those type of gigs. Everyone at the shop always put in a good word for us.
Subversive: What do you think will happen, can skateboarding culture in Frederick keep going without Pitcrew? Perhaps Pitcrew’s legacy will continue onward in another kind of way?
Cory: Well Pitcrew is going to keep going in some shape or form. People who get it understand it’s a family… I guess it’s like this… the actual brick and mortar shop was the house and even though we don’t have that anymore, we are still a Family… that’s cheesy and more of a personal thing… but it’s true.
Skateboarding culture is in a weird spot right now, trends are coming and going faster then ever… less and less “core” skateboarders are around. So I think it’s gonna shrink a little around here but that’s probably a good thing, then it will grow again.
Yeah Someone will open another shop no doubt. It won’t be Pitcrew and that’s fine! Tim and Mal want to pass the torch on! It Just needs to be someone who loves skateboarding and understands its culture.
That’s who I want to support
Skater owned skate shops.
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Retro/Ricole – Hip Hop musician
For me, Pitcrew was a place of reassurance. I’ve always loved skateboarding. However, growing up in my community (which was predominantly African American) there was a time when you were made fun of because it was considered a “white sport.” In the past 10-15 years, that perception has completely changed within the community. You now see more people of color riding than ever. When I first visited Pitcrew as a kid, I instantly recognized its significance. Their insignia and aesthetic just spoke to me. It still does.
I wear that “P” or “Pitcrew” across the chest and back as much as one would a Yankees cap or Bulls jersey.
Musicians take pride (hip-hop especially) with the guys @ Pitcrew. They were cool enough to let me film my first music video inside when they were located at the 207 address. Tim and I have discussed music frequently + attended concerts together throughout the years [last spotted together with April Reardon at DC’s Anthem to see St Vincent]. There has always been a relationship between Pitcrew and musicians. The brand was a huge inspiration for all of my projects.
[ Check out Retro/Ricole and new music about on the horizon with Da’Mood in 2018 at https://soundcloud.com/retro-ricole & Da’Mood at https://www.instagram.com/damoodband/ ]
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Marlene England – Owner of Curious Iguana bookstore
There’s a Pitcrew sticker at the cash register at Dancing Bear, the other store that her husband, Tom England operates.
They were here when we were setting up and we looked up to them. Tim and April (at Velvet Lounge) were invaluable to us in terms of getting off the ground. We’ve been fans for a long time. They’ve set a good example for other merchants to follow.
Our boys (who skated) had fond memories growing up in the Pitcrew era.
Pitcrew was a wonderful business and it’s sad to see them go.
On the challenge to operate local independent brick and mortar retail in the internet age:
(Independent stores) has this human connection with folks, particularly in bookstores. They can create that experience – that everyone is made to feel welcome. Retail is hard, harder than anything I’ve done in my life.
On gentrification:
Fortunately we have a long-term lease, but I worry about (gentrification’s effects) for other businesses in the city. I don’t want a community where only the wealthy can shop here.
[ Independent books, including those on skateboarding and music can be found on 12 North Market Street and at curiousiguana.com ]
Roy Ghim
