by VAN HANSEN
Scot Cameron bought his first skateboard 40 years ago at a garage sale. Being in California during one of his formative years he was inspired by surf culture, in the place where skateboarding first began.
Looking back to the early 1950's, surfers were installing roller skate wheels on makeshift boards, determined to find a way to surf the streets at times when the ocean swell was too gentle.
Futuristic Hover Board with DeLorean ‘Time Machine’. Elliot Alder photo
The sport of skateboarding has been evolving ever since amidst a sometime rebellious counter culture while at the same time embedding itself into the collective psyche.
"The spark really ignited for me in the mid-eighties," Scot says. "It was in grade 7 or 8 when my friends and I kind of looked up to this group called the Bones Brigade with Tony Hawk being the most mainstream name. We all started skateboarding, and emulating what they were doing."
With no dedicated infrastructure available at the time, the boys were street skating, teaching themselves tricks on parking curbs or bombing a hill. "We were lucky we had a spot in Kitchener which was a vacant lot where they allowed us to set up some ramps," says Scot.
Scot’s first skateboard atop the rack holding his personal rider collection
World of Wheels
In high school Scot found himself spending a lot of time in the shop classes, and he vividly remembers his teacher Thomas Schmidt, who passed away 5 years ago.
“Mr. Schmidt was always there at the right moment. He set me up with a job which led to my career, and later helped with the body work on my 1967 Ford Fairlane when I was getting it on the road”.
Scot went on to complete his apprenticeship, becoming a full-time automotive technician at Gord Kaster Automotive. He worked there for the next 3 decades after which he ultimately co-founded a start-up metal fabrication and repair shop specializing in hot-rods, street trucks, and classic cars.
CoMaCan Skateboards
As a creative outlet while he was in the industry, Scot also plied his craft as a freelance automotive journalist and photographer writing feature stories and columns, rounding them out with assignments shooting races, car shows, and automotive celebrities.
With print media in decline, Scot found the time to start a new project with the intent of increasing his engagement with the skateboarding community and in 2017 he partnered with fellow skater Will Mackie to found CoMaCan Skateboards.
"It's a skateboard brand which started out as the Colorado Massachusetts skateboard collective, or CoMa for short," Scot says. "Will had the opportunity to bring the company to Canada so we bought up the existing stock and accounts, and launched as CoMaCan Skateboards."
Skateboarding has experienced significant growth in recent years driven by the sport becoming more mainstream through its inclusion in the Olympic Games, social media coverage, and the increasing availability of skateparks.
Olympic Games 2024 Skateboarding Mens Park Prelims. Stefan Scheepmaker photo
And with the proliferation of public skate parks the space is free, so cost of entry is essentially the equipment. As skaters progress, the boards become a consumable, eventually wearing out or breaking so CoMaCan’s philosophy is to supply top quality skateboard decks (and accessories) at low prices, to keep the sport fun and accessible.
“Local skate shops have always been the heart of skateboarding,” says Scot. So as well as offering their skateboards, apparel, and accessories for online ordering, CoMaCan has also become a trusted supplier to a growing roster of 15 skate shops across Ontario, 5 in Nova Scotia and one in BC.
Community Outreach
As well as sponsoring the Skate Jam at Waterdown’s Oh Canada Ribfest, you will find Scot & Will at the CoMaCan booth at various events in Hamilton, and Jackalope Festival Mississauga.
Scot has made CoMaCan Skateboards his full-time vocation, and it’s a labour of love.
“Skateboarding is a gift,” says Scot. “It doesn't mean everybody has to be a part of it. But I think everybody can see it as a physical benefit, a mental health benefit, a social benefit. It's a bit of everything”.
Rainy Day at Waterdown Skatepark
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