Entrepreneurs out to cure local board-om
JCX Hobby n Skate Shop rolls through first month in Monmouth Junction
BY CHRIS GAETANO
Staff Writer

PHOTOS BY SCOTT PILLING staff Top, Casey Yoder, co-owner of JCX Hobby and Skate shop in Monmouth Junction, holds up one of the many paintball guns that his store sells. Left, JCX Hobby and Skate Shop in Monmouth Junction carries a wide variety of skateboards and skateboarding equipment.

SOUTH BRUNSWICK - A young man skateboards in front of JCX Hobby n Skate Shop at a brisk back-and-forth pace, his black T-shirt and baggy shorts whipping in the wind. When asked if he knew where to find Casey Yoder, one of the month-old store's owners, he nodded and said, "Yeah, that's me." He extended his hand for a shake, his arm covered in elaborate tattoos, before walking inside the store to sit behind the counter.

The inside of the store, located at the former site of a flower shop in a small Ridge Road shopping center, is quiet. Skateboards with intricate designs hang on the walls and T-shirts emblazoned with various logos hang off racks. Sitting on shelves are several radio-controlled vehicles such as gliders and monster trucks, and a room toward the back is stocked with paintball guns and equipment. On the counter is a stray Xbox controller.

"It took us about a month and a half to get this place built," said Yoder, a South Brunswick resident.

JCX Hobby n Skate Shop represents the first major business venture for Yoder, 29, a near lifelong skateboarding enthusiast. Originally intending to find a place to sell clothing that he'd made, he eventually made contact with his business partner, Jody Polanski, 38, who had been looking to open up a skate shop. The idea grew from there, eventually turning into the store he runs today.

The name of the store is simply each person's first initial, followed by X for extreme. Yoder shakes his head when explaining the full name.

"It just doesn't do it for me, like, extreme dude! I'm not like that. That's why I call it [just] JCX," said Yoder.

Yoder, also a professional tattoo artist, said that the past few weeks have been a learning experience.

"It's pretty nerve-wracking for me because this is my first business venture. I get nervous sometimes when I'm sitting here and five hours go by and no one comes in, and then someone does come in and they just take a quick peek and leave. But all in all, the sales were pretty decent the first month in the business. With the horror stories I've heard, it's been pretty good," said Yoder.

Yoder has plans to emphasize the skateboarding aspect of the store, as he hopes to serve the local skating community in ways that he said are not being fulfilled at the moment. He stocks "high end" merchandise and brands such as Plan B, Foundation, Habitat and Alien Workshop to meet with the demands skaters often have of their equipment.

"Skaters are very finicky people," said Yoder, who said that he knows from experience. "I'm not some corporate place. I'm a young guy that has been involved in skating for a long time and I love it and opened a store."

Yoder envisions JCX as not only a place to buy skateboards and parts, but as a hub for the local skateboarding community. Saying that there are a lot of really good skaters in town, Yoder said the store is in the process of starting a youth skateboarding team, with four of the five slots already filled. He hopes it will promote the store, give local kids something fun to do after school and inject what he feels is some much-needed excitement in South Brunswick.

"I've been a supporter of skateboarding for a long time, so that's why I felt the town needs [JCX]. South Brunswick's boring, you know, they need some stuff here, they need some cool stuff," said Yoder.

To this end, he said that support from the local skating community is vital. Having put nearly everything he has into this venture, he hopes that the community can act as an anchor for the store. If all goes well, he'd like to further expand the skate section as well as adding more clothing such as jeans and shoes. As time goes on, he'd also like to have an A and B skateboarding team, allowing both novice and experienced skaters to compete locally.

JCX Hobby n Skate Shop is located at 613 Ridge Road in Monmouth Junction. For more information, call (732) 329-6600 or visit www.myspace.com/jcxhobbynskate.