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Little could I have known. Let alone, guessed...
November 22nd, 2009 was the day that I posted the first Solitary Life article. The subject? A travel article about an Old Indy Skaters session in Greencastle and Terre Haute, Indiana. That post represented the first step in an unforeseeable journey that would take me to places that I never could have imagined.
Here's the second photo that we ever ran here at The Solitary Life. The caption was, "The sun rises over Greencastle, IN. 9:00 AM, November 21st, 2009". I kinda wanted to run the first photo we ever ran, but there was one problem with it: It Sucked. Ah, well... you live, you learn. Besides, I liked this one more anyway. It was quite literally, the dawning of a new chapter in my life. And, this was a great way to start...!
The fact is, nobody can accurately predict what the future holds. The very best that any one person can do is to take that first step, and see where you end up. Taking that first step, though, is the critical part of the equation. No step? No movement. No movement? No good. Because skateboarding is all about movement, exploration, discovery, and the journey. If you ain't movin', son, then you ain't doin' shit.
That single post was the net result of years of frustration. Frustration with print magazines (for which I had previously worked). Frustration with editors (that loved to carve the juicy guts out of any article that I presented). Frustration with the whole advertising paradigm (that causes massive ethical issues when it comes to journalistic integrity in the press). Frustration with big-business interests governing the media (I think that one pretty well stands on its own). Frustration with the whole notion of cutting down trees to move information around. Frustration with the lack of imagination, ingenuity, and creativity in skateboard media. When I think about it, I guess I was pretty much pissed off at everybody and everything. Thus, The Solitary Life.
Right off the bat, we had some real shit to say. And by Gawd, we were gonna say it! Now, you tell me: What magazine out there says such hard-hitting truths, in such hard-hitting ways?! None. Why? They're pussies, and they have advertisers to suck off at every turn. We're simply not burdened by these sorts of things, you see.
To this day, we're still hardcore supporters of the independent skate shop. And Zumiez can still go to hell.
There are times in your life... in mine, at least... when you have to take the bull by the horns, and go it alone for a while. Show 'em how it's done, so to speak. Throw off the shackles and the chains that are holding you back, tell the world to fuck the hell off, and make something happen. From Day One, The Solitary Life was neither "blog", "periodical", or "magazine"... but rather, a fun little combination of all three. Advertisers were encouraged to come on board, but they weren't allowed to pay one red cent to be here. "Merit" was the judge of inclusion on that one, and only companies with merit showed interest in being here. IASC was told to go screw (because they have no merit), while small companies of every sort lined up to support what we're all about. The Gigantic Leveling Of The Playing Field kicked into high gear. And hopefully, that will continue unfettered for a good many years.
This right here might have been the smartest thing we ever did: Give Away Advertising. For free! It allows us to do and say whatever we want, with virtually nobody to answer to. If the advertisers don't like what we have to say? Then, they can simply go advertise somewhere else (for free). Chris Chaput got kicked in the nuts with this one real quick, and to this day we've never again supported Abec 11, Retro, or any of the Sk8 Trip family of brands. Nobody... and I mean Nobody... fucks with a truly independent, free, and blatantly honest media. Some dudes were a little slow to get that memo. Bummer for them.
The first rule of running an effective media paradigm is: You've Got To Have Integrity. Some media dudes don't have it. We do.
But really, it isn't about the politics. Politics come and go, but the pursuit of adventure, fun, and a little bit of idealistic troublemaking always remains a skateboarding constant. I would advise anyone and everyone to do as I have done, and become a writer/photographer/blogger/editor/publisher/whatever, today. Simply because, you have no idea what you're missing out on, kid.
Greencastle. Terre Haute. Lawrence. Zionsville. Richmond. Carmel. Mt. Bohemia. Perfect North. Danville. Plainfield. Evansville. Muncie. Greenwood. Franklin. Lawrenceburg. Rising Sun. Carrollton. Madison. North Vernon. Florence. Louisville. Jeffersonville. New Albany. Philadelphia. Colerain. Mason. Newport. Cincinnati... the places that we went, and the parks that we skated were epic, and endless. Our first year had us traveling all across Indiana on a regular basis, along with the occasional long-distance road trip. These are all travels that I might not have taken, if I didn't have a journalistic responsibility to get the hell out of the office and go report on what's really going on out there.
The best reason to become a blogger, kids: Opportunities Like This. Colerain, Ohio's big-ass kidney. Don't miss out on the time of your life by staying at home, and wasting away on the couch watching endless reruns of Rob and Big. Get out there, and get some of this shit.
The really funny part of all of this, is that it didn't take long at all for The Solitary Life to become a less-than-solitary pursuit. Through our advertisers, our contributors, and our staffers, The Solitary Life grew from one dude talking smack, to a whole family of dudes talking smack. AJ Kohn, Richard Kirby, Michael Brooke, Lew Ross, and Daniel Gesmer have all made key contributions throughout the year, and we're glad to have them on board. At the same time, upstarts like Miles Keller and Aaron Ross are giving us an infusion of new blood and fresh perspectives that, hopefully, will keep The Solitary Life relevant for years to come.
The one thing we don't do around here, is discriminate. We live by the mantra that "Everybody Should Skateboard, and there should be a Skateboard For Everybody". You got a problem with that? Then you can go suck it. We support all types of skating, and all types of skaters. As this PSA illustrates, that even includes (but, is certainly not limited to) women.
Daniel Gesmer gave us a lot of feedback on this PSA series, saying that Laura Thornhill and Warren Bolster would have been proud of our dedication to this cause. Well, I say that there's no better icons to answer to than Warren Bolster and Laura Thornhill. If you don't know who these people are, then Google 'em and learn something, lazy ass.
Fausto Vitello probably said it best: "Skateboarding is skateboarding. It is about nothing else, but itself". Skaters intrinsically like to hang a bunch of useless bullshit on skateboarding's ass, in the name of self-serving self-interests. Skateboarding is [supposedly] about progression, drugs, outcasts, rebels, beer, bitches, parties, bros, blow, art, science, yin, yang... whatever you want to project onto skateboarding's hind quarters in order to make your own stupid, sorry ass look "cool" this week. Ironically, Fausto's brainchild (Thrasher) solely exists these days to perpetuate this sort of blatant, closed-minded, mass brainwashing. This is what generally happens when visionaries progressively lose clout, and then pass on. The fact is that skateboarding is all-encompassing, and all-accepting. Street, vert, mini ramps, freestyle, cruising, slalom, longboarding, speedboarding, bowlriding... depending on which moron you ask this week, only "some" of these things are skateboarding. Ask a longboarder, and they'll tell you that all street skaters are fags. Ask a street skater, and they'll tell you the same exact thing about longboarders. Well, the truth is that you all suck: Rollerbladers are the true fags, so get the fuck over yourselves, smarten up, and get with the program. Forget what everybody else is doing. The only thing that matters is that you're doing something, and that you're enjoying it.
I could say the same exact thing to a nation of skateboard company owners out there, while I'm at it. But, you know what...? I don't have to. Because, I already did.
We support a whole nation of small companies out there. Why?!
A. I used to own a small company, myself.
B. I know that the small companies of today will be the big companies of tomorrow.
C. Small companies are actually run by skaters (that skate), and not by corporate bigwigs with dreams of fat wallets.
D. Small companies are far more responsive to the needs of skaters (and independent shops) than big companies are.
E. I'm sick and tired of the same-'ol, same-'ol.
F. While the Big Guys are outsourcing our country left and right, the small guys still use American wood, made by American woodworkers.
At the end of the day, nobody represents these ideals better than Chuck Hults at Deckcrafters, Danny at Factory 13, Tim at Five Points, and Lew at Fickle. Long-live skater-made skateboards...
To be honest, I haven't had this much fun since the days of The Cleveland Superboard Factory (my old skateboard company). In those days, I'd spend hours up at Cleveland HQ, pulling all-nighters, screening boards, designing shapes, building ramps, and generally making a mess of everything around me. As a strictly spiritual and creative outlet, I never would have thought that those days could ever be recaptured. Ten years on, and I find myself doing much the same thing, all over again. Very different mediums, of course. But fundamentally, very similar inputs and outcomes. Love goes in, and memories come out.
One year, and this is the stuff that we've screwed with, and re-written the rules on. I seriously wonder what Year Two is gonna bring...
Bud Stratford
Senior Editor,
The Solitary Life.
To celebrate our "One Year Down", we thought we'd take a little breather, and re-post a few of our favorite articles from the last years' worth of archives. Enjoy...!:
The JJ Rudisill Interview. The interview that launched The Solitary Life...
This interview was actually done in early 2009, for Concrete Wave Magazine. For one reason or another, The Wave passed on running it... which kinda sucked, because I thought it came out really great. JJ is a pretty hard-hitting guy that is also blessed with a great sense of humour. Basically, he's the perfect sort of guy to be a great skateboard-company owner. I guess not everybody sees shit the way that I do.
So, that was the deal: I had a great interview, but nowhere to run it. The only realistic choice that I had left, was to self-publish the damn thing. And with that, The Solitary Life was created. Specifically, to run this interview somewhere. Anywhere, for pete's sakes...!
It's also significant in that it sort of set the foundation for what The Solitary Life was going to be, visually. In terms of layout, color choices, et cetera. As you can see, we've absolutely evolved the art direction over the past year (thank God!)... while all the while, staying pretty true to the original vision.
To this day, I think it's one of the best interviews that I've ever read. And, considering that it's One Week Down here at The Life, I thought that it was important enough of a milestone to merit re-running the piece. Here's to you, JJ! Hope you're healing up quick over there...!
Here he is! The man of the moment...!
In today's day and age of self-centered skate-consumers and multi-million dollar skate corporations, it's refreshing to find that truly skater-run companies, true skater-artists, and true skaters still do exist out there, somewhere. JJ Rudisill is unique, in that he happens to be a serindipidous combination of all of the above, which pretty much makes him a modern-day renaissance man. Born and raised on southern hospitality, Pushead, concrete, DIY attitude, and punk rock, JJ is clearly a throwback to skateboarding's golden age, where there were no rules, no reasons, and no worries. At the same time, he's also serving as a beacon of hope for those that might be looking for something... or, more accurately, "someone"... truly genuine to support/befriend in this modern age of the bullshit fake and the homogeniously bland.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot: Get ready to have yourself a laugh or two, 'cuz JJ's also one hell of a funny guy, to boot. Hey, man: You've been warned. My ribs seriously hurt after doing this interview- that's how much he had me in stitches. These are the kinds of interviews that journalists (like, me) live for. Which makes me wonder why noone else has bothered to interview the guy before now. Sometimes, the best things in life are right under your nose. Never forget that.(*Phone rings*)Hey, Bud!Hey, JJ!! How's it goin'?!Good, good.Hey, do you have time to do that interview real quick...?Yeah, I think I have a little bit of time to spare...Okay, hold on a sec... (turns on recorder). Okay... are ya still there?Still here!That beep that you hear, by the way, is the 'record' indicator on my phone.That's cool, I'm used to gettin' that from the FBI.So JJ, how've ya been lately?Been swell. A little bit hot, but swell.You've also been really, really busy. It's been hard gettin' a hold of ya, Mr. Rock Star.Yeah, well, y'know... it's a full time job, bein' all rock-n'-roll.Seriously though, what've you been up to these days...?!I've been up to quite a bit! The company's goin' along and we're tryin' to keep the inventory rollin' and I'm figuring out which stretch Hummer I want. And how much of it's gonna be gold plated.
JJ's illustration for the Thrasher "Beer Slave" DVD; 2007You just had that Canvas article in the new Thrasher, right...?Yeah, I had a two-page article in the August 2008 issue.You also had one in Concrete Wave a few months back, didn't ya?Actually, that was last year, and that was my first public appearance. I'd like to thank Michael Brooke at CW and Kevin Convertito at Thrasher. They were terrific opportunities...pretty much top of the line for a skateboard artist.
JJ's skate-event flyers recall the earliest days of punk rock, when pen-and-ink flyers were far more common than they are today. An art's only "lost" when nobody practices it. Thankfully, JJ's keepin' it alive and well. These are from 2007 (Old Man Jam) and 2006 (Owl's Head Bowl Jam), respectively.So, you've never actually been interviewed before by anybody, have you?A time or two.Oh, really?! I didn't know that!Yeah, yeah. But, y'know... it's usually the police doing the interviewing. (laughing) I'm less chatty when I don't have the handcuffs on (laughing).So, let me ask you this: Which came first?The skulls, or the skateboarding?Uhhhhhhhh, ummmmm, let me see here... I'm gonna say, the skateboards came first. Just 'cause, you couldn't really get a skull on that California Freeformer plastic...
This is pretty representative of the "JJ style"; I have a postcard version of this one in my collection. "Suicide (Kills Everyone)", digital illustration, 2004Right! (laughing) So, when did you actually start skating?Well, I did the California Freeformer thing... so, I probably started in '76, or something like that. Smashing-into-grandma's-car-at-the-end-of-the-driveway style. I guess I just did what everybody did for the first few years, and I picked it up seriously, maybe... 1983 or so? On a Santa Cruz Street Skate, and Indys...Lucky you...Just doin' it. And, Powell Street Cubics. Not, the Mini Cubics. The Street Cubics.Wait... so, you've been skating longer than I thought you have, actually.I'm an old man.How old are you...?!Thirty-seven years old.
I thought it'd be pretty funny to throw this in, right in the middle of our "age" discussion; JJ's definitely a man that can appreciate a good pun. "Caveman", mixed media, 2004. Ohhhhh...! You just started way young, then. Twelve years old, or sumthin' like that.Well, shit man... you and I are almost the same age, but I started skating in, like, '88.Oh, no, no. I'm pretty sure that I had the Boneless One on lock by '83. Oh, man...! The Boneless One. That's a trick you don't hear about every day...I still got it, too.You still got The Boneless?!!!Still got The Boneless.That's great. I wish I had the boneless, but, y'know... I never learned it.I've gotta be in a foot and a half of transition, or less, but I got it. Sweet...! (Laughter)Learn it in the grass; that's my advice. Y'gotta start in the grass.So, you've been drawing almost as long as you've been skating, right...?I've been drawing longer than I've been skating, actually. My first art-award was a first-place ribbon in a North Carolina art contest, for a flower I made. I still have it, right here in the apartment. I won a string of small-time victories when I was a young man, and I've been tapering off ever since.That explains why you have a southern accent, when we all know that you live in New York.Yeah, y'know... we had to bail. My wife and I came up to New York to pursue work. Both our job possibilities down south petered out, so we came up here to see what New York had to offer.So, how long have you lived up there in Brooklyn...?About four and a half years here in sunny Brooklyn, New York. 
Ahhh, more photo-caption puns. Above: "Times Square", digital illustration, 2003. Below: "New York City Astronout", mixed media, 2003. I promise, that'll be the end of the punnyness.And, how long have you had Funhouse?I've had Funhouse...uhh, technically speaking? Almost two years. But, our first inventory came in around May of 2007. So, it's been about a year, year-and-a-half or so with product.You have all of your stuff made here in the states, right...?Yes, sir! American made! They're currently made in North Carolina, back where I'm from. So, yeah... American Made, American Quality, and I don't see any reason to go elsewhere.But, it's getting much, much more expensive to get stuff made here in the states, right? I mean, I haven't priced wood out lately, but I've heard that it's getting pretty pricey.I'm sure it is. But, the way we do our business is that if quality costs a little more, then we'll pay a little more. We're not trying to be the cheapest guy on the block. We're gonna stand by our product, and try to make the best stuff out there. And, if that costs a little more to do... well then, what's three, four, or five extra bucks...It's a couple of cheeseburgers to me.... but, when it's under your feet? When it comes down to it, you've gotta trust that it's gonna be there for ya. That's the long and short of why we have them made where they're made, and we don't really care about the price as much.So, what kind of people might buy a Funhouse deck...?Well, we started obviously with an emphasis on the pool shapes, for what we figured might be the older riders... skaters like myself that were either hangin' in there, or that might be coming back to it with their children, or whatever. I couldn't find boards that I liked to ride. The reissues were fine, but... for one, they didn't have the concave, or the dimensions, or the nose. And, for two: They were just old, anyway. There wasn't really anything "new" about 'em. For the newer kids, we do the popsickles, and we'll keep doing those as long as they keep doing well for the youngsters and all.It's hard to say who we are. We're trying to have a Funhouse skateboard in every available size and shape, so that no matter what you're into, hopefully you can find a Funhouse skateboard to go on. Cruiser, popsickles of various widths, all the way up to The Dripper 36" longboard.
JJ's Funhouse graphics clearly show his VCJ and Pushead infuences, but with an added bit of whimsy tossed in for good measure. This one's newest model, the Cherry Bomber. Look elsewhere on this very website to see how it skates.
Which of the boards do you personally ride?I've ridden ride them all, at one point or another. That being said, I don't regularly skate anything smaller than a nine-inch. I use my Mini Puncher for the streets around here, when I'm shootin' down to the store. In the pools right now, I've gone through the Ticket Puncher, and the Big Fish, and settled in on the Cherry Bomber 2, which is a modified version of the original Cherry Bomber. And also, my Dripper longboard. So, I'm kind of all over the place.So, you're a definite advocate of the Dave Hackett Quiver Theory...?I was not a "quiver man" per se, and I don't really advocate necessarily... well, how do I put it? It's fun to skate different boards, but you can't dial in your style as good when you're mixing up wheelbases and lengths to that degree. Some skaters can do it, but it's a struggle... especially if you're trying to get all tricked-out. But, I looove different aspects of every board that I make, so I end up skatin' 'em all. Because, they're all fun.Now, let me ask you this question: The graphics that you do on your boards are obviously ridiculously detailed. Y'know, you've got the main graphic going on... but then, inside of the graphic, you've got like, a hundred other little things going on...Yeah, there's always a support crew for the main character. That's just an evolution of my style. I was inspired by guys like Pushead, and V. Courtland Johnson, and I guess I just internalized that to the point where I could kinda do the main-focus sort of graphic, but then I've always got a little imagination left over. I kinda consider them rewards for people that look at 'em close enough. Y'know, people spend a lot of money on these things, and they should get their money's worth. For me, those little details are some of what sets us apart. Y'know, when I was a kid, I would scour Mad Magazine...and, if you look in the margins of Mad Magazine, you'll see some of the funniest jokes in the whole thing. So, that's just a reflection of how I grew up. If you put it in there, somebody's gonna notice. And, whoever is looking for that kind of detail, hopefully, will get rewarded for it. Give it back a little bit, from the people that inspired me to make something worthwhile, and stay dedicated to the craft.
"Cowpoke (Manifest Destiny)", digital illustration, 2003.How many hours are there, in any given Funhouse graphic...?Ahhhhh... whew! It's hard to say. Ummm... it really depends on how many times I re-draw the pencil stage. That's all a part of my mania, but I'd say an average graphic could take a week. Some of them even go to two weeks for a single graphic. And, those are 10-12 hour days. Not eight-hour days.So, that would be between 40 hours and 80 hours. Per graphic.Easy.Oh, wow.I'd say that some of the simpler graphics... like, take the Mini Puncher for example. That was probably one of the quicker ones. Behind the scenes, what you see there are 15 versions of that little dude that sucked... (laughing)... before I got to that one. And then, obviously a lot of refinement on the illustration, before the actual line work. Then, you have the shape of the board, and a lot of other considerations before you begin breaking down the colors, and deciding whether you're gonna use spot colors, or a 4-color process. And then you have the borders, multiple-resolution files, and then the nitty-gritty of actual pre-press and pre-production... it's a lot of work.So, all of your graphics begin as a hand drawing that gets scanned into the computer, and that's where the color separations are done...?Typically, the process begins with sketchwork. I decide what the general shape of the board is gonna be, and that will influence the graphic a lot of times. So, I'll begin with a new board, and a new shape, and I'll just start drawing. It all starts with a 1"or a 2" sketch, really tiny, just with the bare minimum of detail. Usually, if I'm comfortable with it at two inches, then I feel like it'll work [enlarged]. I don't like to work "big", because I work big, the images don't get as distorted. Working small, their heads will get really big, and their eyeballs will get even crazier. If I begin by drawing big, then the art gets too detailed, right off the bat and loses focus. Small, then big, then add detail in small again.Let's talk about this whole Do-It-Yourself thing. It seems like, at the end of the day, you're a really Do-It-Yourself kind of company. You know, you and I grew up with that. But, do you see that happening with this newer generation of skaters? It seems like they're not as... I don't know, what's the word I'm looking for, here...?(Sigh) Skaters today... I call it the "MTV Effect". Look at the modern visual progression of skating through the prism of MTV, and you can see where I'm coming from. You started with Jackass on MTV, and peripherally you had Bam Margera, and all these jackasses runnin' around... it was pretty wild stuff. And it worked, especially for TV; they're stuffing Matchbox cars up their asses, and that was great. Then, Bam was the next thing... and, Bam's actually the cleanest guy out of the Jackass kids. Y'know, he does a few wild things here and there, but not to the extent that Jackass did. And then, from Bam Margera, we go to Ryan Sheckler. The cleanest-cut, ProActiv, white kid with the nice smile. And basically, he bitches about how he can't get laid...(laughing)... and, that's the kids that are comin' up! They're looking at Ryan Sheckler, and going "That's a skateboarder!" We didn't have that. Y'know, we didn't really have heroes. And, if you did have a hero, he was probably a still photograph in a magazine. I still don't know if my favorite skaters were assholes, or not. Because, I didn't meet 'em.And, they weren't on TV 23 hours a day.Right. Maybe I saw a little bit of video, or whatever. So no: I don't think the kids have the DIY ethic at all. I don't think they understand it. Some of them do. Obviously, some kids do, and you can tell who they are when you see 'em at the park or whatever. But mostly, they wanna be given something, or they think they're gonna be given something. They're not particularly interested in working for anything... including, keeping parks nice, or whatever. And, they're also really competitive in these really strange ways. Like, how they all wanna play games of SKATE...I hate that game......and, they wanna have however many tricks, or whatever. They don't understand "doing it yourself", as meaning "I could make up a trick, myself". You know, Ryan Sheckler is never going to invent a trick. He's gonna do tricks, and he's gonna do them incredibly well, but he's not really in on the 'creative' aspect of skateboarding.
"Anne Frank (forPawPaw)", acrylic, 2005.He's not like a Rodney Mullen, or somebody like that...Right. And, that's what I thought of when you asked about DIY, that's the type of thing that I think about. When you ask that, you're asking "Well, what are you creating, yourself...?" And the kids today, they aren't creating very much. I'm not raggin' on them, but I mean, look around. Look at skating, look at anything. There's just not a lot goin' on.So, who were your immediate influences, when you were growing up?Well, I was fortunate enough to have Pushead in his prime. And, he skated. And, he was also an artist. I pretty much followed that line of thinking: That you could, and should, be both. Be creative in my skating, be creative in my artwork. But, I also quickly realized that I was gonna be a much better artist, than skater. As hard as I tried at skating, I never got particularly great at it. Right. That's the thing that I never got, either. But today, there's all this pressure to get really good at it. Like, everyone forgets that the whole deal is to really love what you're doing first, and maybe, get good at it second. And, a lot of that is caused by sponsorship. I don't know how many sponsorship videos I get from kids, where all it is, is two kickflips off a curb, and a note saying "I wanna be sponsored!" And, they haven't even given thought to the fact that I would probably sponsor pool skaters or whatnot. They're missing the point of skating, the worst part is that, they don't even do their skate history homework. I'm not particularly impressed by it all. But maybe when I was their age, I was a big fat dumbass too.Well, our influences were those guys like Pushead, so we just sorta figured it out. Maybe we just had smarter role models...Think about how Pushead had his own mail-order and stuff, for his own shirts, and everything else, right out of his house. I grew up buying products, that shipped them from their homes, with their own handwriting on the package. And, I loved it! The humanity of it.It was like, more personal. Or maybe, more personable.Right. To me, a "hero" is not... my heroes are not people that, you might put on a pedestal. My heroes are people that talked to me. That wrote me letters that said, "You're in a shit town down south, but it looks like you're tryin' to do your thing". And, they encouraged me to keep going. And now, here I am. That came from both the punk rock scene, where bands would write me back... and, that meant a lot. And also, from skating.You'd think that, with this modern age of the Internet, it'd actually be easier to cultivate that sort of thing. Instead, the Internet seems to have turned into a sort of Bullshit Zone.The Internet is just like... when you're a little kid, and you're tryin' to ask a girl out, you'd try to write a love note or something. Because, that's where you got your gusto up, right...?(laughter)That's what these forum people are, pretty much. They're gettin' their gusto up, and they're all ready to talk big, and do this or that. But, a lot of it is really irrelevant, when you're just typing...Typing is kinda, not really the same....you don't have any emotion when you're typing. Because, you're just typing! I wanna meet people, and talk to people. That's so much better, and that's why I encourage people to come on up, and talk to me about my art, or just about skateboarding. You can't skate and type at the same time.One of the things you mentioned, is that you used to mail-order from Pushead. Now, today, we have Internet skate shops. What's your stance on that whole deal? Because, it seems like one of our major debates right now, in the industry, is "what is the future of skateboard shops...?" It just seems like, they're dying...Right. That, obviously, is a huge, huge issue for everybody that deals with a skateboard, no matter what side you're on. I guess that, first, I'd like to clarify that I don't really... I don't really know what the rest of the skateboard industry is up to. I don't know what they're particularly worried about, I don't really know how their sales are, except that they're probably a little down. I try to ignore the 'greater world of skateboarding', and just focus on the skateboards I'm making, and the stuff I'm doing here. That being said, when it comes to the shops... we don't deal with too many of the shops. Being a newer brand, many shops won't even return our calls. Or, some of them are taking such a beating right now, that they're not bringing in any new product at all. So, most of the shops that we work with, I feel like they really understand skateboarding, and are concerned with much more than just earning a dollar. They're either skaters, or they're very in tune with the various aspects of skating. It's rare that a shop would just order a popsickle from us, for example. But, we're not really in that many shops. It's just a few.So, most of your sales are actually done online...?Well, the truth of it is: Mostly, we just don't have "sales"...(Laughing...!)... that's just, a nice, blanket statement...(More laughing...)...so, if you don't really have sales, then, you don't really worry about 'em...(laughing...)... but, we do do a little business through the shops. And, some of the shops do some volume. But, most of the time, it's smaller numbers, and we keep small numbers here, and we move out small numbers, so it all works out just fine. We also sell a lot, just by hand. There's a big skate community in Brooklyn... pretty much, when people see our stuff, they buy it. Which is why the limited number of shops that we're in, tend to do a lot of re-ordering. What I wanted to say... because, it's the truth... is that, our best customer in the New York City area (not including New Jersey)... but, our best NYC shop is Blades Board And Skate. Blades is actually a chain store. It's not a Zumiez, but it is a two-store operation in New York. And, typically, you would consider it more of a mall store. With that being said, they've bought more decks, pound for pound, than any skate shop, anywhere...So, why can't you sell more stuff, through more "hardcore"skate shops...?Because, 90% of the shops that we approach won't even return our calls, or write a return letter! Even some of our local, "hardcore"skate shops won't even talk to you, unless you're a major brand, like a Zoo York or something. We've tried to contact a number of shops... I send them all personalized letters, explaining who we are, and what we're all about, and the quality of our stuff. But, we never hear back. Only about five percent of the shops that we write to, ever even bother to write back.But, Blades did.Yup. Blades did. So, I'm actually getting most of my support and sales, from the most corporate of shops. Because, they gave me a chance. The buyer looked at our stuff, he took a chance... and, they hung it right over the register. Now, people come in from all over the world, and all over the country... and, they see the boards. And, they like them. So, they take a chance, they buy them, and they go home happy with them.That actually brings up a good point that I wanted to ask you about. It seems like, maybe 15 years ago, most skateboard companies were actually owned, and run, by skateboarders. Whereas today, more and more often, that's just not the case anymore. More and more skateboard companies are owned by a board of directors, or a whole bunch of shareholders, or by some dude that maybe used to skate, but can't be bothered with it anymore. It just seems like...Or, a surfer...Right. Or: A Surfer. Which, y'know... whatever. But: What is happening to this concept of, a skateboard company, that serves skateboarders, that's run by skateboarders, and that supports skateboarding? Where is that going...?Yeah, well... I think that it's still probably here. There are still other small, solid companies like ours, and they're making good products, and they're struggling to get it out there. But, they're there. And, they're probably the most critical part of the thing. But really, I could care less what happens to skateboarding. Because, I'll always have my skateboard, y'know? I'll make my own, and I'll always skateboard, personally. So, if my business dies? Or, there's just no more kids in the world, or whatever? It doesn't matter, I'll still make skateboards and whatnot. The corporate stuff is what it is. And, if people are buying corporate stuff instead of your stuff, you just have to deal with it. It's like, how the best-looking guy in your school usually dated the best-looking girl. You could sit there and get all pissed off about it, but it's never gonna change anything. Stealing the girl with your sincerity or sense of humor is where the interest lies. I just concentrate on making the best stuff that I can, and I don't worry about them. I do feel like there should be more companies like me, and there's room for it. And, I feel like the corporate guys will eventually bail out of it. They were in it before, and when the money goes, they go. And, that's fine.And then, all that will be left, will be skaters.Yeah. It's kind of like, the blank phenomenon. If you wanna set the whole interview on fire...(Laughing)You won't get any complaints from me...My stance is: Bring 'em on! What do I care? If kids wanna buy a blank board, and ride it, versus a different company's printed boards, then they should do that.Instead of making a huge ado about it.And, that's all there is to it. Kids should do exactly what they wanna do. They should have a blank board available, because I would rather have a blank board, than 85% of the piece of shit graphics that are out there right now! The quality, whatever... whatever your money buys you, is what you should skate. Whatever you think is a good deal for you. If you can't afford a Funhouse, or you think "This is retarded, I'll never pay that!", then fine: Don't buy it. Buy whatever makes you happy. If you can't afford it? I can understand that. Or, if you can get two shitty decks... or, even two okay ones... for that kind of money? Then, go for it. The last thing we would wanna do, is stop a skateboarder from skating. If blanks are a part of the market, or a big part of the market, then that's fine. Other companies just got worried, because they weren't doing shit for graphics. They have no identity for their brand, past whoever's skating for them... and, they just don't know what's goin' on. So, of course a kid bought a blank graphic, versus a Ryan Sheckler signature down the whole board... who gives a shit about that?! It just turns kids into billboards.They become fashion plates, instead of skaters.That's why I say, bring on a blank. I'd rather see a kid on a blank, than turning them into a damn big-ass advertisement, because they paid this ridiculous amout of money to basically advertise for this company... and, the kids think they're gettin' a deal?! Twenty-five bucks for a company t-shirt, and they put it on, and they're basically advertising?! They're gettin' pimped out! They're walking advertising, and they overpaid for the product?! If some kid walks into a shop, and puts a blank next to one of my boards, and buys the blank... what does that mean? That means, I didn't do a good enough job on the quality, or a good enough job on the art. It's not their fault, and I'm not mad at that blank board sittin' there. But, some companies get mad about that shit! They're mad about it. I'm like, "Well, make a better skateboard!" That's what the market wants, so give it to'em.I'd rather see a kid skating on a blank, than not skating at all.Right. That's it; that's all it comes down to. I want people to look at my stuff, and be inspired enough to buy it. But, if they don't, and they buy a blank? Then, I say: Grab that board, get out there, and get skating!
"Dishwasher", digital illustration, 2001.Is there anything else you'd like to add...?Oh, I don't know. Probably, just say "thanks" to people. For me, my skating and my artwork were always nurtured along by somebody else. There's always been someone else there for inspiration, ever since I was young. Skaters that were older, that took me under their wing, and showed me the ropes of punk rock, took me skating, and told me when my bushings were too ragged out, and had to be replaced... and, all these other lessons of life. They know who they are, and I'd like to thank them. I'd also have to thank my wife, Cari, who is the brains behind Funhouse. And, of course, much of the capital...(laughing)... she's amazing. I don't know how many wives would let their husbands try and do what we're doin'. And, at the same time, since she got behind me, a lot of good things have happened, like being in Thrasher...It seems like, as a skater, one of the first things I look for in a girlfriend... is a huge, overabundance of patience...That's it...! (Laughter...)So, all you kids out there?! Stop looking for the blonde bombshell, and just look for someone that's really, really patient...(Laughter)... because, we kinda require that.Yeah. And, I'm a gnarly 'ol skateboarder, on top of being a freaked-out artist. So, she's got both ends of the spectrum to deal with. But, she does a terrific job, and she's a pretty saavy lady.So, how long are you going to keep skating...?As long as I can. I mean, how old can you really get...?Alrighty, JJ. I'm gonna turn off the recorder now. Say "bye" to the world, buddy!"Goodbye, Cruel World....!" (Laughter)...
If you have a few minutes kickin' around, take a sec to check out JJ's websites, www.jjrudisill.com and www.funhouseskateboards.com.
While I was scouring through the archives, I found this little gem that might be called, in hindsight, "The Solitary Life Manifesto".The Manifesto is really, a pretty ballsy statement. In it, I declare that I can singlehandedly re-write "the rules" of all skateboard media, and re-form it all into a paradigm that serves skaters far better than anybody else's paradigm can. Namely: Advertiser-driven, print media.My arguments are really pretty simplistic: Advertisers are allowed to buy too much influence in the media. Money corrupts absolutely, and the profit motive absolutely corrupts. Skaters aren't well-served by any of this bullshit. Thus: The Profit Motive needs to have it's ass kicked right out of The Media. And, I'm the guy that just loves to dole out ass-kickings.We installed SiteMeter (a reader-tracking program) in July (or so) of 2010. The first week we had it up and running, we logged a whopping 58 readers. Which I thought was huge! Far more than any 'zine would have gotten... and by the way, The Solitary Life was originally supposed to be a 'zine, until I realized that would be prohibitively expensive. But blogs, of course, are totally free.Today, The Solitary Life regularly clocks in at 500 readers, with "peak" weeks hitting somewhere between 1,000 to 1,500 readers. We have a one-day readership record of 212 readers. And, those readers surf in to The Solitary Life from all over the globe. Japan, Indonesia, South Africa, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Ireland, Canada, Brazil, Israel, India... the reach of this thing perpetually astounds me. What does all this stuff tell me...? We're winning. Slowly but surely, we're winning. And I say, it's about fucking time...Even if the "art direction" on this one did totally suck ass. You can't win 'em all, I guess.
Media. What are the reasons for having a media? What are the goals of media? To inspire? To educate? To inform? To entertain? All of the above? In any of these examples, the mission of the media seems like a fairly noble ideal: To Advance A Greater Good Via The Mass Dissemination Of Information. But, like so many noble ideals that have been turned into businesses, the role and function of the media are not above being corrupted by the profit motive. In today's world, a corporate-owned and controlled media exists to make money, and virtually nothing else. This is fundamentally compromising the role and the relevance of media in our lives.
This is illustrated quite clearly in several articles that I've read recently, regarding the role that the profit motive is playing in the journalism "business". Laurie Garrett (formerly of Newsday)(1) and Victor Pickard (of The Guardian UK)(2), among others, have dared to question the role that profits are playing in how well the media serves the general public. The overall assessment seems to be that, the more pressing the profit motive, the more of a disservice the media does for the greater public good.
I would have to strongly agree with that sentiment. I've seen this happen with astonishing regularity, even in our own skateboard media. Which is sad. What's more: It's scary.
In the good 'ol world of Modern Media, there are the two main sources of revenues: The Readers, and The Advertisers. You- the reader- pay damn good money to buy information (that really, should be free), while the advertisers are paying just-as-good money to buy influence over the readership (that really, should be earned based on merit, not the size of said advertisers' pocketbook).
The Advertisers are probably the biggest influence that we have wielding power in the media today... skateboard-related, or otherwise. Obviously, any time that you rely on someone else's pocketbook to survive in this cold, cruel world of ours... you're ultimately going to do whatever it takes to keep that cash cow a'milkin'. That is just basic, plain 'ol human nature. The survival of the strongest, the smartest, or the most clever is always ensured. You can be weak as fuck, but if you're smart or clever enough to live off of someone else's bank indefinitely, you'll surely survive.
So, that's how the media perpetuates itself. The advertisers have the money. The media wants the money. The advertisers fork over the duckets, and that ultimately buys advertisers a huge amount of power and influence in the media. We, the consumers, don't pay nearly as much on media... if anything at all… as the advertisers do. As such, our power and influence is severely limited. At least relative to the power and influence of the advertisers.
This undue power and influence that advertisers have over writers, editors, and publishers is something that I have had the displeasure of witnessing firsthand for quite some time now. It bothers me, because it ultimately comes at a cost. That cost is honesty, dignity, and truth in reporting. That cost, is a diminishing regard to what's in the better interests of the readers. This is where that "disservice to the readership" stuff comes from. In our pastime, that means a disservice to skateboarders everywhere.
Take in point: Product Reviews. I've written many a product review in my time. Each time, I actually went out, and skated whatever it was that I was reviewing. Many magazines don't even bother with this, right out of the gate... but seriously, how can you really have an authoritative and educated opinion on a product that you've never actually put your feet on...!? And, each time I reviewed something or another, I noted the good, the bad, and the ugly of these products. Which, I might add, were always heavily edited by someone, somewhere, so as to not piss off whichever advertiser whose products were in question.
When I was having a "friendly argument" with one of my cohorts one day about this pesky "editing" that kept cropping up in my reviews, I was told point-blank that "product reviews" were not designed to serve the better interests of the readers. This, apparently, wasn't fucking Consumer Reports that I was working for over here. Instead, "product reviews" (note all these quotes, kids) were to be clean and well-kept examples of "marketing entertainment", designed to be friendly vehicles to help our advertisers sell more stuff. Which keeps the advertisers happy, our magazine in business, and us paid.
Well, as we all know... being the dickhead that I truly am... I don't do "friendly arguments" particularly well. Nor, do I sell my gawddamned soul at every possible turn for a dime or two. Thus, my "product reviewing" days came to a slow, but steady end. Because, I absolutely refused to be a patsy in someone else's corporate sales plans. If I'm going to review a product, well then, I'm gonna skate that shit, and review it as I damn well see fit. If you don't like it? Well then, go screw yourself. That's my opinion, and I'm stickin' to it.
The bottom line? The only "Product Review" that you can ever trust, is one from some kid that went to his local shop, and actually bought a product at full retail, set it up, and skated the hell out of it. His opinion counts. Because, his opinion truly originates with, and reflects the real-life experiences of, the buying public. And thus, his opinion also serves the buying public. The opinion of some fatass editor who's pride and principles are bought and paid for by Corporate Skateboarding, doesn't.
The future of media... that is, the future of a relevant, objective, admired, and respected skateboard media that truly serves the needs of both the readers, as well as the needs of the skateboard industry... will have to find a workable way to be a servant to both... but at the same time, be a patsy to neither. For this to happen, the media will have to stand wholly and completely independent of the readers and the industry, financially. In short: We have to find a way to take The Profit Motive out of the skateboard media entirely.
As far as product reviews go, the media will ultimately have to follow our example. We here at The Solitary Life actually go out, research, and compare competing products... and ultimately we pick, we choose, and we buy the products that we review. In the rare case that someone sends us a "freebie" to review? We put that disclaimer right in the review, for full disclosure. But, we still treat it as if we bought it. Because, our advertisers still don't pay one single cent to advertise here at The Solitary Life.
You, you read that right: The Advertisers Pay Nothing. "Why do you even have advertisers then, if you're not getting anything out of it?!" Easy: We give free ad space to those skateboard companies that we feel are truly doing something good and positive for skateboarding [and snowboarding]. Whether it's making an excellent product, running an extremely ethical business, or making a very real effort to contribute to the greater good... those are the companies that we want to support. And thus, we charge them nada for our support. All we ask is that they keep on doing whatever it was that they were doing, to get our support in the first place.
And, of course: The readers don't pay squat to read The Solitary Life, either. It's free. As it should be.
Someday, all of this might very well change. Someday, this might actually become a really expensive proposition... creating and publishing this project. In that case, I would much rather be a "reader-driven" publication... that is, a publication that is fully and exclusively supported and financed by readers' donations, instead of via advertising dollars. This would keep our work entirely focused on the needs of you, our readers. Sort of like the National Public Radio of the skateboarding world. But, with cuss words all over the place.
You, is who we work for. You, is who we serve. Thanks for reading us. It means a lot. And frankly, we're flattered.
In the meantime, enjoy the "free" while it lasts. And, I'll keep enjoying my freedom from advertiser hogwash and editorial wrangling for the time being.
It's a good life we have these days, and our time is now. Live it up!
References:
(1)
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2602
(2)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/jul/23/newspapers-internet-adverstising
For the "Best Of Week", I thought that it'd only be entirely appropriate to spotlight one of the Product Review products for the title "Product Of The Year". This year, we're giving that title to Santa Cruz's "Dead Pool" model.Of course, this will be an immediately controversial pick. As The Solitary Life generally supports small companies (which Santa Cruz isn't) that generally use domestic wood sources (which Santa Cruz doesn't... at least, not in this case). But, that's exactly why I picked this review as the year-end spotlight: Because it clearly represents the departure between where the industry has been going (until now), and where it's actually going now.Truth is, the product itself is remarkably impressive. Most of this is due to the Cruz Missile Concave, which is still a world-beater twenty-five years [or so] since it's debut. Honestly, a lot of companies could do themselves a lot of good by carefully studying the subtleties of this concave, and milking 'em for all they're worth.This deck represented a few more milestones for Cruz, as well. Marrying time-tested technology with brand-new shape and graphic treatments (finally getting at least one leg off of the "reissue" bandwagon). Listening to what the skaters actually wanted, and then delivering on those wants (thanks to Goon and Skull and Bones for that one). Affordably priced, durable, beautiful, surprisingly good board-feel underfoot, and infinitely functional all added up to a deck that was well worth the money, and then some. Even if it was heat-transferred, and made in China. Simply put: This was a skaters' skateboard, made to be skated. Not something to be quietly hung on a wall for the rest of eternity.All in all, the board was a real hoot to ride, and held up well. Yeah, it suffered a few unsightly pressure cracks and a fairly substantial warp (caused by my unwisely leaving it in my greenhouse-like-car for three weeks mid-summer... never a good idea, that one...)... but all in all, everybody that rode this board (which was pretty much, everyone we know), liked this ride. Get one today, and feel for yourself why this is the case.Oh yeah. American woodshops? 2011 is gonna be "The Year of The Concave". Get busy quick, or get busy falling behind. Because in terms of "concave", this deck sets the bar for everybody else to measure up to.
Good luck with that. 
Editor's Note: This review will be slightly longer, and more informative, than most reviews that we do here at The Solitary Life. Why? Because, the product at hand is so outstanding, and so unique in so many ways… that it deserves, and demands, a little bit of discussion. That's all. On with the review:
Just The Facts, Ma'am:Width: 9.25"Length: 32.50"Wheelbase: 15"Nose: 6.25"Tail: 6.875"Concave, construction, whatever: We'll get to all that in a hot minute.
The Set Up:Independent 169's (with the Krux-bushing upgrade), 1/2" risers, some sort of bearings (I forget…), and NOS 60mm 92a Bullets. Also known as "The Usual" around here…
No matter which way you're lookin' at 'er, she's still a beauty...The Only Way To Review This……is to deviate a bit from the standard "Good, Bad, and Verdict" formula, and start with:How We Got ItWe have a policy here at The Solitary Life, of buying "review" products, whenever we can. Instead of asking the manus for a constant supply of freebies. So: We got this one from Mike Hirsch at SoCal Skateshop… a great guy that probably gives the best customer service in the whole damned industry. So, how much was it?! About $63. But: After skating it, I started thinking to myself that… it's seriously worth a lot more than what I paid for it. I started to actually feel bad, like I should send Mike or NHS a bonus-check or something. Now that I've spent some time on it, $63 seems pretty fuckin' cheap. I don't say that sort of shit every day. Let alone, about Santa Cruz...Surprise, surprise…!When it arrived in the mail, the first impression was: "This wasn't what I ordered…!" Be warned, people: The illustrations of the deck that you're seeing all over the 'Net, aren't what it really looks like. The illustrations look sort of like a slimmed-down, and bigger-nosed Bevel. What this actually resembles, though, is a cross between Tom Knox's and Mike Youssefpour's first pro models on Santa Cruz. True: It was a pleasant enough of a surprise. As a rider, it's actually way better than I thought it'd be. However: Surprises are almost always, bad. That's why we took so many photos of this thing: To cut out "the surprises". 
The top photo shows the "true" shape, while the bottom photo shows the "advertised" shape (as seen at SoCal). The "advertised" shape much more closely resembles a slimmed-down Bevel, while the "actual" shape is a lot more like an OG Tom Knox...
The nose is bigger than what you'd ever expect, just by looking at the "ad" photos. Nosegrinds, nosestalls, even a little bit of "switch" action... no worries there. The "spoon-ish" profile of the nose is a nice compromise between kick, and control. It's hard to describe... best bet, is to try it for yourself. Made In ChinaLikewise: I was sort of surprised to find that this board comes with a very large barcode (on the shrink-wrap) that clearly states: Made In China. Now, I'm not one of those guys that screams bloody murder over the whole China-issue. Yes: I'd rather support American jobs, and the American economy. But, the broader issue for me is "Honesty and Integrity in Consumer Awareness". In layman's terms: The Manufacturers Should Be Labeling Their Shit. Which Santa Cruz does, and does prominently. As a skater, I totally appreciate the honesty, and the forthrightness. So: Thanks NHS.As for the board itself, it's a fairly typical 7-ply construction. If I hadn't have known beforehand, I probably would have assumed that it was made in America. It feels better-than-great, so I don't have any complaints about the wood at all.Skull and BonesThis board seems to be a straight-ahead response to what the Skull and Bones guys have been asking for, for years now. Let's recap the demands real quick:- An older-style concave. Preferably, one of the "legends" from the Santa Cruz stable. I.e., the Cruz Missile, or the Cruz Control…- A "shaped", directional board that has some old-school style, but some modern-day functionality, as well…- Likewise: A "new" graphic that sort of respects Santa Cruz's legacy… but, at the same time, something that is clearly not, a "reissue"…- And, lastly: A "big" board, with an expansive wheelbase. "Expansive" being, about 15". Maybe even, a smidge more.Well: The Boners demanded, and NHS delivered. All of the above: Done well, done better than expected, done very well, and right on target.The Cruz Missile II ConcaveThe trump-card here, is the concave. Most of the "good stuff" about this deck, comes right out of those bends and kinks. And, it is a bendy and kinky bastard that we're dealing with here, make no bones about it. But: Each and every one of those, serves a purpose. Combined, they create one of the most comfortable, most resilient, most responsive, and most capable decks that I've seen in……….. fuck. Years? Decades, maybe…?This is definitely the hands-down winner for "Deck Of The Year", right here. Because of the concave. Hell: It could have been made in Pakistan out of camel shit, and it still would have been a winner…The competition suddenly has a whole lotta catching up to do.
This angle shows the "bend lines" fairly well. The Cruz Missile is not your standard "popsickle stick concave, on an old-school shape". Far from it, actually. The only concave in the same area code, is the Real Aces 3... which is currently (or, temporarily) out of production. It looks wild, but works wonders.The Ride:The best that I can give you here, are quick impressions. First: It took less than one run to "get used to". I do think that maybe, this deck actually made me a better skater, just by stepping onto it. It feels good, comfortable… "like home". It feels like how a good skateboard should feel. It's stiff and responsive: You can pump speed out of the smallest nooks and crannies. It's not too big, and it's not too small… it really is, "just right". You'd be a damned idiot, if you didn't buy three of these, right off the bat. And once you buy one, it'll never, ever be enough… 
Like the front, the rear end of this bitch is a kinky ride, too: The double-kicked tail (with concave running all the way through, for strength and superior control) also has "dog ears" on the outer corners... or, what we used to call "Tri-Tail". These "ears" work with your heel and toes to facilitate stuff like, positively locking into Smith grinds, popping in and out of feebles... or, latching into a long-ass, stand-up, backside 5-0. Like I said above: Just stepping into it makes you feel like you've instantly become a better skater.
The Re-Drill:I didn't feel the need, but for those that do: You could probably re-drill another 1" of wheelbase out of this one. I thought the 15 inches that it comes with… coupled with the massive rocker, and the outstanding concave… was more than adequate. The "Bad":The only "bad" here would be, if Santa Cruz didn't keep it in production for a few years… at the very least. A lot of the manus need to realize… that the "product cycle" for this sort of stuff, isn't the same three-to-four-month cycle that the "mainstream" market utilizes. Realistically, this board could easily stay in production for three to five years. There might even be a good reason to keep it in production, forever. I mean, once you ride this… where are you gonna go?! Besides, onto another Cruz-Missile-Equipped deck…? Yeah, it's that good. I hope Cruz keeps it around, because I'm gonna be buying an awful lot of these. You'd be wise to follow suit, my friends.
Out of everything that we did this year at The Solitary Life, I personally think that the "Let's Talk Shop" series was probably the most important, and far-reaching series that we did. Even if skate shops didn't really read 'em.The truth is, the idea of a world without independent skate shops simply petrifies me. On the other hand, I'm also the guy that'll tell you that the indepenedent skate shops of the world are by far and away, the very best agents of their own demise.So, what to do? Well, I figured that somebody, somewhere, needed to point this out to the indy shops. If only for their own damned good."Customer Service" is the one thing that any shop can start doing, and doing well... today, if they wanted to do so... for pretty much, "free". Yet, when I asked one of my cohorts when the last time was that he actually got good customer service at a local skate shop, he actually had to think about it before answering "You know what?! I've never gotten good customer service at a skate shop...!" That is a travesty that needs to change today, if the indy skate shop is gonna have an icicle's chance in hell of seeing another tomorrow. That's why this article should be mandatory reading for any skate-shop owner, manager, or employee. Get it right today, or get shoved right out of business tomorrow. It's your call.
This is the latest installment of The Solitary Life's of "Let's Talk Shop" articles aimed at helping skateboard shops build better businesses. In this article, I'm going to talk about something that, really, every skate shop owner and employee should already understand: Customer Service. Specifically, giving your customers Good Customer Service.Here's the problem: In the last two years, I've walked into approximately 200 skateboard shops. At least. It might even be more than that. Out of those 200 shops, I can easily count on two hands, the number of shops that gave me "good customer service". The bigger problem is, I'm not alone. I regularly hear horror stories from everyday skaters, about shops that made... how can I say this nicely? "Persistent Customer Service Goofs"?I think that's putting it pretty nicely...Even today, I asked one of my skater-buddies at work how often he's gotten good customer service out of a skateboard shop? The answer was something like, "Oh, jeez man. I dunno. Maybe, once in a blue moon or something...?" Believe it or not, that's actually a pretty atypical answer. A far more "typical" answer, is "never".I'm gonna tell you something, straight away: You're not going to find anyone in all of skateboarding, that is a bigger proponent of the independent, locally-owned skateboard shop than Yours Truly over here. But the simple fact is that, at least some of the problems that are facing skateboard shops today are caused by the skateboard shops, themselves. And, "customer service" would clearly fall into that category.Customer Service is the one thing in your shop that is almost always free of cost... and likewise, free to give. Money just can't buy a positive outlook, or the ability to treat people with kindness, friendliness, or respect. But when it comes to running a successful business, positivity, kindness, friendliness, and respect sure can make you and your shop a whole hell of a lot of money...!Assuming that's true, then I would probably... if I were a shop owner, today... make this piece mandatory reading for not only shop owners and managers, but for all shop employees as well. Everyone in your business... from the top, to the bottom... needs to fully understand the importance of serving your customers, and serving them well. In my world, skateboarders deserve the very best that any shop could offer, in terms of taking good care of their customers.I mean, really... what sort of customer would freely admit to being more than happy with second, or even third-best...? What kind of customer is going to be happy with mediocre-to-shitty customer care...?!When I talk about "customer service", I can easily break that down into three sub-topics:- Friendliness,
- Knowing (And, Having) The Product, and
- Salesmanship
FriendlinessOut of the three, "friendliness" is the least expensive. And more often than not, the most important.When I walk into a skateboard shop, I expect more than anything else... to make a new friend. I guess that's just how skateboarding brought me up, y'know? To make easy friends with other skaters? To have some respect for your fellow skater? Now, clearly, this doesn't happen as often as I should. Not to me, at least. And, as far as I can tell, not to too many other skaters, either.The question becomes, why...?Is it because, as pampered primadonna Americans, we're just raised to expect "good service" at every turn... but, not to have to give it to anyone else? Are we really that self-centered of a society? Or: Is it because shop owners, managers, and employees seem to think that they're just "cooler" than everyone else...? For my part, I don't know. Nor, do I really care. All I know is that, if the shop that I walk into isn't friendly and welcoming? Then I'm probably gonna turn tail, and walk my ass right out of there. No questions asked, and no answers needed. Just like any self-respecting customer would do, if they were in the same situation.You're seriously not gonna find this sort of candid, no-bullshit honesty in TransWorld BUSINESS. But, you'll find it here on The Solitary Life. And, the honest truth is: If you're not making friends? Then, you're probably not making sales. Or, at the very least: You're not making as many as you could be...!
On the "friendliness" front, very few people in the entire midwest can beat Jeremy and Liz from TOC Skateshop in Terre Haute, Indiana. These are two of the most skater-friendly people, ever. Hands down.
Let me give you guys an example here. Let's start with something as simple as... answering the telephone. When I call a skate shop... I expect someone to answer the phone, first of all. If it's not a person, than I expect at least a machine to pick up, and give me:- The shop's name, - The shop's address, and - The shop's hours.You wouldn't believe how many shops don't do this...But, let's assume that I get an actual person on the horn. In that case, I expect:"Hello! You've reached Bud's Skate Shop! How can I help you today?!"And, I expect that voice to sound pretty perky, and upbeat. Friendly...! Maybe even, happy that somebody called.You'd be amazed at how many shops that I call, answer with the singleword, "Buhd's...". Just like that! "Buhd's". Drab. Unenthusiastic. As if I just woke the dude up from a nap, and he's pissed off by the inconvenience of actually having to answer the phone.Believe it or not, you can easily lose a sale by giving off bad vibes when somebody walks in the door, or answering the phone like you're some sort of asshole. As a "core" skate shop, you just can't afford to lose sales to this sort of thing. Sales are hard enough to come by, as it is.Knowing (and, Having) The ProductKnowing (and, Having) the product is a little bit tougher. The truth is, skateboarding changes really, really fast. Fashions and trends come and go at light speeds. There's only about 10,000 companies out there, trying to sell you 50,00000,000,000 new products. Add to that, that the internet has made every little kid an "expert" on everything skateboarding, and you can see the challenge of the task at hand. And, forget about actually stocking every item in the universe: That alone could easily bankrupt the average skate shop.For my part, it's not so important that a shop carries the exact wheel that I might want. So long as the "type" of product that I'm looking for is well-represented, I'm usually happy enough with that. Even here, a lot of shops epicly fail. I've seen shops that strictly carry only hard wheels between 50 and 52 millimeters (ie, "street wheels"). But, what if I don't street skate? What if I ride bowls, ramps, ditches, or masonite skateparks? What if I have a longboard, or a cruiser? What am I gonna do with hard, 52mm wheels then...?I hear a lot of shops say, "Well, no one comes in asking for those types of wheels!" The reason why that's the case, is simple: It's not up to the customer to "ask" you for a product. It's your job, to "have" it on hand. After all, why would a customer bother to "ask" for something that you obviously don't have in the building...? Why wouldn't they just go home, and order it online instead...?For my part, I never go into a skate shop, and "ask" for anything. Most shops are laid out pretty logically. Boards are here, trucks are there, and wheels are in the case. If they have something that I want, it's usually pretty obvious. Likewise, it's just as obvious if they don't have anything that suits me, or my style.Salesmanship"Salesmanship", like "friendliness", is totally free. If I go in looking for a good, solid board that fits my style of skating, and my physical size... I expect that your "sales team" would be able to steer me in the right direction. I expect that your sales guys would point me to the hottest wheels, the newest decks, or the most durable and comfortable shoes. I expect that a salesperson would be there to tell me about new kinds of skating, and the products that are ideally suited to those sorts of things. People generally go to a specialty skateboard shop, to get personalized care, expert service, and unparalleled know-how that they just wouldn't expect to find at say, a big-box athletic supplier (Zumiez? Dick's Sporting Goods?). If you don't give them what they expect... then really, what's stopping them from going to a Zumiez, a Dick's, or to the handiest online retailer...?That, is the stone-cold reality that I believe all "core" skate shops are facing these days. The problem is that, once you lose a customer... it's almost impossible to get them to come back. I should know, because it's happened to me.As much as I support the "local core retailer", the cold fact is that I rarely shop at one these days. Why? Well, as far as my "local" skate shop goes... I went in one day, looking for Abec 11 wheels. I was told... like, I'm some sort of retard or something... that the "Abec" rating only goes up to 9, and that it has to do with bearings... not wheels. The problem was, the guy behind the counter must have assumed that I was just some kook that didn't know what in the hell I was talking about. The truth of the matter was that, at the time, I was working in Concrete Wave Magazine's marketing department. Given my position, I just so happened to have Chris Chaput's office, home, and cell numbers in my cellphone. Chris Chaput, if you don't know, is the guy that owns Abec 11 wheels. So clearly, the company does exist. But I couldn't convince the guy behind the counter of that one, nosiree. It almost makes me wanna ask them "Who's the 'kook' now, assholes...?!" But at the end of the day, it's really not worth it. It's just not that big of a deal to me, man.The other shop just doesn't have anything that I wanna buy. Sure, they're more than happy to "special order" me something (if I prepay for it, if I'm not mistaken). But at that point, why don't I just go online, "prepay" the bill, and have it delivered straight to my house...?Of course, Zumiez just sucks. Their "customer service" is an absolute joke. And I just can't bring myself to shop there, in any rate.So, once I realized where I stood with all of my local shops, I began shopping around online. And, lo and behold, I found good 'ol Mike Hirsch at Socal Skateshop (www.socalskateshop.com). Socal does have a brick-and-mortar shop... somewhere in Southern California, I'd guess. It doesn't matter to me where it is, exactly. So long as they do have a brick-and-mortar shop, I'm cool enough with that. All I know is that, Mike always has the coolest shit in stock. He always, always knows what he's talking about (he truly excels, in that regard). And, he's the friendliest guy you could ever hope to deal with. I buy a lot of shit from him, and he always treats me right. That's why we give him free advertising at The Solitary Life, month after month. Because, he's truly a servant to skaters everywhere. And, he's clearly happy as a clam to do it.He's not the only one, either. Dave at Sk8Supply is always good people, too. There's a few more, but I forget. I mostly shop with either Mike, or Dave.
This is Socal Skateshop's storefront from the outside (on the left), and from the inside (on the right). Mike Hirsch and crew obviously take a lot of pride in the way their store looks, and the wide variety of products to choose from. This is the way that every skate shop should look, in my book. The fact that you get expert know-how, and impeccable service are just the icing on the cake...!
Now, as a shop owner, you tell me: Why would I ever go back to shopping at your shop, ever again...?! Once I've built up a good working relationship with Mike and Dave... why would I ever defect, and take the "risk" of shopping at your place...?I have to say that, if your shop consistently fails at customer sevice? Then your business probably deserves to fail. Period. I don't care how many demos you host, how many contests you throw, how many BBQ's you have, how good your prices are, how many boards you have on the wall, or how close you are to my house. If you treat me like I'm some sort of jerk? Then, you're dead to me.This, is what your customers are thinking. They're probably not saying it! Because, they're probably not as rude as I am. But, I can guarantee you this much: They're definitely thinking it.If you work at improving your customer service? Then, you've just gone a long way to making yourself a success. Nobody can do it for you... you'll have to tackle this one on your own. I sincerely hope that you read this, understand it, and use it to make your business stronger, healthier, and more profitable.
