For Jeff Veale and the two other co-owners of skate shop Fast Forward, which opened in August at the Gateway Shopping Center on Capital of Texas Hwy., the notion of second chances is a familiar one.

Gerry Anderson and Brandon Batton, two skateboard enthusiasts, opened the first Fast Forward in 1984 in Irving, Texas. Within about 20 years, the company had grown to 22 stores around Texas and had caught the eye of Zumiez, a well-known skate and snowboard national apparel chain.

In 2006, Batton and Anderson sold the shop to Zumiez, but after the three-year noncompete clause of the contract was up, the duo recruited Veale, who served as a store manager for them for five years starting in 2001, bought the name Fast Forward back from Zumiez and reopened Fast Forward in San Antonio.

"When Zumiez bought it, it changed from what we were. They have a big footprint in Texas, so we had to be sure this is what we wanted to do because we can't compete with Goliath. We're just a couple of guys," Veale said.

The Austin store took over part of what used to be Reed's Jazz & Supper Club, a two-story jazz bar and restaurant.

"The renovation was quite large, but the space turned out really good," Veale said.

Well lit and spacious, Fast Forward is able to carry a variety of carefully selected merchandise: men's and women's apparel and shoes, swimsuits, sunglasses children's clothes—even Tiny Toms, the children's version of Toms, the canvas slip-on shoes for adults.

And skateboards. Lots of skateboards, plus some long boards and faddish '70s-style boards made of plastic.

"Apparel and footwear are what pays the bills so we can have all this cool stuff," Veale said as he looked at the store's skateboard-lined back wall with a childlike grin.

Fast Forward

9901 N. Capital of Texas Hwy., Ste. 150

340-0225

www.fastforward.com

Mon.–Fri. 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–9 p.m., Sun. noon–9 p.m.