Get to know: CENTRE Scooters

Without a doubt one of the biggest scenes in the sport, is Australia. That being said, one thing that really sets Australia apart from the scene in the US, is the lack of companies there making parts. Instead a lot of Aussies are forced to wait for shops in Aus to carry parts made in the US, and then pay a large amount of money for them. With the exception of MaddGear and a select few other companies in Aus making quality parts, it's good to see new companies popping up...and even better, Rider owned companies. So to get to know the two riders behind Centre scooters a little bit more I caught up with them and had a little interview. Check it out below.


1. So where were you guys born, raised, and currently live?

Luke: My name is Luke Dallest, I'm 16 years old, currently in year 11 at Assumption College and studying in tafe for engineering. I am the youngest in my family of 5 and the only one still living at home. I am currently living in kilmore, Victoria on a small farm of 20 acres. I have lived in kilmore for 14 years now and before that I lived in Watsonia, Melbourne for the first two years of my life.

James: My name is James Hobson, I'm 16 years old and currently in the same year as Luke at assumption. I am the oldest of 3 with my bro and sister. I am currently living in criagieburn Victoria. I have been living in criagieburn all my life and know the place like the back of my hand lol.



2. How long have you guys been riding scooters?

Luke and James: Well we have both been riding scooters for a while now but James has been riding for about two and a half years and Luke has been riding for one and a half years but before that James rode mountain bikes and I rode BMX for about a year before James got me into the developing sport of scootering, back then it was not really big at all over here and I just used to see them as snakes. But we both had a bit of background in riding.



3. How did the idea come around for you guys to start making and selling your own parts?

Luke and James: Well it all started one day at school (ACK) at lunch time in the normal hang out when we were talking about scooters and scooter websites we knew of (hardly any) and we said ‘it would be sick if there was a rider own and run business that sold custom scooter parts’ especially for scootering, and since I had already made bars and pegs for me and James so we had some sort of idea. It wasn’t for a few weeks later that Luke came up with the name and we started to sell and represent ourselves threw centre.



4. Was it hard for you guys to get started?

Luke and James: Well, it was not that hard to get started because we were not focused on getting money and selling parts that was all just an extra. Centre started out more to just put a name to our new ideas and to get some extra money for buying the essentials like wheels and grips for our scooters. I think that centre is more about putting quality product on the market with new ideas for people to try out and run. Making scootering better for the world and making something that is worth while spending money on.




5. What was the first product you guys started making?

Luke and James: the first products we sold were pegs and bars and we had a cheap product so people were willing to try out new things and buy the product. That was a big step for centre, making a cheap product isn’t easy but when the price on most things In Australia is so high it was easy to make a quality product cheap and we didn’t have all of the extra things to pay for like most other companies. Cash in the pocket.



6. How many products do you guys plan on making now?

Luke: Well we don’t really have and exact amount or goal for the products to sell because we will always be making and expanding on product. But, I suppose we would like to have a 1 piece deck, signature bars, two types of pegs, stockies and stylers for the more hardcore peg riders which is a two piece peg, and 2 different types of forks, zero offset forks and some new solid aluminum forks. We will have a signature product which is what our team member would create and as a team create and design.



7. What is your goal with Centre Scooters?

Luke and James: Our main goal with centre Scooters is to create quality products that revolutionize the sport of scootering. To come up new innovative products that are cheap and quality that we can sell through a website to any scooterers. We want to have a team of about 4 including Luke and James that know how to ride as well as have good quality ideas. We want to make a website as well as a few videos and post all the new ideas as well as reviews on anything in the community of scootering whether it be parks, products or DVDs.



8. What do you guys want to accomplish in 2010?

Luke and James: 2010 will be a big year for centre, we want to make the team and have them constantly trying out new products and giving us feedback. We want to have new products and get that deck finished by the middle of this year. We would love to get the website up and running and make some videos as well as maybe host a comp with a few giveaways, not sure where it will be yet thought. This year will pretty much be the launch for centre getting the name out to people everywhere and telling people of what we do.



9. Any last words?

Luke and James: Well we would like to thank Inside Scooters especially with helping us with centre we won’t forget what you did for us and will be sure to give you all the updates on what we do. I would also like to thank LNP engineering for letting us use the workshop and all your resources. We also like to that our family and friend for all the support you have giving us, thanks heaps.



Big thanks to Luke and James for taking the time to do the interview. Inside-Scooters wishes them nothing but the best in the sport.