Jasper Tripp may be one of the coolest people in the Old Port. He is a designer, skate shop owner, and the creative mastermind behind Mocean at 13 Exchange Street.
Step into this gleaming store and you’ll find some of the leading skater brands, as well as Jasper’s own line of fashion. You’ll also find monthly art exhibitions taking over the walls and a steady stream of creative people coming in and out—this is a true community hub.
The store’s community spirit was on full display earlier this fall when “Cobble to Cobble” took over the whole of Exchange Street. For one entire afternoon, the street was closed to traffic and filled with experimental art, live music, and skateboarders doing impressive feats.
Nearly 1,000 people visited the event that day—with skateboarders coming in from New York, Connecticut, and Boston. The event got covered in Thrasher Magazine, the bible of skateboarding (watch the video captured by Lurk NYC here).
“It was a community get-together expressing art, music, fashion, and skateboarding,” explains Jasper. “We had vintage clothing being sold, we had this huge mural of live art. We hope to turn it into an annual event.”
A Lineage of Surfers and Skaters
Jasper Tripp was born and raised in Portland, ME. His parents, Sherry and Berry Tripp, owned the original Mocean surf shop and inn in Old Orchard Beach. He started to skate when he was six years old and spent his teens snowboarding for Rome Snowboards in Lake Tahoe.
By 2016, Jasper had returned to Maine and was reimagining the family business, opening Mocean as a skate shop in Portland. By 2019, he partnered with CORE to take over the highly visible, ground-floor space at 13 Exchange Street.
The store is gorgeous and features some of the best skateboard lines. But it also features Jasper’s own compelling designs.
“I was always a skater and fashion went hand-in-hand with it,” he explains. “My inspiration is vintage, early Americana, from the 1940s-60s. We use linen and cotton and are 100% plastic-free.”
This holiday season, if you have a skater in the family, be sure to swing by Mocean and support this homegrown entrepreneur.
Learn more about Mocean here and follow them on Instagram @moceanskateboards