Category Archives: Skanks Skates

The Illinois Times: “Celebrating Three Decades, Skank Skates Needs Help”

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Some of you may have caught that Southtown made it into the papers again this week!- This time there is a page in weekly publication The Illinois Times about Skank Skates, which recently celebrated 30 years since ramps began construction in 1987 and the park opened its doors in 1988.

Scott Faingold wrote the article in today’s paper about Skanks turning 30 years, the numerous times the park was shut down by the city, well as the hardships owner George Sinclair and Skanks are facing today. From the article:

For most of the past three decades, Sinclair’s work in commercial lighting underwrote his DIY labors of love, but the company he worked for was recently bought out by a larger corporation, replacing Sinclair with its own reps. “I’ve been trying to get work doing contracting jobs or painting houses – and that will handle the day-to-day expenses, utilities, etc. – but things like property taxes and insurance keep going up to where you can’t seem to ever get the ends to meet.”

Check out that full article right here online or pick up a copy of The Illinois Times this week at various local businesses around town. Find a link to a new Project Southtown website right here, and a link to a newly launched GoFundMe page for Project Southtown and Skank Skates right here.

New Years Eve at Skank Skates: Starlorde, Capitol Offense, War Prayer, GRINN

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Happening right after the New Years Eve Show downtown (coming up this Saturday), things are going to get real heavy over on the ramp of Skank Skates. That’s right- we are bringing you a late night 4-band hardcore show to bring in the new year right around midnight. This show is starting roughly at 10:00 pm over on the ramp, or whenever we are ready after the show downtown is over and the PA is transferred over to the ramp. For this one we have intergalactic takeover band, Starlorde. We also have the mean and nasty Decatur hardcore band, Capitol Offense. The touring act on this bill is “War Prayer” from Minneapolis (pictured above). You can find some of their tunes on the player below. Opening things up is the angry band GRINN.

This show again will start roughly at 10:00 pm and go into the new year. We will be collecting $5 for the touring act. Check out a facebook event for this one right here. Also be sure to check out our shows page for a good look at what’s coming up for us in 2017.

December 31st at Skank Skates: Project Southtown New Year’s Eve Celebration

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New Year’s Eve is already less than one week away, have you made any plans yet? If you are still struggling to find something to do that night in town, there will be a Project Southtown-hosted New Year’s Eve Celebration the night of Thursday, December 31st at Skank Skates. The celebration will include some food/appetizers as well as some live music on the ramp from solo wonder-boy Nighthawk as well as his dad’s very own band- Rotten Monster.

Check out a facebook event and RSVP to the party right here. Things will kick off at 7:00 pm and likely go until midnight. Of course there will also be skating. Project Southtown is asking for a suggested donation of $20 to go towards the non-for-profit for the event. Black Sheep will be kicking back into normal shows starting the next day on January 1st! Check out our 2016 show schedule right here.

Boof City “Boof-Day Bash” Tonight at Skank Skates

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Looks like there will be no show at Black Sheep tonight, but we all sure had a great time at the show last night, and tonight there will be something special going on at our neighbors at Skank Skates! Boof City will be hosting a “Boof-Day Bash” on the ramp, meaning it is the anniversary of the South Town Skate Shop, located at 1107 1/2 South Grand East Right above Dumb Records. What is exctaly will be going on the ramp tonight? From the Boof City facebook:

This contest will be epic. Prizes for best trick (flat ground and ramp) I have some new company’s that I am working with to help promote this. So you know we are gonna get buck gnar. If you come on out. $5 to skate and $10 to get into the contest. if you need any more info concontact Colin Eigenmann.

The big bash kicks off at 4:00 pm tonight. It is $5 to skate, and $10 to enter the contest. Check out a facebook event right here. Also check out our shows page to keep an eye on other upcoming South Town events.

26th Anniversary of Skank Skates Today

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Today (December 3rd) is an important day in Southtown history because it marks the 26th anniversary of indoor skate park Skank Skates opening its doors to the public. The skate park opened up in 1988 after construction began that fall. Above you can see the first ramp in the park right after it was constructed (some of that ramp remains intact inside of Skanks today)! Today Skank Skates remains the longest running indoor skate park in the country.

Yesterday we released a good batch of photos from Southtown’s past which included a portion of photos of inside of Skank Skates. The dates of the photos ranged from 1988 to 2009, and you can find them all on our Historic Southtown flickr album. Check out a photo of Bruce Williams of NIL8 skating the ramp in the early 2000’s below!

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November 15th at Skank Skates: Occultonomy, Teen Freak, Silk

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Holy smokes, it looks like today we finally have details on that ramp show going on during the South Town Record Fair that you all had been hearing rumors about. This one is happening early (2:30 pm) on the ramp of Skank Skates on Saturday, November 15th. It features bands that will also be involved in running tables and booths at the record fair. We have two-piece punk band Occultonomy, affiliated with the label Reality is a Cult who will be participating in the record fair. We also have Springfield band Teen Freak, which is affiliated with Dumb Records. Then the third and final band is Silk, which is a brand new Champaign/Urbana punk band featuring members of Rat King Records and Error Records.

This show will start at 2:30 pm on the ramp of Skank Skates and it is free. For more information on the South Town Record Fair and all of the fun activities that are going along with, check out this facebook event. Also check out our shows page for a look at every event coming up at South Town.

Empire Boards Grand Re-Opening This Saturday

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Earlier this year we announced that local skate shop Empire Board Shop will be moving to South Town. They will be located in the same building right above Dumb Records. Today we can finally tell you that Empire Board Shop is re-opening with regular hours and they will be having a grand opening celebration this upcoming Saturday, the same day as Record Store Day at Dumb Records and Black Sheep. From the Empire Board Shop facebook:

Putting the finishing touches on the shop this week…. The Foosball table should be in tomorrow….. hours are still sporadic this week, but if you give me a call I’ll make sure you get your hookup – 217-370-1151. Looks like we are going have a “Grand, Hey we moved by Skanks, Day” on Saturday April 19th, which also happens to be some type of Record Store Day of Awesomeness at Dumb Records. Lotsa stuff on sell and other shenanigans will happen. Stay tuned.

We are very excited to welcome our new neighbors to South Town. Our growing neighborhood now includes The Black Sheep Cafe, Skank Skates, Dumb Records, South Town Studio, and Empire Board Shop. WOW! More info on Record Store Day at Black Sheep and Dumb Records can be found right here.

Videos: Skank Skates 25th Anniversary

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Today we have a video from the Skank Skates 25th Anniversary celebration earlier this month. All of us at Black Sheep and Skank Skates had a lot of fun that night! It was good to see so many faces old and new in South Town. Here is what Skank Skates had to say:

Thank You to Everyone who showed up to support us, your locally owned, oldest indoor skate park in the world!!! It was a great turn out last night for the 25th anniversary of George getting the keys to the building. December 15th is the 25th anniversary of Skanks opening to the public, we will have new shirts printed up and available to purchase! See you there!

Very cool! For those of you who are unfamiliar with the skate scene in Springfield, things are alive and well. There is a new skate shop that recently opened in town called Empire Board Shop. With the recent announcement of Dumb Records it is also clear that South Town is alive and well in Springfield. Skank Skates have also announced today that they will be hosting ANOTHER 25th anniversary celebration on December 15th to celebrate the exact date that they opened their doors 25 years ago. You can find more information on that right here. Check out a video from the Skanks 25th Anniversary below.

Empire Board Shop To Open In Springfield

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575746_556744317734298_434164057_n603163_558313027577427_114690661_nWe are always excited to welcome new friends and local businesses to our home in Springfield. This fall it looks like a brand new skate shop is opening up in Springfield. That is Empire Board Shop, a brand new skate shop located at 1037 Junction Circle (near the intersection of Wabash and MacArthur). We have been told that this new shop has some members of old Springfield punk band The Gunga Dins behind it, as well as some of those who help run Skank Skates right next to Black Sheep. There is still work being done to the inside of the shop right now, but it does look like they have a few boards and other products already in the shop for sale. You can follow the Empire Board Shop facebook page to stay updated on their progress.

All of you fans of skateboarding out there might want to also come out to the Skank Skates 15th anniversary show happening this Friday at Black Sheep and Skank Skates.

 

Skank Skates 25th Anniversary on November 15th

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320374_520774501283925_130834802_nSkank Skates will be celebrating twenty five whole years of being around in South Town on Friday, November 15th. Grab your board and come over to Skank Skates at 6:00 pm. The skate session will be from then until later on in the night. There is also a Black Sheep show featuring some sweet skate punk bands to go along with the celebration! That show, which we told you about earlier features The Timmys, The Rackatees, The Haddonfields, and Guy Morgan & The FT Crew. The Black Sheep show is at 7:00 pm and is $5.

Check out a facebook event for the show and Skank Skates 25th Anniversary right here. Also check out what other shows we have coming up at Black Sheep on our shows page.