30+ Years of Keeping the Valley on Boards

Boardgarden opened its doors on Jefferson Street in 1993, back when skateboarding in Napa Valley meant driving to the Bay Area if you wanted real gear. Three decades later, we're still here — and still the only dedicated skate and snowboard shop within 30 miles.

That kind of longevity doesn't happen by accident. It happens because of the people who've walked through the door: kids getting their first board, parents outfitting a family for a Tahoe trip, longtime riders who've bought boards here since middle school and now bring their own kids in for the same thing.

Owner Kevin O'Brien has been the face of Boardgarden for years, known as much for his patience with total beginners as his depth of knowledge with lifelong riders. Ask anyone who's shopped here and you'll hear some version of the same thing: no pressure, real advice, and a shop that actually cares whether you leave with the right gear — not just any gear.

Boardgarden isn't just a retail counter. We coach skate lessons at Kennedy Park, run summer SkateCamp sessions for Napa kids, host birthday parties that get kids off screens and onto boards, and show up for local events and fundraisers because Napa's skate community is something we helped build, not just sell to. We've watched skateboarding go from a niche hobby to an Olympic sport, watched snowboard technology transform twice over, and watched three decades of Napa Valley kids grow up on our ramps and boards. Through all of it, the mission hasn't changed: keep the Valley on boards, one setup, one lesson, and one repair at a time.