One not insignificant benefit of operating a hard goods business out of California is the abundance of space. You can just find a warehouse, or gentrify one into existence, and use that as the base for all your operations (shipping/receiving, offices, private skatepark, futon, mini fridge).
Which is why the setup for 5Boro skateboards in New York is so impressive. For the past ten years, Mark Nardelli has been running 5Boro out of a one bedroom apartment in Chinatown.
He uses part of the basement for storage, but his apartment regularly gets filled with boxes and taken over with packing product to send out, spray painting test graphics, and shooting catalogs. It’s also a defacto skate house for out of town riders, so Mark rarely has the place all to himself.
We met up with Mark to get a look at the 5Boro apartment and meet one of their up-and-comers, Amir Denis. If you ever thought of running your own board brand, Mark is a good example of the kind of dedication and flexibility you have to have to succeed.
Check back tomorrow for a new vid from 5Boro on the site.
Related Posts
-
PREMIERE: RUBIANDA’S “YOUTH MANIFESTO” PART OUT OF INDONESIA
Despite the brutal humidity and the foot and car traffic of Jakarta, this 17 year old was able to produce a beautifully crafted part.
-
SHOP TALK AT DLX SKATE SHOP IN SAN FRANCISCO
We flew from coast to coast to hear some takes from the SF locals.
-
ELI REED AND HIS MOM SHOW US SOME OF THEIR ART
Even pro skaters get embarrassed around their parents.
-
ENJOY 6 MINUTES OF ANDREW REYNOLDS JUST HAVING FUN
An uninhibited and imperfect Reynolds is oddly inspiring and refreshing.
-
METAL RAMP KIDS – FISHKILL, NY
A new video series documenting old pre-fab skateparks and the lurkers still inhabiting them.
-
VIDEO ESSAY: THE YEAR MODERN SKATEBOARDING BROKE
2013 might seem like a random arbitrary year to most people, but to us, it’s the year the current era of skateboarding was born.
-
NEIGHBORHOODS: STATEN ISLAND WITH MARCO HERNANDEZ AND LEO HEINERT
We took the ferry to Staten Island to scope out spots at the forgotten borough.
-
REIMAGINING THE SKATE VIDEO, A TALK ON MIKE TERNASKY AT MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
How the filmmaker and co-founder of Plan B had an impact on how we view skateboard videos today.
Comments
Popular
-
A GLIMPSE INTO THE PECULIAR WORLD OF GNARLS AND STEVE ROSEN
An unfiltered exploration of fatherhood in modern skateboarding and the drive of a young skater.
-
HANGING OUT WITH ANDREW HUBERMAN, SKATEBOARDER TURNED NEUROSCIENTIST
Curious what it would be like to hang with this guy outside of a stuffy podcast studio? Us too.
-
BEHIND THE BAIL WITH GABRIEL SUMMERS
DUMBASS DISCLAIMER: Due to Gabriel Summers being a nutta, this interview and the images within are not for the faint of heart.
-
ANGELA WHITE IS BRINGING SKATING’S MOST ICONIC CAMERA BACK INTO PORN
Her 2000s, gonzo-inspired tour de force was filmed completely on the sleek, sexy, grainy VX2000.
-
GETTING KINKY WITH DANIEL VARGAS
Daniel Vargas' philosophy on whips, chains and getting choked out.
February 5, 2020 5:55 pm
This is sick! It’s so interesting to see how small some of the operations are of companies that I would have bet were much larger. That VHS graphic is so cool!
February 5, 2020 7:41 pm
This may sound like a joke or something, but i honestly have never ridden better skateboard decks than the 2 5boro boards i owned maybe 10 yrs ago. This video reminded me of how crispy, and pefrectly shaped that wood was. I will now try buy one for my next board. Don’t really see them around as often as others but fingers crossed!
February 6, 2020 4:06 am
i miss willy akers
February 6, 2020 7:47 am
Sk8 or Die for life!