SLO County skate and clothing shop moves to larger downtown location
An Atascadero skate shop has moved to a new, larger location in the middle of downtown.
In September, owner Kevin Campion, who has been involved with skating for the better part of 50 years and also owns the skate park in town, moved his 805 Boardshop from its spot on the edge of downtown to 6100 El Camino Real, next to Ancient Owl Beer Garden.
Campion and his wife have owned the shop for 10 years since moving to Atascadero from the Bay Area, where he had owned multiple skate shops over the years.
The shop, which sells skateboards, surf gear, clothes, jewelry and shoes, has attracted an expanded set of customers since moving from its previous location, Campion said, but with the same enthusiasm he has seen before.
Its standout feature is a 100-foot wall adorned with skateboards from over the years.
As a store owner, Campion said he hopes to build community in Atascadero and encourage everyone to get involved, no matter what their interests are.
At ATown Park, Campion teaches kids about boundaries through skating lessons. The skate park is open for all ages and free for kids under 18 years old.
“We don’t propose what you should ride ever,” Campion said of his sales approach. “We just propose how you should ride. And that is basically kind of our mission statement or slogan. It’s not what you ride. It’s how you basically teach kids how to be good citizens.”
In 2016, Campion was recognized as a citizen of the year for his community service efforts with the Rotary Club of Atascadero, past Tribune coverage reports.
He says the recognition he has received has helped his store and community for the better.
“It’s just had a really miraculous effect on being able to do more for my employees, being able to leverage a little bit with some of my suppliers, just a lot of ways being able to do better for the community,” Campion said. “It’s been pretty cool.”
Owner’s original plans for the shop
Campion bought the surf and skate shop for his family in 2012.
He previously owned three shops in the Bay Area but sold them after he received an offer to buy the 805 Boardshop in Atascadero.
He remembers his daughter taking naps on the counter at a previous shop, which inspired him to get her a job there.
“I bought it for my daughter put her in a position of management, and then she decided to go get a real job,” Campion said.
Although his daughter eventually went on to be a bookkeeper, he decided to continue running 805 Bookshop for the skate community — and the local community as a whole.
“I don’t really need to be doing this anymore,” Campion said. “But I really do love my community and I love what the skate park and the shop bring as far as some essential stuff to the community.”
“You don’t have to be a cool guy or skateboarder to walk in the store. You can be a grandma that’s shopping for an infant grandson or daughter. You can be a girl who just wants to buy a bracelet or a pinky ring,” he said. “We want to create a store that serves the entire community and not just one segment. So it really it really isn’t a skate shop, but we do a great job of supporting that genre.”
