David Greenwald, manager of the Launch Board Shop on Jackson Rd., isn’t a naturally doleful personality, but looking out at the Jackson resurfacing he loses a little of his bounce. “It’s a great place, theoretically,” he says–just across Vets Park is the new Ann Arbor Skatepark. “We haven’t been kicked in the shins quite as much as other businesses along Jackson Rd. because kids from the Skatepark often roll over here on their boards.” Technically, that’s illegal though “if you’re going from point A to point B, the cops don’t usually care. They’ll only tell you to ‘pick it up’ if you start ‘sessioning,'” he says, skateboard talk for commandeering an area to practice tricks. (Police service specialist Chris Briney clarified what Greenwald meant. It’s mostly legal to board on city sidewalks “as long as you yield to pedestrians,” he says, but “it’s always illegal to skateboard on city streets.” That makes it impossible to legally ride a skateboard for any stretch longer than a city block.)

Launch is at the moment a small shop entirely devoted to skateboarding, although in the summer he and owner John Causland are considering adding some swimwear and accessories–the shop is almost directly across from Vets Pool.

Serious boarders eventually acquire shoes, tools, multiple boards, and various kinds of safety equipment, all of which are carried here. Greenwald shows off one thing that’s trending at the moment: Penny boards. “They’re all-plastic, light, retro. You can stick them in a backpack.”

Launch Board Shop, 2321 Jackson, 827-9583. Mon.-Fri. 3-7 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. noon-5 p.m. launchboardshop.com