Whatever the board—skate, surf or snow—Nine Star's got what all the cool alternative-sports feet want to balance on.

Much of Nine Star's real estate is devoted to providing gear and style to (above-) average skaters. Kicks like Vans, Circa and Nike cover the back wall along with aggressive prints on T-shirts and hoodies courtesy of LRG and RVCA. On the racks and on the customers, skinny jeans frolic among the wide-legged. According to the staff, the skinny-jean clique take advantage of the indoor-skating floor space (next to candy and sodas and BMX bikes), while the hip-hop-looking kids drape themselves over the green leather couches in the lounge where they can take advantage of the flat-screen TV, internet access and the jukebox. (Parents often drop off their shaggy-haired teens and, well…later, skater.) A minimal amount of snow apparel got us sweaty just looking at it; there's a modest portion of seasonal girls' gear as well. Surf attire—wet suits, Reef sandals, O'Neill board shorts—remains standard, but skateboards are canvases of outrageousness, from tabloid-covered to panda-adorned. —Lien Ta