Two years ago, Michelle Harrison was selling skate shoes online and out of the trunk of her car at weekend flea markets. On Saturday, she celebrated the grand opening of her new family-owned business Colorado Skate Collective, a skateboard shop featuring boards, art and apparel.
The new shop is the latest in a string of small business openings in downtown Cortez. Michelle and her husband, Jackson, both grew up in Cortez, graduated from Southwest Open School and are former skaters. They said they a hope to fill a speciality retail void in a small town with a lot of young skate enthusiasts.
“We’re old skaters who grew up with this culture,” said Michelle. “Our goal really is to be a good, positive influence in the skate community. I also want to do what I can to talk to kids about entrepreneurship,” said Michelle. “I started out with $100, and two years later, I’m here. There are huge opportunities here if you put yourself out there.”
The Harrisons are parents of two, and both have full time jobs outside their new business, but are excited to see what the future holds for their new enterprise. Opening in a location with strong foot traffic and anchored by other successful locally grown businesses was a huge draw for the downtown location.
“We’re good friends with a lot of the local businesses here on restaurant row, and I knew this was where I wanted to be,” she said. “We thought we would be up and running in July but ended up in here earlier. But I think the timing was perfect.”
Aside from boards – some of which were designed by the Colorado Skate Collective crew – the shop features wheels, decks and other skate accessories, as well as features skateboard apparel, pinup/rockabilly apparel, Colorado gear and shoes.
The shop has also partnered with Last Moon Electric Tattoo, an effort of former Black Mountain tattoo artist Lindsey Moore and co-owner and tattooer Kristen Lester.
Lester says the partnership opportunity was a great fit because it allows the two the independence of running their own business with like-minded entrepreneurs.
“We’re really happy to be working with them; both businesses really care about the community and want to get involved,” said Lester.
Colorado Skate Collective and Last Moon Electric is at 28 W. Main St. in downtown Cortez, and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sundays from 11 to 5 p.m.