BOZEMAN– Nate Howe grew up in Bozeman, and has been an avid skateboarder since rolling around MSU’s student housing in the 1970s. After graduating from Bozeman High in 1984, Howe became a staple in the Bozeman music scene, playing with the bands Nate 9000, Steel Pole Bathtub, Connie, and Bearcat 9000, and he ran a house painting business in Bozeman for many years. Recently Howe found himself living in Butte, which is where he first conceived of and opened Cub Power Skate Shop.

Cub Power Skate Shop started a year ago and although business never really took off in Butte, Howe was able to make connections within the skateboarding industry’s top brands and vendors and has had young pros like Klara Kermoade and legends such as Paul Schmitt and Wally Inouye as customers. Howe decided to move his shop to his hometown of Bozeman where there is a larger skateboarding scene. The Cub Power skate team already boasts three members from Bozeman—Greg Moran, Nick Moran, and Stephen Singer, and looks forward to adding more local talent to the roster.

Howe acknowledges that a skateboard shop in Montana is a risky venture, but says, “as a skateboarder, I am used to taking risks. Bozeman already feels like the right move; it really is a special place.”

The shop is located in Bozeman’s oldest shopping center, next door to Bozeman’s original Colombo’s Pizza & Pasta. The back door of the shop slides open to reveal Joe’s Fun Zone, Colombo’s arcade-style game room.

Cub Power Skate Shop opens on Monday, December 12th at 1007 West College Street in Bozeman, for more information call Nate Howe or follow @cubpowerskateshop on Instagram.