The man behind the plan... and, he skates. Gotta respect that...
Skates pretty good, I might add...
First of all, let's get the quick bio. Name, age, years skating, hometown/company headquarters, etc.
My name is Ryan Draper, and I have been skating for somewhere close to 9 years. I run RoofTop Skateboards in a small town called Bedford, Indiana.
Tell me a little bit about the Bedford skate scene. I've been there, documenting the skatepark for the Concrete Disciples dudes... it looked like a pretty smallish city. How's it look, actually being there?
The scene in Bedford is pretty small, even though we have some good spots here. It’s nice though, because we are all able to get together and skate as friends, regardless of skill or age. It seems like sometimes when we travel, we come across skaters who are involved in different rivalries, or are always trying to one-up everybody else. But, it’s not like that in Bedford.
I saw some Bedford heads up in Noblesville at Forest Park recently... you guys get around, don't ya?!
We do a lot of traveling. Bedford is a small place, and sometimes it is good to skate new stuff. What is nice about where we are, is that there are good parks in all directions, like the ones up toward Indianapolis and Noblesville… Killers Skatepark, in Evansville… and then, more skateparks in Lawrenceburg, and Louisville. Even some of the parents of the younger generation here, will take their kids to different parks. There have been times where we have gone to events, and some of the parents will load their cars up with people just so everyone can get there.
(Optional, doesn't need to be published, but...) Which woodshop do you guys use? Wheel manufacturer?
I wanted to find something that would be a good product for everyone; otherwise I was not going to start RoofTop. After riding a board from South Central Manufacturing, I knew that’s who should press our skateboards. We were later able to introduce wheels that we order from Woodchuck Laminates.
I love companies with a sense of humour...!
I noticed on your website, that a lot of shops carry Rooftop... except for, your local, hometown skateshop. Which, if I'm not mistaken, is Karma… right? What's up with that...?
I like to talk with retailers about what RoofTop is, and what I want it to be for skateboarders before an agreement is made to carry our products. It is important to me that I guarantee the retailer that our skateboards will not warp, pressure crack, or delaminate while they are on the shelf. I also work with them to make sure RoofTops are sold at a fair price. This is my way of guaranteeing skateboarders that they will get a solid product when they buy a RoofTop. I have actually spoken with Karma a couple of times, but it seems like a matter of timing that it hasn't happened yet. The couple of times we have actually caught up with each other, we still have been unable to discuss everything in detail. I can see it happening soon, though.
I noticed that you do sell direct-to-skaters, via the website... are those pries the same prices that you'd find at your local skateshop?
Skate shops have the control over what they set their prices at. I have seen prices on RoofTops from $38 to $48, depending on the shop. I set my online prices according to theirs. That way, there is no reason to come to me, over a local shop. I sell online to make sure that skaters who are unable to make it to shops still have access to our skateboards. When I was younger, we lived in the country. And we only had access to mail order, because our parents didn't have the time to drive to the next town. Even though we sell online, I prefer that skaters support their local shop [if they have one], and to ask for RoofTops at the counter if they don’t see them [on the wall].
Rooftop's dedication to supporting the core skate shop is more than evident on their website. It doesn't get any clearer than this...
Here's a good one: Why should skaters support their local skateshop...?
Skaters should support their local skate shop, because a skate shop that actually cares about skateboarding will attract events to the town, support a team, and provide encouragement to the local skateboarders. I know a lot of the core shops we work with will even give a discount to skaters from time to time, when they need help.
What if my local shop thinks I'm a dork… what do I do then?! (Note: Yes, my local shops do think I'm a dork, so yeah, I guess it's true. Guilty as charged, dudeman...)
I get the "dork" thing too from time to time, probably because I like country music! (Laughing…)
If a local shop is being serious about it, though, and coming down on you for being a dork because of what you listen to, or how you dress…? Then, they have missed the meaning of skateboarding completely. Keep doing your own thing, and forget what other people think.
That's pretty good advice. How did Rooftop get started? I remember some small company in Bedford called Ban Skateboards, and I guess you had something to do with that, too....?
Ban Skateboards got started when we decided to buy skateboards, and hand-draw them to influence skateboarding in our home town. We each had different ideas about where to go with it though. My friends Seth and Dwayne wanted to start a shop, and I wanted to get a company going… but, it just kind of died after awhile. Ryan [Smith] from the Rise in Bloomington had heard about it though, and showed some interest in carrying the boards. I knew it would be an opportunity to introduce something new to both areas. So, I started testing boards… and everything just took off from there. Seth, Dwayne, and I still meet at the park when we can, and skate together. It’s funny, because none of us ever thought that Ban Skateboards would actually lead anywhere. But, it ended up leading to talks of a new shop, and RoofTop skateboards…
These are the boards that I first saw at Boards-Inc. in Richmond, Indiana on tour last year. I'm always stoked on small, locally-owned, skater-bred, sincere little companies like this. Support them.
Here's one: Why "Rooftop"? What's the meaning behind the name...?
RoofTop just came into my mind one day while trying to think of a name that hadn't been used yet. I didn’t want to start a company under a name, only to find out later that somebody else was also using it. Since we are from a small town where people have to save all they can, I imagined some guy ripping off a piece of an old roof and nailing some wheels to it. I mentioned it to a friend one day joking about it, but he liked it and somehow RoofTop became the name.
Tell me about the team Who's on the program, and why'd you pick those dudes?
There are four guys on the team: Kelsey Perin, John Barcus, Matt McDole, and Tom Storm. Every one of these guys has something about their skateboarding that is amazing. I’ve seen Kelsey and Tom pull off some of the craziest stuff with amazing style, John is the kind of guy who will break out something technical when nobody expects it, and Matt always comes up with something crazy that nobody else has ever thought of doing when we go somewhere. I also usually invite local skater Chad Parkinson to go with the team, because he throws out the most technical stuff at any given time.
A composite-shot of Rooftop's current offerings. The humour is, once again, entirely evident in the graphics.
What are your goals with Rooftop? What are you trying to accomplish?
I want RoofTop to accomplish supporting the skateboarding community. To me, this means hosting and supporting events, helping the little kid down the road keep skateboarding when his parents don't have enough money, and working with shops to offer a board that is just as good as others at a reasonable price, so skateboarders can keep doing what they enjoy. RoofTop has already grown larger than I ever expected, and to me it is a company that everyone in the area can be a part of. RoofTop is something I do because I enjoy being involved in skateboarding, even when I have to dip into my pockets just to keep it going. It would be amazing to watch it grow, but whatever happens, I will just continue to do my best to make it available to anybody who wants it.
Last question: Why should the average kid support Rooftop, vs. Baker, Deathwish, Element, or whatever...?
My goal isn't to get everybody riding a RoofTop over the other brands; it’s just a different option that is available for skateboarders. I would like skateboarders to know that by supporting RoofTop, they are helping us fund events in the local areas. This means competitions and product tosses that everyone can be a part of. I have heard from an overwhelming amount of skaters that they love the way the boards feel, so I would encourage everyone to try one. At the end of the day, though, I think what matters is the skateboarding, and not the brands.
Thanks for the interview Bud!
Check 'em out for yourself: www.rooftopskateboarding.com.
