Idlewild Coffee / House Skate Park
an ethnographic photo essay of a “third place” in downtown Austin.
IdleWild / No Comply
IdleWild Coffee Collab is a small but full-service coffee bar within the No Comply Skate Shop located on West Avenue and 12th Street of downtown Austin. With a strong local-Austin feel, the location is a hub for local skaters and coffee lovers alike. No Comply is a community-supportive, industry-connected skate shop featuring many local artists and skate brands. The small space is jam packed with hidden jems of paintings, jokes, photographs, and toys that all make the atmosphere convoluted, yet hospitable.
No Comply is one of, if not the most well-known skate shop in Texas, and holds many events throughout the year to bring the local skating community together: parties, live art shows, skating events, and more. One of their biggest events is their anniversary. On this day, No Comply releases an annual skate video, produced by their very own film team, one of which is Christian.
Christian
Christian, 23, is one of the main film producers for No Comply. He began skating at 12 years old, 4 years after he moved to Round Rock, TX. His mother wanted him to go to the same high school in Round Rock that past generations of his family, along with his brothers, had graduated from. Until 3 years ago, he had been attending a community college in Houston. However, while considering a major direction change, he decided to take a break and drop out. His grandfather offered him a job in the petroleum industry, but Christian decided to move to Austin to begin working at a warehouse and pursue film making instead. Now he lives just down the road from House skate park, and goes to skate, film, then hangout at IdleWild after work.
Using his vintage VX-1000 and customary fish eye lens, he has produced skating films for No Comply along with other professional skaters such as Real-skateboards Pro Skate team.
“I like the community. There’s different ethnicity, and you just meet people older and younger: i have friends that are like 12 years old, and then i have friends that are like 40~45. its cool that skateboarding is like that.”
In our conversation, Christian emphasized how proud he is to be a part of this diverse No Comply community that has such “Texas hospitality” and that is so supportive of local endeavors. No Comply has helped him get his first gig as a film maker, and continues to support his film making today.
“I’m really glad that this is my local skate shop”
House Skate Park
House Park is a skate park located on Shoal Creek Blvd, and is the most popular skate park in Austin. Skaters, BMX bikers, scooters, and roller skaters of all ages come from various lives to practice their craft daily.
Verde
Jonathan “Verde” Green is a 24 year old skater born and raised in Austin, TX. He is one of the “O.G”s of the area, and has watched House Park and its skating community grow over the years. Each night, he waits for the sun to go down so the larger crowds leave the park, and begins to warm up with his friends that he had been enjoying cigarettes and conversations with. He started skating 11 years ago, and is now sponsored by two local Austin skateboard companies: PurpleWax and Security. He recently got his job back at the same Juice-Land warehouse that Christian works at. Verde, Christian, and other skaters help No Comply as well as other companies make their skateboarding videos.
Watching the House Park community grow, Verde says that it has changed from a “cliquey”, harsh, violent community into a tight-knit and open community. Verde attributes this change to the increase in diversity of skaters he has seen over the years.
A few years ago, a boy committed suicide from the top of the parking garage next to House Park. Verde described how the death of the boy affected the area, bringing an eerie and heavy atmosphere to the entire community for over a month. The inter-woven community’s closeness was shown in how the death of the boy impacted the whole skate park.
Michael
Michael is the founder of a skateboarding company called Zsk8tz. Growing up in a small farming town, he saw his friends all joining Future Farmers of America. Meanwhile he discovered skating through a “Thrasher” magazine, and decided to pursue skating instead. He is currently managing restaurants around Austin, and has been doing photography for his company on the side for 6 years.
“Austin has a tight-knit skating community. Skating brings people together by giving them the opportunity to express themselves in unique ways.”
Michael explained that the skating community is very different than the way the world perceives them. He sees how within the community, skaters encourage and push each other in all assets of life as they enjoy skating together, with much more positivity than the outside world expects.
“Besides being a great pastime, skating teaches young people to be a part of something bigger than themselves. With my brand I want to promote that positivity of skateboarding.”
Michael also told a story of how the community selflessly supports each other:
“Recently, one of the skaters here broke themselves, and was in the hospital. The community all came together to start a go-fund-me and support him, even if they didn’t know him, just because he was a fellow skater.”
Jordan
Verde’s girlfriend’s friend, Jordan, is a skater from Copperas Cove, who is now working at a warehouse in Austin. Jordan started skating from around 8th grade when he quit basketball because his grades in school held him back from playing. Skating everyday after school, he was eventually known around town for how well he skated. He used to make skating videos by himself with a tripod in the streets. At 14, he started his own boarding company called “Motivation skate”. At 17, he launched a fingerboard company called “Tricky Fingerboards”, which he still runs to this day.
Jordan believes that skaters can achieve a surprise of success in a matter of days, and that gives a sense of hope and drive to continue improving daily.
“the main thing I love about skating: when you get sponsored its a gift, because you never see it coming”
Like Michael, Jordan believes that the skating community is misunderstood by the outside world.
“Every skate park was made from things you see in the streets. They think that were always trying to vandalize or damage some shit. Were just trying to use the shit that you built to its fullest potential. its like art.”
Furthermore, within the community, Jordan sees a level and open playing field that is always a relief from the outside world.
“One of my biggest things about skateboarding is that there’s no racism. there’s literally every race skateboarding. There’s no stats on anybody here, nobody, absolutely not. you cant see a number above their head, their age…”
Idlewild / No Comply and its skaters that come to House Park each day are a tight but open community that serves as their very own “Third Place” for each other.
