Professor Paul Schmitt did not start out in a fancy skate shop or a big studio.
He grew up in La Crosse, Wisconsin, tinkering with wood and fiberglass, figuring out how to make rails that would stand up to skaters’ tricks.
From there, he moved to Tampa, turning his bedroom into a mini workshop, making boards by hand and experimenting with new materials while crafting the first plastic rails.
That is where Schmitt Stix was born, a small idea that would grow into something much bigger.
Eventually he packed up and moved to Costa Mesa to make boards for VisionSports and Schmitt Stix, learning the ropes of the industry and shaping decks to match what skaters really wanted.
He later left Vision to start The New Deal with Steve Douglas and Andy Howell, then formed PS Stix, honing boards down to the tiniest details, from how Nano Tubes affect your pop to the exact process that goes into making a single skateboard deck.
Along the way he shared his knowledge with schools through his Create A Skate program, inspiring the next generation of skaters to grab a board and start creating.
After more than 40 years in business and helping the skateboarding scene, Professor Paul Schmitt has closed the doors to his Costa Mesa workshop.
In an Instagram post, he looked back on all the years he spent building, experimenting, and kicking it with everyone who rolled through his space.
“My workshop in Costa Mesa is now gone after living and working here for 40.6 years. It’s time to move on,” Schmitt shared. “This space has brought me a lot of creativity and joy. If you ever visited and were part of the process, thank you.”
The workshop had been the spot for his work with SchmittStix, SlideRails, and skateboards. It also hosted his moving sale, where friends, fans, and fellow skaters came through to check it out one last time.
Professor Schmitt gave a shout-out to everyone who came out and vibed with him, sharing stories and perspectives about his work over the years.
When a skater hit him up on Instagram asking if he was retiring or moving somewhere else, Schmitt said, “I turned 62 last week and might be taking early retirement.”
After all those years grinding and making stuff happen, Professor Schmitt is closing this chapter but keeping the memories.
The workshop might be gone, but the laughs, the tricks, the late nights, and the people he met will stick with him way longer than the walls ever did.
It isn’t really the end, just a new spot to keep doing what he loves and keep skating alive.