tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26655651286175135812024-02-06T21:47:56.333-05:00Everything SkateboardingMrCokesNSmokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08114565525647407489noreply@blogger.comBlogger338125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665565128617513581.post-48213525452826264092013-04-20T10:51:00.003-04:002013-04-20T10:53:47.390-04:00Saying Thanks to the Mall Shop?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-IcCnFqyyvH7V73PAJHxzwbypgJuIxOI9eWIGeEaTfBDhsu9q8GXtxgY1IY_Qw78ra89MbBWZAXQ_z4AJFA0wws-I3nHIBE-4s52vz4Rr6weT9n3UedfWSjg7JM2S_67eP9X9sVz1Z0d/s1600/SayingThanksMallShop.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-IcCnFqyyvH7V73PAJHxzwbypgJuIxOI9eWIGeEaTfBDhsu9q8GXtxgY1IY_Qw78ra89MbBWZAXQ_z4AJFA0wws-I3nHIBE-4s52vz4Rr6weT9n3UedfWSjg7JM2S_67eP9X9sVz1Z0d/s640/SayingThanksMallShop.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
Back when I was 12 years old, I had a favorite skateboarder. I still have a favorite skateboarder today, although it’s difficult to narrow it down to one skater. Before, there was only one. No doubt he’s a heck of an accomplished skateboarder, and I spent too many hours playing his video game. That’s right: my first favorite skateboarder was Tony Hawk.<br />
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There’s a simple reason Tony Hawk was my first favorite skateboarder: he was the only professional skateboarder I’d heard of. I was 12, all of my knowledge of skateboarding came from Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, and damn straight I wanted a Birdhouse for my first skateboard.<br />
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At least I have the guts to admit my wholly ignorant skateboarding roots. Sure, Tony Hawk’s an incredible skateboarder, but if your mom had to pick a favorite skateboarder, she’d probably pick Tony Hawk by default. If she can even name another pro skateboarder, then she should be wearing one of those corny World’s Coolest Mom t-shirts with pride.<br />
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Well, I never ended up getting a Birdhouse, but I did stick a Tony Hawk sticker on my first deck. Tony Hawk isn’t amid my favorite skateboarders today. Yet I have to wonder, although I credit an early friend with getting me into skateboarding, if I didn’t spend all those hours playing Pro Skater would I have had something, as sad as it sounds, so able to pump me up to skate? When I went to the mall, you can bet I was drooling over the mall skate shop’s limitless shoes and skate stuff while rocking a DC hoodie that was probably purchased right there at … yes, Zumiez. (Oh, forgive me for my sins!)<br />
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That was a past life. I was just another skateboarding pipsqueak yet to receive any sense of skate education. In a funny way, though, I’m glad for those past ideologies. I’m glad I spent hours playing Tony Hawk’s videogame, and, yes, I’m even glad I was able to shop at mall skateshops. Essentially, I was one of the millions of young, clueless skateboarders, too blind to care or even notice where (my parents’) money was being spent—yes, I’ll take that deck please, Mr. Zumiez! Oh, and it comes with free grip. Mr. Zumiez, you’re so thoughtful!<br />
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As damning as it is to say, I don’t regret those days. I don’t even regret my former uneducated actions—at least not in full, and I’m not just pleading age-related ignorance. While this is taking an incredibly optimistic outlook, there is some benefit that mall skateshops, corporate skate companies, and overpaid mega-star pros bring to skateboarding: they’re single handedly capable of getting the young masses into skateboarding.<br />
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It would be great if every young skater could come to skateboarding through organic means, such as stumbling into a legit local skateshop, buying a made-in-the-USA board, and idolizing local skaters, instead of pros who have their own TV shows and Cadillacs with their initials embroidered on the headrests. The truth is, most kids will probably buy some discount board from Zumiez, start following The Berrics, and then make sure even their socks have some corporate skate-company logo on them.
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That’s how most younger skaters start off, and if that’s what gets them into skating, then that’s what gets them into skating. No skateboarder who actually cares about skateboarding itself should be spending a cent at a mall skateshop. No skateboarder who’s actually delved into skateboarding’s history should limit his favorite pros to today’s hammer-dropping, get-rich-quick, sponsored-by-Zumiez charlatans. Nascent skateboarders, however, cannot and should not be blamed. If skateboarding were still as independent and underground as it was in the days well before I started skating, I would have probably never become a skateboarder; I honestly might have seen skateboarding as too polarizing to really get involved with. It was the mainstream mall store and big-name, hot-shot pros that drew me to skating. In this, I am hardly unique.<br />
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This is where I have to give a smidgen of credit to the lambasted world of corporate skateboarding. I, and millions of others, would have never picked up a board without the lures that corporate skateboarding spends millions to implement. Don't get me wrong. I’m not saying thanks to Zumiez. In fact, it can go shove a flat bar up its ass. Mall skateshops are money-sucking murderers of independent skateshops, and super-corporate skate companies do more damage than good. Still, although it's taking a generously optimistic, look-on-the-bright-side view, the influence of these sell-out skate conglomerates can't be denied.<br />
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It is the hopes of all real skaters that those drawn to skateboarding through these mass-marketing influences quickly wake up and realize where they should really be spending their dollars and which skaters and shops they should really be supporting. However, skateboarding or all forms still has a pretty decent learning curve to it, and so does learning about and supporting bona fide skateboarding. In the end, we can't deny that skateboarding is awesome, even as it moves farther and farther away from its roots. As their absolute sole benefit to skateboarding, big, pseudo skate companies and mall shops are still spreading skateboarding; sure, they're going about it all wrong and want kids to get into skateboarding just so they can fatten their wallets. But if that's what it takes to get some kid to choose skateboarding over some lame-ass hobby or unfulfilling other sport, then let him buy his first board from a store located next to a food court. He'll regret that first purchase eventually—but he won't regret choosing skateboarding.
MrCokesNSmokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08114565525647407489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665565128617513581.post-51190662229062094392012-12-08T14:51:00.000-05:002012-12-09T12:27:51.256-05:00The Editor Speaks: What Skateboarding Teaches Us<a href="http://s1185.beta.photobucket.com/user/everythingskateboarding/media/EdSpeaks_WhatSkateboardingTeachesUs_Enlarged.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/EdSpeaks_WhatSkateboardingTeachesUs_Enlarged.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"/></a>
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As skateboarders, sometimes I feel that we’re better than non-skateboarders—in certain ways, at least. I don’t mean better in the sense that we can look down on others (and let’s be honest, we’re usually the ones looked down upon); it’s more of a silent, perhaps unrealized appreciation for our own abilities. Yes, we learn new tricks and techniques after years of skating, but there are other lessons worked in as well. Even the best could hardly stand on a skateboard when just starting out. Feet are made for walking and running, and that stick with four wheels is about as awkward a mode of transportation as they come—but we’ve mastered it, and hey, that’s an accomplishment to be proud of. </div>
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Keep skating for a couple of years and you’ll inevitably learn a few tricks and maneuvers, and herein lies skateboarding’s most prominent virtue: patience. I know a lot of people who used to skateboard. You know a lot of people who used to skateboard. They all quit because a few months spent cruising the driveway didn’t turn them into their icon, Tony Hawk. The extent of their abilities halted at some ground-scraping shuv-it or off-balance rock to fakie. I don’t want to hate on the quitters, but I do want to recognize those who stuck with skateboarding. At this point it’s cliche to say that skateboarding is cool so long as you’re having fun. I kept skating for as long as I did because I kept fun ahead of frustration. There was a fairly steep hill in front of my house; it took me years to build up the stones to bomb it. And as for the street skating rite of passage of learning to ollie, that too was a years-long endeavor. But the whole time, I had a blast. </div>
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In terms of being a sport, skateboarding champions its non-competitive aspect. Yes, we have downhill races, freestyle showdowns and Maloof Money Cup-like spectacles, but at its core, skateboarding is you versus you. So how do you win at skateboarding? I’d say you never do. The best skateboarders, no matter their preferred styles or types of skating, actually can’t do everything; there are just too many tricks and styles to master it all. It’s this breadth that skateboarding offers, though, that keeps us humble. With so many new tricks, so many records being broken, any good skateboarder can only stand in awe at what he <i>can’t </i>do. Skateboarding has offered its share of virtuosos, yet no two are alike. This helps explain why so many great skateboarders are so modest; it’s not so much that the next guy can do it better, it’s that the next guy can do something different yet equally impressive—and often with more style. Besides, skateboarding will never have to distill “the best” down to who has more goals or wins, because such qualifications are left to sports that actually give a shit about labeling “the best.” </div>
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I don’t think any of us would appreciate our abilities on a skateboard or how fluid and free it feels to ride if those skills were innate. I’ll be celebrating ten years on a skateboard in April, and wow, there’s still a plethora of tricks I can’t do and a whole host of big ramps I’m still too afraid to ride. Yet my abilities have inevitably grown after ten years. (My maiden voyage on a skateboard carried me from one side of the kitchen to the other.) Here, skateboarding proves an apt example of the age-old saying: hard work pays off. If it weren’t for those thousands of hours spent on a skateboard, I’d still be rolling around the kitchen floor (well, maybe at least the driveway). </div>
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Skateboarders learn more than a few virtues through our chosen activity, but let’s be realistic: we skate for fun, not to build our credibility as upstanding citizens. But I’m able to look back and appreciate picking up a few life lessons along the way. At its core, skateboarding is four wheels riding over the pavement, an act so simple that I have to wonder what’s kept me coming back for so long. Perhaps it’s these deeper, hidden values that help pull us back. And as we get older and skate on, there’s one more virtue practiced, one that older skaters only continue to build: dedication. </div>
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MrCokesNSmokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08114565525647407489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665565128617513581.post-76205656464179295702012-09-30T12:48:00.006-04:002012-09-30T13:06:12.669-04:00The Editor Speaks: The So-And-So Syndrome<a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=So_And_So_Header5.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/So_And_So_Header5.jpg" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>This weekend, I wrote this little piece for Michael Brooke at <strong>AXS Longboarding Business</strong>. Knowing full well that it's probably gonna get edited down to size, and that the "bad words" (ie, the "fun ones") might just disappear, I decided to throw it up on the 'ol blog for posterity:</em></span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">One
of the best things about being a retiring skate-industry consultant is getting
the “thank you” calls from clients (and friends) from far and near, graciously thanking
me for my help over the last five years. Last week, I got one of these calls
from a guy that I wouldn’t necessarily call a “client”, per se. Rather, it
just-so-happens that he owns a small skateboard company. And I just-so-happen
to be a skate-industry consultant. But really, we’re just friends. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">In
any rate, this guy gave me a call last week to thank me for my help, anyway.
Which is always nice. But in this case, it also left me a little bit perplexed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">“What’d
I do…?!”, I asked. Because I honestly didn’t remember doing much of anything
special at all, outside of maybe buying him a cold PBR once in a blue moon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">“Well,
you did a lot for me, actually. You always pointed out the importance of not
listening to ‘the haters’… but instead, listening to my own head and heart. You
were always telling me to do whatever I wanted to do, not what everybody <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">else</i> wanted me to do. So, thanks for
that! It totally worked…!” Well, I’m paraphrasing, of course. But that was
basically the whole convo, right there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">“The
Haters”. Oh, yeah. This is actually a very, very common problem across this
industry. It can also be called “The ‘No’ Men”, “The Un-Friendly, ‘Friendly’
Competitors”… or, my personal favorite, “The So-And-So Syndrome”. The
skateboard industry is sort of weird that way. Everybody’s always afraid to do
anything that doesn’t somehow sit right with all of the So-And-So’s out there.
Even if So-And-So is one of your competitors, or your mortal enemy. And if it
doesn’t make So-And-So happy, well then, maybe it’s just best not to do it at
all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">For
my part, I’m not entirely sure where this “So-And-So Syndrome” originated, or
why it’s so pervasive in our industry, or across our community culture. Is it
because teenagers are intrinsically insecure, and overly sensitive to peer
pressure? That might explain away the “cultural” aspect of this, but it certainly
doesn’t jive very well with “the industry” side of things, where our leading
skateboard companies are [generally] owned and operated by [hopefully] mature
and enlightened adults. For some reason, though, it just doesn’t always work
out that way. Even at the industry level, our “industry leaders” are oftentimes
much more apt to act like insecure teenagers, than bona-fide men living in a
hyper-competitive world. I do work in other industries quite removed from
skateboarding, and while the So-And-So Syndrome might exist in some insignificant-to-imperceptible
form, it’s still nothing quite like the over-the-top peer-pressure experiences
that I’ve perpetually had to deal with, within the skateboard industry.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cbSbbY5ibas" width="560"></iframe>
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kilian Martin is the perfect example of somebody that live's by nobody's rules, except his own. His only limits he recognizes (if he has any at all) are those that limit his own imagination. Where would Kilian be if he skated "the way everybody else does", or "the way he's 'supposed' to"...?
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<br />
Even better question: Where would skateboarding be, without Kilian...?!
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If you're so narrow-minded that you can't appreciate the invention and imagination of Kilian Martin, then you just suck...</span></em>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Regardless
of the source, the So-And-So Syndrome has been a particularly menacing problem
that I’ve fought hard to neutralize amongst my clientele for the last five
years. Whenever the So-And-So Syndrome pops up in a conversation- and it always
does- I always like to ask my clients a few questions, to illustrate the true
nature of the problem. “Hey, do you mind if I ask you a few things really quick…?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">“Sure!
Shoot.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">“Okay,
here goes: Is So-And-So, by any chance, putting food on your table every night…?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">“Uhhh…
no?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">“Is
So-And-So paying your mortgage, or your rent…?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">“Nope.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">“Is
So-And-So saving up for your retirement…?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">“No…?”
You can usually start to see the light bulb going off, right about now. If you
can’t, then you’ve got even bigger problems than you originally thought.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">“Is
So-And-So fucking your wife, or raising your kids…?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">“Hopefully
not…!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">“Well
then, why in the hell does it matter <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">what</i></b> in the hell So-And-So thinks
about <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">anything</i></b>…?! After all, So-And-So apparently ain’t doin’ anything
good for you…!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Yes,
it’s a really funny argument to make. Yes, it always gets at least a chuckle-
maybe even two. Unfortunately, it also happens to be true. That part ain’t
always so funny… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">At
the end of the day, I’m a huge believer in the merits of the competitive
spirit, and of the relentless pursuit of individual liberty. Competition, after
all, brings out the very best of our industry, and of our leaders. Competition
brings us technical progress, better manufacturing practices, more consistent
quality control, and more value for the consumers… who also happen to be “the
skaters” that we should <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really</i></b> be worried about over here. Because
that’s who we’re all <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really</i></b> working for, right…? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The skaters, and the customers…?</i> Not,
the fucking So-And-Sos.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">But
as my clients will happily attest to, there’s also very real value in turning
your back on “the haters”, and doing whatever <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i></b> think is right, or
whatever makes <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you happy</i></b>. And I hammer that home, every chance I get. Because
long after the sales are tallied, the balance sheets are compiled, the stocks
are re-valued, the market share is determined, the awards are won, and the
props are given… the bottom line is that if you aren’t happy with the outcomes,
then none of it was really worth a damn. And make no mistake: You’ll never find
any measure of true happiness, if you insist on perpetually living your life
based on what’s gonna make your enemies and your competition happy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">That
said, I would challenge everyone across this industry… from woodshop operators,
to brand managers, to advertising and sales executives, to distributors, to skate-shop
owners, all the way to team riders, sales reps, and skate-shop employees… and
even all the way through to the skaters, themselves… to maybe stop for a minute,
put your thinking cap on, and take a cold, hard look at <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">why</i></b> they’re doing
whatever they’re doing. And more importantly, who they’re doing it for. And then,
make some changes until they’re completely satisfied that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">whatever</i> they’re doing, they’re ultimately doing it for themselves,
and nobody else.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">If
we can make that happen, I’m certain that skateboarding will be in a far better
place than it currently sits, today. In fact, I can damn near guarantee it. And
I just-so-happen to have the happy clients (and friends) to prove it.
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
MrCokesNSmokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08114565525647407489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665565128617513581.post-69497192756892774492012-08-07T20:56:00.000-04:002012-08-07T21:14:05.635-04:00<a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=MassMedia_3_Everything_Skateboarding_Color_Pic.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/MassMedia_3_Everything_Skateboarding_Color_Pic.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em><span style="font-size: x-large;">“Kids are what they read…”</span></em></strong>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This is a quote that I’ve said to myself, and others, more times than I’d like to count in my life. I say it often, because it happens to be true. Granted, maybe it should <em>really</em> say, “Kids are what they read, see, and hear”, given that so much information is conveyed via audio and visuals these days (skate videos, etc). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Still, regardless of the finer aspects of the argument, the basic premise still holds true. Kids don’t form their own thoughts and opinions about the world around them (as much as they’d like to believe that they do). Kids, as it turns out, are horribly incapable of thinking for themselves. Rather, they tend to inherit the bulk of their worldview from the media that feeds them. Whether that “media” comes from their parents, their church, their school… or, in the case of most skateboarders, the magazines, YouTube, messageboards, their peers, and videos… the premise remains the same. Kids are merely a reflection of whatever they’re being told. As such, their outlook and vision really depends on who they’re choosing to listen to, and what that influence is ultimately telling them to think.
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As a skateboard businessman, this is all very interesting to me. Most skateboard businesspeople think that their ultimate job is to <em>sell skateboards to kids</em>. And the more skateboards that we sell to kids, the more successful we think we are. Which is a typically American, short-term, and overly simplified view of the nature of our business. The truth is that, if you own a skateboard company today… and, you think your job is to buy skateboards at price “A”, and re-sell them at price “B”… then, you’re probably hopelessly lost, and more than likely on the verge of running yourself straight out of business.
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The fact is that most “skateboard companies” today, aren’t really “skateboard companies” at all. Because when I think of a “skateboard company”, I think of an entity that actually <strong>manufactures a skateboard product</strong>. But as we all know, most “skateboard companies” today don’t manufacture a gawddamned thing. Instead, they outsource the tedious work of actually creating a saleable product to some lowest bidder somewhere, with very little regard to product quality, and even less regard toward product innovation. Well, shit. If these “skateboard companies” don’t exist to manufacture skateboards, then what in the hell <em>do</em> they manufacture…?
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If we look at the genesis of most skateboard companies, we realize right quick that what they’re in business to manufacture aren’t really skateboards at all. What most “skateboard companies” actually manufacture, is <strong>media</strong>. Think about it: What’s the prime concern of any start-up skateboard company today? Is it developing a better concave, utilizing a new material, or implementing a better construction? Nope. Typically, the first order of business of any start-up skateboard company is to come up with a <em>name</em>. Because the <em>name</em> is all-important to conveying an <em>image</em>, or a <em>vibe</em>. Once that’s nailed down, it’s time to tie that in to some <em>artwork</em>, and begin building a <em>team</em> that reflects the company’s values and outlook. Then once we have a team, it’s time to start shooting some <em>advertisements</em>, and begin work on the all-important [promotional] <em>video</em>. And lastly, once all that has been accomplished, it’s time to begin whoring ourselves out to the magazines, and maybe even to the television networks, so that we can insure that we get some <em>coverage</em> for ourselves.
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>Name. Image. Vibe. Artwork. Team. Advertising. Video. Coverage.</em> These things are not skateboards. They have nothing to do with skateboards. It’s all media, guys. Media is what makes the skateboard industry go ‘round.
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Most small skateboard companies that I deal with are, on one hand, completely aware of the role that media plays in their businesses. Most of us, after all, are direct results of “the skateboard media” of a bygone era. Think of those ‘80s era <em>Thrashers</em>, and you’ll see the mindset that most small-company-owners of today have. Independence! Discovery! Travel! Adventure! DIY! These aren’t values that we <strong><em>invented</em></strong>; they’re values that we, as kids, had rammed down our throats by guys like Larry Balma and Fausto Vitello. So yeah… we all intuitively understand the role that media plays in the life of the average skater.
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">On the other hand, most small-company-owners today are also blissfully unaware of how to engage the media, and to use this simple truth to their advantage. Some of the reasons for this are simple. For one, the skateboard mass-media of today is increasingly becoming small-company-hostile. It’s not like it was in 1991, when I started my small company. In those days, <strong><em>all</em></strong> skateboard companies were “small companies”. And skateboarding was a lot smaller back then. In those days, ad rates were still fairly reasonable, and generally accessible for most small companies. Magazines were begging for business during the recession, and thus the small companies had a lot of sway in the relationship. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">But today, skateboarding is obviously huge. And the nature of the media has changed. Ad rates are now entirely out of the question for any company that doesn’t have a three-gazillion-dollar-a-year advertising budget. And as far as magazines are concerned, if you can’t pay, then you can’t play. Of course, the big fish like to prebook their choice ad spaces months in advance, effectively elbowing out a lot of their competitors. And as far as the “industry politics” go, the magazines are no longer the voices of journalistic independence that they once were. Instead, they’ve become just another cog in the companies’ media agenda, saying whatever it takes to keep those ad dollars rolling in, the overhead covered, and the bills paid.
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>“Kids are what they read”.</em></strong> The simple truth is that, if you’re not playing by the mass media’s rules, then you simply don’t exist. True, the internet has leveled the playing field somewhat. True, we all have our websites that do get some traffic. True, there are still messageboards that haven’t become fascist regimes in the hands of overzealous moderators and overly politicized administrators [yet]. True, the blogosphere gives us a readily searchable voice where we can, and will, say whatever the hell we want. And all of these things are really, really great. But still, I have to ask... how effective are these means…? And, how many kids are actually reading these things in the first place…? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">While it’s true that we do have <em>some</em> media on our side... that being, the media that we create for ourselves, using the tools that we have at hand... I’d have to say once again that it’s the <strong><em>mass</em></strong> media that the kids tune in to the most, and latch on to the hardest. So while it’s true that we do have “media”, I’d have to say that the problem is that we still don’t have the “mass” working in our favor.
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">What am I getting at here? Here’s what I’m getting at: <strong><em>Small companies need to work together to create a <span style="color: #ffd966;">truly mass media</span> that advocates for their points of view, their business interests, and their legitimacy.</em></strong> “Legitimacy”, after all, is a huge buzzword in skateboarding today. If you’re not “legit”, then you’re just fucked. Again, the key question becomes, “what’s legit”…? Well, for most kids, whatever the mass media says is “legit”, is probably pretty “legit” for most kids. But I find it strange that companies like Element, Deathwish, and Baker are somehow seen as “legit”… even though they don’t really make anything at all, and what they do manage to churn out sucks ass… while Danny Creadon, Mike Money, Kirb, and Lew Ross… guys that I perceive as being “fully legit”… don’t even get a mention in a sidebar article somewhere. I’m sorry, but that’s just stupid. That alone goes to show how wayward the mass media has become, and how badly we need a massive alternative to the mass-minded mediocrity that we’re saddled and cursed with today.
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">There’s another old adage that I tend to live by, and it says this: “Trying to organize skaters is a lot like trying to herd cats”. Have you ever owned cats? Have you ever tried to herd them? Or even, try to get them to do something simple and/or useful for your benefit? Believe me, as a cat owner myself, I can tell ya that it’s damn near impossible. But still, I’d take that any day over trying to organize skateboarders, and mobilize them toward any sort of common cause. Skateboarders, like cats, are a mighty independent and ornery bunch. Even if you try to talk perfectly sensible sense at them, they’re still likely to do whatever the <strong><em>opposite</em></strong> of your perfectly sensible advice is.
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">But somehow, somewhere, and some way, at the end of the day... if we all want to see small companies survive and prevail in the marketplace… and, I think that we all do… then small companies, en mass, are going to have to <em>come together</em>, and start working toward this common goal of building a small-company-friendly mass media. Because as of right now, the bigger companies have a virtual monopoly on bullshitting the kids, with nothing on the horizon capable of neutralizing the threat.
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Of course, for a mass media to work practically in the favor of small companies, it’s probably gonna have to have certain attributes that will be largely dictated by the kids that it’s aimed at. It’s going to have to be free for the readers <em>(because kids erroneously think that everything’s free these days)</em>. Which means that it’s going to have to be affordable <em>(since we’ve established that the kids won’t be paying for jack shit… and given the small advertising budgets of most small companies, neither will the manufacturers).</em> Yet, this media will have to be widely accessible<em> (so that anybody can read it),</em> and more than likely mobile <em>(so that they can read it anywhere).</em> Which probably adds up to a <strong>web-based paradigm</strong> <em>(since only the internet can offer true cost-effectiveness, on a widely accessible and mobile platform).</em> And the companies themselves will be responsible for generating the content, as well as promoting the media to potential readers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If this all sounds familiar, that’s probably because it is. I’ve been saying this for years now. And indeed, <strong><em>Everything Skateboarding</em></strong> still serves as the working prototype for many of these concepts.
<em>Everything Skateboarding</em>, at the end of the day, was neither a total success, nor a total failure. Rather, it was shades of gray that we all learned a lot from. I think that the companies did see that it would be in the better interests of all small companies to contribute to, and widely promote, a web-based mass media paradigm that serves their needs, and promotes their agendas. It's definitely cheap (free), widely accessible, and totally mobile. However, we never really did get the engagement (contributions) from the advertisers that I really wanted to see. And nobody (including myself) ever promoted it.
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The reason for the failures are easy to see: Companies still perceive that their “job”, so to speak, is to perpetuate a <em>passive engagement</em> with the media. And in the past, this might have been true. The job of any company, as it relates to the media, is pretty much to pay the advertising bills, shut up, and get the hell out of the way while the magazine editors, writers, and photographers do the heavy lifting of putting a magazine together, editing it, promoting it, and selling it to the kids. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">But in the future, this will no longer be the case. The monetary constraints alone will kill the bigger part of this paradigm. And what the money doesn’t kill, the ethics will. After all, is it <strong><em>really</em></strong> ethical in a 2012 world to cut down trees, transport them to a mill, where various chemicals and machines turn them into paper, that ultimately gets printed with highly biased propaganda that’s bought and paid for by a few mega-corporations with deep pockets, long agendas, a very narrow profit perspective, and no accountability whatsoever...? Is <strong><em>this</em></strong> the machine that we really want feeding our kids the information that they’re going to build their lives around for the foreseeable future…?
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In the future, small companies will be forced- by circumstance, and necessity- to have a <strong><em>much</em></strong> more active engagement with the media. Instead of paying writers and photographers to create content, why not cut out the profit-police middle men, and just do it for ourselves? We can save time, headaches, and a whole load of bullshit in the process. At the end of the day, I’d rather hear 100 small company owners telling their stories, than hear 10 mega-corporations and a handful of editors bastardizing theirs. True, small company owners might not be the most skilled writers and photographers in the world; if they were, they would probably be writers and photographers, instead of small company owners. But I don’t think that small company owners should be at all shy about engaging the media, and making the effort to make content contributions. At least small-company owners are <strong><em>real</em></strong>. And I still believe that reality counts for a lot these days.
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">At the end of the day, though, this is not necessarily my fight to engage, or win. I retired from the world of small-company-ownership in 2001. These days, I’m just a writer that doesn’t own anything. It’s not my war to wage, and I’m not particularly concerned if small companies ultimately win, or lose. In a very real sense, it rests in the hands of small company owners to see the fight through, learn how to collaborate effectively, and figure out how to build a mass media that truly works for them. I’ll help out in any way I can.
But really, all I want to do is read it. I’m sick and tired of the mass-market bullshit. And it would be really refreshing to read something interesting for a change. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Make it happen, guys. The world is waiting. </span><br />
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<a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/?action=view&current=Reader_MinoLogo1_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/Reader_MinoLogo1_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></a>MrCokesNSmokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08114565525647407489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665565128617513581.post-84523821834344449662012-05-31T22:05:00.000-04:002012-05-31T22:05:01.588-04:00Really! We're just taking a break...!<a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Regular%20Features/?action=view&current=Taking_A_Break_Pic-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Regular%20Features/Taking_A_Break_Pic-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>MrCokesNSmokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08114565525647407489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665565128617513581.post-23798528434187920502012-03-12T17:23:00.002-04:002012-03-12T17:38:08.902-04:00The Board Meeting! (*Update*)<a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Advertisements/?action=view&current=BoardMeeting_Lets_Barge_Pic_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Advertisements/BoardMeeting_Lets_Barge_Pic_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:180%;"><strong>Hello, everybody! Just a reminder: <span style="color:#ffff00;">The Board Meeting</span> is just about a month away...! If you haven't made your travel plans yet, you may wanna get on it!!!<br /><br /></strong></span><br /><br /><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Advertisements/?action=view&current=BoardMeeting_Let_Anarchy_Pic_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Advertisements/BoardMeeting_Let_Anarchy_Pic_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong>Just a few notes and reminders:<br /></strong><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;">Websites of note: Ollie's Skatepark, www.skateollies.com; The Wildwood Inn, www.wildwood-inn.com.</span><em><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span></em></span><br /><br /><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Advertisements/?action=view&current=BoardMeetingTime43_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Advertisements/BoardMeetingTime43_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:130%;">The deadline for table and chair rentals was this past Saturday (March 10th). If you <strong>still need tables and chairs</strong>, hurry up and e-mail <span style="color:#ffff00;">Bob at Ollie's</span> at <a href="mailto:boblef21@gmail.com">boblef21@gmail.com</a>. Tables and chairs cost $40, plus the $18-per-person entrance fee.<br /><br /></span><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Advertisements/?action=view&current=BoardMeetingTime51_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Advertisements/BoardMeetingTime51_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:130%;">If you're looking for accomodations, we have a group discount available at <strong><span style="color:#ffff00;">The Wildwood Inn</span></strong>, which is about a mile and a half from Ollie's Skatepark. When calling in your reservation, use promo code "OLLI" for the group discount. It's a fun-looking place, and the perfect sort of crash pad for after-festivity festivities.<br /><br /></span><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Advertisements/?action=view&current=BoardMeetingTime91_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Advertisements/BoardMeetingTime91_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:130%;">We have a Facebook page...! Search <strong><span style="color:#ffff00;">"The Board Meeting",</span></strong> and ye shall find it. Like us, send us messages, or fan out on everybody's favorite social media portal (of the moment, at least).<br /><br /></span><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Advertisements/?action=view&current=BoardMeetingTime71_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Advertisements/BoardMeetingTime71_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:130%;">We have a few <strong><span style="color:#ffff00;">fun events</span></strong> scheduled throughout the day's festivities. We have a <strong>freestyle demo</strong> (thanks to <strong>AJ Kohn at One, Greyson Ashton</strong>, and friends), and <strong>freestyle tutorials</strong> happening throughout the day. We have an afternoon <strong>old man skate jam</strong> happening on the micro-ramp for all of those company owners, sales reps, and skateshop owners to get some skate-time in. And, <strong>Lew Ross at Fickle</strong> is hosting an invite-only, post-show shindig at his mini-ramp training facility. Contact Lew at <a href="mailto:fickleboards@gmail.com">fickleboards@gmail.com</a>, and make friends with him fast...!<br /><br /></span><br /><br /><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Advertisements/?action=view&current=BoardMeetingTime1A3_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Advertisements/BoardMeetingTime1A3_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></a><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Speaking of Lew: He had the great idea last weekend of maybe inviting a few <strong>bands</strong> to this thing, for additional entertainment value. If you know of a <strong><span style="color:#ffff00;">band</span></strong> that would like to play this thing, please e-mail <strong>Mr. Lew</strong> posthaste.<br /><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Advertisements/?action=view&current=BoardMeeting_WhoShows_Pic_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Advertisements/BoardMeeting_WhoShows_Pic_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Lastly: Due to an <strong><span style="color:#ffff00;">unforseeable scheduling nightmare</span> (that I had about an icicle's chance in hell of getting out of)</strong>, I unfortunately won't be able to attend the show. However, worry not! Mr. Lew has graciously volunteered to act as my stand-in on the day of the show. I met with Lew last weekend at <strong>Ollie's</strong>, took a walk around the facility, and imparted upon him my vision of the layout, and the overall schedule of the day's events. I'll still be here, organizing things behind the scenes, right up until showtime!<br /><br />If you have any questions, gimme a holla! You know the drill: <a href="mailto:budstratford@aol.com">budstratford@aol.com</a>. Lates!<br /><br /></span><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/?action=view&current=Slasher_Man_Mini_Logo2B.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/Slasher_Man_Mini_Logo2B.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span>MrCokesNSmokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08114565525647407489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665565128617513581.post-62166278887520368292012-01-12T22:48:00.000-05:002012-01-12T22:50:02.948-05:00Sometimes, you've just gotta ride...<a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Advertisements/?action=view&current=ShutUpAndRide_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Advertisements/ShutUpAndRide_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>MrCokesNSmokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08114565525647407489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665565128617513581.post-9238577325307242122012-01-12T21:40:00.004-05:002012-01-12T22:47:48.479-05:00Changes In Our Advertising Policy<a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Advertisements/?action=view&current=AdPolicyChanges_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Advertisements/AdPolicyChanges_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;">Here at <span style="color:#ffff33;">Everything Skateboarding</span>, we like to always be totally open and transparent about everything that we do around here. That said, I decided that it was time to make a couple of announcements, regarding some really basic changes to our advertising policy.</span></em></strong><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.rooftopskateboarding.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Advertisements/Rooftop_RobAd1_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.bigmessskateboards.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Advertisements/BigMess_PawnShop_Ad_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>In the past, we've requested that all submitted ads were sent in as .jpg file format images, that we would then linked to whatever website that the advertisers specified (as illustrated above, with these <strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Rooftop</span></strong> and <strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Big Mess</span></strong> ads). The main reason for this policy was that the <strong>dumbass publisher</strong> (that's me) had only "very limited" html experience, and not a lot of time on his (my) hands to go mucking about with a whole buncha fancy-pants programming jargon.</em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>One thing that will never, ever change is out steadfast support for <strong>small, independent, skater-owned skateboard companies</strong>. These companies truly are the "core" of our industry. A lot of big-ass corporate money machines like to go around, claiming how "core" they are while they're peddling their mass-manufactured, and mass-marketed bullshit. Somebody, somewhere, needs to stand up, push aside the mass-money hogwash, tell it like it really is, and support the "true core" of skateboarding.<br /><br /></em><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><object width="560" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ODbnBeJ7GSE?version=3&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ODbnBeJ7GSE?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br /><em>However, with the advent of <strong>YouTube</strong> advertisements (that truly double as "content"), the "advertising" game has changed dramatically. Even better: Embedding these "ads" into Everything Skateboarding is remarkably easy, and trouble-free.</em><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><object width="560" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1nboEsGNE6c?version=3&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1nboEsGNE6c?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br /><em>So now, when advertisers submit an ad to us, they can simply send over a YouTube link to the video they'd like posted, and we can take it from there. YouTube does offer a few different "encoding" methods... but for the moment, I personally prefer to stick with the "old" embed code, to maintain continuity across the entire site.<br /></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><br /></em>As always, all ads are still absolutely free "to dudes we like". However: In the future, <strong><em>preferential treatment will be given to advertisers that make tangible contributions to the site</em></strong>. This is our way of thanking the many people who have volunteered their time, energy, and ideas in order to make ongoing contributions to the movement that is Everything Skateboarding.<br /><br />Most publications (online, paper, or otherwise) rely on advertising dollars to generate content. But we've discoverd that it's actually a lot more fun to have the advertisers contribute their own content, in the form of articles, interviews, photos, video clips. Some of our advertisers have gone so far as lending a helping hand with promoting and executing our various initiatives, or promoting Everything Skateboarding to a wider audience.<br /><br />In this regard, Everything Skateboarding is starting to act much more like a traditional "zine", while also promoting greater transparency throughout our industry. This ultimately helps kids to better understand who, and what, they're supporting when they buy a product from one of our advertisers.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=Everything_Skateboarding_MikeNiemann_FSSmith_WavesBowl_RoperPic1.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Everything_Skateboarding_MikeNiemann_FSSmith_WavesBowl_RoperPic1.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><em>Here's a perfect example of what I was describing in the last paragraph. A couple weeks back, <strong>Mike Niemann</strong> (of Cockfight Skateboards) sent over a bunch of pool-skating photos for us... including this one of him, smithing it up at Wave's. Here at Everything Skateboarding, we think it'simportant that kids understand the difference between a company that "says" that it's "owned and operated" by "skaters", versus a company (like Cockfight) that actually <strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">is</span></strong> owned, and operated, by skaters. Not the marketing-gimmick version. The real-deal version.<br /><br /></em><br /><br />The entire staff here at Everything Skateboarding is fundamentally committed to keeping this a true no-bullshit zone, where money serves absolutely no purpose whatsoever. Rather, this is a movement based entirely on ideas, creativity, and communication that we hope will make a lasting and positive mark on the world of skateboarding. And, if it doesn't...? Well, at the very least, we're having some serious fun with this. </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">And at the end of the day... just like skateboarding... "fun"is all that really matters.<br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />Bud Stratford<br />Grand Poohbah<br />Everything Skateboarding Magazine<br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/?action=view&current=Pig_Logo_Minilogo_Pic.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/Pig_Logo_Minilogo_Pic.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> </span>MrCokesNSmokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08114565525647407489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665565128617513581.post-12373942423001683482012-01-11T20:32:00.010-05:002012-01-12T19:26:07.572-05:00In Her Own Words: Lynn Kramer<a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=Lynn_Kramer_Headline_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Lynn_Kramer_Headline_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /><strong><em><span style="font-size:180%;">In the annals of skateboarding history, there is no woman that has dominated skateboarding in the way that Lynn Kramer has struck "The Fear Of God" into the world of slalom skateboarding. Ever.<br /><br /></span>This is a bold statement that, I'm quite sure, will ignite it's fair share of debate and controversy. Many skate-historians will surely point to such luminaries as Laura Thornhill (in freestyle), Carabeth Burnside (in vert), Elissa Steamer (in street), or even Brianne Davies (in downhill), and state that these women broke down many barriers in their respective heydays, and paved the way for other women to follow. And I'm not gonna argue with that one bit. These women truly did make vast and important strides toward making skateboarding a much more gender-neutral pastime, and shattered many a glass ceiling along the way.<br /><br />However, note that I carefully chose to use the word <span style="color:#ffff33;">"dominated"</span> in my introductory paragraph. Which implies not only respect among men... but also, fear. Fear that "the boyz" might just get their puny little asses thoroughly mauled by the female contingent. Laura Thornhill, Carabeth Burnside, Elissa Steamer, and Brianne Davies... these women were, and still are, respected. Respected for the ground they broke, and the hurdles they had to overcome to pave the way for future generations.<br /><br />But, "feared"...? That, my friends, is something altogether different. Most guys that I know, probably wouldn't be too petrified of having to go head-to-head with a Carabeth Burnside, or an Elissa Steamer... or even, a Brianne Davies... in a competitive setting. If for no other reason, than out of either ego, or out of arrogant ignorance. Because for all the ground that they broke, the final lesson has always been that although they can run with "the guys"... it's still pretty difficult to imagine actually getting beaten up by one of these women. If not, impossible.<br /><br /><br /><br /></em></strong><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">"If you’ve been to any major race in the past few years, you’ve certainly run into Lynn. And, you’ve probably been beaten soundly by her. She’s "The Queen", no doubt about it...!"<br /></span><br /></strong><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>- Fatboy</em><strong><em><br /></em></strong></span><br /><br /><br /><strong><em>But a few years back, I was hanging out at one of Kenny Mollica's "Buckeye" races, quietly lurking in the timing tent (which is truly the place to be, at the climax of any slalom event- take my word for it, kids), and watching the brackets fall when, all of a sudden, some dude looked over my shoulder... noticed that his next challenger was Mrs. Kramer... and forlornly sighed something to the effect of, <span style="color:#ffff33;">"Oh, my gawd! I have to go up against Lynn...?! Shit! That's it. My life is now officially over."</span> And, I just kicked back and laughed my ass off as I realized, for the first time ever, just how scared the "average guy" is of having to meet Lynn Kramer... and, go head-to-head against her... on a race course. I laughed, because I suddenly realized that there's a whole contingent of fully-hardened slalom racers that apparently feel the same way. And I laughed because I was so, so glad that it wasn't me that was about to get my ass kicked.</em></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong><em></em></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong><em>Simply put: Racing Lynn Kramer is a proposition where somebody loses- regardless of their gender- and Lynn wins, almost every time. That's probably why she's a nine-time World Champion, and still harder to beat than ever.<br /><br />When future generations of skate historians finally get their act together, and write the complete and comprehensive history of skateboarding... I think they'll end up agreeing with me on this one. No woman, anywhere, has dominated any field of skateboarding, more than Lynn Kramer has dominated the world of slalom.<br /><br />Our slalom editor, Fatboy, recently turned in this crafty interview that illustrates the "lighter side" of Lynn Kramer. That is, the side that we only get to see when she's <span style="color:#ffff33;">not</span> busy chewing up dudes on the hill:<br /><br /></em></strong><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=LKramer1CO071_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/LKramer1CO071_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><em>Our gal...! Photo by Maria Carrasco/Sk8Kings.<br /><br /></em><br /><br /><strong>Why skateboard racing? Why not bullfighting? Or, ice fishing? Or, something else?<br /></strong><br />I already tried those, but failed miserably.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Are you real gear conscious, or like me: <em>“F@%K it! I’ll just run what I have bolted up”</em>?</strong><br /><br />In my head, I am overly gear conscious. But in reality, my husband is the one who makes sure I have extra axle nuts, and I'll ride any wheels the Brown Bomber throws at me.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Tell me one weird fact about you that folks might not know?</strong><br /><br />If I told you, then they would know.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Why won’t any of you race in a skirt, like me?</strong><br /><br />We only need one skirt in slalom.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=WCS2011_170a1_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/WCS2011_170a1_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><em>Note just how far back "the competition" is in this photo. WCS 2011. Photo by Maria Carrasco/Sk8Kings.<br /></em><br /><br /><br /><strong>Are people generally surprised when you tell them you race skateboards?<br /><br /></strong>My customers love it! I used to be afraid if they knew I was taking time off their project to go skateboard, they wouldn't take me seriously. But when I play up the whole World Champion thing, they love it.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Pie or doughnuts? And, what flavor?</strong><br /><br />Maple Bacon doughnuts from Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland, Oregon.<br /><br /><br /><strong>What was your first car?</strong><br /><br />Audi 5000.<br /><br /><br /><strong>What was the approximate date that CMC first hit on you?</strong><br /><br />Who...?!<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=Morro_Nats_2008_0441_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Morro_Nats_2008_0441_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><em>A picture of speed. Morro Nationals, 2008. Photo by Maria Carrasco/Sk8Kings.<br /><br /></em><br /><br /><strong>Which discipline do you prefer: TS, GS, Hybrid?</strong><br /><br />Not hybrid.<br /><br /><br /><strong>What’s your most memorable skate moment?</strong><br /><br />Beating Judi [Oyama] by .007 seconds combined in the Tight Slalom at the 2003 Worlds in Morro Bay.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Do you also skate:<br /><br />A) Downhill?<br /><br /></strong>Yes, but only if I have to.<br /><br /><strong>B) Ramp?<br /></strong><br />Yes.<br /><br /><strong>C) Park?</strong><br /><br />Yes.<br /><br /><strong>D) Ditch?</strong><br /><br />Yes.<br /><br /><strong>E) Freestyle?</strong><br /><br />Not so much...<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>Are you stoked that more girls are racing these days?</strong><br /><br />I would be stoked <em><strong>if</strong></em> more girls were racing these days...<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=Nats2010-2261_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Nats2010-2261_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><em>Same 'ol story: Lynn skates, and the guys watch. 2010 Nats. Photo by Maria Carassco/Sk8Kings.</em><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>Regular, or goofy? Normal push, or Mongo?</strong><br /><br />Goofy all the way.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Favorite pizza topping?</strong><br /><br />Artichoke hearts.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Favorite race to attend?</strong><br /><br />There was one Sizzler that held top honors for a long time, until I went to my first Farm.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Ever think about doin’ roller derby?</strong><br /><br />Sure.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=WCS2011_1961_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/WCS2011_1961_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><em>Being a world-class, world-champion skater means lots of camera-time, and fat guys from Jersey chasing you down to do interviews. WCS 2011. Photo by Maria Carassco/Sk8Kings.</em><br /><br /><br /><strong>Is David Beckham really that dreamy? Posh was really cute in the day, but now she looks kinda fake and plastic. Ginger was always my favorite!<br /><br /></strong>Who..?<br /><br /><br /><strong>Favorite skater to watch?</strong><br /><br />Chris Miller.<br /><br /><br /><strong>To race against?</strong><br /><br />Jonny Miller (no relation).<br /><br /><br /><strong>Favorite cartoon character?<br /></strong><br />Emily, Stewy, and Wile E Coyote because he always gets smashed, burned, or otherwise mutilated, but never dies.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Do you watch the X-games, or who gives a shit anymore?<br /></strong><br />If they're on.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Do you snowboard?</strong><br /><br />Sure.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Any other sports?<br /></strong><br />Sure.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Do blondes really have more fun?</strong><br /><br />I had fun being blonde.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Favorite bands/music?</strong><br /><br />80's Punk.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Dumbest thing you remember doing back in school?</strong><br /><br />Pouring beer into an empty coke can, and taping over the top. I never even made it to school before my parents smelled it.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Does your Mom still give you shit about skating/racing, like mine does?<br /><br /></strong>I was never allowed to skateboard growing up because my dad was an orthopedist. He thought it was just a way to pay the bills until they came to see the 2004 La Costa Open. Then he told me "Wow, that's really a sport. And wow, you're actually good at it." Now, my mom likes going to races.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Furthest you’ve traveled for a race?</strong><br /><br />Czech Republic. Twice.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Would you prefer male racers to treat you as an equal, or as a lady?</strong><br /><br />Equal what?! I kick most of their asses. Then after the race, they may open the door for me.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Hobbies?</strong><br /><br />Reading, gardening.<br /><br /><br /><strong>What do you do for a living?</strong><br /><br />I'm a Mechanical Engineer. I try to convince people (such as yourself) that they can make more skateboards for less money, if they have a CNC router to help them. Then after they buy the router from me, we help keep them running.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=WCS2011_1201_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/WCS2011_1201_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><em>Make it "World Champion of Slalom Skateboarding", and you'll have it right. Sure, she might smile a lot off the course...<br /><br /></em><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=Morro_Nats_2008_390a1_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Morro_Nats_2008_390a1_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><em>...but on the course, she's all business. Maria Carrasco/Sk8Kings photos.</em><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>Ever ridden in an ambulance?<br /></strong><br />Yes.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Ever wear KISS makeup?</strong><br /><br />No.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Would you ever wear shoes that hurt your feet because they looked cool?</strong><br /><br />Not on purpose.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Is anything (car, laptop, refrigerator, etc.) in your home covered in skate stickers?</strong><br /><br />Most everything.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Do you look at things (curbs, ditches, hills) differently than others because you skate?</strong><br /><br />Of course.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Favorite skate t-shirt?</strong><br /><br />All my shirts that Chicken made.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Skate companies that have been cool to you?</strong><br /><br />Sk8kings, Khiro, Timeship Racing, Nitro, Pocket Pistols, Abec 11, Fibreflex, Turner, 3dm/Seismic, Dregs, Sector 9, Radikal, Pleasure Tools, G&S, Powell-Peralta, Oust, Airflow, Skaterbuilt, Asphalt Playground, and Indiana.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Racers/Skaters that have been cool to you?</strong><br /><br />All slalom skaters are cool.<br /><br /><br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Fatboy</strong> (the writer) is a great chap that also owns a small company called "Longboards By Fatboy", which can be found at <a href="http://www.longboardsbyfatboy.com/">http://www.longboardsbyfatboy.com/</a></span></em></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">.<br /><br /><strong>Maria Carrasco</strong> (the photographer) is a lovely lady that also runs the day-to-day at Sk8Kings, which can be found at <a href="http://www.sk8kings.com/">http://www.sk8kings.com/</a></span></em></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">.<br /><br /><strong>Lynn Kramer</strong> is a kick-ass slalom racer. But you knew that already, 'cuz you just read the interview.<br /><br />And <strong>Bud Stratford</strong>... the guy that art-directed the piece, and wrote the intro... is still an asshat.</span></em><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/?action=view&current=SlalomGuyLogoSmaller_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/SlalomGuyLogoSmaller_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></span></a>MrCokesNSmokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08114565525647407489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665565128617513581.post-82412169880534131402012-01-10T20:42:00.001-05:002012-01-10T20:46:08.261-05:00Upcoming Events:<a 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src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Advertisements/Factory13_Ad_111011_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.hertelskiwax.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Advertisements/TalkingProof_resize2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/?action=view&current=Slasher_Man_Mini_Logo2A.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/Slasher_Man_Mini_Logo2A.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>MrCokesNSmokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08114565525647407489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665565128617513581.post-820281680711468612012-01-05T19:55:00.003-05:002012-01-05T20:11:16.796-05:00Aperture: Cockfight North Carolina Tour<a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Regular%20Features/?action=view&current=Aperture8_Rework_4_Pic-1.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Regular%20Features/Aperture8_Rework_4_Pic-1.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">A couple weeks back, we sent an e-mail over to <span style="color:#ffff33;">Mike Niemann</span> (at Cockfight Skateboards) that basically said:<br /><br />"Hey, Mike? Help...! We haven't run any good pool photos in a while. Y'got anything kicking around...?! Bests: The Empty-Handed Editors..."<br /><br /></span></strong>As always, Mike was more than happy to help. So without further ado, let's all take that long-overdue break from a whole weeks' worth of "boring industry-speak", and check out what Mike and the guys sent over:<br /><br /></em><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=Everything_Skateboarding_AdamYoungRogerSkateboards_BSSmith_Bobs_JohnFallsPic1.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Everything_Skateboarding_AdamYoungRogerSkateboards_BSSmith_Bobs_JohnFallsPic1.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><strong>Adam Young</strong> (of Roger Skateboards)<br />Backside Smith<br />Bob's<br />John Falls photo<br /><br /></em><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=Everything_Skateboarding_ChrisSchlag_FSGrind_Boogies_BrettRoperPic1.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Everything_Skateboarding_ChrisSchlag_FSGrind_Boogies_BrettRoperPic1.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><strong>Chris Schlag</strong><br />Frontside<br />Boogie's<br />Brett Roper photo<br /></em><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=Everything_Skateboarding_Hubba_BacksideAir_Wanchese_BrettRoperPic.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Everything_Skateboarding_Hubba_BacksideAir_Wanchese_BrettRoperPic.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><strong>Hubba</strong><br />Backside<br />Wanchese<br />Brett Roper photo<br /></em><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=Everything_Skateboarding_JesseDavis_Invert_Wanchese_RoperPic1.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Everything_Skateboarding_JesseDavis_Invert_Wanchese_RoperPic1.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><strong>Jesse Davis</strong><br />Invert<br />Wanchese<br />Brett Roper photo<br /></em><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=Everything_Skateboarding_MikeNiemann_FSSmith_WavesBowl_RoperPic1.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Everything_Skateboarding_MikeNiemann_FSSmith_WavesBowl_RoperPic1.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span><em><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong>Mike Niemann</strong><br />Frontside Smith<br />Wave's Bowl<br />Brett Roper photo<br /><br /></span></em><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><br /></em></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em></em></span><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;">Thanks, guys. You're the best.</span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><br /></em></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em></em></span><br /><br /><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/?action=view&current=Slasher_Man_Mini_Logo2B.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/Slasher_Man_Mini_Logo2B.jpg" /></span></a>MrCokesNSmokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08114565525647407489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665565128617513581.post-79273292727486886602012-01-05T19:42:00.000-05:002012-01-05T19:45:44.208-05:00The Board Meeting: Saturday, April14th, 2012<a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Advertisements/?action=view&current=BoardMeetingTime61_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Advertisements/BoardMeetingTime61_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>MrCokesNSmokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08114565525647407489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665565128617513581.post-23948741159259384062012-01-04T21:48:00.010-05:002012-01-06T05:39:35.904-05:00Is it time for an lASC alternative...?<a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=IASC_Alternative4_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/IASC_Alternative4_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;">There's been a lot of talk these days about us, in the skateboard industry, creating some sort of <span style="color:#ffff33;">"alternative" to IASC</span>. Especially given some of the news that's coming out of Agenda, right now. Apparently, IASC has committed to a "new push... to make sure every genre of skateboarding is well-represented within IASC". I'm guessing that a lot of people are taking this as code for, "We finally want to capitalize on this whole 'longboard' trend, fifteen years after it became popular"...or, "We want a slice of that cash pie, fool!"... or, maybe even "We want to screw up longboarding the same way that we bastardized street skating"... or, whatever is making everybody so damned irritable at Agenda this week. Personally, I just thought it was funny- as usual. Like, </span></em></strong></span><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color:#ffff33;">"Oh, really?! That's cool. Where in the hell have you guys been for the last ten years...?!"<br /></span><br /></span></span></em></strong><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;">Oh, by the way: The show doesn't even start until <span style="color:#ffff33;">tomorrow</span>. So basically, we're still twelve hours away from the doors opening... and yet, IASC has already somehow managed to piss everybody off? Go, team...!<br /><br /><br /></span></em></strong><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>"The International Association of Skateboard Companies (IASC) is the not-for-profit trade association of skateboarding. The mission of the IASC is to represent the global skateboarding community as a united force by listening, understanding and acting on the needs of skateboarders and the skateboard industry..."<br /><br /></em>- from www.skateboardiasc.org, IASC's website."Listening". I love that one...<br /><br /><br /><br />So, yeah. It just might be time to finally put that last nail in the 'ol IASC coffin, and hammer that bitch home. But then, the question becomes: What's the alternative? Doesn't this industry of ours need some sort of "unified voice" representing it...? Well, if you ask most skaters (as well as most skateboard company owners), I think that the best answer that you'll get is, "Well... maybe".<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>"It is a group collection with the single aim of increasing skateboarding and <strong>Pushing Skateboarding Forward</strong>..."<br /><br /></em><em></em>- from www.skateboardiasc.org<br /><br /><br /><br />The biggest problem is that, skateboarders (as a general rule) will only "organize" themselves in any sort of effective (and sustainable) manner, when they perceive that a genuine threat to the "greater good of skateboarding" is coming over the horizon. And then once that threat passes, they tend to immediately disorganize, and go along their merry way. This is the reality that, unfortunately, plagues most of skateboarding's "industry organizations" with ambivalence and indifference, leaving them unable (and unprepared) to act in a true time of crisis.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>"IASC’s goals are to promote skateboarding, increase participation, save its members money, and educate. IASC serves it’s members and the skateboarding community by focusing on areas which affect not only the business, but the overall sustainability and health of skateboarding..."<br /></em><br />- from www.skateboardiasc.org, IASC's website<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />IASC, today, apparently represents that "threat to the greater good of skateboarding" that is compelling everybody else to finally take action, and get organized. Which is sort of ironic, isn't it...? That our very own "trade group" that exists... on paper, at least... to "protect the better interests of skateboarding"... is the <strong>very thing</strong> that skateboarders (as well as, a whole lotta skateboard business owners) feel like they need to be <em>protected from...?</em> What does this say about our "industry leaders", and our industry...? Personally, I think it says that they're both epic fails.<br /><br />As far as "alternatives" go... believe it or not, about five years ago, Michael Brooke (of Concrete Wave Magazine), AJ Kohn (of One Skateboard Co), Jeremy Welch (of TOC Skateshop), and I... we started brainstorming that very topic. We all recognized that, if IASC kept operating as a totally ineffective, highly secretive, perpetually blundering, and hopelessly out-of-touch "cool club"... that eventually, they'd probably ineffective, secret, blunder, or cool their asses either right out of existence, or straight into irrelevance. Or, worst of all: Both.<br /><br />From those discussions, we came to a concept that we regularly refer to internally as "The Collective". Until now, The Collective has existed largely as an experiment... a "trial run", so to speak. It was established mostly as a troubleshooting exercise, to explore the possibilities of what any future "trade group" might look like. And what, if anything, it might actually accomplish.<br /><br />What we finally ended up with, was a concept that might be best described as an "Un-organized, industry organization". At first, this might seem pretty confusing, and extremely counter-intuitive. If not, downright stupid. However, we all recognized that in order to come up with something that actually works... and works well, and effortlessly, long-term... that we might have to think pretty far "outside the box", in order to finally solve a few of the problems that are unique to skateboarding's culture, values, identity, and industry.<br /><br />This week, I asked all of the guys (and gals) that took the idea from us, and ran with it... for permission to take the hard lessons that we've learned privately over the last five years, public. Nobody disagreed. So with that, this is a brief outline of what we've come up with as a sustainable and effective paradigm for what the future might hold. And given the toxic tone coming out of Agenda already, who knows? We might even see this materialize, and even expand, sooner than we think:<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>"Formed in 1995, IASC is a diverse group of skateboard manufacturers, distributors, contest organizers, private skateparks, and individuals. A collaboration of people passionate about skateboarding- with the single aim of protecting the integrity of skateboarding and pushing skateboarding forward on a global level..."<br /><br /></em>- from www.skateboardiasc.org, IASC's website<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">The Name</span></strong><br /><br />"The Collective" is simply a collection of like-minded individuals, and industry representatives, that are moving toward a set of common ambitions and goals. Not that unlike IASC, actually. Except, The Collective strives to be all-inclusive, and somewhat informal.<br /><br />As for how the name came about... let's face facts: I'm not all that smart. So when I'm in doubt about these sorts of things, I do have a tendency to literally, go literal.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">The Mission</span></strong><br /><br />The mission of The collective is pretty obvious, and it's not too unlike any other "trade group". Primarily, it serves as an industry-wide advocacy group that looks after the interests of... and, supports the success of... all of our members, as well as skateboarding, as a whole.<br /><br />Nothing too fancy there.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Primary Function:</span></strong><br /><br />Essentially, as it stands today, The Collective is best summed up with two simple words: "Think Tank". It's an information conduit. Or, put another way: An idea brokerage. If people (or businesses) have problems, or questions? Then, we put them in touch with solutions, and answers.<br /><br />Still, pretty simple.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Secondary Function:</span></strong><br /><br />To launch far-reaching, broad-based, and ongoing initiatives that work toward common goals.<br /><br />At some point, I think that everyone involved with this decided that we just didn't need to look at IASC for any sort of "guidance", in terms of setting an agenda. Nor did we need their blessing, either. Really, all we needed to do was to figure out what we wanted to do, and then start moving on it. No permission necessary.<br /><br />I think we turned a corner on that one. Instead of simply "reacting" to whatever IASC was doing at the time... we became a bit more pro-active, and started moving on our own accord. IASC at this point, became much less of an influence on what we were doing.<br /><br />It only got better from there.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">One Skateboarding, One Industry<br /></span></strong><br />One thing that has always baffled me, is why in the good grace of God we'd ever need two, competing "industry groups" working against each other. One being IASC, which largely represented the interests of the brands. And then BRA, on the other side of the fence, which represents the interests of the retailers. Aren't these two things part of the same industry...? If so: Why do we need two different groups, representing it...?<br /><br />The Collective includes representatives from manufacturing, branding, distribution, retail, nonprofits, and media- all under one roof.<br /><br />Likewise: Skateboarding also has a lot of "other organizations", that represent specialized interests within skateboarding. WFSA (World Freestyle Association), ISSA (International Slalom Skateboard Association), SPAUSA (Skatepark Association of the USA), SPS (Skaters For Public Skateparks)... the list goes on. All, representing some particular interest in the overall spectrum of skateboarding. But nothing that represents just "skateboarding".<br /><br />We support all of these specialized groups... but, we also recognize the importance of having a larger, all-inclusive organization that represents the entire spectrum of skateboarding.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">The Practical Problem of Herding Cats:</span></strong><br /><br />Skaters, as a rule, just don't like to be "organized". They don't really like being "members". And they sure as hell don't like the idea of having to pay cash "dues", in order to have a voice at the table, either. That's just bullshit. And, everybody knows it.<br /><br />We simply solved the whole issue, by boldly eliminating all three.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Membership:<br /></span></strong><br />There is really no such thing as "membership" in The Collective. "Affiliation" is really a much better word for it. There's no forms to fill out, no hoops to jump through, no bullshit to wade around in, and no litmus test to pass. If you're in, then you're in. It's that simple.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">What's better than "non-profit"...? "Non-revenue"...!<br /><br /></span></strong>There are also no "membership dues". The only requirements are that you actively participate (generally, by bringing ideas and concepts to the table), and that you get something out of it (generally, by taking ideas away from the table).<br /><br />The Collective can, and will, act as a "unified voice", if and when the need arises. But truth be told, that just doesn't happen very often.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Recognizing The Power Of The Individual Contribution</span></strong><br /><br />Likewise, The Collective rarely moves as a cohesive power bloc (except for The Board Meeting initiative). Rather, we tend to support individuals (in any way we can) that decide to take the initiative either entirely on their own, or as a part of a small group of Collective members, acting autonomously. Rarely do we take the time to build a broad-based consensus on any given initiative. In the fast-moving world of skateboarding, we found out the hard way that that's paralyzingly time-consuming.<br /><br />Instead, we recognize that when individuals (or small groups) take the initiative upon themselves to do good stuff for skateboarding- everybody wins. And, we support that.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Transparency</span></strong><br /><br />One of the biggest frustrations that everybody seems to have with IASC, is that they are not "transparent" at all. They do not answer criticism- neither publicly, nor privately (maybe it's because they just get so much of it these days). IASC does not seem to seek out council from outside sources (unless it's from Harley-Davidson, of all places). This ultimately leads to inherent mistrust (or distrust- you choose). They certainly don't speak for "the rest of us". And even worse: When they <strong><em>do</em></strong> speak for "the rest of us", they're doing it by putting out horrible initiatives "in our name" ("Under Fire") that are universally hated (except, predictably, by the IASC members themselves).<br /><br />The Collective simply believes in transparency, at all times. The Collective has a surprisingly liberal "open door policy". We read, and answer, all e-mails. Even critical ones. We answer all questions. And, The Collective is truly all-inclusive. There is no board, no president, no "insiders"... and thus, no "outsiders", either.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>"Trade Shows: IASC takes an active role in helping you bring new products to market. Our partnership with ASR Trade Show will enhance your trade show experience with added discounts and on-site promotions. IASC will supply you with a list of the items available to your company while attending the ultimate showcase of the action sports and youth lifestyle market. IASC Members generally save the amount they pay in dues through discounts at our partner trade shows..."<br /><br /></em>- from www.skateboardiasc.org, IASC's website<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">The Board Meeting</span></strong><br /><br />This is an example of a Collective initiative, in action. This one was instigated by ASR's downfall, which naturally led straight to the question of, "What will the future of trade shows look like...?"<br /><br />The clear winners were trade shows that would be all-inclusive (open to anybody and everybody), low-key, mellow, affordable, fun... and that could be easily (and quickly) organized by a very small handful of people. In short: This is totally DIY. Which is the way that skateboarding- and, the skateboard industry- should be. Doing It For Ourselves.<br /><br />It is, after all, our industry. It seems only fitting that we run it in a manner that's consistent with the vibe, and the spirit, of skateboarding.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Communications</span></strong><br /><br />The best by-product of The Collective's ongoing efforts are simply more open, honest, effective, and beneficial lines of communication between the Collective affiliates. This is, after all, an exercise in building better relationships between people. This has been especially helpful in the ongoing dialogue between brands, and retailers. Respectful disagreements happen all the time (I've never argued with anybody more in my entire life, than I've argued with Michael Brooke over the last five years). But at least they're respectful. And the bonus of "getting along great" (most of the time) is absolutely priceless.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>"Healthy Skateboarding Community = Healthy Skateboarding Business"<br /><br /></em>- from www.skateboardiasc.org, IASC's website<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Is It Time...?</span></strong><br /><br />There's definitely a consensus building that IASC... and to a lesser extent, BRA... just aren't serving the needs of the overall skateboarding community any more. Priorities are all out of proportion, and far too many people are feeling like they're simply being shut out of the process. And the more that The Collective works, the more tenuous that IASC and BRA's futures become. They represent exclusions and restrictions.<br /><br />The Collective, which fundamentally represents inclusion and freedom, is essentially the opposite of IASC.<br /><br />I think that's an idea who's time has come.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/?action=view&current=ES_MultiBoards5_minilogo_pic.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/ES_MultiBoards5_minilogo_pic.jpg" /></span></a>MrCokesNSmokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08114565525647407489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665565128617513581.post-50585305143347255182012-01-04T00:00:00.001-05:002012-01-04T00:00:39.096-05:00Memo To IASC:<a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=MemoToIASC5A_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/MemoToIASC5A_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>MrCokesNSmokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08114565525647407489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665565128617513581.post-91699071827244972512012-01-03T21:07:00.013-05:002012-01-04T00:09:58.270-05:00"Under Fire", Five Years Later<a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=HappyAnniversaryIASC4_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/HappyAnniversaryIASC4_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></em></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><br /></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Five years ago this week, the <span style="color:#ffff33;">International Association of Skateboard Companies (IASC)</span> released their now-infamous "Under Fire" report at the [now defunct] annual <span style="color:#ffff33;">ASR trade show</span>. You might remember it: It was the "initiative" that basically told kids that if they bought blanks (or shop decks), then they were committing some sort of cardinal sin against the skateboarding world...? Yeah, that's the one. Five Years Later, I decided it was high time to revisit "Under Fire", and to see where the skateboarding industry... and, IASC... are at, today.<br /><br /></span></strong><br /><br /><br /></em></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=UnderFire1_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/UnderFire1_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></em></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><br /><br />This is the cover of the <strong>"Under Fire"</strong> report. For some strange reason, many of us in the media had a good <strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">six-month (or-so) head's up</span></strong> that this thing was coming out. Apparently, some of the biggest enemies that IASC will ever have, also happen to be members of IASC themselves... because us "media guys" had some really, <strong>really</strong> excellent sources with all sorts of crazy-ass "insider information" to share with us. Some of it was pretty damned funny, too. I do remember hearing something about a scheme that included having all of the IASC member brands putting some sort of "Professional Skateboard League" holograms on all "branded" skateboard decks(?!). Just so everybody would know, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are indeed supporting "professionally approved skateboard products" when they buy a pro skateboard deck. As if the big-ass pro name splashed all over pro decks these days just isn't enough of a clue... </em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>As bad as "Under Fire" was... in hindsight, I suppose that it really could've been much, much <strong>worse</strong>. Although at the time, that was pretty hard to imagine.<br /><br />Even stranger: I personally recieved my copy (in the picture) from IASC's Executive Director (at the time), <strong>John Bernards</strong>, himself. I'm betting that, to this day, he probably regrets making <span style="color:#ffff33;">that</span> jughead move. How'd I even get into ASR, you ask...!? Oh, ummmm... well... I snuck in, incognito. That's the funny thing about "trade shows": The most important person in the whole damned industry... that is, <strong>the average kid that actually buys skateboards, and supports this industry with their hard-earned dollars</strong>... never seem to be invited to these things. Which means that the most valuable player in "the industry" doesn't even have a seat at the table, or a voice in the "dialog". Which has never made the slightest bit of sense to me. But, hey: At least I got in, right...?!<br /><br />I've saved my copy over the years, just to remind myself that whatever "success" I might achieve, or how over-inflated my precious ego may become... <strong>no matter what, there are still things that only total fucking douchebags do</strong>. </em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>Telling kids that they're somehow "evil" for buying the wrong skateboard being chief among them. Of course.<br /><br />Kids: No matter what <strong>anybody</strong> tells you (even me)... the bottom line is that your life is still your life. And ultimately, you should do whatever <strong>you</strong> wanna do with it. The only person that you should ever have to answer to, is yourself. And never, ever, ever let <strong>anybody</strong> (even me) tell you any differently.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></em></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=UnderFire2_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/UnderFire2_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></em></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><br /><br />By far, the most "toxic" part of the report was the <strong>Dwindle</strong> ad that said, "make a statement" at the top, followed by a sentence that said "every time you purchase a blank deck you are saying:"... followed by a laundry-list of complete bullshit that you're supposedly "saying", whenever you buy a blank deck.<br /><br />Now, I pointed out to IASC early on, that when kids buy blank skateboards... they're generally saying something along the lines of, <span style="color:#ffff33;">"Dude! I totally wish I could afford a pro board... but, I just can't right now"</span>. Or, <span style="color:#ffff33;">"If I don't buy a blank, I probably won't be able to skate at all for quite some time"</span>. Or sometimes even, <span style="color:#ffff33;">"Skateboard companies are greedy assholes, so I'd much rather support nothing"</span>.<br /><br />But, two things that I've never, ever heard anybody say... <strong>ever</strong>... is that "I buy blank skateboards, because I love rollerblades" (seventh one down, on the left), or "I buy blank skateboards, because I drink my own pee" (third one down, on the right).<br /><br />As a kid that came from a single-parent household (read: poor) that actually had to <strong>buy a blank</strong> from time to time, just to be able to skate... I found this awfully offensive. Since then, I've basically boycotted IASC, and all of their member companies. And I've encouraged a whole lotta heads to do the same thing.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></em></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=UnderFire3_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/UnderFire3_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></em></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><br /><br />I always did love the "industry should be run by frat boys" quip. Shit, dude: I thought that IASC <strong>was</strong> run by "frat boys"...! What the...?</em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>The <strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">strangest</span></strong> thing about it all, though, was that IASC never really said all that much, publicly, about any of this. Their main talking point was that all they were doing, was <strong>"creating a dialog"</strong> about the plight of those under-paid, and under-appreciated pro skateboarders that were suffering and starving at the hands of "The Evil Blank-Buyers". The fact that they pissed off an entire army of kids around the world, seemed to escape them entirely. Or maybe, they just didn't care...?<br /><br />I, for one, have always thought that an <strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">apology</span></strong> might have been the appropriate thing to offer to all of those kids. Something that said, "Hey, look, we totally meant well... but man, we also completely fucked up the translation. We're really, really sorry about that". That would have been really cool, and sort of noble and kind of them to do.<br /><br />Five years later, I'm still waiting...<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></em></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=UnderFire4_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/UnderFire4_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></em></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><br /><br />"I donate to the nazi regime"...?! Guys. You <strong>can't</strong> be serious...</em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>These days, IASC is but a shell of its former self. Bernards is long gone. IASC "initiatives" are few and far between. <strong>Shop decks (the other "target" of the "Under Fire" report) are an even bigger chunk of the market now, than they were back then</strong>. Longboarding has taken over as the "most popular" form of skateboarding, while virtually no "longboard" companies at all are IASC members. And lastly... whereas "blanks" were considered an "easy" target, because they "don't support skateboarders, and/or skateboarding"... five years later, IASC's biggest, <span style="color:#ffff33;">current</span> threat... by <strong>far</strong>... are those <span style="color:#ffff33;">10,000,000 small, skater-owned companies that are popping up like weeds, all over the place</span>. And unlike "blank companies", those companies are actually run by skaters, that do contribute an awful lot to skateboarding. And those companies, almost to a man, despise IASC, and all that it stands for.<br /><br />Even worse: There is movement happening, amongst these companies, to start their own "trade organization". <strong>To take on IASC toe-to-toe, and to do legitimately cool things for skateboarding</strong>. Many of these companies are taking the "initiative" on their own, and coming up with some super-creative stuff. We even have a "trade show" coming up in April, that is as far removed from the stale, old "ASR model" as you could possibly get. </em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>It gets even worse, guys: There's more than one of these "DIY Trade Shows" in the works. I think that's awesome...! Let skaters run the trade shows, the way that skaters want to see them run. By, and for, skaters! Oh, my gawd. What a concept.<br /><br />In short: The future of skateboarding is actually starting to look pretty damn bright. But not so much, if you're IASC.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></em></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=UnderFire5_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/UnderFire5_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></em></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><br /><br />A lot of people credit me, personally, as "The guy that brought down Under Fire". But honestly, this is a huge misnomer. <strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">I'm not comfortable with that description one damn bit.</span></strong> It's honestly giving a whole lotta credit, where credit is in no way due. Yeah, sure: I did write some pretty snappy "think pieces" (that's code, by the way, for "sufferably long-winded diatribes") about the whole shebang. But as we all know, "think pieces" don't go over particularly well amongst skateboarders.<br /><br />But, "funny" sure as hell does...! Enter <strong>Neal Boyd</strong>, and his classicly-hysterical "spoof" website, titled <strong>"A World Without CEOS".</strong> It, too, is now long gone... forever lost to the fast-moving sands of internet history. But if anybody, anywhere deserves any "credit" at all for "killing" Under Fire, it's probably <strong>Neal</strong>.<br /><br />I'd add: Along with the 50-gazillion everyday kids, that also thought that the whole "initiative" was total bullshit...</em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>But in my life... even though I did practically nothing at all to advance the cause (outside of lending one more voice to the chorus of pissed-off voices)... it was still a pretty pivotal moment. One thing that I realized, is that this "initiative" was a carefully orchestrated effort between IASC, TransWorld Business, and Trans World Skateboarding (all of their logos are on the cover, as you can plainly see in the first photo of the article). </em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>Before "Under Fire", I had never questioned the ethics, and the integrity of the skateboard media. But, I sure as hell started to <strong>after</strong> "Under Fire" came out. The fact the the media heads didn't somehow stand up for the average kid (aka,"their readers") ultimately inspired me to help create the <strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Everything Skateboarding</span></strong> that we all love to hate, today. Just to even up those odds a little bit, right...?</em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>Maybe most importantly: It pressured me to take a closer look at who, and what, I'm supporting, whenever I'm buying any kind of skateboard product. Who is this company...? What do they stand for...? Who owns it...? Where is this product made...? Are they IASC members...? And, finally... can I really trust these dudes to do what's right for skateboarding?</em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>It's a hard lesson to learn... but in this industry, you can never be too careful. I learned that one from Under Fire, too.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></em></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=UnderFire7A_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/UnderFire7A_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></em></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><br /><br />This is one of Paul Schmitt's Q&A's in "Under Fire". In hindsight, I think that the question- and, the answer- speak volumes. First of all, the damned question doesn't even make any sense. "What would happen to the industry if there were no hardgoods skate companies"...?! Well, I guess there'd be nobody making skate hardgoods...?(?!) </em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>I think they <strong>meant</strong> to say, "<strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">branded</span></strong> hardgoods skate companies". But, whatever.</em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>Anyway... five years later, what's happened to IASC, and their member companies...? <span style="color:#ffff33;"><strong>Under the guiding hand of IASC, their member hardgoods companies have lost their "core", slipped into being a "commodity product", and are largely sold in big-box stores (like Zumiez) that pump no promotion into the market, leading to a pretty un-excited customer.</strong></span> Exactly what "The Professor" professed. Simply amazing.<br /><br />Now, compare that to your typical <strong>small, non-IASC company</strong>. Those brands are still hella "core", and are making some pretty unique products, that are still largely sold at independent retailers, that give their blood, sweat, and tears to make skateboarding a better place for everybody... which leads to quite a few happy kids. </em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>I'm sorry, but why are we lining up to join IASC again...? To be a part of epic fails like this...?<br /><br /><br /></em></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><br /></em><strong><em><span style="font-size:180%;">So, IASC. My five-year-anniversary question is pretty simple: How'd that <span style="color:#ffff33;">"dialog"</span> end up workin' out for ya...?! </span></em></strong></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/?action=view&current=ES_BrokenBoardLogo_minilogo.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/ES_BrokenBoardLogo_minilogo.jpg" /></em></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><br /></em></span>MrCokesNSmokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08114565525647407489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665565128617513581.post-77818162778985136212012-01-01T20:51:00.005-05:002012-01-01T22:09:59.097-05:00Busy Making New Artwork...<a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=New_Art_Headline_Color2_pic.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/New_Art_Headline_Color2_pic.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span><strong><em><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:180%;">Every so often, I like to take a few days off to create some new, hand-drawn artwork for <span style="color:#ffff33;">Everything Skateboarding</span>. Since it's a long weekend for me... as well as a brand-new year... I figured it was time to put pen to paper, and have a little bit of fun with our "art direction"...<br /></span></em></strong><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/?action=view&current=Morrow1995Logo_Everything_Skateboarding2.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Big" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/Morrow1995Logo_Everything_Skateboarding2.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><em>A lot of the artwork that I do, is <strong>loosely autobiographical</strong>. In this case, I found a <span style="color:#ffff33;">self-poitrait that I'd sketched back in 1995</span>... probably when I was in my senior year of college. In it, I'm doing a "tindy" air on my old <strong>Morrow Revert 154</strong> (that even featured Switch Step-Ins!)... a real find, straight out of the 'ol archives. Just goes to show the cool shit that you can find, when you actually bother to unpack your boxes, and stay in one place for a little while. </em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>By the way: I <strong>still own</strong> this board, and the corresponding <strong>Vans Axioms</strong> that go with it. I still take it out once in a while, too... and when I do, I feel like I'm 24 all over again.<br /><br /></em><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/?action=view&current=Burton1990Logo_Everything_Skateboarding2.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Big" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/Burton1990Logo_Everything_Skateboarding2.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><em>I've been snowboarding since 1987, when my buddies first took me out on their old <strong>Sims Blades, Avalanches, and Barfoots</strong>. At first, I couldn't afford to do it regularly... that shit was <span style="color:#ffff33;">pretty expensive</span> back in the day (it still is, actually)... but as I grew older, I developed a real appreciation for snowboarding's "early days". I wanted to celebrate that this year, by drawing up a bunch of icons featuring notable snowboards from the past... this <strong>1990 Burton Craig Kelly "Air"</strong> being one of my personal favorites of the series.<br /><br /></em><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/?action=view&current=SlalomGuyLogoBigger_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/SlalomGuyLogoBigger_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><em>While I was at it, I wanted to bang out a quick "slalom" logo to go with <strong>Fatboy's</strong> slalom articles. If I'm gonna support something, I'm gonna do it <span style="color:#ffff33;">all the way down to the icons that we use in the article footers</span>. Note the difference betwen the "current day" self-poitrait, and the 1995 version above. This, kids, is where bad genes, pizza, Cokes, and cigarettes will ultimately take you: <strong>Fat, old, and balding</strong>. On the other hand: As long as you're still having fun, who really cares about the "fashion show" style-critics...? <strong>Clearly, I don't</strong>. And it shows, too.<br /><br /></em><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/?action=view&current=Performer_Logo_Minilogo_Pic_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Small" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/Performer_Logo_Minilogo_Pic_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> </span>MrCokesNSmokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08114565525647407489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665565128617513581.post-38621296985988849032011-12-31T15:24:00.006-05:002011-12-31T16:18:45.941-05:00Happy New Year...!<a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=Happy_New_Year3_Pic_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Happy_New_Year3_Pic_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong><em><span style="font-size:180%;">Although we're busy- <span style="color:#ffff33;">as usual</span>- goofing off, causing trouble, and having fun (which is exactly what <span style="color:#ffff33;">you</span> should be doing, too)... we wanted to say just a few words to close out 2011, and welcome in 2012.<br /><br /></span></em></strong>For many of us, 2011 probably won't be seen as much of a banner year. "Bummer" might be a good word for it, though. Skateboarding, on the whole of it, seemed just a little bit stale, and flat. The industry continues to struggle with a whole host of issues... declining-to-flat sales figures only being one of the many (unless you're a longboard company... then, you're doing awesome!). "Leadership" is almost entirely nonexistent. Even i</span><span style="font-family:georgia;">n terms of the "bigger picture"... the economy still sucked. Joblessness and depression reigned. Politics stood at a stalemate, resulting in hopeless gridlock. Gas prices are pure lunacy. Global warming is rearing its ugly head again, in the form of snowless mountains and ski... no, make that "snowboard"... resorts.<br /><br />Yet, when I look back at 2011... I have to admit, I see a pretty good year in the 'ol rearview. The difference, I think, is a question of motivation and priorities.<br /><br />The truth of the matter is that, the future truly does belong to the ambitious, and the bold. "Ambition" and "boldness" are two things that I'm typically percieved to have an overabundance of. As do most of the dudes (and ladies) that I know, love, and have the pleasure of working with on a regular basis. When I look back on 2011, I see a lot of heads finally saying, "You know what? Enough of the bullshit...!", rolling up their sleeves, getting their hands dirty... and getting their heads, and their asses, in gear. Which is always a great, great thing to see... let alone, actually being a part of. Of course, some people do get left behind. Maybe they just don't have the gonads, or the spine, to take matters into their own hands, take charge, and take the lead. What can I say...? Life's rough, and Darwinism works...?<br /><br />But if you take a hard look around, and open your eyes up enough... you'll see hope everywhere. I certainly do. Even through the turmoil, there's still some great shit to be found. Yes: Skateshops are dying all over the place. But, the few that remain are doing some killer stuff. Yes: Most media is made up of pure fluff, marketing hype, and gullible readership. But again, there are standouts that are doing truly remarkable things, making thier readers <strong><em>think </em></strong>(whether the readers actually <em>want </em>to think, or not, isn't really the point)<strong><em>,</em></strong> and making a small, but significant, difference. Yes: Most skateboard companies are purely concerned with pumping out obsolete widgets in the interest of making a quick buck, and running for the bank. But, there's also a small handful of truly legitimate little companies coming out of the woodwork (literally), that are doing truly innovative things, and for all the right reasons. Yes: Everyone wants to make a dollar, and survive to make another dollar tomorrow. But, there are also people (and businesses) out there that aren't afraid to put their self-interests aside for a moment, and work together to protect skateboarding from those that would prefer to hijack the whole thing, strictly to advance their own interests, their own overly-developed egos, and their own profit margins.<br /><br />So, sure. The future can look pretty shitty, if you want it to. But, it can also look really, really bright. Ultimately, it all depends on how you choose to look at it, and what you choose to do with it.<br /><br />Here at <strong><em><span style="color:#ffff33;">Everything Skateboarding</span></em></strong>, I'm extremely lucky to have an extremely talented and intelligent group of incredibly good people around me at all times. That's where the question of "priorities" comes into play. If I had to make the choice between having a pile of cash, or the love and support of incredible friends around me... what would I do? Well, damn, man... everyone knows the answer to that one...! I'll take the "friends", every single time. Never falters, and never fails.<br /><br />Here's why: When I'm old, broken, shriveled up, and on my death bed, waiting to pass on to the "other side"... I'm not gonna fuckin' remember how much money I made in any given year, or how well my stock portfolio performed, or what might (or might not) be chillin' in my bank account. At the end of the day, those things just don't matter very much, in the grand scheme of things. But, the memories of time well-spent with true friends, doing what <strong><em>we love to do</em></strong>... creating, snowboarding, skateboarding... wrecking shit... and then, starting the circle anew... and, having a total blast while doing it all... that's the best that you or I will ever get, pal. Sometimes, we forget that. And that's a damn shame. Never forget: Friends and Fun are Everything. And that's the truth.<br /><br />Even all the money in the world, still can't buy the very best things in life.<br /><br />So when you're out tonight, partying away 2011, and looking ahead to 2012... take a moment, and take a good look around. If you're wise enough, you'll clearly see that everything you'll ever need in life, will be right in front of you. In my case, that'll be some slush (masquerading as "snow"....)... a snowboard strapped to my feet... a cold Coke, a couple of (bummed) cigs, and a bottle of wine... a few friends... good times... and my sweetie, Kenda.<br /><br />In short: I'm ringing in my 2012, in much the same way that I spent my 2011.<br /><br />And in retrospect, that makes 2011 a damn good year that'll definitely be well worth remembering.<br /><br />Have fun out there, be safe... and if you're drinking tonight, do me a favor: Designate a driver. Because starting off 2012 in a body bag is definitely not the way to go, bro.<br /><br />Love you all, and we'll see you next week.<br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/?action=view&current=ES_SnowboarderLogo1_minilogo.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/ES_SnowboarderLogo1_minilogo.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><em>I'd like to take a quick second to recognize a few of the people that made 2011 such a banner year for Everything Skateboarding:<br /><br />Michael Brooke of Concrete Wave Magazine, our media partner; Jack Smith, my boss at The Skateboarder's Journal; the Everything Skateboarding staff of editors, contributors, and advisers: AJ Kohn, Hans Lucas, Fatboy, Lew Ross, Aaron Ross, Husain Alfraid, Daniel Gesmer, Maria and Richie Carrasco, Michael Niemann, Richard Kirby, and Keith Gillogly; Perfect North Slopes, and Lonnie and Lindsay at Mount Bohemia; Terry Hertel of Hertel (Snowboard) Wax; Mark at 5150; Von at Sun Valley Sports, and Ron at Rusted Moon Outfitters (our snowboard techs); The Old Indy Skaters, and The Good Vibe Tribe; all of the advertisers and supporters... all of our retail partners... and of course, You... the readers.<br /><br />There's also a few guys that have helped out this year in significant, but (largely) unseen ways that I feel deserve a quick word of "thanks". Those guys include Bob at Ollie's Skatepark in Florence, Kentucky (host of The Board Meeting 2012)... Blair "Slobbo" Watson at Skull and Bones... Jim Thiebaud at Deluxe Distribution... and Skip Engblom at Santa Monica Airlines.<br /><br />Thank you all so very much.<br /><br /></em><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span>MrCokesNSmokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08114565525647407489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665565128617513581.post-41504256053779748022011-12-22T19:29:00.003-05:002011-12-22T19:49:38.189-05:00The Board Meeting 2012 Update:<a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Board%20Meeting%202012/?action=view&current=Updates4_Logo_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Board%20Meeting%202012/Updates4_Logo_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Board%20Meeting%202012/?action=view&current=Board_Meeting_2012_Pic_Resize.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Board%20Meeting%202012/Board_Meeting_2012_Pic_Resize.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;">Happy Holidays to everybody that reads <span style="color:#ffff33;">Everything Skateboarding</span>. While I'm spending my time healing my back from a good 'ol snowboard/handrail slam, I figured it was high time for a <span style="color:#ffff33;">Board Meeting 2012 update</span>. Here goes:</span><br /><br /></em></strong><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong><em><span style="font-size:180%;">"It's not 'my show'..."<br /><br /></span></em></strong>First off: The classification that this whole shindig is somehow "my show", isn't entirely true. I'm merely facilitating the show, and helping with a little bit of the organization, and a few of the logistics. The show, though, is really "everybody's show". The people that attend will have the freedom, and the latitude, to do whatever they want... and in turn, make it truly "their show".<br /><br />Which is exactly the way it should be.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><em><span style="font-size:180%;">Credentials and Invites:</span></em></strong><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>"Everybody's Invited...!"<br /></em><br />This is a concept that some folks seem to be having a really, <strong><em>really</em></strong> hard time with. I think a lot of it comes from people that have worked in the past with either the now-defunct ASR, or Agenda (the two prominent west-coast shows). Both ASR and Agenda are famous for making people jump through all sorts of hoops, fill out piles of paperwork, and cough up some serious "credentials"... as well as, a substantial pile of money... to get into their shows. And strangely enough, the most important person in the whole "industry" equation... that is, <strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">the average kid that actively supports our industry, by actually buying skateboards</span></strong>... is left uninvited at the door, or tossed out by "security" if and when they sneak into the show. And don't even get me started on "press passes"... which are seriously out of reach from any kind of "independent media", and require their own contrived and arbitrary set of cool-club credentials.<br /><br />Look, man. This is the <strong>wrong way</strong> to run a "trade show", "industry summit", or whatever you wanna call it. I am not the self-appointed enforcer of some "cool club" litmus test, and I certainly don't want to make anybody feel less-than-welcome to the fun-fest. If you:<br /><br />- Make skateboards,<br />- Sell skateboards,<br />- Buy skateboards,<br />- Ride skateboards,<br />- Write about skateboards (or skateboarding),<br />- Film skateboarding,<br />- Photograph skateboarding,<br />- Collect skateboards, or even<br />- Enjoy skateboards,<br /><br />...then, <strong>consider yourself invited</strong>.<br /><br />This clearly includes: All manufacturers, distributors, retailers, bloggers, filmers, photographers, 'zinesters, editors, publishers... and, most importantly, skaters.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Board%20Meeting%202012/?action=view&current=Board_Meeting_Shop_Flyer_3B_50Percent_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Board%20Meeting%202012/Board_Meeting_Shop_Flyer_3B_50Percent_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /><br />As for the invites themselves: I'm all apologies here, everybody... but I just haven't had the time to reach out to everybody personally, and invite everybody all by myself. I promise, I'm not snubbing anybody...!<br /><br />But if you're ever in doubt... just assume that you're invited (because you are), and feel absolutely free to show up.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><em><span style="font-size:180%;">IASC and BRA:</span></em></strong><br /><br />I've been asked a few times now, <em>"Are IASC and BRA invited...?"</em> The answers is, </span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>"Of course they are! Why <strong>wouldn't </strong>they be invited...?".<br /><br /></em>Once again: This is not my show. And, the show is open to everybody. This is a totally "inclusional" event. And I would be a damned hypocrite if I told anybody that they couldn't come, for any reason. But that's not my style, anyway. So, you'll never, ever hear that from me.<br /><br />The same answer obviously applies to all IASC and BRA member companies and retailers.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong><em><span style="font-size:180%;">"But I might not wanna go, if my jerkhead nemesis-competitor is going..."<br /></span></em></strong><br />I've heard this one, too. Too much. Which is unfortunate. Naturally, I don't think it's really a good idea for anybody's business. And I don't think it's really all that good for skateboarding, either.<br /><br />Personally speaking: I fully believe that there are times when we all need to put our respective self-interests on hold, for the sake of promoting the interests of the "greater good of skateboarding". Hell, I've told a ton of people that I'll happily buy the entire IASC and BRA contingent a beer (or two, or three, or several, or whatever it takes...) when they get to Florence. That is, if they choose to come. And I sincerely hope that they do.<br /><br />So: Why would I freely and willingly offer, at my own discretion, to happily and enthusiastically buy "my enemies" beers all f'n weekend long...?! <em>Because the spirit, and the intention, of the damned show is "inclusion", folks.</em> And if you're gonna set a standard, then you'd better be willing to stand tall, and stand by that shit.<br /><br />Obviously: The beer-buy offer is open to all my friends, as well as my "enemies". As for me, I don't drink. But I'll happily accept cold Cokes all day long. If anybody cares, that is.<br /><br />Bottom line? If you don't want to be here, because someone you don't like might also be here...? Then, you are truly missing out. I'm sorry. But it's the blunt and honest truth.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Board%20Meeting%202012/?action=view&current=Board_Meeting_Shop_Flyer_3A_50Percent_EverythingSkateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Board%20Meeting%202012/Board_Meeting_Shop_Flyer_3A_50Percent_EverythingSkateboarding.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong><em><span style="font-size:180%;">Shop Outreach:<br /><br /></span></em></strong>We started mailing out direct mailers around November 15th to all midwest retailers... but we <strong>paused after Thanksgiving, and through The Holidays, so that the retailers could focus on their customers, undisturbed, throughout the busy holiday shopping season</strong>.<br /><br />We'll resume the direct mailings, and start the follow-up invite calls, around January 15th.<br /><br />Retailers that RSVP before April1st, 2012, get into the show for <strong>free</strong>. Please let us know which shop you're representing, and how many people there will be in your party.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><em><span style="font-size:180%;">Tables & Chairs:</span></em></strong><br /><br />Several vendors have asked if we could provide rental tables and chairs, for a nominal add-on fee. You asked, and we listened: We're looking into this, and we should have an answer after the first of the year. If you're an exhibitor that requires table(s) or chair(s), let us know asap, and we'll put you on the list.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><em><span style="font-size:180%;">First Come, First Pick, First Setup:</span></em></strong><br /><br />Again, because of old ASR and Agenda policies... many exhibitors have expressed worries about being cast off into some "un-cool, dark corner" somewhere if they don't meet our "cool credentials". Well, I'm a much bigger dork than you are, so I'm definitely not the guy to judge anybody's "cool-ness credentials". But for this show, space will be appropriated on a "first come, first pick, first setup" basis. To keep the entire process as fair, democratic, and balanced as possible for everybody.<br /><br /><br /><br />Happy Holidays, everybody. See you next year...!<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Questions? Concerns? Input? Advice? Hit it at <strong>budstratford@aol.com</strong>.<br /></span></em><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/?action=view&current=ES_MultiBoards5_minilogo_pic.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/ES_MultiBoards5_minilogo_pic.jpg" /></span></a>MrCokesNSmokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08114565525647407489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665565128617513581.post-29538607790361452342011-12-11T08:31:00.004-05:002011-12-11T08:57:57.593-05:00An Open Letter to BRA: Let'sGet Back To Basics<a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=BackToBasics4_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/BackToBasics4_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;">Every now and then, I get random "update" e-mails from the folks over at <span style="color:#ffff33;">Board Retailers Association (BRA).</span> How, or why, I ever got on their mailing list, I'm not entirely sure. Maybe it's because I had a pretty happy-go-lucky relationship with Melissa Clary when she was working there... I don't know. I just think it's kind of funny that they send e-mails to somebody, every month (that's me), that spends the better part of their time these days kicking them in the nuts.<br /><br /></span></em></strong>But, I've gotta tell ya: <strong>I'm generally inclined to support BRA</strong>. Any organization who's mission it is to support the independent retailer, is automatically on my "good" side. It's not the mission where BRA continually fails. Their failures are almost always in transparency, and the execution of that mission.<br /><br />Before I go any farther with this... you might wanna take a few minutes, and familiarize yourself with BRA, via their website. Especially if you're a skateshop owner... in that case, it's tedious (but mandatory) reading. The address is here:<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color:#ffff33;">http://www.boardretailers.org<br /><br /></span>But, be warned: You might wanna have a fistful of Advil right at hand, when you do. Because there's fucking acres of ridiculously confusing, and fully nauseating "industry-speak" on that damned website. A thesaurus, a dictionary, and a Bullshit-Babelfish would probably be pretty handy, too.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=BeTheScene_Skateshops_HalfSize.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/BeTheScene_Skateshops_HalfSize.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">We go to some pretty extraordinary lengths around here, to show our support for the independent skateboard retailer. But at some point, the best "support" that you could ever give them, is to tell 'em like it is, and in a language that they can actually understand.<br /></span></em><br /><br /><br />Let me address the "transparency problem" first. Ironically enough, BRA does go to some pretty extreme lengths, to be as transparent as possible. Obviously, given those acres of "hokey hubbub"all over the BRA website. So, again: It's not a lack of effort that's the problem. It's the execution. BRA is famous for doing a ton of fucking talking... but at the same time, saying absolutely nothing in the process. The first post that I saw on their blog, was a pretty convenient example of what I'm saying here:<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>"Huntington Beach, Calif. (October 25, 2011) – On Monday, October 24, more than 135 manufacturers and retailers reported for duty at Industry Boot Camp, co-presented by the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) and Board Retailers Association (BRA). For the third time in the Boot Camp series, SIMA and BRA partnered to bring surf manufacturers and retailers together for educational seminars, roundtable discussions and valuable networking time. The ocean-front conference rooms at the Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa in Huntington Beach, Calif., were filled with attendees who were engaged in seminars that offered lessons on consumer research, web search optimization, marketing campaigns, public relations, media and driving sales. The event, sponsored by Surf Expo and UPS, was deemed a success by those in attendance..."<br /><br /></em><br />Now, here's the Bullshit-Babelfish Translation:<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>"We had an industry brouhaha at a swanky resort, and everybody thought it was pretty cool". This one sentence probably would have sufficed.<br /><br /></em><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Board%20Meeting%202012/?action=view&current=Board_Meeting_Shop_Flyer_3A_50Percent_EverythingSkateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Board%20Meeting%202012/Board_Meeting_Shop_Flyer_3A_50Percent_EverythingSkateboarding.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Idea: Instead of having these "retailer roundtables" in some swanky hotel/resort/spa/whatever somewhere... why don't we start having them right on the retailers' home turf, and in their backyards...? Maybe even at a place where we can keep our "real mission" in focus at all times: In a skatepark, where kids are actually skateboarding...?<br /></span></em><br /><br /><br />But, I think the really telling part of that statement, is this:<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong><em>"...engaged in seminars that offered lessons on consumer research, web search optimization, marketing campaigns, public relations, media, and driving sales..."<br /><br /></em></strong><br />This, my friends and enemies, is precisely where BRA is dropping the ball. And this is exactly why I'm not inclined to support BRA, on an everyday, give-them-my-money sort of level.<br /><br />The truth is, <strong>BRA does a hell of a lot for the average retailer</strong>. Membership- for a retailer- is a mere $99 a year. Included in that, are a ton of benefits that really go a long way to easing the burden of shop owners. There's a health and dental insurance benefit, for example, that's probably well worth the $99, all by itself, in today's shitty-ass health-care environment (where insurance is damn near mandatory, but nay impossible to get for any private individual orbusiness owner). There's a benefit from Electronic Transaction Systems Corporation (ETS) that promises to save retailers money on their credit-card-processing services. And there's a pretty kick-ass Freight Savings Plan (from FedEx, Roadway, and Yellow) that saves retailers all sorts of money on their shipping. I remember Jeff Harbaugh telling me one time, that retailers would be damned idiots for not joining BRA... just for the member savings alone. And for the most part, I concur with Jeff on this. They do some damn good work. It truly is impressive. That is: <em>If you can actually understand what the hell it is that they're doing over there</em>.<br /><br />However, I don't think that the retailers really "get it". Nor are they particularly worried about saving money on shipping, or enrolling in a comprehensive dental plan these days. Not the retailers I know, at least. This is another place where BRA is failing on the execution: <strong>I simply think they're shooting way, way over the heads of the average "core retailer"</strong>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=Pictures7510144.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Pictures7510144.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=Skateshops_BoardRoom.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Skateshops_BoardRoom.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=AdrenalineZone.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/AdrenalineZone.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=Skateshops_JustRide.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Skateshops_JustRide.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">My personal photo album is literally filled with photos (from my many tours around the midwest) of skateshops (and skate parks) that "used to be here". Just a few of them, top, to bottom: Boards, Inc. (Richmond,Indiana); The Board Room (Columbus, Indiana); Adrenaline Zone (Louisville,Kentucky); and Just Ride (Muncie, Indiana). What is BRA doing to stop this menace from happening in your town...?<br /><br /></span></em><br /><br />The core retailer's first and foremost goal in today's retail environment, is simply <strong>to survive</strong>. To keep the lights on, the shelves stocked, and to (hopefully) open the doors the next day. "Dying" is a very real concern for a lot of these shops. "Avoiding Dying", then, becomes the everyday, de-facto "Job One". And everything else... that is, <em>"everything else that BRA offers, or even talks about"...</em> becomes a bit of a distant-second-concern, by comparison.<br /><br />Here at <strong>Everything Skateboarding</strong>, we've launched a broad-scale initiative, aimed directly at the core retailer, titled (simply enough) "Spotlight On The Independent Skateshop". It's an incredibly simple initiative that talks to shops... and, everybody else along the way... about where shops really need the help right now. And where they really need the help, is in getting back to the basics of what they're in business to do, how to do it well, and how to do it successfully. We focus over and over again on the simple stuff, like:<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>- Having the right product, in stock, at the right price.<br />- Knowing that product, and knowing it thoroughly.<br />- Always being cool to everybody that walks in their door (after all, anybody could be a customer...),<br />- Making positive investments in their local skate scenes, tokeepthose scenes growing, and<br />- Being diverse in their philosophies, and in the types of skating that they support. (Translated: Having a much bigger "worldview" of skateboarding than the "typical" skateboard shop, opening up thier customers'eyes to "alternative" forms of skating, and diversifying their shops, to truly become full-service skateboard shops).<br /><br /></em><br />And most importantly: We talk about these things in a language that damn near anybody with even a tiny fraction of a fucking brain, can still fully understand. Which is really important, because that also dutifully describes the editor of this damned magazine.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=ClosedShopPaintdrawing_Resize_Pic.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/ClosedShopPaintdrawing_Resize_Pic.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br />I think that BRA's biggest mistake, is to write these things off as <strong>"common knowledge",</strong> and ignore them altogether. In this, I would normally be inclined to whole-heartedly agree with BRA. These things really <strong><em>should be</em></strong> common knowledge. However, as the old saying goes: <em>"Common knowledge just ain't so common anymore"</em>. Just because BRA (and I) think that they should <strong><em>be</em></strong> common knowledge, certainly doesn't mean that they actually <strong><em>are</em></strong>.<br /><br />Most skate shops that go out of business, do so because they're blowing it on one (or usually, most) of these levels. As a direct answer to that reality, I'd encourage BRA to follow our lead, and make "Getting Back To Basics" a cornerstone of their 2012 initiatives. Everything Skateboarding is completely non-profit, and we don't enforce any sort of "copyright" around here. So, feel absolutely free to blatantly rip off, re-package, and re-use anything that you'd like. Hell: Steal the whole damned intitative if you want, we don't give a toss. We'd much rather see shops survive and thrive, then have ourselves look "cool", "visionary", or "having any sort of leadership skills". I don't give a damn about any of that stuff. I just want independent skateshops to stop going out of business. Nothing more, and nothing less.<br /><br /><br />If BRA could find a way to strip things down to "focusing on basic goals, and getting results"... and back that up with some fluff-free, straight talk... I'd totally support that. I'd happily... no wait, "enthusiastically"... no wait, "overjoyously"... send in my $99 to help the cause. And, I'd tell every skateshop that I know to do the same. And I don't even own a skate shop! But, it's a goal that's worth supporting. And I know a lot of heads that feel the same exact way.<br /><br />The knock-on bonus would be that when some core skateshop calls you guys (and gals) up about becoming a member.. and they want to know what the advantages are, or what BRA is gonna do for them... you've got something tangible and hard-hitting, right at hand, that they can actually get their hands and heads around. Point them to the "Back To Basics" initiative, and simply say, "Read this. We've compiled this for you... and it's totally beneficial to you, and your shop... and you're not even a member yet." That's pretty powerful stuff. It could be compiled and posted on the BRA website once, and it's readily transparent, and accessible for posterity. And best of all, I think it would actually drive membership.<br /><br />But most importantly, it would give BRA a renewed sense of focus in a world where the problems are multiplying, and the solutions are usually pretty fuzzy and impractical. Let's start with the easy stuff, and get that nailed down pat, first. We can talk about "acting as the primary voice and action group within the retail boardsports industry" when BRA actually has someting useful to say.<br /><br />Likewise: Maybe we should put off worrying about shit like "factoring search optimization skills into social sites", "driving offline sales with location-based social and search tactics", and "encouraging consumer engagement, and driving user participation" for when we got the average core retailer off life support.<br /><br />Best regards, and well wishes,<br /><br /><br /><strong>Bud Stratford</strong><br />Publisher, Editor, and Chief Troublemaker,<br /><strong>Everything Skateboarding Magazine</strong><br /><br />www.everythingskateboardingmagazine.blogspot.com<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/?action=view&current=ES_MultiBoards5_minilogo_pic.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/ES_MultiBoards5_minilogo_pic.jpg" /></span></a>MrCokesNSmokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08114565525647407489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665565128617513581.post-2122914818599138122011-12-10T18:25:00.000-05:002011-12-10T18:26:01.241-05:00A Public Service Announcement:<a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/PubvlicServiceAnnouncements/?action=view&current=WaxBlock2_Pic_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/PubvlicServiceAnnouncements/WaxBlock2_Pic_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/PubvlicServiceAnnouncements/?action=view&current=WaxBlock3_Pic_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/PubvlicServiceAnnouncements/WaxBlock3_Pic_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>MrCokesNSmokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08114565525647407489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665565128617513581.post-60004383405346483802011-12-10T18:22:00.000-05:002011-12-10T18:23:13.264-05:00The Way It Outta Be:<a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Advertisements/?action=view&current=BySkaters_ForSkaters2_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Advertisements/BySkaters_ForSkaters2_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>MrCokesNSmokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08114565525647407489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665565128617513581.post-9914009646696842922011-12-10T18:07:00.003-05:002011-12-10T18:34:17.931-05:00Mailbox, December 2011:<a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Regular%20Features/?action=view&current=Mailbox_Logo_Pic.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Regular%20Features/Mailbox_Logo_Pic.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong><em><span style="font-size:180%;">"Mystery Shopping Zumiez" feedback:<br /></span></em></strong><br /><br />Great article. Been telling the "core" skateshops [these things] for years, but to no avail. Keep at it.<br /><br />Best regards,<br />Cedric Cornell<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><strong><em><span style="font-size:180%;">Our kind of letter...!:</span></em></strong><br /><br /><br />Whats up, man! My name is [name deleted, for obvious reasons]. We met when Jeremy ran TOC in Terre Haute. Just thought I'd drop you an invite... any time you'd like to skate our indoor ramp. It's four feet [tall], sixteen feet wide, with a hip to a vert wall, and a six foot spine section. We work on ramp every Sunday. If you want directions, call me at [number also deleted, for obvious reasons].<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/?action=view&current=Ramp_Disaster_Minilogo_Everything_Skateboading.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/Ramp_Disaster_Minilogo_Everything_Skateboading.jpg" /></span></a>MrCokesNSmokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08114565525647407489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665565128617513581.post-43027937211083423382011-12-09T23:01:00.007-05:002011-12-27T20:29:46.562-05:00The Freestyle Report: November/December 2011<a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/FreestyleReports/?action=view&current=FreestyleReportLogo_Hans_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/FreestyleReports/FreestyleReportLogo_Hans_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;">Welcome to the December 2011 installment of <span style="color:#ffff33;">"The Freestyle Report".</span> The first bit of news that we have is a staffing change here at Everything Skateboarding. For the last couple of years, our freestyle correspondent has been our good friend <span style="color:#ffff33;">AJ Kohn</span> of One Skateboards, and Performance Tip Technologies.<br /><br />A couple months ago, AJ asked if he could take on more ambitious projects here at Everything Skateboarding, and hand off the compiling of The Freestyle Report to the current <span style="color:#ffff33;">World Freestyle Association (WFSA) Secretary, Hans Lucas</span>. Of course, I'm totally cool with whatever AJ's cool with. So if AJ had confidence in Hans, then who in the world am I to say "no"...?<br /><br />Turns out that Hans Lucas already does a monthly freestyle newsletter for the worldwide freestyle community. The plan was simple enough: Hans would put me on the WFSA mailing list; I'd edit the newsletter down, and clarify it a bit for our non-freestyling readers; and then, we'd simply publish the revised newsletter. Perfect...!<br /><br />What follows are the highlights of the <span style="color:#ffff33;">November and December</span> newsletters (in that order). I'd like to take a moment, and thank AJ for all that he's contributed to Everything Skateboarding... as well as to Hans for coming on board, and being a part of the staff. You guys rock. Thanks so much.<br /><br />Lastly: Everything Skateboarding remains committed to supporting flatland and freestyle skateboarding in any way that we can. Even though it's largely ignored by the "mainstream" media, freestyle remains a vibrant and growing community of skaters that are dedicated to their craft. They deserve recognition, and they deserve coverage. <span style="color:#ffff33;">Freestyle's impact on modern street skating cannot be emphasized enough.</span> And if you want to see what street skating will look like in ten to twenty years...? Then stay tuned to The Freestyle Report. Because the future happens here.<br /><br />Enjoy...!<br /><br /></span></em></strong><br /><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#ffff33;">New WFSA Secretary 2012-2015:</span></em></strong><br /><br /><br />Currently, Hans is the Secretary of the WFSA until the end of 2012. Last month, he said:<br /><br /><em>"I'm prepared to continue to be the Secretary from 2012, through 2015. But if you're confident that you are more experienced, or have better ideas, or more available time that could benefit the freestyle community... then I invite you to nominate yourself as a candidate. Of course, I will continue to support the new Secretary, the WFSA, and freestyle if I'm not re-elected...!"<br /><br /></em>This month, I got an update:<br /><br /><em>"Since there were no other candidates who nominated himself/herself before 1st December for WFSA Secretary 2012-2015, I am willing and able to continue this position for 4 more years with the same dedication as during the past 4 years..."<br /><br /></em>Congratulations, Hans, on your unchallenged re-election...!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#ffff33;">Freestyle Links:<br /></span></em></strong><br />As part of his monthly freestyle reports, Hans sent over, like, <strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">a million YouTube links</span></strong> to various freestyle-related YouTube channels. These were, by far, the best parts of the November and December reports. Here's a few that I picked out for our readers:<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><object width="560" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/wjK75Mlw_lo?version=3&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><br /><br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wjK75Mlw_lo?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br /><em>Dan Garb does so many flip-in,flip-out pogo variations that it's almost dizzying. You can see more of Daniel Garb's YouTube Channel, here:<br /><br /></em>http://www.youtube.com/user/Doom1213<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><object width="420" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/roktYCzv6sU?version=3&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><br /><br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/roktYCzv6sU?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br /><em>Hans also sent over the link for Rodney Mullen Skate TV Channel, which is:<br /></em><br />http://www.youtube.com/user/RodneyMullenSkateTV<br /><br /><em>Here, you can find pretty much anything and everything "Rodney Mullen" that you'd ever want to know...<br /><br />This clip is of Rodney Mullen's finals run at the NSA Munster, Germany, contest, circa 1990. Notice how the "freestyle area" is actually in the middle of the street course. A harbinger of things to come, perhaps...? The description says that this was his last freestyle contest...but I could've sworn that his "last" freestyle competition was the "Back To The City" contest in San Fran later that year.<br /><br /></em><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><object width="420" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LHRGWYSsw3E?version=3&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><br /><br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LHRGWYSsw3E?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br /><em>This is WFSA Board Member, and The Freestyle Report cover-guy, Terry Synnott. Terry Synnott also hand-shapes and screenprints dedicated freestyle decks under his brand, "<strong>Mode</strong>", for freestylers all over the world. This is just a recent sampling of his work (below):<br /></em><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/FreestyleReports/?action=view&current=Mode_1125111.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/FreestyleReports/Mode_1125111.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><object width="420" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/aDtaMVvXpFQ?version=3&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><br /><br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/aDtaMVvXpFQ?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br /><em>This is just the sort of thing that I <span style="color:#ffff33;">love</span> to get from Hans: <strong>Bruce Logan's "inductee profile" video for the Skateboarding Hall Of Fame and Museum</strong> in Simi Valley, California. If IASC keeps supporting the making of these sorts of archival documents, I might just have to start supporting 'em.<br /><br /></em><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><object width="560" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SIwgqFJ3A6M?version=3&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><br /><br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SIwgqFJ3A6M?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br /><em>This just might be <strong>the very best thing in the entire WFSA Newsletter</strong>. It's a clip called "Unseen- Part 1" from some freestyle prodigy named <span style="color:#ffff33;">Matt Galizia</span>. I don't know who this Matt kid is... I've never even heard of him. Nor have I seen any of his footage. But if this is "Part 1", then I'm really kinda wondering where "Part 2" is, and when I'm gonna be able to check it out.<br /><br /></em><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><object width="560" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NvafzqNT1M4?version=3&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><br /><br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NvafzqNT1M4?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br /><em>If you don't recognize who this is, don't worry- I'm about to tell you: It's legendary freestyler <strong>Rob Rodrigues</strong>, from New York City. In 1990, Rob was part of the "next wave" of freestylers that started going after Rodney's crown (along with peers like Cameron Martin). Rob had a bold, brash, street-influenced freestyling style. He skated fast, he skated smooth, and he made no apologies whatsoever for breaking the "freestyle mold". He was destined for great things... that is, until the NSA and Powell-Peralta (his sponsor at the time) permanently pulled the plug on freestyle forever. And then, poof: He was gone.<br /><br />Rob's a true East Coast legend, in every sense of the word. His reputation was known everywhere- even to kids (like me) all the way up in New England.<br /><br />Last year, I actually got to meet Rob at The Worlds in Philly. He wasn't skating much... apparently, he was too injured to make the comp last year. I was so, so bummed. Here I was, hanging out with the man... and I couldn't even watch him skate. Damn...<br /><br />This year, though, Rob was back...! Skating! And that's always a great thing to see...<br /><br /><br /></em><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><object width="420" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lmsO2eegQp0?version=3&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><br /><br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lmsO2eegQp0?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br /><em>Here's some footage I found of Rob Rodrigues, circa 1990. <strong>Now, you know what I'm talking about.</strong> Check it out, man: Anybody that skates to "Axis: Bold as Love" is pretty fucking bad ass.<br /><br />Do yourself a favor, and go learn how to skate like Rob. Now...!<br /></em><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><object width="560" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CH3WCzRecjU?version=3&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><br /><br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CH3WCzRecjU?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br /><em>Ahhhhh...! <strong>Joe Flemke</strong>. AJ warned me about this kid a couple years back. He described Flemke as a flatland machine, a singular talent, a total freestyle threat that skates faster than anybody else, and does completely ridiculous combinations of absolutely impossible stuff. Basically, the kid's nuts. And after watching this video three times back to back, and being horribly confused every single time, I must say that I'd have to agree.<br /><br />You can probably guess that Joe won the US Championships in Philly this year. Well, you guessed right, kid. He did. <strong>And now, you can see why</strong>.<br /><br /></em><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><object width="560" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jyQ8FPjKfQg?version=3&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><br /><br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jyQ8FPjKfQg?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br /><em>There was an extremely large Japanese presence at The Worlds in Philly a couple years back, and AJ explained to me a few weeks later (when I finally got around to asking) why that's the case: Freestyle is actually pretty popular in Japan. Oh, well... that does make perfectly good sense, now doesn't it...?! From what I saw, the Japanese blend a very "traditional" freestyle worldview, with a very smooth and precise execution, to create a strange, new, modern hybrid. This is <strong>Toshiaki Fujii</strong> from the Japanese feestyle video, "M80 Crossover". Yes: Even freestyle videos flourish in Japan...<br /><br /></em><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><object width="560" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/aP6CVCroIzQ?version=3&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><br /><br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/aP6CVCroIzQ?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br /><em>... and <strong>Hidemi Ohishi</strong>, also from the "M80 Crossover" video. Check out how crazy fast this kid skates. Damn.<br /><br /></em><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><em><span style="font-size:180%;">Upcoming Freestyle Events:</span></em><br /></span>_______________________________________________<br /></span><br /></strong><br />April 14th, 2012-<br /><br />Freestyle demo, as a part of another event.<br /><br />Ollie's Skatepark in Florence, KY (near Cincinnati, Ohio, USA)<br />Indoor flatland area - about as large as a full-size basketball court - with a polished concrete floor.<br /><br /><br /><br />May 18th - 21st, 2012-<br /><br />"The World Round-up":<br /><br />A series of skating demos and a battle format.<br />Everybody can register for this, but only the top 30 freestylers can enter the event.<br />Cloverdale Curling Rink - Cloverdale Exhibition grounds, 6050A 176th Street, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada<br /><br /><br /><br />June 21st, 2012-<br /><br />"Go Skateboarding Day"<br /><br />Create your own event to promote flatland and freestyle skateboarding.<br /><br /><br /><br />July 7th - 8th, 2012-<br /><br />World Championships 2012<br />(a.k.a. Freestyle BBQ Contest) Goldgrund Skatepark, Paderborn, Germany<br />Masters, girls, am, pro<br /><br /><br /><br />July 6th - 8th, 2012:<br /><br />NASS, Royal Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, U.K.<br /><br />This is a large 3-day annual extreme "relentless" sports festival and the entry fee includes free camping and free transport to the nearest train station (Castle Cary).<br />Format: Jam<br />Camping times: Fri 10am - Sun 6pm<br />Entry: £72.00 + booking fee<br /><br /><br /><br />August 23rd - 27th, 2012:<br /><br />Flatcamp 2012<br /><br />Rollerskating rink, Schillerplatz, Schweinfurt, Germany<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#ffff33;"><strong><em><span style="font-size:180%;">Welcome To America, Kilian...!</span></em></strong><br /></span><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/FreestyleReports/?action=view&current=Kilian_Martin1120911.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/FreestyleReports/Kilian_Martin1120911.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /><em>As our last bit of news for this month, we here at <strong>Everything Skateboarding</strong> would like to welcome <strong>Kilian Martin</strong> to America. Kilian made the voyage from his native homeland of Spain, to bright and sunny California on December 10th, to further pursue his skating career with Powell-Peralta. Hats off, buddy! We're glad to have ya...!<br /><br /></em><br /><br /><br />If you'd like your own, un-edited copy of the WFSA Newsletter sent to your e-mail in-box every month, simply send an empty e-mail to wfsa-join @ mylist.net. Hans will take care of you from there. <strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br />"Thank you...!"<br /><br /><br />Hans Lucas<br />WFSA Secretary<br />WFSA Mailinglist Administrator<br />World Freestyle Skateboard Association"<br /><br /><br /><br /><em>(For those that are curious, the WFSA web address is: www.wfsafreestyle.org)<br /></em><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/?action=view&current=ES_BrokenBoardLogo_minilogo.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/ES_BrokenBoardLogo_minilogo.jpg" /></span></a>MrCokesNSmokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08114565525647407489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2665565128617513581.post-40216093952000023442011-12-09T22:59:00.006-05:002011-12-27T20:50:15.884-05:00Skateshop Spotlight: Hardcore Sportz<a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=Hardcore_Sportz_Spotlight2_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Hardcore_Sportz_Spotlight2_Everything_Skateboarding.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /><strong><em>Here at Everything Skateboarding, we believe that credit should be given where credit is due. While skateboard shops all over the midwest are either closing their doors, or failing at their jobs... there are a few skateshops here and there that are not only holding it down, but thriving. These shops all tend to have the following five traits in common:<br /><br />- They have the right product, in stock, at the right price.<br />- They know that product.<br />- They're cool to everybody that walks in their door (after all, anybody could be a customer...),<br />- They make positive investments in their local skate scenes, and<br />- They're diverse in their philosophies, and the types of skating that they support. Translated: They have a much bigger "worldview" of skateboarding than the "typical" skateboard shop.<br /><br />As part of our ongoing "Spotlight On The Skateshop" series, we decided that it might be cool to spotlight not only what shops are doing wrong, but also some of the shops that are getting it right. The very first "Spotlight Skateshop" is right in my backyard... but as I travel the midwest next year, I hope that I find more:<br /><br /></em></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=Hardcore_Sportz3.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Hardcore_Sportz3.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br />I first discovered <strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Hardcore Sportz</span></strong> when I went to New Castle in 2008, to document a skatepark for the guys at Concrete Disciples. If I'm remembering it correctly, I actually ran plum into the shop as I was heading out of town. I barely believed that there was a skatepark in New Castle... let alone, a skate shop. But even then, Hardcore was a cool little shop. Extremely tidy, well-styled, and with two of the coolest guys in the world- Kyle, and Karl Poynter- running it. It was abundantly clear that if these guys had anything at all, it was good taste, and a great attitude. I damn near liked them, right at first sight.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=Karl_Poynter_1.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Karl_Poynter_1.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Karl Poynter<br /><br /></span></em><br />A couple weeks ago, I called the shop to chase down another lead on a New Castle skatepark rumor. When Karl answered the phone, he told me that they'd actually moved to <strong>Noblesville</strong> a few months back. That next weekend, I was heading up their way to check out the new digs.<br /><br />When I walked into the shop, it was immediately clear that besides the physical location, very little else had actually changed. The guys were still friendly, enthusiastic, kind, and respectful. The shop looked much as it had in New Castle: Clean, tidy, well-styled, and well-organized. It was roomy, comfortable (which is a real achievement, since it occupies such a small space), and inviting. And best of all... like all truly great skateshops... it felt sorta like "home". And as I've mentioned a few times now, "vibe" is awfully hard to create, destroy, hide, bullshit, or fake. But the overall vibe of this shop is <strong>totally welcoming, all-inclusive, and chill</strong>.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=Hardcore_Sportz2.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Hardcore_Sportz2.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />As far as the skate inventory goes, I would call their selection "small, but diverse and well-selected". They don't carry zillions of everything... they just don't have the room... but what they do have represents everybody well.<br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=Hardcore_Sportz1.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Hardcore_Sportz1.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br />The biggest gripe that I'll probably get over this one, is that Hardcore Sportz also doubles as <strong>a bike shop</strong>. Karl is a sponsored biker, and Kyle is an avid paintballer... so bikes and paintball supplies are really at the forefront of this shops' efforts. I can hear a small army of kids already bitching their asses off that <em>"they're not 'core' enough"</em>, or <em>"that's not really a 'core' skateshop...!"</em> Well, given my recent experiences at more "core" skateshops... you can take that "core" deal, and jam it straight up your ass. At the very best, it's a completely meaningless marketing gimmick that doesn't really say anything about what my experience inside the store will be. That's why we ask our readers to support <strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">"independent retailers"</span></strong>, instead. Because that "core" thing is such a joke.<br /><br />The bottom line is that the guys at Hardcore know what they're doing, support skateboarding, are fully independent and locally-owned, have a great-looking shop, and treat their customers well.<br /><br />That's a lot more than I can say about most "core" skateshops today.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/?action=view&current=Hardcore_Sportz_Logo1.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Hardcore_Sportz_Logo1.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;">30 S. 9th St.<br />Noblesville, Indiana 46060<br /><br />765.624.9369<br /><br /></span></em></strong>info@hardcoresportz.com<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.hardcoresportz.com/">www.hardcoresportz.com/</a></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/hardcoresportz">www.facebook.com/hardcoresportz</a><br /><a href="http://twitter.com/#!/@hardcoresportz">http://twitter.com/#!/@hardcoresportz</a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/?action=view&current=ES_RetroLogo_Minilogo.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/everythingskateboarding/Minilogos/ES_RetroLogo_Minilogo.jpg" /></span></a><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span>MrCokesNSmokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08114565525647407489noreply@blogger.com