April 1st was awesome. If you weren’t there, than I feel bad or you! TSS rented out Drop-In Skate Park for a blade-only session to celebrate the Grand Re-Opening of Drop-In, the bigger and better TSS, and the 3 year Anniversary of the shop to top it all off.

I showed up a few hours early to put up the rest of the product and to finish a few odds and ends. Once I got to the shop there were already three kids waiting to buy skates. By the time I was done with all these customers the 85+ bladers started trickling in, giving me no time to finish putting the remaining product out and meant I had to leave boxes of product laying out wide open. By the time the event started the shop/park was so packed I didn’t move from behind the main display case for a good two hours. Unfortunately because of this about $240 worth of product was stolen, even with my good friends and shop riders keeping their eyes on the open boxes whenever they could. Thankfully to our good friends I only lost a little in stolen product which could have easily been twice the amount without their generous help.

On a more positive note, 85+ people is definitely a success in my eyes! Bladers came from all five boroughs, PA, NJ, RI, and probably more to show love, check out the new shop, and sesh the new (slightly unfinished) skate park.

After the session ended about 15 close friends and shop riders stayed to chill, eat some TSS cake (courtesy of my parents), and blade the park again without the chaos of 85 people. Sam DeAngelis was able to capture (with the help of Gee Lee filming from the sidelines) what went down after hours. Enjoy Sam’s edit, and the skating of some pretty rad dudes! Thanks to all who came out and showed love! — Greg Kieffer