Skateboarder Evan “Juice” Baker and Little Amps CEO Peter Leonard
A local skater is making a splash in the skateboarding scene, and now he has the caffeine hookup to keep him grinding.
Harrisburg’s Little Amps Coffee Roasters shared that it’s sponsoring Evan “Juice” Baker, a Harrisburg native dreaming of becoming a professional skater.
“It’s known around here that he is the best skater in Harrisburg,” said Peter Leonard, CEO of Little Amps.
Baker reached out to Little Amps about partnering, and the staff, many of whom skate themselves, was thrilled, Leonard said. And while the sponsorship means some mutual promotion, discounts, merch and free drinks, like iced coffee and chai lattes, Baker’s favorites, to Leonard it’s a chance to support local.
“I feel like what we are doing here is representing Harrisburg to the broader community,” he said. “We are letting the world know that Harrisburg has something to offer.”
Baker approaches his skateboarding platform the same way—as a chance to show off his city.
Harrisburg’s skate scene is a “hidden gem,” he said, with unique architecture and places to skate. Locations that are ordinary to the general public may be holy ground to the skating community, he explained. Skaters have even traveled from surrounding cities to skate at certain ledges and spots around the Capitol complex and elsewhere in the city, he added.
Baker’s social media is full of pictures of the Capitol building, which he is “obsessed” with. Most recently, he posted a clip of himself skating off the “Welcome to Harrisburg” sign at the entrance to the city, between the I-83 on and off ramps.
“Harrisburg has this weird, magical, underground skater world,” Baker said. “I want to represent the city and showcase how beautiful it is.”
Baker has been skating since he learned from his dad as a kid. He now lives in Steelton and spends much of his time at the community skate park.
He is sponsored by companies like Vans footwear and Baker Skateboards, one of the biggest skateboarding companies in the country. His goal is to eventually skate professionally.
Partnerships like Baker’s with Little Amps might not be as big as others he has, but he’s just as excited. This sponsorship means a lot because it shows his community has his back.
“It’s awesome,” he said. “It’s been a dream come true to see the community support, and everyone’s so excited.”
For Leonard, who also grew up in Harrisburg, the sponsorship is just another way for Little Amps to promote the city and support its entrepreneurs, as the shop regularly does for local musicians, small businesses and artists.
“It’s important to be active in the community,” Leonard said. “I feel a need to shine a light on it and represent it positively.”
Little Amps Coffee Roasters has Harrisburg locations at 1836 Green St., 133 State St. and inside Strawberry Square. For more information, visit their website. To follow Evan Baker’s skateboarding journey, visit his Instagram page @juicelipp.
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