In August 2009, Ryan Galbraith and Chris Stinson rode 49cc Pocketbikes from south of Denver to Sturgis, South Dakota, covering 445 miles at an average of 20 miles per hour. Over three days, the two set a Guinness World Record for the longest journey on a mini-motorcycle.
"We're overly motivated to do ridiculous things," Galbraith says. "We're very motivated, hardworking guys, but we're twelve years old at heart."
After working in the action-sports industry for years, the two have now embarked on a different journey: Cheapskates Action Sports Bar, which opened Memorial Day in the former home of Bliss Cafe, 7501 Grandview Avenue in Arvada.
The partners had gutted the space, doing the construction work themselves to create a bar that celebrates the growing action-sports scene in Colorado, which Galbraith considers a mecca for everything from dirt bikes and mountain bikes to skiing and snowboarding. "It's incredible out here," he says. "And it's building so fast. It's mind-boggling to see how the sports grow every year."
Part of the reason for that popularity could be that Generation X kids like Galbraith, still into skateboarding, snowboarding and downhill in their thirties, are passing those passions down to their kids. "For the first time, these little kids are growing up watching their dads skateboard instead of just throwing a baseball around," he says. Cheapskates is also reaching out to fans of motocross, one of the fastest-growing sports in the country; the partners plan to show the motocross nationals all summer in surround sound.
While the bar caters to fans of not-so-mainstream sports, Galbraith says he wanted to be sure the place has a clean and classy look. "I didn't just want to hang a hundred skate decks on the wall," he explains, "because that tends to scare people away who aren't Generation X and didn't grow up that way."
The partners chose the name Cheapskates to reflect the concept of "pricing to our customer without dropping the quality, which meant undercutting pretty much everyone in the neighborhood on food and drinks," Galbraith says. The lineup includes beer on tap from such local breweries as Great Divide, Odell and New Belgium; the emphasis is on local sources for the food menu, too, which includes a half-pound burger, taco pie, fries and tots. From 7 to 10 p.m. on Saturdays, Cheapskates also offers an-all-you-can-eat pulled-pork special for $5. And while some of the other joints in Olde Town Arvada shut down somewhat early, Cheapskates features a late-night menu served until last call, at 2 a.m.
Club scout: After more than a decade-long run, 5 Degrees closed last weekend. The building at 1475 Lawrence Street that had housed the club is turning into the University of Colorado Denver Business School, and with that construction project, there was no way that 5 Degrees could continue, says Paulina Szafranski, president of marketing for Lotus Concepts. But Lotus still has plenty of projects keeping it busy, including Chloe, the new club now slated for a July opening in the former home of Ruth's Chris, at 1445 Market Street.
On Thursday, June 9, DJ Stero-Lion will kick off Rockstar Reggae Thursdays at Rockstar Lounge (940 Lincoln Street), where he and guest DJs will be spinning roots reggae and dancehall. There will be drink specials all night, including $3 Red Stripes and Heinekens; ladies get in free until 11 p.m.
