WORKING -- Jared Hamren

-- Story by Angelique Flores, photo by

HE IS

Getting you ready to skateboard

SKATE SHOP

Jared Hamren works at Aftermath, a skateboard, footwear and clothing shop

in Downtown Huntington Beach.

The 20-year-old employee does everything in the store, from stocking and

selling merchandise to pushing the vacuum and cleaning the windows. He

has been working there full-time since the shop opened about seven months

ago.

There are a couple of perks to the job. Hamren said he likes talking to

people, helping customers and sharing his knowledge about skateboarding.

“We get a nice discount on clothing, too,” he said.

That clothing includes the popular, slightly baggy pants and big, chunky

shoes favored by those who skate.

The only thing Hamren doesn’t like is when business is slow, which is

during the week when kids are in school. On busy weekends, he can sell up

to 20 skateboards a day.

SKATEBOARDER

Hamren has picked up most of his knowledge about skateboards through

firsthand experience. He has been skating for about five years and can

usually be seen doing his thing at the Huntington Beach High School skate

park, Edison High School and Mesa View Middle School.

Hamren, who lives in Huntington Beach with his two sisters, also enjoys

playing his guitar and listening to hip-hop music. On warmer days, Hamren

heads to the beach for some bodyboarding.

IT’S ELECTRIC

Before Aftermath, he worked for two years as an electrician.

“It was fun to go into an old building and install a bunch of lights,

then walk out and know that I did all that,” Hamren said.

After Hamren tore a ligament in his leg while skating, he quit and

started working at Aftermath. Though he makes half of what he used to,

this is the career he wants to stick with.

“I’d rather go for something I love and know about,” he said.

CUSTOMERS

“There are a lot of kids my age who are into skateboarding like me,”

Hamren said.

Many of his friends visit the shop, and he makes friends with his

customers. But like many businesses on Main Street, Aftermath sees its

share of the unusual.

“Some people come in not looking for anything. They just want someone to

talk to,” he said.

Hamren also has to take time to educate parents and other clueless

customers on how to put together a good skateboard.

“We get cranky moms and dads in here buying skateboards for their kids,”

he said.

Among the popular customers are local professional skaters who drop by

the shop. Owner of the shop, pro skater Chet Thomas, makes frequent

appearances, as do Geoff Rowley, Arto Saari, Ryan Kenreich, Brian Sumner

and Chad Fernandez.

“They come in to say hi and mingle,” he said. “Kids get excited to see

them,” he said.

HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED

Since Hamren started skating, he has noticed some changes in the sport.

The skateboards are shorter, and the nose and tail are bigger, he said.

Nowadays, skateboarders do more technical flip tricks and skate with more

of a street style.

Over the years, Hamren said he has learned a lot about the skateboarding

business and hopes to stick with it.