SHOPKEEPER // GOODNEWS // 11.2

We caught up with Matt Jensen to talk about his shop, Goodnews, and the Victoria scene.

When did you open and where are you located?

We opened in November of 2017, in Victoria, BC.

Why did you open the shop?

I’ve always wanted to have a skateshop since I was a kid.  It isn’t a new idea, but we wanted to create a shop that was just skateboarding for skateboarders on the island.  When I was growing up, the local shop was the hub. It was pre-internet and cell phone era, so skateshops were the meet-up spot, the news source and the social centre. That had an impact on me. I teamed up with Jayden Prescott and we made it happen.

Who's involved in the day to day of Goodnews?

It’s myself, Jayden (our leader), Riley and Dave in the shop. Our team is out every day skating and they are: Braeley, Una, Dylan, Jordy, David, Carter, Luke, Matt G, and Tod, with Max as our ambassador.

What does Goodnews do for the Victoria skate scene? 

We have been contributing to our local DIY at the Fernwood Community Centre.  We also sponsor women’s skate nights and local contests.We like to think that we also provide a spot where skateboarders can feel at home.

What can a shop do to promote and grow skateboarding within the community?

Shops should be doing anything they can to help skateboarding thrive in their community. It’s important to try and include the youth and beginners of all genders.It’s really up to each shop to decide what works for them.

Should brands and distributors be doing more for shops, or is it on shops to make it work for themselves?

I have mixed feelings on this. Basically, if a brand or distributor wants to help or support shop events that’s fantastic, but that support shouldn’t be expected by the shop or influence whether or not an event happens.

What's next for Goodnews?

We are still quite new, but we are going to keep towing the line, doing bigger and better events and hopefully get some more team skate trips under our belts.

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