Are you trying to reinvent the wheel? is the question that plagued Last Supper, a skate company that is “not your grandmother’s roller skate brand,” but instead, one that rebirthed the roller skate wheel and carved its mark of inclusivity into the industry. 

Last Supper is run by Shanice Hernandez and LJ Salazar. The duo lived in Austin when they “pestered” skateboard manufacturers for the chance to present their idea about a new wheel design.

The manufacturers challenged why Hernandez and Salazar wanted to reinvent the skate wheel…why reinvent a model that had worked for skaters for so long?

The answer lies within the duo’s ties to the roller-skating community. Hernandez picked up the hobby during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Salazar tagging along to support her partner’s pursuits.

As Hernandez grew more comfortable gliding across concrete parks and Austin streets, she discovered a major flaw within the roller-skating community; the wheel itself.

The wheel achieved the simple task of being able to propel a skater forward but couldn’t handle complex tricks and skate styles that were becoming popular.

Roller skaters resorted to using skateboard wheels to better accommodate tricks like jumping on rails – a seemingly easy fix to the problem. Yet the dimensions of a skateboard wheel would cause an awkward fit within the trucks of the roller skate, not allowing the wheels to “flush,” or lock properly. With the skateboard wheel not hugging the nut correctly, roller skaters experienced wheels popping out mid-skate sessions, among other problems.

So, the duo set out to make a wheel that complimented the shape of the roller skate trucks. 

Despite many calls with manufacturers that were duds, a Texas-based manufacturer was intrigued by the duo’s reinvention of the wheel.

Hernandez and Salazar discovered part of the key to the design that allowed a wheel to properly hold the bolt to better attach to the roller skate truck was smaller dimensions and shaped wheels on both sides.

After two years of planning with the manufacturer, Last Supper officially became the skate brand with the freshest wheel on the market on Feb. 22, 2022 – a nod to the Angel number ‘222,’ meaning new beginnings.

Last Supper poured the Holy Grail, a two-wheel collection (54MM Conical 99A and 52 MM Classic 99A) onto the market, enlightening skaters across the scene.

The brand served the industry a new wheel, one that had evolved from wood to metal to now urethane, or how Last Supper dubs it, “Holythane” and “Supperthane.”

Hernandez and Salazar’s formula of reinvention engulfed the entire brand – even up to the aesthetic of their products. Last Supper brought gender neutrality and “the edge of the baggy skate style,” which wasn’t seen across the roller skate market before.

“A lot of companies target roller skating to really feminine women,” Salazar said. “Everything is pink and rainbows and butterflies, and we’re (Last Supper) not like that.”

As Hernandez and Salazar continued to reinvent the market, these elements helped propel Last Supper towards success. The brand became international within three months of launching, thanks to The Blading Cup – an annual skating competition held in California. The exposure the brand received during the competition has helped it reach countries like Australia, Belgium, and Colombia.

But after about a year and a nine months of Last Supper on the market, the duo craved a change of scenery from Austin, leading them to move to El Paso – Salazar’s hometown.

The two were familiar with how big the skateboard scene in El Paso was; the city made frequent appearances in skate edits Hernandez and Salazar would watch when learning how to film for Last Supper. Even Thrasher Magazine’s “King of the Road,” a series where skaters travel across the country doing challenges, visited “Hell Paso.”

“We knew we were taking a risk because we knew there weren’t roller skaters like (in Austin),” Salazar said. “But the skateboard community has been really welcoming to us here.”

Last Supper grabbed the attention of Jaime Favela, owner of “The Huevo,” a concrete pool where thousands of skaters from around the world have visited, who contacted Hernandez and Salazar because of the wave of influence they were having in El Paso’s skate community.

With a heavy presence of skateboarders in El Paso, Last Supper organically began to create wheels tailored towards them.

One of those being “a true El Paso wheel.” Last Supper collaborated with local skate shop Crooks, and local artist Gabriel Marquez to create a black wheel, with white illustrations that reflected El Paso’s desert.

To further connect Last Supper to the El Paso community, the brand has hosted a slew of events to gather skaters and locals alike. Last Supper’s Mantra Pop Ups creates a space where local DJs and skaters jam to the harmony of music and the echo of gliding wheels.

Now, Last Supper is on its 13th wheel product, with the 14th soon to come. The upward trajectory Last Supper has experienced since its launch has been nonstop, yet the brand is still solely run by Hernandez and Salazar.

The two-woman team handles everyday operations of Last Supper – with Hernandez focused on creative aspects like running their website and social media and Salazar focused on the business side.

The two fit like a puzzle piece, what one lacks the other brings.

“If we didn’t have each other, I know for a fact our business wouldn’t be successful,” Hernandez said.

Yet the two feel the pressure from the industry often being the only women, person-of-color and LGTBQ+ owners in the space.

“We’re the only owners that look like us, that actually independently own our company, so we’re inviting everybody to join our table and have a seat at our table,” Hernandez said.

Connection with consumers has allowed Last Supper to be known as the brand that emphasizes representation.

“Our skaters are person-of-color and LGTBQ+,” Salazar said. “It happened naturally in the sense that we were vending, and people were coming up to us being like ‘Oh my gosh, people like us.’”

Hernandez and Salazar embraced reinvention – reinvention of the roller skate wheel, product aesthetics, and the skate industry. 

“We’re skater owned, and we understand whatever the community wants. We want to provide it,” Hernandez said.

Support from skaters has shaped Last Supper’s brand to what it is today: high quality products provided by owners who listen to the community.

This year the brand plans to continue growing, teasing more pro skaters and product collaborations. 

For Hernandez and Salazar, community is a strong aspect for themselves and Last Supper.

“That’s what I really love about skaters, we’re really protective over our space,” Hernandez said. “Our space is a safe space, and we have to keep it that way.”

So, no matter whether one is a proskater or simply rocking their merchandise, Last Supper invites you to sit at their table, to feel welcomed and appreciated.

Sofia Sierra is the editor-in-chief of Minero Magazine and may be reached at [email protected]