Women-owned Rotten Hearts Skate Shop opens, energizing Fort Myers skate scene

A new skate shop has arrived in Fort Myers, offering a unique twist as the city's only dedicated women-owned skate shop. 

Rotten Hearts Skate Shop, which opened its doors recently, is the brainchild of owners Cammi Laboa and Jessica Blair. 

The duo met six and a half years ago through their shared love for roller derby and decided to turn their passion into a hub for local skaters and artists.

Anthony Morrison, a local skater, expressed his excitement about the shop's opening.

"I walk in, and I'm like, oh, this place feels like home. I like this place. But it's awesome. I really do truly feel like this place will help kind of jumpstart the skate scene back again," said Morrison.

For longtime skaters, the shop fills a significant gap in the city.

"This is the only one. And I mean, I think, you know, just the vibe of them knowing what skating is all about," said Melvin Smith, a customer.

Owners Laboa and Blair aimed to create a space that brings the community together.

"Our main goal is to get the community together. We plan on doing skate workshops. We're trying to connect with the skate park located in Cape Eagle. We plan to host watch parties here and possibly some pop-ups. Just really trying to have something for the community that hasn't been here for a long time," said Laboa and Blair.

The shop's punk, grunge, horror-inspired look is designed to feel authentic and not typical of Florida.

"We kind of wanted it to be more us, which is horror, funky, weird. We just wanted to feel like, I don't know, like a genuine atmosphere that people would want just to be inside of," said Laboa and Blair.

The authenticity extends to the shop's offerings, providing a platform for local artists to sell their work.

"There's, you know, not always a ton of opportunities for artists, especially small artists, to get into stores like this without worrying about, you know, people taking most of your profit or whatever," said Rebekah Smith, a local artist.

Rotten Hearts Skate Shop aims to foster a sense of community among skaters and artists alike in Fort Myers.