Last week I hopped in my Matrix with my oldie, Daizy, for a road trip down the South Shore to Lahave, Nova Scotia. Our destination? Homegrown Skateboards. I was on my way to meet Jesse Watson, a huge supporter of local arts and alternative youth culture, best known for redesigning the local definition for skateboard entrepreneur. HG is a grassroots skateboard design and manufacturing company unlike any other. It was founded by Jesse Watson in 1995 on the 3rd floor above his parents' famed Lahave Bakery, and continues to grow and impress on a local and international level, gaining rave reviews.
Jesse's thriving HG business does it all- his R&D team combines their skate experience in the Woodshop to shape and individually mould the highest quality decks available, using 100% East Coast rock maple. The same materials that are shipped across the world to mass-manufacturers, are grown and processed just a few hours' drive from HG's shop. Each deck is hand finished using locally sourced materials, and screen-printed using limited edition designs from Guest Artists.
Many of the same sweet designs are made available in their own Men's and Women's Clothing line and the guest artists also have limited edition art Prints for sale.
Homegrown Skateboards is also a venue for alternative culture where the public can skateboard in the custom indoor bowl, play music on the stage, and take part in the visual arts. On the 2nd floor, just below the HG shop, is a huge empty room where Jesse organizes art shows, all ages dances, and anything else he can think up that brings the community of Lahave together for a night out of good old-fashioned fun.
During my visit, Jesse hooked me up with 6 skate decks for me to paint on for an upcoming spring solo art show titled Ocean Playground (destination is a surprise!), celebrating our maritime life in unconventional style. HG doesn't supply wholesale, however they made an exception in my case because of how I plan to turn their beautiful decks into wall art, connecting our cultures for the pleasure of all to enjoy. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this exciting collaboration unfolds...
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Jesse in the HG woodshop.
Photo by Anna Duckworth, ProgressMedia.ca | Read article |
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| Finished decks in the dry room, awaiting L.E. designs. |
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| Mould press |
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| Screen-printing and design department |
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| Showroom and Gallery |
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| Stage and Skate Bowl |
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Homegrown Skateboards' public skate bowl, top floor showroom in the Lahave Outlet.
See more pics of the bowl development and completion here. |
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| Shop and Showroom, with Men's & Women's clothing and Skateboards for sale |
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| 2nd floor Gallery space |
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| The Lahave Outlet on the South Shore, Lahave, Nova Scotia. |
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| The Lahave Bakery |
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| The Lahave Bakery's Bluenose replica on display in the front window. |
Before I turned around and drove home toward the eastern shore, Jesse recommended we continue on to visit
Crescent Beach and
Rissers Beach. We did and was it ever beautiful...
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| Daizy frolicking at Crescent Beach, Nova Scotia |
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