Henrietta Skate

Henrietta Skate is a skate and vintage clothing store run by two young creatives who have traded Sydney’s inner west for the northern beaches.

Sheehan and co-founder Peter de Witte, whose friendship was forged at a skate ramp in a Marrickville warehouse, took over the ocean-view shop that was known as Skater HQ (previously Manly Blades) for 28 years. A generational shift is happening, and in the case of Henrietta Skate, it’s centered on bringing contemporary skate culture and a new creative community space to the beaches.

The space has a feature wall lined with decks by skate brands such as Passport and Five Boro and is also stocked with a range of vintage shirts from the ’90s and wind breakers from Sydney-based and overseas suppliers.

The back room is de Witte’s screen-printing studio, Nine Lives, where he prints custom orders for small bars such as Frankie’s Pizza and Earl’s Juke Joint, and the Solotel group. There’s already a range of Henrietta’s branded tees and jumpers in store. And there are plans to use blank vintage tees for the line in the future.

As well as top-range skateboards and protective gear, on the walls you’ll find takes on the Henrietta logo by young Sydney artists, and branded ceramic cups handmade by Sheehan’s mum. They’ve already sponsored a few local skaters, and just a month after opening they transformed the skate shop into an art gallery for a one-night exhibition.

The store backs onto Henrietta Lane, and on the website you’ll find stories about the fictional founder Henrietta: a washed-up rock star who became a pro-skater and decided to open a skate shop where she hosts cool music and art events.