So, skateboards are an essential form of transportation. So Apparition has been open. Since the city has been a ghost town, I've had this itch to ride -- nothing crazy, but like a smooth longboard ride through the ghost city. Ugh... I used to live on Hermosa beach, and that coastline sidewalk all the way up to Venice was primo for riding. I wanted something specific though, I dont do tricks or anything because my body is old plus I'm quarantine fat... I wanted a 43"-50" PINTAIL. Like a surfboard on wheels. So I went by yesterday and they didn't have what I needed, so I bought a dope hat. Then I went into a pawnshop today by my apartment (tbh I'd kinda forgotten about the longboard thing) BUT OMG there was this old skool 90's 43.75" PINTAIL LONGBOARD. I mean literally exactly what the old heads in SoCal would gush over. I negotiated the price down a little, and then went straight to back to apparition. New trucks, new grip tape, new wheels... this baby is sickkkkk. I mean it's completely modded. Basically I just got a dope deck from the pawn shop, and then Michelle in Apparition built this baby for me. read more

Apparition Skateboards - Skate Shops Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I would never think about giving parenting advice but I think all children should have access to a skateboard. Skateboarding saved my life. Skateboarding taught me how to fall. Skateboarding taught me to get back up. I got my first pro model when I was 9 years old and it has been a part of my everyday in some way shape or form. I have always been socially awkward and I could skate alone and eventually found people like myself. I am a part of a culture where skin color, age, weight, class or status doesn't matter. Skaters are skaters for life. If you want to learn i can teach you. If you need gear, go see Troy Bozeman at Apparition Skateboards and he will take care of your needs and answer any questions you may have. Get outside. Skateboarding is fun! read more

I came into the store with my autistic cousin who also has tourettes, they began to berate him for his tic's, telling him to "shut up with your weird noises". I then tried to explain he has tourettes, and instead of apologizing they decided to double down and told us we need to leave the store. I still cannot believe we were treated like this. read more

Excellent shop. Old school like my childhood in L.A. They have everything you need to trick out your board and give great advice.

Definitely going again when I'm in town. I went in for bushings and 5 mins later they're letting me install them with their tools, ended up getting a shop shirt too. Staff is helpful and knowledgeable in the products they sell, good at convos too. read more

Top marks to the awesome owner. Super knowledgeable, friendly, and just plain Rad. Ridiculously Awesome Dude. I bought a zip zinger deck, new bushings, new risers, and picked up some cool stickers. Incredible prices, great selection, and stellar service. ***** read more

Apparition Skateboards - Skate Shops Near Me - Austin, Texas

I couldn't have asked for a better experience. Honestly; I'm convinced this is the most legit spot to realize your skating dreams... haha but seriously!!! This will be my skate shop for life... Despite industry issues with availability (across the board online and witnessed personally in the 4 or 5 other shops i stopped in between two cities); I was able to get a super unique, top notch, inspiring setup that fits my needs... and it was put together with professionalism and insight. Good times! ... I love the board 10 x's more after taking it out for a couple hours after i left... booom booom! read more

My fiancee and I stopped in to build two boards and Michelle couldn't have been more helpful. Pricing was consistent with online shops, they have good selection, and played some great tunes! Awesome local shop!! read more

Awesome place. Nice and friendly help. Bought some new wheels for my grandson's skateboard. Got great, professional help. Also changed the wheels quickly and properly, for free. Highly recommended. read more

I've got to give Apparition a break. I learned from previous experience and started calling before heading over there to shop, just to make sure they're open. They've got a nice selection of boarding and skating gear and they know their stuff. Troy is a really nice dude and he'll go out of your way to bring in what you want if it's not already in the shop. I ordered some wheels and went by to pick them up, but they weren't in yet. I had to go to work, but I needed my wheels for practice the next morning. I wouldn't be able to get back to the shop by the time they came in, so Troy brought them to me at my job later that evening! Seriously, I was impressed. At first I had been pretty frustrated having been there to shop and finding a locked door. But after giving it a second chance, I had a really positive experience. Troy went out of his way to make things right and for me, customer service goes a long long way. read more

Brought my son here to fulfill his 13th birthday dream gift! Customer service was amazing! Troy went above and beyond talking with my son and assisting him in choosing everything he needed for the type of skating my son enjoys. The store has a great selection of quality boards and my son easily found the brand he was seeking. We have been back since then and won't go anywhere else for any of my son's skating wants/needs! read more

This place is so awesome! We lived on North Loop back in the days of Find & Grind & my son was down there every chance he got. Then we moved away & recently we've moved back to the general area. It only took my boy about a week to discover the new skate shop & he left the house saying he was going to "check it out real quick." Two hours later I'm walking down there myself to find my kid! I get there to find him hanging out with the guy who works there (possibly the owner?), fixing up his board & doing tricks. That was almost two months ago. He's quite the regular now. Last time he was in there he came back with a new deck. Well, not new, but newer than the one he'd been skating. I love that this place exists & I can let my 14 year old go down, hang out & not worry about what he's doing or who he's with. They have a little ramp in there now so he can practice his tricks in a place where people won't run him off or bitch at him for skating in their parking lots. And I know he's around good people who just want to share the joys of skating with him. Reminds me of the old days & all the hours we spent at Let's Go (Skate) on 24th. :) I really hope the shop sticks around. read more

If you've purchased much skateboard gear, then you know that it almost always involves a fair amount of interaction with the shop staff/owner, and that's one area where Apparition really stands out. Troy has the knowledge and background required to deal with experienced skaters, but also has an approachable, down-to-earth nature that makes the shop comfortable for everyone, including people who are looking for their first board. Wherever you are on that spectrum, stay out of the mall stores and Austin's more "corporate" skateshops, and give Apparition a try. You'll get great service, and be supporting a local business that is an active member of both the Austin skate scene and the North Loop community. read more

Went in for a skateboard for my sons birthday not knowing anything, came out with a amazing board and a little knowledge. The working was nice and extremely helpful. read more

The owner of this joint, Troy, is a badass dude. He is super chill and really helpful when you need him to be. I have bought a board, and a few pairs of shoes from Apparition, and I have always had a good experience. The only reason I can't give him 5 stars is because of the inventory he keeps. It's just a bit limited. I would love to see him expand with a larger selection of shirts, and shoes mainly. He carries plenty of other gear (decks, wheels, etc), but the shoe and clothing is just a bit lacking. Regardless of that, if you need anything skateboard related definitely check out Apparition because Troy will do his best to hook you up with what you want/need. Pros: Great Service, Good Location, Troy is Rad Cons: Limited Selection of Clothes and Shoes read more

I'm not a skateboarder but I wandered into this shop to check it out and maybe get something for my little brother Jordan. Boy was I surprised. After getting details on J the owner (Troy) had a few good suggestions on what I might buy for him along with telling me to bring him to the shop to try their half pipe in back. Yep - they have a half pipe in back that they are happy to let folks use - even if you haven't purchased anything from them yet. Very cool. Great customer service - great business. When I do buy a skateboard it'll be from Troy. read more

Really surprised by this shop. These are old school guys who really get skateboarding and have been into it for a long time. Not the most visually impressive shop, but they've got a great selection and they're super friendly and knowledgeable. Stepping into this shop is like putting on a well worn pair of shoes. You immediately feel comfortably at home and feel like you've been there forever. read more

This place is really fantastic, I agree with the other reviews!!! The store is very small which that alone will tell you there is not a lot of merchandise or variety but they have the best customer service. No pressure, just straight knowledge based on actual experience. I only take off a star due to their limited selection but they will help you in any way possible for your skateboarding needs. read more

Finally a brick and mortar shop that cares about derby. Apparition goes out of its way to stock quad skater gear essentials. As an added bonus, its a fun place to be. Someone is always skating around inside and the guys that work there are smart and helpful. read more

Love this store. I'm a derby girl and even since I began earlier this year these guys have started stocking more for us gals. From skates to wheels to tools to pads to anything else! If they don't have it, they will order it. Seriously, their store flooded and they still let us know they got a shipment in for the gear we needed. Check em out. read more

Excellent experience. Owner was great, very helpful in setting up my two young boys with their first real skateboards. Very patient and informative. Will definitely go back for any other skate needs. read more

So glad I ended up here! Friendly, knowledgeable, and down-to-earth. Just like the shops of my youth! I started skating again after a nearly decade hiatus: I'm old now, with bad knees and definitely can't do what I used to but still really missed rolling around. Troy was super cool and reassuring and helped make me a setup that would work for my needs and now I'm back to cruising the neighborhood. Even the customers were nice and showed me their own personal boards and let me try them out so see if I would like components of theirs. Thanks for not making me feel like an idiot! read more

I recently wanted to get back into skateboarding after a five year break (tore my ACL playing basketball), and I went to all the local skate shops for research. Troy at Apparition was the only person out of four shops that actually seemed to care about setting me up on a new board. All of the other shops seemed more interested in selling me the most expensive board or not showing any interest in selling me anything. Troy actually took the time to see how I ride and had me test all of the longboards in his shop. When we figured out the best board for my style, which he didn't have in stock, Troy ordered it for me to arrive the next day. (After a few months, I am still in love with the board) The best part was that doing some additional research on my new board online, I could not find the same complete setup for cheaper. Troy also was able to set me up with a sale on a new helmet and took me out to help me get back into my skating stride. I've always thought that the best way to keep customers is to make sure that you give your best when it comes to customer service. Every person that I have dealt with at Apparition has seemed to be genuinely interested in making sure I love my purchase. That's why I will keep going back to them for my skating needs, even if it is out of my way. read more

Just bought a new complete for my daughter. Shop itself was great, huge selection of boards, trucks, wheels and all the fixins. The owner was super helpful and really nice to our kids. It was just the kind of experience I remember back in my skating days and just the kind of experience I want my kids to have associated with skateboarding. Thanks guys, great stuff. read more

I gave 5 stars for the following reasons: - I am picky about my skateboard hardware, but have no problem finding things at the shop that I want to spend $ on. - Whatever they don't have, they go above and beyond to try to get it. Customer service is excellent. Honestly, they're more like a 4.5 because they *could* have more stuff, but this isn't a corporate funded action sports retailer with unlimited buying power, this is a CORE SKATE SHOP. In an age of mall stores and shops that look like fashion boutiques, it's great to see a cool little independent punk rock skate shop like Apparition. This is a throwback to the shops I remember from the late 80's to early 90's. By far my favorite shop in Austin. If you are in the market for a skateboard, you can get an American made "Hearse" board (shop brand) for about $15 less than the average rate for a new deck. I'm currently skating one of their shop decks and it is better than the past several pro model boards I've had. I strongly recommend that anyone who skates check this place out. Stay away from the infiltrators and out of stores like Zumiez, support your skate community and your industry by dealing with the underdog, and Apparition is the underdog. read more

This is a great shop! The guys working there were super friendly. I stopped in to change my mountainboard over to a longboard. I was impressed that they were so willing to take time to make sure it was done right. We tried a couple different trucks and wheels to find the combo that would work best with my deck. They've got a great guys, great selection of boards and hardware, and best of all no attitude! I will definitely be back. read more

Terrible customer service. Would not allow a return of knee pads three hours after purchase because I wore them at Playland for 10 minutes. They were not allowing crossovers because they are too big. Rude. He said he didn't care if he lost derby business because he hadn't had much in a few years. Huh, that is because all the smart people go to Medusa's Skates which has amazing customer service. I'll never be back. read more

so I've been to alot of skateshops across america and I love this place. A lot of cool stuff but my favorite thing was no attitude and that's why I felt the need to leave a review. Where it's located is awesome too. read more

apparition is a killer shop and the owner troy is a really chill guy who goes way out of his way to get people what they want, he even orders stuff for people. he'll also help you find exactly what your looking for even if you dont know what you want. Great selection, great people, super chil read more

Whether you are a newbie or veteran skater, Mr. Troy Bozeman, Proprietor, can help you out. His unpretentious knowledge and approachable demeanor put you at ease. Stop by and take a look around his shop; better yet, purchase and assemble a custom ride for yourself and a loved one. Roll On people, roll on! read more

Nothing can describe this shop other then AMAZING!! you will without a doubt be greeted with a warm local Austin TX welcome! The knowledge troy (the owner) has about skateboarding is out of this world and spot on! they have a wide variety of brands that will make you shop for hours. other then skateboards you can find shirts, pants, skate shoes, skate mags, skate vids, and so much more! Please check them out if you have not already! stay local:) read more

I've bought a ton of stuff (5 or six completes, many tshirts, some sexy undies, a mountain board, a hat and stickers) from Mr. Bozeman's enterprise. How come? Because the owner is good guy, a great fella in fact. amongst his excellent qualities, Mr Bozeman is guy that has deep respect for his trade and the many great skaters, artists and musicians that created a culture and industry around skateboarding. Troy's got respect. Plus, all sort of folks respect him. I have seen all sorts of people enter his shop and get the same genuine treatment, young and old, beginners and pros, mammals and sea creatures, even cartoon characters. He's especially a excellent friend to my little monkey children. In fact, they like him more than they like me. But that don't say crap. Nobody likes me. I smell like catchup and garlic and carmelized onions on crappy cheese. But everyone loves Troy. He smells good. Apparation is a community thing. Support your community. read more

I am an older dude who is definitely not the target clientele of this shop. I checked four of five shops in town before I hit up this one and when I talked to Troy I knew this was the shop where I was gonna get my board. He was cool and listened to what I had to say and had zero attitude towards someone as clueless as me. I love my board and am really glad I bought it here. This shop deserves all the good it has coming to it. 1-2-3-4-5 STARS! Thanks man! read more