Tony Hawk may have catapulted skateboarding into the spotlight from the west coast of America. But the north-east of Scotland also has its own thriving community of skaters.
Callum Cook is one of those at the forefront of Aberdeen’s skating scene.
The 31-year-old has loved all things skateboards since he was 11 and he now owns Seed Skateshop on Rosemount Viaduct.
Seed is a hub for skaters both local and elsewhere who come to talk about new hotspots in the Granite City, hang out with one another and enjoy the sense of community that comes with the sport.
Though Covid-19 impacted some of Callum’s original hopes for the shop, it hasn’t stopped him from dreaming of bigger things to come in the near future.
“If everything clears up, my plans would be to do more competitions, more jams and get togethers,” says Callum.
“Those are the times when people get the most enjoyment out of skateboarding – when everyone’s together.”
He was a skater boy
Originally from Kemnay near Inverurie, Callum’s family heritage lies in farming.
He’s always enjoyed being active and outdoors. But rather than farming, it was in skating where he first found a sense of belonging.
“I started skating when I was around 11 and I was drawn into it because of how different it was,” Callum explains.
“A lot of skaters get into it because they feel like they don’t fit into other sports – I’d also say that I felt a bit different, in that sense.
“I found a lot of people who were similar to me through skating.”
Aberdeen scene
Over his 20 years of skating, the Aberdeen scene has ebbed and flowed in popularity.
“When I started skating in the early 2000s, it was mad,” Callum says. But with the scene picking up again in recent years, Callum believes there’s now a more inclusive skating community in the city.
“There are so many more women skating these days, which is really good to see,” says Callum.
“It used to be less common years ago, but now it’s almost a 50/50 split.
“There’s no teams or sides that anyone takes. Everyone’s in it for the same thing.
“All my reasons for doing it now are pretty much the same as when I started; I still get that rewarding feeling when you learn new tricks, even though I’ve been skating for 20 years.
“But also, it’s really good physical and mental exercise that keeps me fit and healthy.”
Following the dream
Callum was saddened to see all of Aberdeen’s skating shops either relocate or close down by 2018, leaving the city without a dedicated skating shop.
Having worked with former Aberdeen snowboarding and skating business Boarderline, now based in Banchory, he felt he had the experience and ambition to bring back a hub for the skating community.
“When it went from having three skate shops in Aberdeen to having zero, at that point, I took it upon myself (after a lot of thinking) as to whether opening the shop was something that I’d wanted to do,” says Callum.
If you ask any skater, the idea of having your own shop is something that you dream about. So, I went for it.
“It just seemed like the right thing to do and it’s now been almost three years since I opened the shop.”
Seed Skateshop
Seed Skateshop stocks big name skating brands from across the globe including Thrasher and Santa Cruz.
Skateboards are it’s biggest seller, but there’s also skate apparel, including Seed’s own brand range of clothing, on offer in the shop.
“Our own branded clothing always does really well,” says Callum.
“We’ve made t-shirts, hoodies and beanies with different local artists helping to make all of the designs – we’ve tried to keep it a local thing.
“It’ll be our third birthday in May and we’re planning on making some custom boards for then as well.”
Seed’s products are available in store and online, with Callum describing the website as a “saviour” during the lockdown periods when in-person shopping restrictions were in place.
“We opened not too long before Covid-19 kicked off – which was the last thing I was expecting – but the shop has been alright through it,” Callum explains.
“More than just a shop”
However, above all, Callum has always intended for Seed to evolve beyond being solely a skateshop.
“With Seed, I wanted to give people a place to come and chill out or watch some of the latest skateboarding videos,” says Callum.
“But also, I wanted people to come for knowledge as well. I quite often get people coming in from other cities who’d pop into the shop first to find out where the best places to go and skate are in Aberdeen.
“I’ve met so many amazing people through skating, which has made me stick with it over the years.
“Seed is more than just a shop. It’s a community space as well.”
