Fargo Skateboarding inspired by new location in DeKalb

DeKALB – Ariel Ries and her friends have used the warehouse at the old Fargo theater as a private, indoor skate park for years, but in October she will open it to the public for the first time.

Small Town Skate Shop, previously located at 299 E. Lincoln Highway in DeKalb, recently relocated to the former Fargo Theater at 629 E. Lincoln Highway. With the move, the business also got a new name: Fargo Skateboarding.

The shop made the move four blocks east to be closer the warehouse, which Ariel Ries, plans to open as a training facility in October, she said.

“Our focus is on building a skateboarding community and showing kids a progressive, healthy way to live and be involved,” Ries said.

Changing the name of her store was an effort to use the historical building to strengthen the shop’s brand, she said.

“Our first shop board that has our name on it was done by an artist at NIU,” Ries said. “Every quarter I want to be releasing new graphics by different artists all the time.”

Fargo Skateboarding is currently accepting customers and carries all major skateboard brand supplies, Ries said.

Along with the unveiling of Ries’ indoor park, she plans to incorporate training sessions for customers eight to 18 years old, she said.

“We want to make it more of a membership-based club with two hours dedicated every evening to classes,” Ries said.

Fargo Skateboarding also will allow scheduled free-skate time for local skaters, she said.

“In traditional indoor skate parks, it’s kind of hard to skate because you’re kind of snaking [through] everybody and trying to get your run in,” Ries said. “We want space for people to be able to practice.”

Through offering lessons and keeping her brand local, Ries wants nothing more than to spread the joy skateboarding has brought her for 18 years to more DeKalb’s community, she said.

“I’m looking more for the exclusivity of ‘this is our brand, this is where you get it, this is where you skate and that’s that,’” she said. “I’m trying to brand it to the Midwest, to the locals – to our skateboarding audience. Skateboarding is a community thing.”