Skateboards, vintage gear and… fresh tattoos? Main Street just got a major dose of local nostalgia with a highly unconventional twist. Original downtown staple Sullys has officially returned to its old neck of the woods, sharing a vibrant new footprint with the team at Addictive Ink.
The business has a long history on the downtown strip. Sullys first opened its doors on Main Street back in 2003 and remained there until 2018, at which point the business moved to Bayside for a fresh start, according to Brandon Henningsmoen, one of the owners. The Bayside shop closed in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A location in CrossIron Mills mall at Balzac opened in 2009 and is one of the longest-running stores still operating in the shopping centre.
The Airdrie store quietly opened its doors back on Main Street in March after “the stars aligned” due to an opportunity to partner with another local institution.
“Colin [Ditchfield] from Addictive Ink came into the [CrossIron Mills] store one night and we got to talking about how he had a lot of extra space he wasn’t really using. We thought it would be fun to go back to the old shop,” says Henningsmoen, the store’s general manager.
A simple decision to reuse the classic Sullys branding quickly caught the community’s attention.
“I put up our old sign and immediately got flooded with messages from old customers and friends asking if we’re opening again, or if they were losing their minds and the sign has always been there,” says Henningsmoen.
While the store goes by many names — including Sullys Boardsports and Sullys Lifestyle — Henningsmoen says the team simply prefers Sullys. Anyone stepping inside the downtown space will find a diverse inventory including clothing, shoes, sunglasses, wallets, skateboards, stickers, outerwear and more. Staff brings in items they want to talk about. In the past, they have sold fishing rods, books, toolboxes, vintage clothes, golf bags and antiques, and continue to search for the next “fresh” item to bring in for their customers.
“I just wanted to say a huge thank you to the community for welcoming us back after a long hiatus,” says Henningsmoen.
“We’re looking forward to old and new faces. It’s not lost on us that this won’t work without the support of the community, and we want to do what we can to make sure we’re doing our part.”
The CrossIron Mills shop recently relocated as well and can now be found next to the Vans store.
