Free Grip #3 with Adam, Connor and Slug from Location Skateshop

In this edition of Free Grip, we chat with Adam Klein, Connor Ferguson and Ryan ‘Slug’ Martin of Location Skateshop in Bremerton, WA.

Adam, Connor and Slug. Photo courtesy of Location.

This is our first interview with multiple people, so thanks for trying something new yall! Let's start with some easy shit, tell us a bit about yourselves and where you each grew up? 

Adam: I was born in Bremerton but only lived here for a few years as my dad was in the Navy. From then until I was twelve years old I was all over the place. I lived a few years in Guam, another year in Rhode Island, two more in Virginia Beach, and finished off the tour with four years in Japan. I've been here in Kitsap County since 2000.

Connor: Bremerton Wa, born and raised. I'm almost 30... Just had my beautiful daughter Esther.

Slug: I grew up right here in beautiful Bremerton.

Damn that’s wild Adam, you did the whole world tour! And how did you all get into skating? 

Adam: While living in Japan my family flew back to the states to visit family. Whenever I came back to the states I was all about watching TV and soaking up all the things I was missing while being in Japan. During those few weeks I stumbled across the X Games and watched it in its entirety. Watching Tony Hawk do the 9 live got me hooked. 

Connor: I was 10 years old, a friend of mine had some old 1080 ramps and skateboards at his house. We spent the majority of the day messing around on them. When I got home I remember expressing to my dad how badly I wanted my own skateboard. He pulled one out of the closet and gave it to me. I believe it was a Colin McKay girl deck, waterlogged to hell with strips of red griptape on it that you would use for industrial steps. He told me he got it from goodwill for 25 cents. Been skating ever since.

Slug: I started skating around ‘05. Some kids started showing up to school with boards and it was really interesting to me. I was always more into the individual type of activities that you could do with friends. Also, THPS4 was a big deal in my life at that time…

Shout out the bird man! And how did you guys become friends?

Adam: Just from spending time at the Bremerton Skatepark you get to know everyone. When I first met Connor he was just a little kid, like 13 years old running around with his little crew. Connor got a little bit older and a lot better at skating around the time another homie wanted to film a full length. He hopped in the mix and we have been homies ever since. I met Slugg at the park as well. We would skate at the park whenever we were both there and it didn't take too long for us to build a true friendship.

Connor: I met Adam when I was about 11 but we never kicked it until I was maybe 16 or 17. We met at the Bremerton skatepark. He invites me to his house for a "skate party" one day. I went over there and we watched Slave Radio Television, drank a few Hamms and ate like 3 little Ceasar’s pizzas. I was hyped that day. I met Slug at Bremerton Skatepark also. Him and Adam were already homies. I think it was 2017 me and slug ended up being the only 2 guys left at the skatepark. We ended up talking about music and skating almost until it got dark. Homies ever since.

Slug: I met coach (Adam) because my older sister Monique, and big homie Dylan were friends with him. I had recognized him from the skatepark but the first time we kicked it was actually when he came to my families 4th of July party, I think. We just started skating at the park a lot together. Then eventually linking up outside the skatepark, kickin it and going on missions. Connor I had seen at the park a lot too. I think one day it was just him and I at the park late night and he was like “yo you tryin to kick it tonight or what?”

Connor finessing a back tail + BGP’s from the boys. Photo by Slug.

Love it. We have some readers who don’t live around the NW, so give us some details on the Bremerton area for the people who aren’t familiar. What’s it like living there? Being a skater? etc.

Adam: Bremerton is a Navy town so a lot of the jobs revolve around that industry. Living here is probably just as regular as most non big cities though. The Navy part of the city is quite separate from everything and you don't really see it much, but shit, maybe I'm just used to it. The skate scene in Bremerton has always been pretty small, so if someone is into skating we all know it. If you aren't a complete kook you just automatically become the homie. I imagine it's like that in most small scenes but I could be wrong. Everyone knows everyone and we are always welcoming when it comes to the skate scene. 

Connor: Well, it's a blue collar town, lots of shipyard workers. All three of us actually work in the shipyard minimum 40 hours a week. There's bars and places to eat.... that's about it lol. But underneath it all there are tons of skate spots. Being a skater here is a bit odd because our scene is so small, not many people understand our point of view on the world. But personally, I'm a big fan of Bremerton, I think it's the sickest place around.

Slug: Bremerton is a small city all things considered but the biggest town on this side of Puget sound. Obviously it rains a lot here in the PNW but it's pretty chill. There isn’t a huge scene but it's pretty tight knit. Everyone knows everyone in a good way. People don’t know but Brem has a ton of spots, especially downtown. Good crusty spots

There really are a ton of dope spots out there. We’ve got some Brem clips in the new video I’ve been working on. When/how did you decide to open up Location?

Adam: If I remember right, us three started looking into getting a warehouse or something to build a private TF. Somewhere where we could build some shit and have a fridge full of beer and a stereo system. We wanted to give keys to all the homies and have it be the spot for everyone to kick it at night and all winter. That turned into ideas about opening a shop. It didn't take long for us to get a spot and pull the trigger. Big respect to Ian from Unity Skateshop, Tony from 35th North, and Adam Crew for helping us with all the motivation, advice, and contacts we could ask for.

Connor: All three of us were at Adam's house sitting around a campfire. We were talking about making boards with our own graphics on them. That was the original plan. But one thing led to another and the idea of a skate shop got brought up (by Slug I think). We always wanted a shop out here, a place to kick it and watch skate videos and skate. We found this spot, did a few walk throughs and ended up pulling the trigger. Couldn't be happier about it.

Slug: I think we all have slightly different stories. I remember we were chatting loosely about starting a board brand at first. Connor was making jokes saying he was a local anywhere he goes. We were chillin at coach’s house talking about ideas for the brand and coach just daps Connor up like “LOCATION! That’s the name!” So we were coming up with themes and ideas for graphics and commercials and stuff. That went on for a while but kind of started to fizzle out until the prospect of opening a shop presented itself. The whole idea seemed doable and we were hyped so we just went for it right as the pandemic was starting. We went around and around about the name of the shop for months until finally we just said “fuck it, Location Skateshop’.

Haha it’s funny how we all remember things differently, like we store little pieces that are important to us, and forget others. Love how you all have our own perspectives on how it went it down, it's sick. I've always been a fan of your graphic design output (logos, shirts, boards, etc), who is responsible for that side of things?

Slug: Thanks G. So far I’ve done all of our graphics, all but the original “HAMMS” board graphic. It’s been dope learning how to bring ideas to fruition and having a platform to put stuff out. We all council together on the look of things and keep each other true with our opinions.

Slug decked out. Photo courtesy of Location.

Respect, Slug! Always dropping bangers. Running a skate shop in 2023 is a challenge, but in the NW even more so because half the year is gray and wet. What are the challenges you guys have dealt with? And how are you handling them?

Adam: I don't think any of us had expectations for the shop to be some wildly successful business. We mainly wanted to have a shop where the locals could get what they needed without shopping online. That and having a place where people can meet up and hang out was the focus.

Connor: Basically in the winter months we all have to work overtime and through the weekends at our regular jobs to keep the doors open and shelves stocked. Labor of love for sure.

Slug: Weather for sure makes things challenging. The good thing about being a core shop, is skaters are gonna skate right? So that loyal customer base is always going to come back for the stuff they need. Our community does us right and we try to do them right by keeping that core shop essence. I would not tell someone to open a skate shop in their hometown if they want to make loads of money, but would definitely recommend if you want to give your scene the hub it deserves.

What’s been something you’ve each enjoyed about running the shop, that maybe you weren’t expecting when you started?

Adam: I enjoy just being able to see everyone come and go. All the homies are in and out of the shop all the time. I feel it's a place that everyone is able to go and you know you'll have a homie, or more often an entire squad there chillin.

Connor: My favorite part it that it's turned into a kind of central hub for us and our homies, at any given day anyone can pull up unannounced and we can kick it and have a good time as friends. Whether we're skating together or drinking beers together, I'm here for it.

Slug: For sure it's the community. We’ve got a little chill spot in the shop where you can kick it and it helps that we are right downtown surrounded by spots. We’ve got the curbs out front too. It’s dope seeing everyone from the young homies to the OGs link up and launch their day from there. And at the end of the day everyone comes back to show you their clips, like a little field report everyday.

That’s really what it’s about… community! Besides your own, what are your favorite shops in the NW?

Adam: Unity Skateshop in Port Orchard. Ian opened that up years before us when the area was way more in need. He is a blessing to the Kitsap County skate scene.

Connor: To me it was always 35th North. They premiered our skate video " what is a bremelo" back in 2012. Tony was always cool to me as a young kid. Just thought they were the dopest when I was growing up.

Slug: 35th ave and 35th north have always kept it real as fuck. Shoutout Dave and Tony for helping us open too. They hooked it up with some good words for some of our accounts and gave us some insight on what running the shop would be like. It was dope knowing the GOATs have your back. I’m a big fan of Unknown in Bellingham also. All 3 of those shops do a fantastic job of having what you need and making you want to stay there all day.

Excellent choices, couldn’t agree more. Who is the goat from the NW?

Adam: From the Bremerton/Kitsap area? I'd say Adam Crew. His skating has taken him all over and he has always kept and expressed his love for the area. He moved back a few years ago and has been a big part of all of us since.

Connor: So many good dudes, Corey and Silas are the first names that come into my head. But Maybe like Jordan Sanchez or Bobby dodd.

Slug: Shoot. That’s tough. I gotta go with Ian Willhelm. He runs Unity skate shop in Port Orchard. He’s done everything from hosting events, to getting a massive park built in Kitsap. Also gotta mention the big homie Adam Crew “We’re going GLOBAL!”

And who's your favorite NW skater right now?

Connor + Adam: Kameron Loveless and Sam Hatten

Slug: Kameron Loveless for sure. Natural ripper. Young legend in the making. He’s got apart in our video coming out so keep an eye out. I was also pretty hyped on Alex Harr’s skating in SOUNDTRACK. I saw him skate at the Build on the Block event too. Sick style. I was impressed.

The Location crew and their freshly built obstacle at The Courts this summer. Photo by Alex Fazekas-Boone.

Kameron and Sam rip! And I fully agree, Alex Harr is so damn good. Alright, you’ve already talked a lot about the park earlier, but you guys have several better skate parks nearby (Bremerton, Port Orchard) than anything we have in Tacoma, I’m a bit jealous haha. How important are those parks to cultivating the local scene?

Adam: Bremerton park is my all time favorite. It's crazy that it's already 18 years old now. For the first few years after Bremerton park was built it was breeding some dope skaters. The scene was tough. It has slowed down there, that's for sure, but still it's the all time great. Port Orchard was built 10 years ago and that scene is still strong. The skaters in PO are good. The street section that was added a few years after the opening is really fun. Kingston park is top tier. There is a park on a reservation up by the Kingston park that is super fun too. The skateparks are good to have but for the last few years I haven't been going to them too much at all. For me it's a time thing, filming in the streets, and because we basically have a skatepark in front of the shop.

Connor: I haven't been to the skate park in what feels like a year.... but I mean without Bremerton skatepark I wouldn't have met half of my close friends so I am forever thankful. Port Orchard skatepark opening really boosted the scene over there, but if I'm being honest I've only been to that skatepark like 15 times max in my life.... I should go there more.

Slug: As much as some wouldn’t like to admit it, the scene lives and dies at the parks. So many connections were made before there was a shop in Brem. I can’t even begin to think of the amount of hours I’ve spent at Brem park. And now the young generation is coming up there. They’ve taken over the park haha.

For sure, I love that you guys can just skate right out front of the shop on that buttery ass curb too! I don't think any other shops around here have that luxury? 

Adam: The curb gets a lot of love. For the first few years we were open it was just constant flat land and slappys out front. It's funny, because none of us could even slappy before we opened the shop. For most of this year I have been bringing boxes out front and skating them. The shop is on a one way street so the traffic isn't ever too bad and we can see the cars coming in order to get out of the way. The front of the shop is basically the new skatepark.

Connor: Fuck I spend alot of time skating that damn curb and can still only do like 5 tricks on it... but the shop wouldn't be the same without it.

Slug: So nice. And it's a one way street too. Kids will sometimes skate by, just hit the curb, and then keep it moving. It’s so sick

Who’s killing it in Bremerton that we should know about?

Adam: Connor is obviously a G. Sam Hatten is actually better than all, by so much it's stupid. I once watched Sam nollie back noseblunt a handrail with a broken neck, broken arm, and a rolled ankle. First try. My boy Kabooty has been injured all year but is about to bang yall over the head real quick when he's better.

Connor styling in some crust. Photo by Slug.

Favorite local Bremerton videos or parts people should watch? Old or new?

Adam: There are some older ones that some homies made back in the day, but the only full length that I know of is the one that the homie John Hibbs made in 2012. He was here for a few years because his wife was in the Coast Guard. Like five or six of us who were all skating a bunch got together and spent a year filming. We premiered it and Hibbs dipped a few weeks later, never to come back. HIs wife got stationed somewhere else. Super sad, but he blessed us with something that we won't ever forget. It was maybe my favorite year of my life. There were lots of memories and I'm glad some of them were documented. It's called ‘What is a Bremelo?’ A few months ago he put the whole thing up on YouTube.

Connor: * Adam Klein "What is a Bremelo". Adam klien " Latte 3". Tommy Corwin " Latte 3" and all of his other Latte parts. I love going back into YouTube and watching all of the old Bremerton skatepark edits also, really gets me going.

Slug: WHAT IS A BREMELO. Classic. Do yourself a favor and run through the TOEBOCK archives too.

Hell yeah, I’ll link that one up for everyone. And you guys have a video coming out soon I believe? 

Connor: We do.... we're a tad bit behind schedule on it but we are looking at January/ February time frame. We are very hyped on this thing and can't wait to get it out. We're calling it "For The Masses"

Very excited to see it! Who's all going to be in the video?

Adam: All the guys who are at the shop the most are in it. Connor, Sam, Boots, Slugg, Chris, Billy, Tommy, and I. A couple other homies sprinkled in of course.

The boys clipping up for the new video. Photo by Slug.

And hopefully a release party yeah?

Slug: Pretty sure our original promo said fall of 2021 haha. We don’t have an official date yet. Sometime in the next few months we’ll be premiering for sure. Keep your ear to the street.

Definitely! Final thoughts? Anything we missed? 

Adam: Thank you for reaching out. Keep doing your thing. I wish you all the success.

Connor: Shout out Adam Crew over there at FireXSide for holding me and my boys down and helping keep the dream alive out here. If you're a skate shop around here you should carry FireXSide boards…

Slug: Thanks for hitting us up for the interview Alex! I’m hyped on everything you and your squad have been up to.

Yeeee! Thanks a ton boys, we’ll be out to skate and hang soon.

Stop by Location to support the boys or visit them online locationskateshop.com and you can keep up with them on Instagram too.