Best Skate Shop

Itchy Foot Moe's
5850 E. Speedway
Starr Skateboard Shop
3459 E. Speedway

READERS' PICK--TIE: Tucson's well-established Itchy Foot Moe's is stocked with skate and snow boarding paraphernalia and componentry, alike. Hanging along the black-painted walls you may expect to find posters, back packs, sweatshirts--maybe a rack of beanies. The back wall is dedicated to skater shoes, while another houses a goodly collection of the boards themselves. Hardware fills the glass display cases; industry stickers also are prominently displayed. As a micro sport, boarding (both kinds) relies heavily on advertising, so it's definitely a name-brand industry. Just perusing the T-shirt rounders provides some merriment in comparing logos and counter-culture (no pun intended) monikers. The service department is always helpful, from the little fix-its to putting together the whole package.

Starr Violet, a co-owner at the new Starr's Skateboard Shop, was a well-known face around Moe's. Now she and some friends have set up shop on a-little-less-East Speedway. Starr, who can usually be found on the premises, has all the angles on what can be ordered from-whom and for-how-much and by-when. In-store, her display case is a feast for the eyes. She's a wealth of information regarding what's cool, and she's got to be the friendliest proprietor on wheels. Starr's makes a great gift shop, too, with skater videos, wallets, belts and skating sundries. Up front there's a big, cushy lounging couch, and in front of that a patch of already well-worn carpet suggesting that, in fact, "Skate boarding is not a crime."