Man turns his life around and helps others with a skateboard company
Man turns his life around and helps others with a skateboard company By Cat Gloria Justin Smith created the company SPASM skateboards in order to give back to the sport he loves most, skateboarding. Smith started the company in 2014, selling boards with unique designs created by local artists. His goal with the company from the start has been to promote a positive message to the youth so they wouldn't end up on the path he did. Smith grew up in a small town outside of Tallahassee. He began skateboarding at age six when his mom bought him a board at a yard sale for a dollar. That was his safe haven as a kid. His family was poor and dealing with ADHD since the fourth grade, he had issues with schooling from early on. His parents took him out of school in the eighth grade when they found out he spent the whole semester in suspension. “The teacher locked me in the closet because I just couldn’t sit still, I was just so wild he didn’t know what to do with me. So he locked me in the closet. And I would spend all day in middle school locked in the closet,” Smith said. At this point his parents chose to homeschool him. That's when everything got worse. After he would finish his work every day he would go skating, which led him to get mixed up with the wrong crowd. He became involved with a large gang, selling drugs, Smith said. “I was arrested a lot, like I have a lot of arrests on my record, and I am not
proud of it, but it was what I felt like I had to do at the time to survive,” he said. The only way he could escape the gang life was by packing up and moving to live in a tent off of the Suwannee River for almost a decade. He lived off of batteries and solar panels. Living off-grid allowed him to rediscover his love of skateboarding, he said. When he moved to Gainesville years later he wanted to do something to help the kids headed on the wrong path like he once was. It was then that he came up with the idea of his company with the help of his girlfriend Rachel Coke. “His ideas were more about helping underprivileged kids, so he was talking about opening a school or having skateboarding classes or having workshops or having summer programs. I want to eventually get to a point where I am doing something for the community and the kids around here that don’t have these opportunities,” Coke said. That's where SPASM came in. Spasm stands for Seeking Peaceful Awareness by Staying Motivated. Smith got started on the concept and talked to a local skate shop, FreeRide, where he had been a loyal customer for years. They said they would carry his boards and the business kicked off from there. Smith's company doesn't only sell boards, he also mentors a team of skateboarders. Smith finds this part of the company most valuable to him because he can help the kids one-onone with life issues, not just skateboarding. Christian Campos, one of his skaters, admires the company Smith has built. “The company is more than that, it’s more than just skateboarding, it’s
about helping people out and encouraging others,” Campos said. With each board sold, SPASM donates seven meals to The Bread of the Mighty Food Bank, and since the boards are manufactured using maple wood, one tree is planted with every ten boards sold. Smith still skates to this day and will continue for as long as he can. He also plans to expand SPASM in the future and continue to support the youth as much as possible. “I would love to build this company and sponsor more up and coming skaters, help their dreams become a reality,” Smith said.
proud of it, but it was what I felt like I had to do at the time to survive,” he said. The only way he could escape the gang life was by packing up and moving to live in a tent off of the Suwannee River for almost a decade. He lived off of batteries and solar panels. Living off-grid allowed him to rediscover his love of skateboarding, he said. When he moved to Gainesville years later he wanted to do something to help the kids headed on the wrong path like he once was. It was then that he came up with the idea of his company with the help of his girlfriend Rachel Coke. “His ideas were more about helping underprivileged kids, so he was talking about opening a school or having skateboarding classes or having workshops or having summer programs. I want to eventually get to a point where I am doing something for the community and the kids around here that don’t have these opportunities,” Coke said. That's where SPASM came in. Spasm stands for Seeking Peaceful Awareness by Staying Motivated. Smith got started on the concept and talked to a local skate shop, FreeRide, where he had been a loyal customer for years. They said they would carry his boards and the business kicked off from there. Smith's company doesn't only sell boards, he also mentors a team of skateboarders. Smith finds this part of the company most valuable to him because he can help the kids one-onone with life issues, not just skateboarding. Christian Campos, one of his skaters, admires the company Smith has built. “The company is more than that, it’s more than just skateboarding, it’s
about helping people out and encouraging others,” Campos said. With each board sold, SPASM donates seven meals to The Bread of the Mighty Food Bank, and since the boards are manufactured using maple wood, one tree is planted with every ten boards sold. Smith still skates to this day and will continue for as long as he can. He also plans to expand SPASM in the future and continue to support the youth as much as possible. “I would love to build this company and sponsor more up and coming skaters, help their dreams become a reality,” Smith said.
