A Positive Force in the Skateboarding Community: Andy Weiss and Launch: Community Through Skateboarding
April, 2013
As the first afternoon of March draws to a chilly close, Old Town Fort Collins is abuzz with people wandering through the “first Friday” art show festivities. In a gallery on Walnut Street and College Avenue, Andy Weiss is watching months of hard work come to a head in the second annual “All Hands on Deck” skateboard art auction to benefit his infant non-profit business, Launch: Community Through Skateboarding.
Born in the small town of Sterling, Colorado in 1974; Weiss picked up skateboarding at age 12. After graduating high school he moved to Fort Collins, where he co-founded the city’s first independent skateshop, Brothers Boards, in 1996.
Among the first shops in Colorado, Brothers gained a vast following among skateboarders. Weiss quickly learned to operate the skateboarding industry, shifting from an employee under partner Marcus Valdez to a 50 percent co-owner and everyday manager.
By 2003 Valdez had moved on and Weiss became the shop’s sole owner, changing its name to The Market. He continued to pour his heart and soul into the its existence.
But soon, after over a decade of running The Market, Weiss felt fatigued.
“I made the decision that I no longer wanted to be a retail store owner anymore,” explained Weiss. “But I didn’t know what I wanted to do or if I wanted to stay in the industry necessarily, because the industry has a very ugly side too.”
On January 1, 2011 he sold the shop to long-standing employee Eric Likewise and his younger brother Nate.
“You could see he was still really stoked on everything they were doing for the community,” said Chris Jones, a former Market employee under Weiss. “He still loved hanging out with all the kids and going skating, but he was super over the business aspect of it.”
After parting ways with the Market, Weiss began to seriously formulate plans for a skateboarding non-profit business. He began to teach skateboarding lessons around the city of Fort Collins, also putting on skateboard pressing workshops. These undertakings would act as the formula for Launch’s initial curriculum.
In July of 2011 Weiss’ carried out his first major event under the Launch banner, “All Hands on Deck.” Over 50 hand-painted boards were auctioned off to the local skate community, along with art and photographic contributions from many of Weiss’ skateboard industry contacts.
Over a year later the proceeds from this and Launch’s other sporadic events would go towards a warehouse lease on the north side of Fort Collins, the site would become the home of the organization’s headquarters, housing a massive indoor ramp alongside a comprehensive skateboard media library.
Weiss credits the signing of this lease as the scariest moment of his life. With no guarantee that money would continue to come in once the headquarters opened, he was forced to put his faith in skateboarding’s strongly woven community for support.
“Community is intrinsic to skateboarding,” said Chris Sessions, longtime Colorado skater and photo contributor to both “All Hands on Deck” shows. “It might be different from most people's notions of that concept, but skateboarders have a tendency to stick together, Launch is a great example of that.”
The Launch headquarters opened November 1, 2012. Since then it has brought in a constant stream of support from the Colorado skate scene through both monetary and equipment donations, and memberships. In its first six months of existence, it has already exceeded Weiss’ wildest expectations, but he remains committed to his original goals.
“I think our main thing is just to keep skateboarding legit,” said Weiss. “I really want to showcase what other people are doing in skateboarding, especially on a local level. Promoting creativity and community through skateboarding will always come first for us.”
It is with this commitment to community that Launch is thriving. No place has this been more apparent than at the second annual “All Hands on Deck,” which brought in over $8500 for Launch.
“The show killed it this year,” said Eric Likewise, who contributed a screen-printed board to the second All Hands on Deck. “Everything that sold was way out of my price range, which I’m sure is really good news for Andy.”
“This is so awesome for Andy,” said Marcus Valdez, who remains an active member of the Fort Collins skate community. “I think this is perfect for him, I don’t think he likes the business side (of skateboarding), and this takes it out of there.”
Still as committed to skateboarding as ever, Weiss is leading the Colorado scene to new heights. With a massive community waiting to see what he will do next, he has clearly found success in his niche supporting the skateboarders who support him.
As the first afternoon of March draws to a chilly close, Old Town Fort Collins is abuzz with people wandering through the “first Friday” art show festivities. In a gallery on Walnut Street and College Avenue, Andy Weiss is watching months of hard work come to a head in the second annual “All Hands on Deck” skateboard art auction to benefit his infant non-profit business, Launch: Community Through Skateboarding.
Born in the small town of Sterling, Colorado in 1974; Weiss picked up skateboarding at age 12. After graduating high school he moved to Fort Collins, where he co-founded the city’s first independent skateshop, Brothers Boards, in 1996.
Among the first shops in Colorado, Brothers gained a vast following among skateboarders. Weiss quickly learned to operate the skateboarding industry, shifting from an employee under partner Marcus Valdez to a 50 percent co-owner and everyday manager.
By 2003 Valdez had moved on and Weiss became the shop’s sole owner, changing its name to The Market. He continued to pour his heart and soul into the its existence.
But soon, after over a decade of running The Market, Weiss felt fatigued.
“I made the decision that I no longer wanted to be a retail store owner anymore,” explained Weiss. “But I didn’t know what I wanted to do or if I wanted to stay in the industry necessarily, because the industry has a very ugly side too.”
On January 1, 2011 he sold the shop to long-standing employee Eric Likewise and his younger brother Nate.
“You could see he was still really stoked on everything they were doing for the community,” said Chris Jones, a former Market employee under Weiss. “He still loved hanging out with all the kids and going skating, but he was super over the business aspect of it.”
After parting ways with the Market, Weiss began to seriously formulate plans for a skateboarding non-profit business. He began to teach skateboarding lessons around the city of Fort Collins, also putting on skateboard pressing workshops. These undertakings would act as the formula for Launch’s initial curriculum.
In July of 2011 Weiss’ carried out his first major event under the Launch banner, “All Hands on Deck.” Over 50 hand-painted boards were auctioned off to the local skate community, along with art and photographic contributions from many of Weiss’ skateboard industry contacts.
Over a year later the proceeds from this and Launch’s other sporadic events would go towards a warehouse lease on the north side of Fort Collins, the site would become the home of the organization’s headquarters, housing a massive indoor ramp alongside a comprehensive skateboard media library.
Weiss credits the signing of this lease as the scariest moment of his life. With no guarantee that money would continue to come in once the headquarters opened, he was forced to put his faith in skateboarding’s strongly woven community for support.
“Community is intrinsic to skateboarding,” said Chris Sessions, longtime Colorado skater and photo contributor to both “All Hands on Deck” shows. “It might be different from most people's notions of that concept, but skateboarders have a tendency to stick together, Launch is a great example of that.”
The Launch headquarters opened November 1, 2012. Since then it has brought in a constant stream of support from the Colorado skate scene through both monetary and equipment donations, and memberships. In its first six months of existence, it has already exceeded Weiss’ wildest expectations, but he remains committed to his original goals.
“I think our main thing is just to keep skateboarding legit,” said Weiss. “I really want to showcase what other people are doing in skateboarding, especially on a local level. Promoting creativity and community through skateboarding will always come first for us.”
It is with this commitment to community that Launch is thriving. No place has this been more apparent than at the second annual “All Hands on Deck,” which brought in over $8500 for Launch.
“The show killed it this year,” said Eric Likewise, who contributed a screen-printed board to the second All Hands on Deck. “Everything that sold was way out of my price range, which I’m sure is really good news for Andy.”
“This is so awesome for Andy,” said Marcus Valdez, who remains an active member of the Fort Collins skate community. “I think this is perfect for him, I don’t think he likes the business side (of skateboarding), and this takes it out of there.”
Still as committed to skateboarding as ever, Weiss is leading the Colorado scene to new heights. With a massive community waiting to see what he will do next, he has clearly found success in his niche supporting the skateboarders who support him.