Basically, my trip to Missoula was intense mainly due to Premiere Skate Shop on Main Street.

I'm not joking.

I walked in and it wasn't anything like skate shops in IF or in Boise or even the one in Jackson...no one came running over trying to find out what I wanted, no one said "wasssssuuup!" trying to be friendly, and no one stared at me like I was gonna steal something.  Locally owned and operated, owned by skaters and worked by skaters, Premiere is freakin awesome.  The owner's name is Dylan Schliefer...he's about 25 years old, and his manager is about 18.  I talked with the manager dude while I was buying and gripping my board, and he really is a skater.  He's a regular dude. No gimmicks.  He got a call from this girl during the process and talked to her for a bit, hung up, said "God I hate that bitch....girls are worthless" and went back to work.  How intensely awesome is that?  Honesty.  That's what it's all about.  Anyway, I talked to him for like a half hour, whereas most skate shops I've been to want you in and out with your wallet a little bit lighter.  Premiere isn't that way.  Their all about the positive image of skating.  They've got ledges outside the shop for guys to skate on, and a fridge from which they sell drinks.  They just let kids charge stuff to an account and pay later, not interrupt the session going on outside.  Board break?  No problem, grab another, tell the dude while you set it up, and go skate again.  Pay him later.  They're real cool about stuff...it's real laid back and real.  They're not after a quick buck off us like shops in town *cough*  Zumiez and 5-0  *cough*     He gave me his card and a free sticker and said that if I email or call him and order some stuff he'd ship it to me in IF cuz it's cheaper in that shop than anything around here.  If I order like $50 worth of stuff he'll pay shipping.

Now that's taking care of people.
That's brotherhood.
That's skateboarding.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: skateboarding embraces all walks of life, all people.  You can go anywhere in the world and just show up and talk with skaters and you're like automatically friends.