Meet Michael Penhale | Full time tattooer, owner and founder of Curbside Skatepark, owner and founder of Churro Face,

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michael Penhale and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michael, what do you attribute your success to?
For each one of the businesses I would say its relationship and community. I grew up in the mountains out here so I could only skate parking garages and shoveled parks if I was lucky. I have always been a skater and when I do it I still feel like I can grasp joy in the most tangible way. I feel like Im twelve on a board and want other people to feel it too so I just made it my goal better peoples lives through creating a sick space like Curbside where kids can skate, learn trades, and build their own community. Since I have been doing this for so long, I have known most of the kids that work for me since they were eight and still thought I was cool. We all come from interesting backgrounds and skateboarding has held us all together and provided for our lives through the ups and downs and we are all willing to fight for that. Our teams loyalty and dedication to the vision are responsible for the success of the park, and my relationships with them is definitely the most important factor to our brand. Out of Curbside’s support and love I was able to begin growing in my tattoo career and recently started a food truck called Churro Face that I know for sure wouldn’t be around if it wasn’t for all the authentic relationships and love.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
So I own an indoor skatepark Curbside Skatepark, a churro and coffee truck called Churro Face, and I am a full time tattooer. I guess I would be most proud that the park is doing well and everyone is getting taken care of, that I have been tattooing for so long and have the coolest clients, and that the dream of free churros and coffee for life is getting closer haha. Definitely wasn’t easy, my path has been riddled with a lot of heart break and loss. I lost both my mentor in tattooing and in skateboarding at the same time went through a sloppy divorce, I was pretty over everything at that moment. But what kept me going was my love for my community, the idea of leaving a legacy to the ones I love, and creating an environment where kids can learn trades and grow as young people. That type of purpose and responsibility gave me a way out of the emotional trap I got set in for a while. If there was one that I want the world to know its that God loves you, skateboarding is super sick, life is short, so get tattooed and eat a churro.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Maaan honestly Denver is getting a little blown out! Definitely not sharing my favorite taco joint cause the line is already getting blown out. I take most outta towners to Petes Kitchen right away just cause its Colfax and that’s Denver baby. Coolest thing to check out in Denver is probably Curbside Skatepark…

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I gotta shout out the Lord first followed by Joel McGinnis, Denver skateboarding, the Hover family, Jon Hall in SanPedro, Jordan Brill, Riley “Spuds” Pusatory, J.D. Pruitt, the Lumenati fam, Jimmy James Halprin, Don Dolifka, the Tarectecans, Jay at Middlestate, Huck Hamill, and anyone else I forgot! Y’all rule!

Website: curbsideskatepark.org

Instagram: @michaelpenhale @curbsideskatepark @thechurroface

Facebook: Curbside Skatepark

Image Credits
Brock Fetch, Chandler Kim