Pete From Hogtown

Hogtown Extreme Sports has been around for as long as I can remember. I’ve seen the owner, Pete, on CBC news a few times when they wanted to talk to someone about the history of skateboarding. He pretty much knows it all. In the mid-nineties he started selling bikes. Hogtown’s been one of Canada’s best shops ever since. He's a good guy who's always happy to help out and support us when we're putting on events. He’s going to be supporting the Animal Street Jam on June 6th when they come to Toronto. Check out what he had to say in a little interview.

How long have you been in business?
I started the skateboard/snowboard part in '83 in a roach infested hole. By '87 skating came back huge. Can you say CA-CHING? (sing along) So we loaded up the truck and we moved to Main and Danforth -empty swimmin pools - no movie stars (insert banjo mus-ak now). By '91 skaters sucked but then snowboarding got biiiiiig (play banjo again). By '95 skaters and snowboarders were really taking the fun out of it. Doug Pilkey and the fruit booters were the only ones keeping the dream alive. They were keeping Rampage and then the Vaughn Sports Village open. I knew maybe two skaters still riding tranny. The GT rep came into my shop and said 'hey you should start selling bikes.' WHAT?! Anyway, we did, and it’s worked out really well. Thanks to great support of our suppliers like Ten Pack and MacNeil more kids of all ages are living the dream!

I know it’s been a while but what made you want to start a shop?
I started the shop so as I could get any skatin' er snowboard stuff I wanted fer my ugly self, and to meet women. The women part didn’t work out soos good.

Where did the name Hogtown came from? Does it come from the old nickname of Toronto?
Hogtown, (Toronto) being at one time the biggest pork producers in the world. Dogtown (San-Diego) being the birth place of Tranny.

You were always a huge supporter of the Metro Jam when it was happening. How important do you think events like this are for the BMX scene.
Important, but people are going to keep riding just the same.

You’ve been around this sport for a long time. What are the biggest changes that you’ve seen?
Light bikes, then heavy bikes, then light. Brakeless, it’s all good.