Go back - you're 14
years old and like every other teenager, when you grow up you want to be a
professional skateboarder.
Now you're 18 years
old. There are little groms that are twice as good as you will ever be. It just
sunk in that you will never be a pro skateboarder, but that doesn't mean you
don't love and respect skateboarding any less. What are you going to do? A few respectable
paths come to mind, any one of which would fulfill your wildest dreams. Graphic
designer, skate shop owner, tee shirt screener, gallery owner, party thrower,
or just work anywhere that holds a mini-ramp within its walls.
While most strive for
just one of these accomplishments, modern day renaissance men like Greg
Rodriguez and Ken Chong decided to combine all of the above and fill several
holes in the Toronto skateboard scene at once by creating The Baitshop. Over the last two
years they have supported Toronto skateboarding and art scenes 100%. Located down a beaten
path off of Dufferin/Queen St. West, people haven't had a hard time finding it,
whether it's to check out the latest skateboard video premiere, celebrate
Halloween or Christmas with a dress-up miniramp jam, or browse the work of a
talented emerging artist. The Baitshop does it all with style.
We caught up with The
Baitshop founders, Greg Rodriguez and Ken Chong, to get the latest happenings.
Greg and Ken doing what they do.
Who is
behind The Baitshop? What are your backgrounds?
There are a lot of people who have helped make the
Baitshop what it is, but the concept was Greg and Ken. Greg owned Lakeshore's
original skate shop/print shop, Sumo; and Ken comes in from graphic design and
screen printing.
Can
you briefly explain The Baitshop for those not in the know. Skate hub, retail,
printshop, gallery, showroom, events, miniramp...it can get a little confusing.
What's confusing about that?
Where
did the name "The Baitshop" come from?
Our shop used to be an old worm farm. We removed the
insulating foam, refrigeration units and dirt, but we decided to keep the
history in the name.
Who
are some of the companies you work with?
We've done work for a great number of companies in our
two years but our favorites have been:
MTV, IPath, Zero, Blind, Globe, Zoo York, Volcom, LRG,
Cons, S4C, Manifesto, Element, Nitro, L1, Step Child, Blue Tile Lounge, Hammer,
Flat Spot, Flavour, Five and Dime, The Market Garden, Pop, and King Shit.
Is there a favorite moment since opening?
Battle of the Hands,
Boneyard, Baitshop Family Christmas... there are too many.
Packed house for The Boneyard.
Favorite
project so far?
Five and Dime is probably our favorite. It allows us the
most creativity and it's always fun to do work outside of our everyday routine.
How is The Baitshop involved with
Five & Dime?
We started working
together in Fall 2008, and since then we've been family.
What
type of design jobs does The Baitshop enjoy most?
We like the unusual requests; we're not the type to say
that we can't do something. The challenge of figuring out how to make things work
is what we enjoy most.
Thoughts
on the Toronto skate scene?
Certainly getting stronger with the addition of
Ashbridges, the upcoming 8th Street Parkette, and the city's promise
to add new parks every year. We can only expect the scene to grow.
A year
ago The Baitshop was voted one of the "Galleries of the Year" on BlogTO. Among
all of the positive comments one of the posters felt that "All smoke & mirrors folks." "It's more
of a hangout with a vibe than a serious gallery." How would you respond to this?
We don't ever recall
claiming to be that serious...clearly they don't know us.
What do you look for in an artist before
deciding to give them a show?
We want the space to
reflect the community, and support the artists who are creating for our community.
But we're open to artists of all styles; the most important thing is that
people continue to create.
How many shows/events do you try to schedule
annually?
We try to keep the
shows to around one a month, but with new videos releasing all the time, we are
constantly finding the space in demand. Best way to keep up is by checking the
site.
What is happening with moving the retail
shop from Lakeshore to the Queen/Dufferin?
We were spending too
much time trying to keep the two locations. Moving the retail to home base
offered us a unique opportunity to expand here and gives us more time to focus
on what really matters.
Becoming a graphic designer, opening a skate
shop, and starting a gallery are three dream jobs for many. The Baitshop has
managed to do all three. Any advice to those who are thinking of getting into
one of these careers?
Create your idea, get
grinding and don't give up. No else is going to do it for you.
What are the future plans for The Baitshop?
Poutine and beers.
Any last words?
Go fish.
You can find The Baitshop at 358
Dufferin St. in Toronto, and online at www.thebaitshop.ca.
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Related:
Halloween at The Baitshop
The Push Payout: Two Days Later