Profile: Epidemic Skate Shop

By Susan Regier

Turning a passion into a thriving business is something most people don’t attempt until “later” on in life. But Ryan Machan is anything but typical. Four years ago, at the age of twenty-three, the master skateboarder cultivated his entrepreneurial spirit and his love of the sport by opening the Epidemic Skate Shop.

Epidemic is the place to shop for everything needed to look cool and perfect skateboard tricks and stunts – clothes, shoes, videos, and boards – for skateboarders aged fifteen and up. “Where people buy their boards – they buy everything else,” explained Machan. Popular brands for sale at Epidemic are 4 Star, Chocolate, Real, TSA, and DC among others – and Machan knows his stuff. If manufacturers won’t honour their warranties, you won’t find their products at Epidemic. Because Machan knows skateboarding, he understands the quality of a product and which product suits individual levels.

Machan discovered the thrill of skateboarding when he was thirteen. Since that time, the Beal Secondary School graduate has filmed four stunt videos in various locations including New York, Detroit, Toronto, and London. The first video was shot when he was eighteen then he went on to make three more videos. He is now working on his fifth video, which will be available for sale at his store this Christmas.

“After working for other businesses, I knew the business too well. The people I was working for were messing things that I wanted to do so I had to make a decision – get out of the business or get into it full time. “ Machan admits his parents were instrumental in getting the business off the ground. They gave him an ultimatum: do the business or go back to school and figure out what you want to do. Once the decision was made, they have supported him one hundred percent.

After completing a business plan at the Small Business Centre in London, his parents co-signed his bank loan to get things rolling. He now owns the building that houses Epidemic, only two blocks from London’s major skate park located at the Carling Heights Optimist Club.

“I should have started the business sooner,” admitted Machan. “I was deep into skateboarding at twenty-one and had just released my third skateboarding video. The timing would have been great. The hardest part of getting started was getting the money to have enough product. I was too scared to go on payment terms with suppliers. I wanted to have cash in the bank before ordering. For the past two years, I’ve gone with term payments so now I have more stock in the store.”

Machan refuses to carry particular lines of skateboards because of the quality or he knows they aren’t suited to his market. With low overhead, Machan can offer a lower mark up on quality products.

Machan still skateboards downtown and at the skate park. He’s often asked about his equipment – a variation to traditional networking. “People trust you for your judgment when you’re doing it yourself. I don’t advertise. My videos are the only advertising that I do – it’s a video version of word of mouth advertising.”

Machan is a member of London’s Skateboarding Committee, which meets with members of City Hall to determine local spending on skateboarding facilities. The first major project was the completion of the skate park at the Carling Heights Optimist Club, an investment of $200,000. They have recently installed skateboarding ledges in Victoria Park and are working toward completion of the Kinsmen Arena project. Future plans are being considered for the White Oaks area.

When asked what he enjoys most about owning his own business Machan answered, “The freedom to do what I want to do and I still have time to skate. I have no plans for the future because I believe when I’m too old to skate I shouldn’t be selling the equipment. I’m not sure what I’ll be doing in a few years.”

Epidemic is located at 681 Adelaide Street North, London. (519) 645-8235 Open Noon ‘til 6:00 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and Noon ‘til 5:00 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Closed Mondays.


Susan Regier is the publisher/editor of Networking Today and owner of Vantage One Writing, a professional writing service for businesses. (519) 471-8726 E-mail: regiers@vantageone.ca Web site: www.vantageone.ca Published in Networking Today, May 2002.