For many vehicleless UA students, buses, shuttles and bicycles are great alternatives for getting to and from campus. Similarly, rollerblades, skateboards, longboards, even unicycles get students from class to class quickly.
They don't sell unicycles or bikes, but The Shredding Edge is a new local shop providing many students with skateboards, longboards, clothing and other skater paraphernalia.
Formerly located at 2520 N. Campbell Ave., the shop was recently relocated to 747 N. Park Ave., right off University Boulevard, in December.
"For skateboards, a lot of kids from Tucson High come here," said Josh Rolf, TSE manager.
Now closer to campus, an influx of UA students have come in to purchase longboards, snowboards and clothing.
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Brody Wixted, an engineering management junior, recently purchased the trucks for his longboard at TSE. Because he works next door at Jimmy John's, he's never a stranger.
Rolf said longboarding has become more popular among college students because of its rider-friendly ingenuity.
"It's easier to ride it and it can accommodate huge wheels, which can roll over lots of stuff," he said.
Rocks and large cracks on the sidewalk, for instance, oftentimes send skateboarders flying when they roll over them.
Longboard brands, include Landyachtz, of Vancouver, B.C., and skateboard brands include Element, Flip, Shorties and Consolidated. Now that snowboarding season is over, all snowboards and related materials are on clearance.
Matt Ludden, a liberal arts senior with a focus in cartoon animation, has worked at TSE off and on for more than a year. He's now operating at full capacity at the store's new location after tearing up some ligaments in his right knee while snowboarding back in April.
"We have a very wide clientele of all ages," he said.
There are no age limits on purchasing boards of any kind, and Ludden said it's a good idea for skateboarders to start riding at a younger age.
"They're more fearless, more headstrong when they're young," he said. "You just fly."
Besides the various types of boards, clothing and other paraphernalia, a mini half-pipe ramp is under construction at the hands of Rolf, Ludden and Kevin Newman, the store's owner who first opened TSE six years ago, said Ludden.
Andres Urreiztieta, a pre-communication junior, has been shopping at TSE for three years and became an employee of the store this week.
Though born in Caracas, Venezuela, Urreiztieta has lived in Tucson most of his life and has known Rolf for more than eight years. The two have been riding longboards together for seven.
"I borrowed one from a friend and realized I was the rightful owner," Urreiztieta said of his first encounter with a longboard. "It was meant for me."
Though Urreiztieta has broken a few longboards and skateboards over the years, he was riding around the UA long before he became a student.
As more and more students take up longboarding, he hopes residents will become more accepting of it.
"Tucson is great for riding longboards downhill. Sadly, a few Tucsonans don't believe we have the same rights as bicyclists to enjoy Tucson's beautiful hills and inviting pavement."
Like many of his fellow UA students, Urreiztieta favors his longboard for campus riding.
"It is easier to ride around campus on a longboard as opposed to a skateboard because you have a larger platform and bigger, softer wheels that provide a faster, smoother ride," he said. "You travel farther with less effort."
Urreiztieta said he has purchased many longboards at TSE over the years because it is the most supportive longboarding shop in Tucson.