About

Imagine you went to work every day doing something rewarding that you were truly passionate about. Those jobs can be rare, so rather than searching for that elusive role you could create your own. That’s exactly what Portage la Prairie’s Gavin Barrett and Joel Baker did, opening Scam Skate on Graham Avenue in downtown Winnipeg. Their business didn’t start out in a typical way though, as they were only two grade 11 students who decided to start printing t-shirts. The custom designs became popular in their high school and they soon got their products onto the shelves in a local skate shop. These guys were onto something, and they didn’t stop there. Rolling up their sleeves as true entrepreneurs, they graduated and began to make custom skateboards, longboards and more apparel for their sport. In 2013, Scam Skate was born and has been growing ever since. Priding themselves on their craftsmanship and customer service, the guys ensure every board leaves the shop with very high standard. They design all the merchandise themselves and make each board by hand, often going above and beyond the typical industry standards. They tell us that the quality of the wood can make a real difference in a deck, so they ensure their supply is inspected and chosen carefully. The materials are precision cut and then pressed in machined forms for a perfect bond to cure properly, inside the forms to make for a better end product. Adhering to such quality standards is impressive since every business knows that time equals money. Their happy customers are what is truly important to them, and that will continue to bring great success for this Manitoba duo.