Skatopia was founded on an ancient indian burial ground in 1995. Cult Leader Brewce Martin and his followers drove out unresting spirits with the constant rolling and slapping of skateboards. It wasn’t long before Rutland, Ohio became home to one of the last skateboarding compounds in America.
Skatopia has always been Brewce’s dream. Each year, he revises that dream. As a kid, it was unused doors and makeshift ramps. In his early twenties it was touring around the US and conquering the world. Eventually he returned to West Virginia and started building a more permanent Skatopia.
The last phase of Skatopia, before settling in Ohio, was cut short. A quick eviction of dubious methods left Brewce and the first 50 Citizens Investigating Anarchy (C.I.A.) Agents in a pinch. The group came together and was able to raise a little over $5,000 for the down payment of a more skater friendly land.
After the relocation to Rutland, OH, Skatopia expanded. The Museum of Skateboard History was created and housed on site. Over twelve thousand pieces of skateboard heritage have since called the hallways home. Vintage skateboards and Brewce tell the tale of skateboarding through stickers, magazines, and other artwork that has influenced not just a culture but a generation.
Ramp construction has been a continual renewal on the land scape. The barn was retrofitted with the kidney bean. The Church of Skatin, and the Lula Bowl also have come to dot the landscape. Recent developments have called for the total destruction of older ramps and construction of an amphitheater.
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