A Public Service Announcement...

Why We Don't Allow Comments at The Life

Check it out! Read this blog entry...

http://coganhiggins.wordpress.com/2010/09/23/the-dangers-of-longboarding/

... and then, read these comments:

http://www.silverfishlongboarding.com/forum/100-skateboarding-concrete-wave-magazine/156235-dangers-longboarding-guy-drugs.html


Can you say "sarcasm", guys...?





"We love longboarding! But, not always longboarders..."

Newsworthy: September 26th, 2010

In Indiana news, JJ Mace of Greencastle is getting a very PBR-themed pro model on Unity Skateboards. Set to be released on September 30th, JJ joins Unity's a legendary team that [currently] consists of Tyrone Olson, Frankie Hill, and Ron Allen.

Somebody's making some major moves these days. See it here: www.unityskate.com.

A Public Service Announcement...

Let's Talk Business: Death By A Million Cuts

When I got back from Philly last week, I called up Michael [Brooke] at Concrete Wave to say hey, see what's shakin', and to give him the lowdown on some of the stuff that I saw and experienced at The Worlds. While we were chatting it up on the phone, I marveled out loud at how much headway the small companies of the world seem to be making against the Big Boyz of The Industry.

"I can see a really great future ahead for a small brand like Unity, for example, to break out and really make a dent in the market. On the other hand, I kinda fear for the Per Welinders [of Blitz Distribution] of the world. I seriously think that those guys are done, man..."

Michael sounded surprised. "How do you figure that?! Unity can't be selling that many boards...!"

I agreed that Unity, by themselves, might not be selling in a whole year anywhere near what Blitz probably sells in a single day. Maybe even, in a single hour. Either way, it's probably a drop in the bucket to an industry kingpin like Per Welinder.

"But, you're looking at the small picture here Mike", I said. "It's not 'Unity' against 'Blitz', per se. But what it is, is fifty thousand small companies, against The Big Five..." Or big six, or big seven, or whatever you wanna call it these days.

Mike immediately sensed where I was going. "It's a death by a thousand cuts..."

"Exactly! Say Unity sells like, twenty boards a month or something...". Which I immediately told Mike was probably, a highly conservative number. I mean, the dudes just added a whole bunch of legendary street pros to their team (Tyrone Olson, Frankie Hill, Ron Allen). They're probably selling quite a bit more than twenty boards a month! But, just for argument's sake, I went with the tiny little number.

"So, Unity sells twenty boards a month, then. Do you believe that, Mike? Is that a good number for you...?"

"Sure! I suppose."

"Okay, then. Now, multiply that twenty-boards-a-month by a thousand small companies"... which again, is probably a senselessly conservative little number right now... "and all of a sudden, you've just accounted for about 20,000 decks each and every month, heading into the marketplace..."

I added: "Those are decks that are not being made by the Big Whatevers. And also... maybe more significantly... those boards aren't being bought at core retailers...! Or even at a Zumiez, or any other kind of 'retailer', for that matter. As so many of these companies sell direct-to-consumer...!"

"That's a pretty big shadow market", Mike concurred. Why yes, it certainly is...












Even while I was in Philly at The Worlds, I actually came across several new, small companies that I'd never even heard of. As I get out of the office more and more (which is something that I've been encouraging the IASC dudes to do for quite a few years now)... all I see out there is more and more energy... and more and more small companies both creating that energy, as well as benefiting from it. Which strikes a pretty good balance, really. One example of a "small company" that I saw in Philly was this one called "Activist". Their boards utilize tons of color fades and true-blue screenprinting to get those visual effects going on. And they were hella cool cats, too. I hope to hear from them sooner than later.

But, y'know what's even more significant? The price! Just before I left for Philly, I wrote that "Changing Face Of The Industry" piece where I "assumed" that the low-barrel price of a branded deck might settle in at around $45. Which would be roughly comparable to a shop deck, for the most part. Well, check out that flyer. Thirty fuckin' bucks...! That's pretty much, dirt cheap. Looks like my week-old "assumption" might not have been quite as accurate as I would've hoped, huh...?

If I'd had thirty bones on me at The Worlds, I surely woulda dropped it on that big blue Grosso-esque shape. Indeed, if they ever bother to get a hold of me? I might still do just that...







Another "brand" that I met in Philly was Mike Rogers from Grind For Life. If you don't know (I didn't), Mike is a Florida skating legend that was diagnosed some time back with cancer. From the looks of things, it might have been "eye cancer", since he's never seen without a sizable eye patch covering his right socket.

I didn't really wanna ask too many tough and personal questions of Mike... but, what I was asking all about were these super-sharp, super-colorful, and super-quality decks that they had for sale at the Grind For Life booth...! The price?! A measly forty bucks! ($45, if you order it online and have it shipped straight to your door). Now, here's a board that is fully silkscreened, made at PS Stix (some of the best wood on the planet)... and, every penny of the proceeds goes to an awesome cause. This, is a board that I'm gonna feel really good about buying (because, we all know that I'm gonna get one asap!).

But, where's the typical "skate brand" and "skate shop" in this equation...?! Nowhere to be found, man...

The question becomes: What is IASC gonna do about all of this? For my part, I could see something like an "Under The Radar: Why You Should Only Support Shitty Mega-Brands" report coming out of some committee, somewhere. IASC seems to misguidedly think that they can exert some sort of "control" over the market, and bend it to their will and whims. The problem is, it's a policy failure to even contemplate such a strategy. It's failed before (everyone remembers "Under Fire: Why Blanks Suck Ass", right...?). And, it's doomed to fail perpetually. IASC lives in the shadow of the marketplace, not the other way around. IASC has very little control over anything at all. Hell, IASC can't even control IASC half the fucking time. Let alone, anything else.

At first glance, this seems to be a situation wholly without precedent. And this may be true, insofar as skateboarding is concerned. Maybe. Of course, whole books have been written (and, movies made) about the ass-raping that World Industries gave to the Big Five in the late eighties/early nineties. Clearly, precedents exist for just this sort of paradigm shift. It's not entirely implausible to believe that exactly such a revolution could materialize all over again.

But, I'd like to pick on an entirely unrelated industry for just a second. My pick? The Music Industry! You see, in the olden days (before the internet), the way that we were exposed to new music... and, the way we bought music... was vastly more retarded than it is today. In those days, a band made an album that the record label thought was credible and marketable enough for release. The records got made, the record label promo-ed the hell out of it, the label machine paid off the right dj's to get the favorable airplay that they desired, and the band went on a lifelong tour to support it. There was also a shit-ton of press coverage, hype, and hoopla... all of which was aimed at getting the kids in the door of the record store, and ponying up their hard-earned allowance for the flavor-of-the-moment. The artists succeeded (sometimes), the record stores thrived (generally), and the record labels made millions (always). However, we also got stuck with bazillion-records-selling "artists" like Peter Fucking Frampton, and swede-disco-sensations ABBA. Why, or how, we had to suffer these audible travesties is way, way beyond me. But in any rate, I largely blame the big, evil record labels for all of it. If for no other reason that they're the most convenient target.

With the internet, however, all of this has been turned on it's head. The RIAA for a time was to pull their hair out to stop the "illegal downloading menace". The solution? Invent "legal downloading", and move forward unfettered. The internet won that battle, and won it quite handily I might add. So, how do we go about buying music these days...? Oh, I don't know. Maybe, look online for some upcoming shows. Stop in at MySpace to listen to some songs. Find a couple bands you like, go to the show. Have a blast. Meet the band! That's always a bonus. And then, go ahead and buy the album at the merch table...? I don't know how you're doing it these days, but that's generally how my life rolls.

So: Who won in this epic battle between the RIAA, and the internet?! We did! The music lovers of the world absolutelywon out. Because far better music is happening out there, and it's more widely accessible than ever. And I'd have to say that the artists won out, as well. Because they're free to make the music they wanna make (instead of having to make what the labels want them to make), and their pay is at least a little bit more in line with their actual market value.

The losers, of course, are the RIAA labels (Sony, Warner Bros, Artista, et cetera... essentially, the IASC of the music industry)... and, the retailers. And, it's not just the mom-and-pop retailer that's suffered, either! Oh, no! Even global giants like Wal-Mart have severely cut back the foot-space that they dedicate to music sales. Because only total dinosaurs actually go to a store, and buy music these days...! Who in the hell are you kidding, and which decade are you stuck in...?!

Nope: In today's music industry, it's all about the music lover, and the music maker. I can easily, easily see the same exact paradigm shift happening in skateboarding.







Here's another one! "Gauge The Situation". Again, another small company that was displaying at the little trade-show area at The Worlds in Philly. Just like the music industry, I think that the future of the skate industry is going to be all about the product, the people behind it, and the skaters that support those people. Relate-ability is going to count for a lot, and companies are going to have much more engaging messages than just "We're an enormous company! Buy our shit, because everyone else seems to be buying it!" These little micro-companies (just like micro-labels... or even micro-brews, if we want to talk "beer" instead of "music"...) are going to continue bringing more and more new ideas and new vibes to the table, and the skaters are probably gonna love being the focus of their energies.

Sure: The Heavies will still do well for a time. They'll do well in a market that isn't completely clued in yet to the vast possibilities out there. But as that market gets more saavy, and more demanding of the brands... they'll start bailing from the Big Guys. That's already well underway.

So: How are IASC's major heavies gonna compete in this new paradigm? The blunt truth of the matter is, I don't think that they can. Small is beautiful, and big is ugly.

End of story.

Breaking News: Too Little, Too Late

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: Melissa Clary (BRA) or Laurie Bergthold (IASC)
Company: Board Retailers Association (BRA) and International Association of Skateboard Companies (IASC)

Website: www.boardretailers.org or www.skateboardiasc.org

IASC AND BRA COLLABORATE ON LOCAL SKATESHOP DAY

Celebration for Specialty Skateboard Retailers to Take Place October 9-10, 2010

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, California and WILMINGTON, North Carolina, September 16, 2010:

The International Association of Skateboard Companies (IASC) and the Board Retailers Association (BRA) have teamed up to create an annual manufacturer-driven retail holiday for core skate shops on October 9-10th, 2010. In its first year, Local Skateshop Day is an industry-wide, collaborative effort designed to increase sales and retail traffic for specialty skate shops across the country. Local Skateshop Day encourages manufacturers to focus their attention on the front lines of their distribution, the core skateboard retailer.


“Skate shops have always been essential to the heart, soul and spirit of skateboarding." Says Don Brown, IASC Chairman. "By creating ‘Local Skateshop Day’ skateboarding, as a whole, can focus on driving awareness, energy, support and friendship to our family on the front lines- the core retailer. It's essential that we do whatever it takes to support these shops in order to keep the true passion and creativity of skateboarding alive."


Manufacturers will team up with local skate shops to host sponsored events, promos, demos, limited product releases, discount programs and more; all of which are designed to support core shops, staff and most importantly, increase skate related retail sales.


“As a specialty skate retailer, I appreciate the effort by IASC and its member companies to create a consumer focused ‘holiday’ designed to drive sales to local skate shops during the lull between the back-to-school and holiday seasons. As Chairman of the Skate Committee for BRA, we are stoked to be partnering with IASC and skate manufactures on a joint initiative designed to support the grassroots retailers that are the backbone of the industry,” said George Leichtweis, Owner Modern Skate & Surf.


For more information on Local Skateshop Day and ways that you can get your company or skate retail shop involved, look for your Local Skateshop Day event kit in the mail or visit www.skateboardiasc.org or www.boardretailers.org.


About IASC

The International Association of Skateboard Companies (IASC), the non-profit trade organization that represents the united voice of the skateboard industry, was founded in 1994. In 2003, IASC was restructured into the organization that founded Go Skateboarding Day. Driven by skate industry leaders, IASC strives to promote skateboarding, increase participation educate and save members money. For further information, please visit www.skateboardiasc.org.

About BRA

The Board Retailers Association (BRA) is a non-profit trade association representing almost 3,000 action sport storefronts across the country. The association serves as the preeminent voice, for independent retailers on a grassroots level with manufacturers, trade show representatives, and other associations. BRA also works to provide educational resources and exclusive discounts and savings from vendors on the day-to-day costs of business. For a complete explanation and description of Retail Member benefits, visit www.boardretailers.org







This would have been totally awesome, if they'd done it about five years ago (before independent retailers around the country started dropping like flies), and if it actually did something meaningful (like, giving retailers livable margins and better customer service out of their sales reps, for example), and if it actually narrowed the "distribution channel" in favor of the core retailer (let's stop whoring ourselves out, and selling to every fucking e-tailer, Zumiez, Pacsun, and West 49 on the planet).

Until those things actually happen, this is all just one huge hypocritical yawn.

And now, a word from our advertisers...

Contest Wrap-Up: Scion Skatepark Jam

On Saturday, September 25th, 2010, Tom Wood Scion hosted another "May Tay" skatepark jam [contest, really]. Considering that the skaters of Indianapolis are still at risk of losing Major Taylor forever, and that this could quite possibly be the last event to be held there, I decided to go check it out. If only for old times' sake.




The event flyer.






Brandon Wetherell came in from Boards-Inc [in Richmond, Indiana] to enter the contest, and he dominated all day long with massive aerial attacks all over the park. He's a real pleasure to shoot photos with... very professional, very cool, and just a clean, class act all the way around. Good kid. He's got a long and prosperous future ahead of him.






The crowd was on the small side for a "typical" Major Taylor event... but, still pretty significant. As the day went on, and we got closer to the advanced divisions, the crowd grew pretty quickly.






Bryan Apolskis, the event man-in-charge. The whole thing was pretty organized, and went off without a hitch, so he clearly did a damn good job putting it all together.






Tom Wood Scion, being the title sponsor, was out in force with their new 2011 lineup. I have a soft spot in my heart for Scions anyway, but I thought this new tC looked particularly badass.






The one thing that I didn't see, was a whole lot of presence from any of the local skateshops. Besides Jason's wife from Straight Up (Sorry, but I'm totally sucky with names!), who stopped in to show some support and cheer everybody on... all of the rest of our local shops were totally MIA. Rise perpetually flakes out on these things, while Zumiez' absence was actually a bit of a surprise.






The Old Indy Skaters were out, representing old-school skating in Indianapolis. Skating a bit, keeping it real, checking out the action, supporting the next generation, and cracking a few cold ones along the way. That's what they do...






Dalton Stacy, bluntslide on the 6' quarter. Not "blunt", but "bluntslide"! I wish I'd filmed it, because the pop-out was smooth as butter.






Brett Reed was a force to be dealt with in the advanced division. Like a lot of Indy skaters, his style is a mash-up of a bunch of different eras, attitudes, and sensibilities. In short? Dude can do it all.






Jeff Holcomb, frontside ollie on the six. This kid busts some screeching-ass backside tails on this wall, but I never seem to be at the right place at the right time to snatch one with my soul-stealer. Bummer.






Now, this is what I'm talkin' about...! A happy man, spatula in hand, flippin' some beef around... man, what a sight for sore eyes. Smelled great, too! Any time you say "BBQ", I say "I'm there, broski!"






OIS always reps well at the lunch line: Happy faces mean a successful event.






The Solitary Life has made it our mission to support girls' skateboarding whenever and wherever we can. This young lady was hanging out outside the gate, working on her flatland skills with her friends. We're seeing more and more girls skating around these days, and I think that's fuckin' rad. Keep it up!






Being a "girl skater" doesn't have to mean doing all of the latest and greatest on a skateboard. I saw this gal walking her dog around the parking lot on a skateboard, and I thought that was great! Warren Bolster would've been proud of this one. If you don't know who "Warren Bolster" was, or what he contributed to skateboarding... Google that shit, and get to learnin'.












"Jody Wiegle". Need I really say more...?!





The judges: JJ Mace, Michael Gage, Kiley Kelly, and Bart Kelly. Tim Devlin was there, too. And, the announcer was f'n hysterical. Something like a mix between a sportcaster, and an auctioneer. Dudeman was pretty funny on the mic.

In the absence of local shop support, our local reps stepped up to donate some swag. Michael gage is the perpetual Madrid rep for Indianapolis and vicinity, while Bart does the ad campaigns and sales outreach for Unity Skateboards. JJ Mace is turning pro for Unity at the end of the month... so basically, Madrid and Unity get the bulk of the props for supporting this shindig (as far as skate-companies go).






Looking over Bart's shoulder as he tabulates the advanced finalists. Jordan Mourning was basically an unstoppable force all day long with a crazy bag of tricks, a smooth flow, and virtually no falls all day long... I don't think there was a whole lot of argument over who the "winner" was.






The Champ collects his bounty: Jordan Mourning collecting his swag and cash.





The Legends (from left): Michael Gage, Michael Leines, and Spitfire Rob. Gage won it... but really, these guys are all true champs in my book.