Nov. 25—BEMIDJI — After experiencing a boom in business during the Covid pandemic, North Country Skate Shop is closing this week after 10 years of serving skateboarders at 214 Fourth St. NW. The last day is Saturday, November 30.
“It’s a punch,” said Nate Sheggeby, the store’s manager. “Owning a shop in a small town with the winters here is very difficult. We’ve supported a lot of local skaters. It’s been tough, and I can’t wait for Minnesota to catch up with states like Montana where they have 40 skate parks in small towns .”
He said the sport attracted a horde of new skaters during the pandemic, but the surge was short-lived.
“The whole industry really exploded during the pandemic because you could do it outside. 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 made it difficult to sustain the business.
The store announced its plan to close in a recent Facebook post that read in part:
“We are sad to say that we will be closing shop at the end of this month. Unfortunately, there was nothing we could do about the situation. All good things eventually come to an end, but the skate scene will live on. A huge shoutout to everyone who got us through the has supported over the years, especially those from day one.
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 almost six years in business.
The new store was dedicated solely to skateboarding and sold high-end, high-end gear and apparel, he told the Pioneer.
“We want to support the scene and help build the scene,” Sheggeby said, noting that the skate parks in both Bemidji and Red Lake contribute to the growth of the sport locally.
Sheggeby, who managed the store for owner John Deleo, grew up in the Twin Cities but spent summers at a family cottage near Laporte.
“I would take my skateboard to Bemidji to skate on the sidewalks and the streets,” Sheggeby said. “I always wanted to be in the region and then had the opportunity to move here.”
He said the store has sponsored several state and regional skaters such as BJ Morrill, Tommy Berube, Lakota Beaulieu and Mike Reeves.
“Thanks to all the local skaters and the skating community, including our team riders,” Sheggeby said.
