Riderz skate shop puts a taste of skateboard culture in the Warehouse District
Story by BENJAMIN BULLARD Photos by AMANDA SHAVERS
Let ’ s face it : Small towns aren ’ t necessarily famous for serving up endless miles of concrete and steel — the perfect streetscape for the kind of shreddin ’ spots that skateboarders universally crave . But instead of sitting around being bummed by Cullman ’ s small-town skating culture , Scott and Jacquline Keller decided to roll up their sleeves and do something about it .
In October of 2020 , the Kellers opened Riderz skate shop in the heart of Cullman ’ s Warehouse District , giving local skaters a welcoming place to drop in talk and , well , shop . Inspired by the skateboarding passion of their 14-year-old son , Peyton , and friends , the Kellers realized their hometown needed a place that could encourage an active outdoor activity for young people to enjoy — especially as the COVID-19 pandemic introduced new challenges to participating in team sports . Eldest son Jacob , who now works for the Morgan County Sheriff ’ s Office ( daughter Lexi is a student at UAB ), had talked about opening a business in Cullman .
“ I don ’ t even know how it came up in conversation , but we were talking one day about how there just wasn ’ t a skate shop in Cullman ,” explains Peyton . “ We started going around town and looking , just out of curiosity , to see how much it would cost to rent space for a store . It ended up not being as much as we thought , so here we are .”
“ We figured , since it was like a solo sport and they weren ’ t doing school full time , skating was something that you could do to get out and get some exercise ,” explains Jacqueline , herself a local native and West Point grad .
Scott and Jacquline Keller with shop employee Fisher Burney , left , and son , Peyton , at their shop in the Warehouse District .
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Cullman magazine | SPRING 2022
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