Free Grip #6 with Zac Garza from Unknown Boardshop

IN THIS EDITION OF FREE GRIP, WE CHAT WITH zac garza OF unknown IN bellingham, WA.

Hey Zac! Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions and talk shop with us. I’m stoked to learn a bit about you and the shop.

Hey Alex whats up?  First, I want to say Unknown Board Shop started way back in 2006.  It is a full story and I’ll try my best to tell it.  It’s a collaboration of many people’s hard work over time.

Love a good story, that’s what we’re here for. Let’s start at the beginning, where did you grow up, and how did you get into skating?

I was born in Bellingham and moved to Everett when I was five. The first time I stood on a skateboard was on my cousin Mike’s plastic Skamp.  I was only seven and killing time going in circles while the parents visit, I learned to master kick turns in the garage. I can image it was raining like it always does in Washington. I got my first department store Nash Peanuts and the Gang skateboard at 10 years old in 1985 for Christmas.

It's kind of strange, and other skaters can probably relate, but it's almost like you are a skateboarder before you are a skateboarder. I did lots of things kids do as kids but the skateboard just felt right. We moved from the Everett Mall area to North Everett when I was 12 and my first job was a paper route. I would do the paper route on my bike but it seemed my bike kept breaking and having flat tires. My skateboard never had a flat, so off I'd go with 30 pounds of papers. Met my first best skate buddy at the paper pick up spot where we started our routes after school.

He tried to trade his scooter for my beat up skateboard. Good try Moses! I told him to get one. His mom took him to the bike shop and he got a complete and skate videos. I think having a friend to really do it with is when you really get into things. There were a lot of family troubles at home, so I quickly learned I could join this community of those with common interests. A healthier existence with exercise.  Skateboarding is magical like that. It teaches us more than just the physical act of skateboarding. I was awkward but as time went on having a thing that’s your thing you soon realized that you're happy and if people want to join in on your happy then let's do this. Moses and I started watching skate videos together.  It all started with Wheels of Fire 1987. I'm pretty sure that it's the first video with names and footage edited to music, which is the beginning of 'video parts’. These videos influenced me and amplified our stoke (pre-internet!) I could go on and on about where it all started for me in the 80s, but I’ll fast forward because I got a lot of name dropping to do. 

I moved to Lake Stevens in 1989.  Down the street from my house was a church parking where I spent a lot of time ollie’ing stacked cones.  It’s where I met Curtis. He’s my second skate buddy. Even though I lived in Lake Stevens, I went to school in Marysville and where I really began to make roots.  An entire group of friends there became my family and we are family to this day, straight up. The “Marysvillians”.  The most talented humans I'd ever met. Moses and I had ran into them when we went from Everett to Marysville to skate Hewitt Packard’s parking.  It was like the local EMB to us. We all grew tighter in school being the punk skaters of the 90s. We kept each other entertained. The lunch table was the best. We learned to really laugh together. Skateboarding aside…. I fucking love every one of my Marysvillians.

Right in the middle of 11th grade, I moved again.  Moving sucked, but I did the best to stay connected to the Marysvillians.  I found the skating boarding community in my new town.  The Olympic Peninsula had a big skate and music scene.  My life outside of school and work consisted of hitting all the skate spots. Skateboarding consumed me. I would take visitors like Adam Crew of Fireside Skateboards to my spots - it was so fun.  In about 1993, Shawn Burrango opened Our World Skateboard Shop.  He really helped our community and inspired me.  Straight out of the military, he started a shop and got us skateboarding with the pros! We would all put on skate jams together in parking lots. Remember, in Washington, skateparks didn’t really start happing until the year 2000. Shawn, Rajeen and friend Tom Peha really pushed for our first skateparks as time went on.  Jeff and Brian Henderson worked at the shop and they were originally from California.  They were really tuned into filming and skate culture. Eventually, Jeff was team manager at Emerica off and on.  Looking back, that shop was the whole reason I wanted to own a shop! Well, for one I love(d) skateboarding and for two I had a great time riding for the shop. 

In 1995-96, I moved to Puyallup/Tacoma area. There, I worked at an aerospace company.  After work or wrenching on air-cooled Volkswagens, skateboarding continued to consume me.  I took Aaron Artis from The Method Skateshop to skate Bellevue and the BNI in Tacoma.  They had a ramp in a bike shop. Aaron did ‘methods' there. 

Through neighborhood friends, I met Shawn Harris when he was a just a little guy and getting started.  We made a plan for us to skate the Dent together in Kent. There weren’t too many skate park choices before 2000, as I mentioned earlier.  

Finding friends in skateboarding is where it began and continues to be through Unknown Board Shop.

Zac and Tom. Photo by Jefferson Martin Elliot.

Absolutely. Skateboarding wouldn’t work without the homies. I love the Tacoma connection in there too ;) So how does Unknown become a thing? Why did you decide to open a shop?

So why did I start a shop?  It wasn’t just me, here are the “bones" of the Unknown story…..

My friends! Here is how it happened.  My friend Ross Jenkin’s Dad had skateboards in his bike shop, Fantacycle, in Marysville. After high school Ross, started APOGE. He worked so hard and also advocated getting Marysville our state park.  Later he started PoPs Skateshop.  Ross needed a break and offered Graham and Dan and opportunity to take over the spot.  Some how got in the mix because I was their passionate skateboarder friend. I considered these my brothers so what ever was needed done, we did. They are part owners for life. These guys coined the phrase 'WORK HARDER’.  It was hard, but fun!  My friends make a living at art and in the end I'm just stubborn or dumb, Unknown continues. Skateboarding changed mye and my friend's lives and having a shop keep this ‘KNOWN’.  

What’s been something that has come with the shop that you weren’t expecting when you started?

Owning a shop is way bigger than you think.  It’s a community and you will learn every personality that comes through your doors. Life lessons of yours and others.  I enjoy that, but some times it’s challenging to separate. Skating with only a few people lets me get in my own head. When you get older you want to feel you. I guess I skated alone some too back in the day. That also becomes a part of you and helps you reflect on life. Skateboarding is my yoga centering. 

A large goal is launching a skate collective in the Northwest. I'd like all the shops to come together for the purpose of supporting and the skateboarders of Washington. Bringing our best riders to events in each other’s zones bringing advocacy for better parks in towns that need or have terrible ones. Promoting our areas and skaters.  

I still haven't been, but I've seen plenty of clips from the under the bridge diy skate park. Looks super fun. I’m a bit jealous haha. How important is that park (and parks in general) to the local scene?

We are having current progress on getting a park under that bridge. We have meetings at the shop. it’s going well. A small but important goal is to rally support of Bellingham’s Port Authority and our community to continue the efforts to create a covered park under our bridge in Bellingham, with lights a bathroom and perhaps a water fountain! Currently it’s a great DIY, but we need plans to include park builders like James at Grind Line.  He rules!  Our Bellingham skate community is growing and we need this.  It’s my wish for every community. 

Any local Bellingham videos people should watch new or old?

New video I’d like to hype, Salish Return.  Cam Barrett and Josh Knapp just put out a vid with help of Craig Louthan and Adam Crew.  Also, check out an older video Craig put together on YouTube, Chiqq Fliqq.   

Do you have any favorite shops in the NW?

My favorite shop? I don’t have a favorite shop! I love all of them. Every shop, especially if its skater owned. Local shops are most important and we need to continue to support each of them.  Shop at skater owned shops, not online.  Some shout outs: Dave Waite at 35th Ave!  Eric Green, Marshal, Tom Peha.  Seth at All Aboard Skateshop. I could give a last shout to Rachel at Trinity for pushing for a better Anacotes park. Kyle at Black Market helping everyone out and Marginal Way. Those guys keep going…. so do I. Ben, Jimmy, Jefferson and Ross and so many more! Doesn’t matter what the shop name is. Just the mission statement. So many many new shops, love all ya’ll.

Zac with Ben and Jefferson from Pops in the shop.

Hell yeah. Anything I missed? Words of wisdom? Final thoughts?

Skateboarding isn’t really about contests, but its fun to have jams!  Find any skate Sesh, you know what I'm saying? I never really cared who’s good, but if everyone is having a great sesh, it’s what matters.  Helping each other shine!  I was never one of the greats in my mind - everyone of my friends is better than me, but we all have a passion!  Sharing my passion with others. This is summed up version of the feeling of mutual love for the act or process of skateboarding is how skateboarding makes you FEEL. Like you are part of something that is greater than yourself.

Go follow Unknown on Instagram and check out their website here.