Yay!!! A Shoppe for Boards

So, I have a friend... His name is Steve Davenport and he is a business man. I have known Steve since 1987. The first time I ever went to skate Downtown Chicago was with Steve & Brent George, we took the train. I think it was the summer going into 8th grade. It was the best day ever, I learned frontside wall rides without a ramp-to-wall, just straight 90* wall barge. I remember I was riding a Claus Grabke "exploding clock".
Steve has been in the game just about as long as I have. He won a skateboard contest at Swedish Days in Geneva, IL. He won by doing a Ho-Ho and a Boneless 180* Hip-Hop. He's always been a killer and quick learner. He stopped skating a few times, but I could tell whenever I saw him that it was eating him up inside. (I myself had to stop skating from summer '92 to summer '93 for medical reasons, it sucked because that was a pivotal time in skating with tricks, boards, switch, etc.) I was more of the casual skater who just fucked around doing weird shit and he was the serious Barge-er (I had to put a hyphen or else you people would be all, "what's a barger?").
Did you know Steve tried going Culinary at one time? Did you know Steve went to school in Carbondale, IL for a bit? I think He stayed in the Stevenson Arms. Steve moved back to Geneva in 1995 and we would skate a lot, we both had keys to the P.I.T. in Rockford, IL. (a member only skatepark) So much fun skating with your good friend by yourselves at 1am indoor in the middle of January just learning shit. When Steve moved to DeKalb, IL to attend NIU in 1997, he lived on/off of Spiros St., I would drive out there after work, 30 minutes, and skate with him until mid-night drive back home 30 minutes, get up at 6am for work get home at 6pm and do it all over again the next day.
I love skating with him, he's such a good viber & skate-ego pumper, makes you feel good about landing the sketchiest trick just for the fact that you pulled it off. Steve did some time at Woodward, I think as a cook at first if I remember, and then as a counselor. Hey, I don't have a photo memory. Steve worked at RQ skateshop for, I think, close to 7 or 8 years. He then said "Fuck this place, I'm gunna doit my way the way I want to, it's in my blood and I know what's up". So, now He has his New Shoppe, which will be open for it's 1st year in March 2009, (YEAH! Steve).
The Shoppe is called YEAH! Boardshop located at 148 Bartlett Plaza, Bartlett, IL 60103. It's kinda convenient being right off the Metra line that goes to Elgin, IL. So you could take the train out there do some shopping and maybe make a new friend or meet an old one there and do some skating. The area has a few okay parks that are fun if you are just visiting and wanna shred. I have included some pics for your viewing pleasure, and maybe to let you know who steve is. Maybe you've seen him around over the years and never knew his name or have seen the YEAH! stickers about and said "what's a YEAH!?"
There you have it, my latest blog about an old dear friend.

As of the end of this post I am currently listening to "Telepath" by the artist Moonweed from the album "Destination Goa 2"