Shop Profiles

Fat-Trax Profile

Give us a quick run-down of your shop and its history.

My location (East Longmeadow MA), we’re a year round gig doing snowboards, skate and BMX. Fat-Trax has been around since ’91 with the Easthampton shop. That shop’s only open during the snow season. Then I started with Fat-Trax in ’97 when we opened the East Longmeadow location.

Describe your local shop crew; do you often have people hanging out at the shop?

We have a GIGANTIC local crew, sometimes it’s overwhelming how many heathens set up camp in our store on a daily basis. During the warm months it can range from 2-15 BMX kids or skate kids at any given time. The shop acts as ground zero for everyone to meet up before they go out to ride or skate. Sometimes I gotta be the bad-guy and tell em’ to hit the road because there’s no room for customers (they usually understand).

During the winter months the shops a little more mellow because there’s no room for lurkers. Except for Sunday nights because we all meet here before we hit up the local mountain, Ski Sundown. Our DVD/ TV is on from the second we open to the second we close for the day. Redbull cans fill the garbage can all day, and at night some of us hang out and fill the garbage up with adult beverage cans.

What is it about your shop that sets it apart?

We pride ourselves on selling legit goods that you don’t need three jobs to afford.

Crazy customers make for good stories, got any really good ones from the past season?

“This job would be great if it wasn’t for the f%@kn customers”. Randall- Clerks

There’s too many to remember, but I had this teen girl and her entire family in here for about 2 hours while I set her up with a board/ boot/ binding package. By the time I went to ring her out, the mom explained that they were just renting. The idiot thought all the boards out on display were for rent. Maybe I should make a sign or something.

Any up and coming shop riders to keep an eye on?

Our three big-boy shop riders seem to have MANY eyes on them lately. Chris Beresford has been globetrotting filming for Think Thanks “Cool Story”, as well as Chris Grenier filming for his part in Transworld Snowboarding’s upcoming DVD “Get Real”.

Also, Austen Grangers been filming his face off for The Levitation project and going on tour with Signal.

What’s your local spot for lunch/dinner how about your evening hangout zone.

Lunch is usually done at work and consists of Dave’s Deli or Olympic Pizza.

Do you have any yearly event at the shop that you look forward to?

Video premiers are usually the kick off. This year’s gonna be NUTS.

What’s the hardest part of working in the shop?

Dealing with folks that just don’t get it.

What’s the closest shred spot to the shop? What’s your local shred scene like?

Ski Sundown in New Hartford, CT. The park there is pretty insane for the trails they put it on. You gotta see it to believe it, plus a mini-pipe was built for the final days of last season.

Do you get out on the hill enough to make you happy?

Yes, thanks to a well oiled staff, we all get out enough to keep the smiles on our faces.

Is there a particular event or occasion that really kicks the season off in your area?

We’ve been doing this “Summer Sale” every September. It kind of gets the buzz going on, but once the DVD’s hit the shop then it’s really on. Then when it snows it’s really, really on.

Any celebrity or pseudo-celebrity sightings ever happen in the shop?

Yea, ever see the funny Sonic commercials with the two guys in the front seat at the drive through? The dude who’s always in the passenger seat is our shop owner’s nephew. His name is TJ and he’s been here a few times.

Visit them online at: fat-trax.com/blog1/