SHELBY, Ohio – BlackHole Racing began as a nickname, “The Black Hole,” during Lamar Melton’s speed skating days and later became the name of his online business, managed from his home and previously featured in the Richland Source entrepreneur series. BlackHole Racing has since evolved to become a “one stop skate shop,” conveniently located near Shelby’s skate park.
Melton hadn’t planned things that way when he moved his workshop into the available space in Shelby.
“My business just keeps changing, and it’s not so much me changing as just what happens,” he explained. The move to the Shelby location, near a skate park popular with young skateboarders, brought about a few of those changes.
“Everyone asked if I was going to have skateboard stuff, and it’s not that much different than what I do,” said Melton, who now carries a full line of skateboarding supplies in addition to custom built inline racing boots, equipment, slide boards, and skate wear.
Melton said the business evolution was unexpected, but just made sense.
“What I did was not normally for the average skater…but if you look at recreational skaters, there are fifty of those to every speed skater. And the skateboarding stuff just kind of evolved,” he said.
“Skating is skating. It doesn’t matter if you’re a speed skater, rec skater, hockey player, or skateboarder. There’s pretty much a common thread between skaters,” he said.
Melton explained that skaters tend to have a language all their own, “We’re a different kind of breed, I guess. I get kids that come in at least once a day and the only thing they want to do is talk about skateboarding and tricks that they do. Skaters are different like that, we just like to talk about what we do.”
Melton said he still crafts custom racing boots, but that a huge part of his sales has always been portable slide boards. Skaters use them to stay in peak condition, and many non-skaters enjoy using them as a way to get into shape.
“I’d like to sell a slide board out of the shop, just because,” he said, noting that they are a best-selling product online, listed under specialty items on his website.
Skateboarding equipment isn’t the only new thing for BlackHole Racing, said Melton.
“They are now allowing 125 millimeter wheels in [inline speed skating] competition, which means you have to retool,” he noted.
Ever the entrepreneur, Melton is working with students at Pioneer Career and Technology Center to create a skate frame suitable for the new racing standards.
“There were always plenty of frames out there, and no reason for me to get into the frame business. Well, new wheels means everyone has to retool and get new stuff,” he said. “Now I can start at the same place [other manufacturers] are, so I started coming up with designs.”
Melton said he spoke with Pioneer’s engineering department and now has a design ready for prototype. “I’ll skate on it and see if I can break it,” said Melton. “If I can’t break it, I know it’s good.”
Melton noted the change from strictly Internet sales to retail shop space has been both challenging and inspirational. Since he has to be in the shop every day, he said he often has to look for things to keep him occupied.
“I’m not busy every single day. Now that I have a store, it makes me think of something. I can either sit here on the computer and surf the Internet all day – boring!- or I can try and figure something else out, make something else. I’m always trying to think of something to build,” he said.
As for future plans for BlackHole Racing, Melton said, “This was not part of the plan, but you never know where I’ll be next. I may even have a skating rink someday.”
BlackHole Racing is located at 28 W. Main St., Shelby, and also offers custom carbon fiber and fiberglass work, sewing and alterations, and skating and shoe repair in addition to a full line of skating apparel, accessories, and slide boards.
Richland Source featured many local entrepreneurs in its Eye on Entrepreneurs series which began last year. Now we plan to check in with a few of them and see where they are now, one year later.
