When my husband wanted to buy my two-year old, board-obsessed nephew his first skateboard, he didn’t go to Walmart or Costco or Toys R’ Us to pick up a cheaply made knock-off version of the real thing. Instead, he headed over to Brotherhood Board Shop in Santa Rosa, where he bought a sweet deck—all set up with Bones wheels and high-quality trucks—for under $100. Owned by Jon Lohne, a longtime Santa Rosa skateboarder who can be seen at backyard skate ramps and underground ledge spots (or riding around on his refurbished mopeds) as often as he can be seen in the actual store, Brotherhood is everything that a skateboard shop should be. Stop in to pick up decks—by Krooked, Antihero, Plan B, Girl and more—flatbars, trucks, wheels, shoes, hats, cruisers, grip tape, clothing, backpacks, skate DVDs and pretty much anything else that the skateboarder or snowboarder in your life wants and needs. The store also hosts video premieres—most recently of the rad Girl- and Chocolate Skateboards-produced video “Pretty Sweet,” which features one of the best opening shots ever. In the summer, the shop brims with kids, young and old, busting out tricks in the parking lot at regularly hosted skate contests. And what’s better than awesome service from people who leave, breathe and eat skateboarding? 1240 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa. 707.546.0660.
The 25 Days Project is an online series through the month of December spotlighting some of our favorite local businesses. Read more about the project here, and about our commitment to shopping locally here.
