Skateboarding and Gainesville have had a very interesting relationship over the past 30 years. Ever since there was a skating presence here, FreeRide (Originally known as Inland Surf Shop) has been there.

The store has recently decided to close it shop because it is being bought out by a development company to construct new buildings around the area. Raina, a store employee, did not know a specific date of closing but said it’s scheduled to be closed soon.

They are providing major discounts for skating gear and clothing which is discounted up to 40% off retail value. You can go in and find some great gear for the summer season at ridiculously low prices. They also have some of the most caring staff willing to answer any questions you might have. Local skate shops aren’t businesses, they are part of the community, so come check out FreeRide before we lose a little piece of Gainesville history.

The store originally opened up in 1975 with the explosion of the sport around college campuses everywhere. During that time, most students rode to get around campus and to feel part of the counterculture that was being rampant with the times. In the following decades skating had wild resurgence with street skating in the late 80’s and then in the 90’s due to the popularity of skaters like Tony Hawk and Mark Gonzalez. Skating now has entered the mainstream with popular brands like Supreme and Thrasher being worn and shown off by the most famous celebrities in the world.  Raina went into great detail about the magnitude of the skating culture that was brought here by of one the best skaters of all time, Rodney Mullen.  

Rodney was born in Gainesville, FL and started his lifelong love of skating at around 10. He is arguably the best technical street skater ever and has become known as “The Godfather of Street Skating.” He accumulated a 3.92 GPA while studying biomedical engineering at UF but decided to drop out after starting his own skateboard company, World Industries, but still shares his love of science to the world “I’m a nerd down deep,” he said.” I like computers and I always read that stuff. “He invented tricks like the Flat Ground Ollie, Kickflip, Heelflip, Impossible and the Tre Flip along with 50+ other original tricks.

Sponsored Florida skater Cooper Moser spoke about how much of an influence Rodney Mullen was to him “Yeah man for sure! Rodney definitely inspired me to be a better skateboarder as well as a student in school. Rodney was a mathematician, like he is a genius on and off the board. He definitely inspired “freestyle skateboarding” and created his own tricks as well as his own style. No one can ever recreate what Rodney did for skateboarding. As well as Rodney being from Florida influenced us and gave us hope as skateboarders that we as well can make something out of ourselves as well.” 

The shop also sponsors Possum Creek Skate Park which is a 20,000 sq. ft concrete park created by Spohn Ranch Skate Parks. This skatepark features modern plaza elements, a multi-level bowl and obstacles which allow skaters to transition through the park’s landscaping. These landscaped areas give the skater’s the feeling of a real urban environment.