SHOPTALK: Goodnews Skateshop

For this interview, we headed to balmy Vancouver Island to catch up with the core skate shop of its biggest city, Victoria. Goodnews has been a staple in the Vic scene since its inception almost ten years ago, catering to a unique sector of skaters who live and breathe the island life. The city is a creative place built on community, and Goodnews is no different.

Goodnews opened its doors in 2017 and is now approaching a decade in the Victoria skate scene. What did the shop look like in its earliest days, and what core vision has carried you through the different phases of growth?

Matt and I both grew up working in skate shops during what felt like a golden era—when the shop was a clubhouse. A place to meet your friends, watch videos, talk about product, and honestly just hang out. Loitering wasn’t just allowed, it was kinda the point. When Matt opened Goodnews with our first manager Jayden Prescott, that was the foundation—to build a space that felt like that again. At the same time, Matt brought a strong retail background from building boutique shops, so there was always an intention to elevate the experience—being in the downtown core and curating brands we genuinely respect from a design, innovation, and brand perspective.

When I came on, we had to move due to a rent increase, but it ended up being a reset moment. The new space gave us a chance to refine things, keeping the same core energy, but making it more open and approachable. We’d heard the original shop could feel a bit intimidating, which was never the goal. Through all the changes, the vision has stayed consistent: create a shop that feels welcoming, connected to the community, and intentional in how it looks, feels, and operates.

Victoria has developed a distinct skate identity on the West Coast. If you had to describe the Victoria skate scene in one word, what would it be—and why?

I asked around on this one because the scene’s evolved a lot over the years. The word that kept coming up was resilience.

Victoria might seem like a big city, but it’s really a small island town, and that shapes everything. Skating here has always been somewhat embraced, but never fully in the streets. Spots are limited, most get shut down quickly, and anything new has a short window before it’s capped. Because of that, you have to be creative. It breeds a certain kind of skater—people like Dylan Timmins and Una Farrar—who see possibilities where others don’t. That mindset isn’t optional here, it’s necessary.

What sets the Victoria’s skate community apart from others in Canada, and how have you seen it evolve since you first opened?

Victoria’s always felt a bit more open-minded and inclusive than a lot of other scenes. Being a more liberal-leaning city, you don’t just see one type of skater. There’s a real mix of people, styles, and perspectives, which has been awesome to watch over the years.

The city also embraced skateboarding pretty early on. We’ve got a ton of parks. Honestly maybe one of the highest per capita anywhere—which is amazing. The trade-off is that street spots tend to get shut down quickly, and the ones that last are usually pretty rough. That said, we’re kind of the tropics of Canada. Decent weather, a strong DIY attitude, and people who are down to make the most of what we’ve got. It makes for a scene that’s resourceful.

Goodnews has built its own in-house brand, collaborating with local skaters, artists, and creators. How does having your own brand deepen your real-time connection to the community, and what role does it play in shaping the shop’s identity?

We’re really fortunate that our scene is full of artists, creators, and people just doing rad things. We don’t really think of it as a “brand” to be honest. It all comes together pretty organically. Sometimes we’ll have an idea, sometimes someone from the community brings one to us, and we just make it happen. It might come out of necessity—like the boxy button-up we did because we felt like no one was doing it the way we wanted—or it might start as a random conversation in the shop: “what if we did this?” Other times it’s more intentional, where we just genuinely love what someone’s creating and want to help showcase it on a board or piece of clothing.

At its core, it’s about creating a platform. Being able to collaborate with friends, staff, and team to support what they’re doing, and then actually see it come to life, is one of the most rewarding parts of running the shop. That process shapes our identity. It keeps things close to the community, keeps it evolving, and makes sure it never feels forced or overly commercial. We pay attention, but we don’t pretend to know everything. A big part of it is creating space for the next gener

ation and supporting what they want to do. And honestly, if you’re reading this and have an idea—hit us up. We want to hear it and try to help make it happen.

Independent skate shops have always been cultural anchors in skateboarding. Why do you think shops like Goodnews remain essential to the fabric of the skate community, especially in a time when online retail is so dominant?

It’s a question every shop and every skater should be asking right now. Online isn’t going anywhere, and we’ve embraced it. That’s part of our community too, and often it’s just about convenience—we get it. But for us, it all exists to support the local scene and the physical shop. What happens inside a real skate shop can’t be replicated online. It’s where people connect, where ideas turn into collaborations, where riders get supported, and where conversations, about skating or life, actually mean something. Online can sell product. Shops still play a role in supporting culture and helping hold things together in ways that aren’t always visible.

As you approach your ten-year milestone, what impact do you hope Goodnews continues to make, and what future plans or big-picture goals do you envision for the next decade of the shop?

We’ve always got ideas and creative projects in the works, but if we’re being honest, right now it’s about staying sustainable. The industry isn’t in the best place, and even running the shop the way we do, with Matt and I not taking salaries or kickbacks, it’s still challenging.

That said, we’re committed to keeping the doors open. We believe it’s important for a core skate only shop to exist in Victoria, and that’s what drives us more than anything.

Looking ahead, the goal isn’t necessarily to grow into something bigger. It’s to stay relevant, stay connected, and keep evolving alongside the community. As long as people want us here, we’ll keep showing up and finding ways to support the scene in whatever form that takes.

Want to support Goodnews Skateshop? Follow them on instagram or shop online.