We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shay Sullivan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shay below.

Shay, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I started Sixpack skateboards in 2017. It had been an idea of mine for years before but was something I was always anxious to do. The questions of would people support, is there enough money in it, or if the passion of running some would ever dwindle, were always in my head. What made me take the final plunge in starting it was in early 2017 yet another company I rode for had unfortunately went under. In the years prior I rode for quite a few small companies but in skateboarding it’s hard to keep small businesses alive and flourishing. I’ve always been a support local at every cost kind of guy so I always pushed with the companies who supported me till their final breath. After that other sponsor went under I knew it was time to try to put my own foot print on skateboarding and start what I’ve always wanted to start. It’s been almost 9 years and I’m so thankful to have ridden it out this long. Big shoutout to all the homies and people who support small companies like myself. You’re the real ones!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a skateboarder originally from the Willamette valley in Oregon. I currently reside in placerville, California. I’ve been skateboarding for 22 plus years and it has taken over my life since I was 12. I got into skateboarding because of my older brother and his friends started and like most younger siblings I wanted to do exactly what he did. When he quit skating about a year after I knew that there was no chance I’d ever put the wooden toy away. Here I am at age 34 and still pushing everyday and hunting for the stoke.
When it comes to Sixpack skateboards I offer high quality boards, merch, etc at always an affordable price. The whole reason for doing it is to try to give back to skateboarding for it has given me everything. To this day the reason I do it is because I want people to be able to afford to skateboard and hopefully have it impact their lives just as it has mine. There’s hardly any money in skateboarding so it’s purely always has and always will be for the love it. Skateboardings the best thing on earth. Period.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I’ve always stuck very true to myself and have never let the trends sway the needle so to speak. I can’t speak for others but I truly hope my reputation in sense of people knowing how deeply I care about skateboarding and the community of it has helped grow Sixpack into what it is today. I’m 100 percent skateboarder always.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

I don’t know if I would call Sixpack my side hustle or not, but it’s not my only gig. As most people who own a skateboard company or are professional I still work a full time job, I run a small non profit helping my local community in El dorado county. There’s not a lot of money in skateboarding it’s all just for the love and to hopefully inspire and stoke people out on it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @sixpackskateboards
• Other: Find me at your local skatepark or spots.