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    Rip City Skates

    4.9 (147 reviews)
    ModerateSporting Goods
    Closed 11:00 am - 4:00 pm

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    Rip City Skates

    Best skate shop in the world, got my first board here still coming back. Awesome selection of stuff you won't find anywhere else and amazing vibes. Coolest crew, always fun and uplifting to visit. Where skateboarding all began, check it out! A++

    R.I.P. City Skates
    Jason R.

    What a spot! Love this place that's been around since the 80's with these 2 older surf/skate dudes running the joint that bicker like an old married couple, truely comical, but this place is straight out of the late 70's early 80'a what looks like a Wes Bulldog Humpston museum, truely a treasure and when your in Santa Monica you should stop in and support this establishment as it's a part of skate history.

    Laurie B.

    This place is close to my gynecologist office, so I decided to stop in after an appointment. When I was younger, I used to hang out with skaters and punk rockers, so entering this place was nostalgic for me. I felt like a teenager again and wanted to light up a smoke and listen to some "Bad Brains" lol. I wasn't here to take a walk down memory lane after my gynecology appointment though- I was here to buy a gift for my nephew's 13th birthday. He has ADHD and his dad, my brother, thinks skateboarding would be good for him. If you ask me, the kid has A-Hole-HD. But even though my nephew is a fat a-hole, I still have to buy him a birthday present because he's still just a kid. The employee at the shop was nice and showed me a lot of cool skateboards. I told him that I was on my way home from the gynecologist, but he didn't seem interested. I told him that my car was still parked at the gynecologist office, so I might just ride a skateboard back to my car lol. I was just trying to make small talk, but the guy didn't seem to care. Even though it's 2022, men are still squeamish about stuff like the gynecologist and periods and stuff I guess. While I was trying to make up my mind on what to buy, a couple of teenage skateboarders who were about the same age as my nephew came into the shop, so I thought I'd pick their brains about what skateboarding brands they liked. They were definitely "too cool for school" but I managed to make some small talk with them. One of them was named Brian, and I told him that my gynecologist is also named Brian. The other boy was named Luke and I asked him if he was related to Luke Skywalker lol. They were trying to play it cool so I asked Brian if I could bum a smoke. They thought that was cool so we all went outside and shared a cigarette. I made a joke about how I always like to have a smoke after going to the gynecologist. They didn't seem to get it though. After picking their brains about skateboards, they asked me if I would buy them some beer. I told them I would think about it and went back inside to buy a skateboard. At this point I was light-headed from the cigarette and just wanted to get a skateboard and get out of there. Also, I didn't want my car to get a ticket in the gynecologist parking lot. That would suck. My health insurance doesn't cover gynecologist visits, so I didn't want to get a parking ticket on top of the $100 it costs to see Brian the gynecologist. Long story short, I bought a skateboard for my fat nephew and the guy was really helpful even though he didn't seem interested in the fact that my car was still parked at the gynecologist's office. On the way back to my car, I told the kids I would buy them beer for $10 on top of the cost of the beer. They agreed and gave me $30. I told them to wait for me by the McDonald's while I went and bought them beer, but I wound up just stealing their money. They're too young to be drinking and the $30 helped offset the cost of my gynecologist visit and the skateboard I just bought. Overall, this place is great if you need a skateboard!

    Girl Decks.
    Jorge M.

    First time buyer at this location. Customer service was great! Although the shop is very small, they have nothing but the best selling brands. I ended up finding a Girl Deck-Blooming Designs. Best purchase ever! They even gave me a box so I can wrap the Deck- (Christmas present) I'll be coming back to this place for more goodies!

    where else can you buy pro pads for your knees at the price of $74? This place truly has excellent pricing.

    These guys have great prices, and you can tell that this place has some deep skater soul. When you walk into this place, you can really tell that shops like this have kept the industry up and to come here to buy stuff is to also pay homage and support the skating industry as it began in the 70s. and as a matter of fact, the shop was built in 1978 and is still up and running today. Many businesses do not make it this far and it's an honor to buy and purchase stuff from the shop like this that's been around for so long.. Support these small shops that have been around so long because it's good karma .

    Sk8 art

    The staff at RipCity Skateboard shop are extremely knowledgeable and very helpful. There is an array of outstanding apparel and skateboard related merchandise. The walls are adorned with priceless skateboarding memorabilia. A must vist sk8 shop for the hard-core skateboard enthusiasts!!

    me n the crew, next to the alva board  selfie taken at the eager behest of the fun, spry, snapback man
    Jana R.

    what a store! what a place! like most college students, i utilized the leg-based art of walking to class, but i wanted a faster mode of transportation that didn't involve me being winded once i got to my lectures (i.e skateboard) (also, i don't care enough to actually run to class or wake up early lmao) we came in late on a saturday, about an hour before closing. the time spent there went beyond shop hours, but the staff was endlessly patient and answered all of our questions some highlights: - a fun, spry man with a backwards snapback informed me on the history of skating and cruiser boards. furthermore, he looked panicked when i said i didn't know who tony alva was - another employee gave me a little demo on foot placement in the parking lot next to the store! he didn't have to give me advice but he did. also he gave me a sticker :) tldr: got a board that matched my hair, almost ate $#!t in front of a woman driving a nissan at the carl's jr. drive thru out of respect to the folks in this photo i blurred out their faces :-) hopefully you get the same sense of excitement and confusion i felt at the time

    Dopest skate shop in the world!
    Willard K.

    Blown away... Most incredible skate shop I've ever seen. Seeking Authentic culture? Skate no further.

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    6 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    7 months ago

    A great "original" (1978) skate shop, with great selection, prices and "old school" advice. I visit every time I'm in LA.

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    1 year ago

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    4 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

    Old school cool, nice to know that places like this still exist! Helpful laid back environment

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    5 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Great customer service and friendly staff. My son got his first board here and they care all the safety gear we needed for him.

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    7 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Legendary spot. Cool people. Good products. Definitely the spot for skate stuff on the West Side.

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    9 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    19 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    6 years ago

    If you call yourself a skateboarder and never been to RIP CITY, you're just a straight POSER KOOK!

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    5 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Legendary skateboard shop.Verny helpful and knowledgeable staff. They had good recommendations on local skatepark to check out.

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    5 years ago

    Bought Roller Skates for my baby's 21st. Awesome store, awesome people.

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    10 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    Rip City Skates Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Rip City Skates

    Any recommendations for skateboard lessons for my 13 yr old son?

    Check in with your local skateboard shop or with jim he knows many skaters that come in and out of the shop.

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    Review Highlights - Rip City Skates

    At this point I was light-headed from the cigarette and just wanted to get a skateboard and get out of there.

    Mentioned in 18 reviews

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    Big 5 Sporting Goods

    Big 5 Sporting Goods

    2.9
    (103 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    If you want to go to a place where people ignore you the entire time you're in there and then treat…read moreyou like shit when you go to ring up. This is the place for you! In dealing with the assistant manager who argues with you, rolls his eyes, tells the customer that they are wrong (despite his inability to do a simple exchange and a return with two separate receipts) & then still get charged incorrectly. We left with discontent for a place that once was a childhood staple. As he spent 20 minutes trying to do so while slamming the scanner, refusing to listen or admit fault, & making a lady wait behind when he could have called someone else... I began to wonder how this place stays open. In going on a separate occasion I watched another teller ignore an elderly man making a purchase, & consistently give him attitude as he inquired about his purchases. Additionally there's no common customer service or hello or thank you & in turn you're ignored. I rarely say this but I would have interacted with a robot instead of a human.

    I love this store. The biggest clearance sale of the year did not disappoint. The store is so big…read moreit has 2 stories. It was clean and well organized. Well staffed, no waiting, and help if you need it. No bathroom. The clearance rack had some really low sticker prices, and when I got to the register they rang up even lower than the sticker prices. And the cashier gave me an additional 10% off my entire bill just for my email address. I left with a huge bag of clothing 7 items for less than $80. My whole shopping experience was great.

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    Big 5 Sporting Goods
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    Rip City Skates - sportgoods - Updated June 2026

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