Speakys Surf Skate Snow in Newtown to close its doors on Christmas Eve

A Geelong surfing and skating institution will close its doors on Christmas Eve, as love pours in from longtime customers and past employees.

Speakys Surf Skate Snow owner Nathan Lyons is closing the doors of the store on Christmas Eve after more than five decades. Picture: Alan Barber

It is the end of an era for Speakys Surf Skate Snow, a store that has been an institution in Geelong for more than five decades.

Owner Nathan Lyons said since announcing the business would be closing on social media he had been surprised by the kind words from former employees and longtime customers.

“The amount of feedback I have had from people reminiscing about clothes they bought or the smell of the shop, there’s a whole lot of things that are coming back to people and reminding me of things I take for granted,” he said.

“People were talking about how special the store is and how special and generous my Dad, Speaky was.”

In 1969, Terry Lyons, also known as Speaky opened the store in Geelong.

Speakys Surf Skate Snow is closing down on Christmas Eve. Picture: Alan Barber

Over time it has been located in High St Belmont, Bell St and Surf Coast Highway Torquay, and McCann St, Union St and Little Malop St in Geelong.

It’s final home was Pakington St in Newtown.

Terry’s son Nathan, who has worked at the store for about 40 years, took over ownership in 2019.

Nathan said the store was closing due to financial pressures, although he still loved the shop and his job.

“We’re a victim of being a small business and the cost of living at the moment is so expensive,” he said.

“I have had a tough, hard winter.

“I think something that has been a little bit detrimental to us was our locations.

“The big shop that everyone seems to remember was in Little Malop St, but it’s pretty hard when kids want to come into town and go shopping, to the movies and hang out with mates and they get told not to go in the mall.

“Where I am in Newtown is an amazing spot, there’s amazing shops around but a lot of our customers haven’t followed us down here or they’ve lost us and thought we closed.”

Nathan said Terry remained very supportive and was planning to say a final goodbye to the store in the coming days.

Nathan said Speakys – and he and his father – had a lot of chapters to their story.

“Dad and I both ski patrolled at Mount Buller and he was always bringing stuff up to the snow so we decided to open a shop up there called Off Piste for about 12 years.

“At one stage we had three stores in Geelong and one up there and I really don’t know how we did it when I look back,” he said.

“I don’t feel like I’ve failed, I’ve given it a red-hot go and its just unfortunate.”

Nathan is a big advocate for buying local and encourages people to support small businesses.

Originally published as Speakys Surf Skate Snow in Newtown to close its doors on Christmas Eve