Business Spotlight: Wheel House is a business in motion

An object in motion stays in motion, Sir Isaac Newton's First Law of Motion states.

Carson City residents Matthew Bartak and Teak Dopf have got inertia down to a science. They haven't stopped moving since the first time they touched a set of wheels.

They've ridden bikes, skateboards, scooters and skates. They loved them all so much that the two friends became partners in a business two years ago that took their passion for riding to another level.

Bartak and Dopf opened The Wheel House in July 2014, hoping to spread their love of the riding sports to others in the community.

"We are a shop based on movement," said Dopf, who acts as facility manager of The Wheel House. "We provide the community a place to grow in the non-traditional sports."

And by growth Dopf means there's more to The Wheel House than a 2,000 square-foot retail space for skateboards, scooters, roller skates, BMX, fixed-gear bicycles, and accessories for riding sports.

It's also a venue for training and learning.

"Balance, strength training, health and nutrition, all ofthe elements can help promote progression into the sports," Bartak said. "Our goal is to grow with the community, and support the positive energy of being healthy and being outdoors."

Attached to the retail space is a 2,000 square-foot training facility complete with a full-sized, custom-built half-pipe that Dopf and Bartak designed and constructed.

The structure was built using old-school design work such as rails, boxes and ramps meant to keep the nostalgia of skateboarding alive. But its touches also appeal to modern day scooter and BMX riders, too.

Bartak and Dopf use the training facility to teach new riders fundamentals and safety, while helping experienced riders develop new techniques that make them even better.

The training space also includes free weights for strength training, ropes and steps for coordination, and medicine balls for balance work.

But conditioning doesn't stop there.

Bartak and Dopf also insist upon proper hydration and healthy eating habits as part of becoming a well-rounded athlete.

Drinking water supplied at their training facility comes from the subterranean thermal mineral reservoirs at Carson Hot Springs Resort. It is purified using a special filtration system and properly pH balanced for nutrition.

Bartak and Dopf believe responsible training leads to responsible riding, which does much more to advance the sports they love so much than just turning tricks.

"We try to provide the knowledge that comes with riding," Dopf said.

That said, though, tricks are also a large part of the fun and attraction of riding sports.

So, Bartak and Dopf established a riding team at The Wheel House with a vision of promoting riding sports out in the community.

Bartak heads the team, a dynamic collection of skateboarders, scooter and BMX riders, and even mixed martial arts. The team puts on clinics at skate parks in the community for the benefit of younger or amateur riders who desire to learn more about their respective sports.

Team Wheel House, which trains outdoors at the Mills Park and James Lee Park skate parks, also attends small competitions, skate jams, and goes head-to-head at times with other skate shops in public demonstrations or exhibitions.

Bartak said team members are selected more on attitude than athleticism.

"We use the term 'positive energy' a lot," Bartak said. "We pick our team members because of their positive energy, and not for their talent."

It's positive energy that Dopf and Bartak hope to spread more than anything else with The Wheel House.

They teach not only good riding skills, but also good stewardship of the facilities they use in the community.

At Mills Park, where Team Wheel House does most of its outdoor training, the skate park is cared for and maintained by team members and students. They drain the water out of the bottom of the sink so the concrete will be dry for other riders.

Being part of the community they grew up in, after all, is just as important to Dopf and Bartak as the riding sports they love.

"Future goals of where we are headed is geared toward community improvements," Dopf said, "including more facilities with which to train and progress as athletes."

The Wheel House is located at 291 Rhodes Street in South Carson City. It is situated between Greenhouse Garden Center and Liaison Salon and Spa off South Curry Street.

Visit The Wheel House online at www.wheelhousecc.com or find it on Facebook.