BEMIDJI — After experiencing a boom in business during the Covid pandemic, North Country Skate Shop is closing this week following 10 years of serving skateboarders at 214 Fourth St. NW. Its last day will be Saturday, Nov. 30.
“It’s a gut punch,” said Nate Sheggeby, the store’s manager. “Having a shop in a small town with the winters up here is very difficult. We’ve supported a lot of local skaters. It’s been tough, and I can’t wait around for Minnesota to catch up with states like Montana where they have 40 skate parks in small towns.”
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He said the sports attracted a horde of new skaters during the pandemic, but that surge was short-lived.
“The whole industry really exploded during the pandemic because it was something you could do outdoors. But it’s just a tough sport. It takes a five-year learning curve to get good at it.”
Sheggeby also said online shopping has also made it difficult to sustain the business.
The store announced its plan to close in a recent Facebook post that read in part:
“We’re bummed to say we’re closing the shop at the end of this month. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything we can do about the situation. All good things eventually come to an end, but the skate scene will live on. Huge shoutout to everyone who’s supported us over the years, especially the ones since day one. Keep on shredding the north!”
In an interview with the Pioneer after the store opened in 2014, Sheggeby said the business was a reinvention of No Comply, which sold products and apparel for skateboarding, snowboarding and wakeboarding at 1500 Bemidji Ave. N. No Comply closed in the spring of 2014 after nearly six years in operation.
The new store was dedicated solely to skateboarding, selling high-performance, top-of-the-line gear and apparel, he told the Pioneer.
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“We want to support the scene and help build the scene,” Sheggeby said, noting that the skate parks in both Bemidji and Red Lake are contributing to the sport’s growth locally.
Sheggeby, who has managed the store for owner John Deleo, grew up in the Twin Cities but spent summers at a family cabin near Laporte.
“I would bring my skateboard to Bemidji to skate on the sidewalks and around the streets,” Sheggeby said. “I always wanted to be in the area, and then had an opportunity to move up here.”
He said the store has sponsored several area and regional skaters like B.J. Morrill, Tommy Berube, Lakota Beaulieu and Mike Reeves.
“Thanks to all the local skaters and the skate community, including our team riders,” Sheggeby said.
Dennis Doeden, former publisher of the Bemidji Pioneer, is a feature reporter. He is a graduate of Metropolitan State University with a degree in Communications Management.
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