Subsect employee Jacob Kelley, 21, remembers visiting the shop as a kid and chatting with owner Kevin Jones (right). Photo: Linh Ta/Axios
After nearly 17 years in the East Village, Subsect Skateshop's owner Kevin Jones says the biggest change he's experienced isn't one he expected: an influx of young skaters and their parents in his shop.
Why it matters: It wasn't long ago that skateboarding was discouraged in Des Moines, but the construction of Lauridsen Skatepark is a sign of changing times.
Now, Jones says he's seeing young kids making friends at the park, learning tricks he could only dream about when he started skating at eight years old.
What they're saying: "It wasn't cool, especially back then you'd always hear: 'the skateboarders versus the jocks,'" Jones says. "Now, we're getting a lot of newcomers."
The intrigue: Subsect created a video featuring its skaters for a bracket competition by the X-Games for a $10K prize against other shops in the U.S.
