Story and photos by Alex Wilson.
Tacoma’s DIY is Growing
With Seattle rent prices rising to an astronomical rate many hae moved south to what was once a town in the shadows, Tacoma is now becoming a monster of its own. Having little to no money funded for skateparks, the city of Tacoma likes to build them as inexpensive as they can, oftentimes just hiring a general contractor. The only park built by a reputable skatepark company was back in 2012. Fed up with the lack of skateparks built, local skaters from Tacoma and neighboring towns have teamed up to create two DIY skate spots.
The Pit: Started in 2018
Sir Charles, beanplant
This was once an old car dealership located in a rough neighborhood that was eventually torn down for new development. Right next door, a local coffee shop opened up in 2016. One of the part owners in this business is a skateboarder so he and his friends began to take notice of this vacant lot. Being the bottom of a basement, the cement had been poured very smooth and there were barely any flaws to the ground.
John Wier, fs nosepick
“The Pit chose us. We bought some concrete and had no experience. We knew we needed water and that was about it.”
-Bryan Krasovetz
Marcus Holt, fs 50-50 grab
Eventually what was a haven for tweakers and junkies became an environment for skateboarders and artists to thrive.
“There was a 4′ x 6′ shack that was a cinder block room with a metal door to god knows what, and that’s where all the transient folks would go to do illegal activities. As a business owner and skateboarder it was a win for both parties once we cleaned the shack out.”
-Jack Staffle
After The Pit began to grow, some politics and other issues came about. For one, The Pit was outdoors and had an underground oil tank that would leak up through the hole in the cement. Two, in the Pacific Northwest it rains six months out of the year, making it almost impossible to skate every day of the week. Searching for a new spot to skate in the winter became more desirable day by day.
Zach Palmer, bs smith
11th Street DIY: Started in 2020
Due to the lack of cover at The Pit and an eagerness to build, Harley Lewis and Krasovetz searched to find a new spot underneath the Murray Morgan Bridge, also known as 11th Street. This is the street that goes across the bridge in Tacoma.
Brooke, crail slash
“We drove around one day to try to fix up street spots. As the day went on it started pissing rain and I wanted to check out this spot. It was sketchy, the ground was just horrible.”
-Bryan Krasovetz
Jamie Jacobson, invert
As word spread, more people got involved. Two little quarters and a spine were built in the first couple of months. This was when Aaron Artis jumped on board and became the backbone to the progression of 11th Street. As the world came to a halt with the coronavirus pandemic, this fueled the passion for building and gave these skateboarders an escape in such a hectic time.
Terrance Lambright, bs disaster
“For me it was a coincidental opportunity that grew into a project of the scope that it is. It truly was an opportunity of Covid. You could work without the harassment.”
-Aaron Artis
Cameron Elmore, bs smith
Those who were essential workers would get off work every day and head down to the DIY to work on the next feature. There was one thing missing from Tacoma’s skate scene and that was a legit skate shop. With this DIY attitude and a need for this part of the puzzle, Jack Saffle got together with partners Aaron Artis and Stein Hansen.
The Method “Grip, Sip and Rip”: Started in 2021
The idea of The Method started around the end of 2020. Just getting finished with interviews for Nolan Wilson’s documentary about 11th Street, Staffle threw around the idea of a coffee and skate shop. Artis immediately wanted to be a partner and they got the ball rolling. Eventually, professional graphic designer Stein Hansen joined the project and they found a spot in downtown Tacoma.
“The Method is a homebase, it gives everyone a platform where you can be a skate nerd and bullshit about tricks. I wanted to recreate the old feel of Northwest Snowboards,”
-Jack Staffle
John Wier, method
Northwest Snowboards was a skate shop in Tacoma owned by professional snowboarders Temple and Matt cummins that closed their doors in 2015.
“Our reason for doing this is to have a core skate shop that truly focuses on what we all do, which is skateboarding and nothing but. No scooters, no longboards. We wanted to show what that could do for the community.”
-Aaron Artis
As of right now, The Method is not currently open for regular business hours, they are still waiting for clearance from the City of Tacoma to open. This shop will feature a cafe, skateboards, and local merch.
Skateboarding will always be a big part of Tacoma. What was an overlooked town in the shadow of Seattle is becoming a destination for skateboarders and teams. The lack of skatepark funding pushed skaters to build something of their own by cleaning up abandoned areas and creating safe space for youth to flourish, which creates positivity within a community.
