Drop Skateboarding: Fostering a positive and inclusive skate community

Garrett Connolly is a recent graduate of the University of Utah, having earned a degree in Entrepreneurship. Garrett’s current project, Drop Skateboarding, seeks to foster a creative and welcoming skate community by allowing people to express themselves via custom grip tape and skateboard decks.

Garrett has always been passionate about the subcultures within skateboarding, specifically identifying himself as a member of what he calls the “fringe” community of skating. Rather than identifying with the punk, aggressive skaters, Garrett aligns with the more positive and inclusive fringe community. Having traveled and skated internationally, he saw how welcoming and expressive skate communities could be, something he feels is lacking in Salt Lake City. He aspires to promote that cultural sentiment through custom grip tape art. Showing up to the skate park with his custom-taped board has frequently sparked conversation and connection with other skaters.

As both a student and teaching assistant in the Entrepreneurship department, Garrett sees the value of working on projects in a cohort. He believes that “viewing your own project is like not seeing the forest for the trees. Being a teaching assistant in the Foundry course, I can see what’s wrong with other people’s projects, but I can’t always see that with mine.” Garrett expressed that entrepreneurs need people around them to help reflect the parts of a project that you may be trying to avoid. As a member of the first Doman cohort, Garrett believes that working in a cohort allows you to work in a space that has some guardrails, but still allows you to experiment.

Taking time to reflect on his project, Garrett has realized that the story of the community he wants to create is bigger than just grip tape. He is currently using AI tools to develop skateboard deck art, as well as continuing to refine his grip tape designs to reflect the fringe skating style that he believes will usher in the next generation of skaters. Outside of his project, he channels his creative energy into working on his motorcycle and tending his bonsai garden.