Ok, from what I have been reading in alot of magazines and hearing from alot of shop owners is that they are gonna discontinue the sale of blank boards. They say it hurts the careers of pros, and is causing alot of companies to go out of business because they can’t compete.
When I was a kid, I had a lead foot and blanks got me through some tough times. When Powell started making those blanks with the slicky bottoms, I rode those for almost a year. So I can sympathize with the average kid on the street.
However, as a sponsored skateboarder, I can see what blank boards do to a company. And it isn’t good.
This is what the owner of South Shore Distribution said as far as discontinuing blanks:
While some retailers gripe that kids are after pricepoint products, Hebert has a differing opinion. Theres no reason the industry has to offer pricepoint stuff, he says. People pay premium prices everyday. If thats not true then why is there a market for Mercedes Benz and Cadillac? People will find a way to pay. If you dont believe that drive down the streets of a poor neighborhoods and look at whats in the driveways. Middle class will buy first class. These shops that are saying these kids arent going to buy a 60-dollar boardbullshit, kids buy that stuff everyday.
Mercedes? Driveways? We’re talking about kids, not the ones with money. Blanks will always exist as long as kids have no money.
There is pricepoint EVERYTHING. Mercedes Benz and Cadillac are not the only options in the car market. There are pricepoint cars for EVERYONE to buy.
People in the poor neighborhoods rocking fancy ass cars are likely not supporting their community, either. Those same people would probably rob you of your fancy pro-model in a heartbeat. And believe me, there are plenty of people in poor neighborhoods with a crappy car, and a crappy job, with HOPES to one day elevate out of the poor neighborhoods.
If blanks are so bad, why did they live through tons of dark era’s in skateboarding when the money wasn’t there. Now, there seems to be a shit ton of money, and people just want more of it.
This is putting money-making before the customer. There are ALOT of oldheads that spent their fair share of loot on blank decks in their formative years. These old-heads now have jobs, still skate, can afford the premium decks, and are totally about supporting their scene and their local shop.
Growing up as a poor skateboarder, and seeing skateboarding go through some rough times has this move making me really angry.
I agree, the Benz/Cadillac to blank deck comparison is a bit ridiculous. I do see your point however.
On another note companies like Powell who make their own blanks make money off them. Bringing in more money means they can pay their pros more (I would hope) in guaranteed money. So my question is are all blanks bad or just some? Hmmmmmmm.
That car analogy only hold up to a point. Yes, people will still buy premium, but it’s a minority. I look out the window and most people, while they may want a merc are actually driving a Toyota becauase a Touyota does the job of getting them from A to B just as weel as the merc. Sure they may not look as good or be quite as comfortable, but toyotas sell because it’s what the average driver comes up with when comparing cost to value.
You are right, sometimes their parents have money. Totally a good reason to bilk the kids.
The car argument is crap. There are plenty of Hyundais on the road. It is a marketer’s excuse to make more money.
The main difference between skateboards (besides width) is the graphic. The only difference is marketing. Are you telling me that because you can’t sell your graphic, you can’t stay in business. Cry me some more tears. Make a better skateboard and we can talk.
Yours is an argument for what is better for marketers, not an argument for what is better for consumers. And if you don’t think that pros aren’t an extension of marketing, you are fooling yourself.
Try pulling the same card back at a skate company?
Time and time again I’ve experience and heard stories of people trying to do work for a skateboard company that want intern prices yet professional quality.
Instead of trying to FORCE people to by boards with sub-par graphics, why not put some effort in stepping up how seriously you take actually DESIGNING graphic.
There i$ alot of overproduced merchandi$e out there created by underpaid individuals.
Well, I mean, chase utley gets alot of money to throw a ball. And, I sure don’t mind going to the park and paying to see him do so.
I am glad Iverson’s Bentley finally got shipped to Denver too, he must have been bumming without it.
This kind of oppulance is present in every other sport already. Isn’t skating not a sport? Whatever, its art man! Gonzales is selling 50 dollar VHS tapes, and we should stop buying blanks because it’s hurting the pros.
I suggest that these pro’s train for another sport, like golf, if they just want money. Or, maybe act like Don Shula or Burnquist and open a restaurant. All these boards are made by the same 10 companies anyway. And blank sales probably help keep prices down for woodshops (you know, buying in bulk = discount) which gets passed onto the companies that are now bitching about blanks.
Also, about cars, look at GM, ok, and see that they have both cadillacs and also little chevy’s, like that Metro.
From the Escalade to the Metro, and its all a GM.
Powell and NHS are two skateboard companies that do something similar.
kids put alot of money into the skate industry while the skate industry gives very little back other than more products for them to buy.
“People will find a way to pay” what kind of an attitude is that to have? When I read that I pictured some evil corporate genius schemeing in his office chair with a devilish grin on his face. “MUAHAHA…people will find a way to pay…MUAHAHA…” That statement showed no regard at all for the consumer. Why would anyone who read that give a shit about making these companies more money. Here’s an idea; if you want to give pros more money give them more of YOUR money, not the consumers.
What the fuck is up with the industry doing that? Since when was it the role of the industry to make enemies with skateboarders?
You know what, fuck the industry. They can cut off the production of blanks, and some other dudes will make a company themselves and step up to fill the niche.
Local shops are a must, but really, if they aren’t going to sell blanks, then the people who ride them are going to buy them from someone else, and the shop’s going to get absolutely no cut of that money.
I can appreciate how awesome it is to be sponsored and to make a living skateboarding, but as far as I can tell, the skateboard industry needs skateboarders more than skateboarders needs the industry.
I’m sorry if this feels like a negative attitude, but honestly, the lack of a few hundred dudes who get paid to skateboard for a living isn’t going to effect how much fun I have on my skateboard.
this does sound kind of greedy. and why would the pros object? its just as simple as that geico commercial. stand up and save some money. except in this case its bullshit and make money. if u hear some of the reasons these pros give it sounds so half assed. almost as if they were sat at a desk with a check pushed under their nose, being asked to shit out a rough draft. u know how many top pros were raised on blanks? grass is greener on the other side is true. especially when all u can think about is green.
“However, as a sponsored skateboarder, I can see what blank boards do to a company. And it isn’t good.”
first off…it is the blank boards that help kept skateboarding affordable for me as a kid, and kept skateboarding fun!
and btw, who are you sponsored by?
haveboard.com?
most pros dont even make much money off decks… the real money is the shoe sponsor. So really, unless your tony hawk or bam, your not probably not making much of your board sales anyway. so they should stop bitching unless everyone starts buying payless shoes or something.
support your pro! make their wallet fat while you get poorer!
I still ride blanks. Anyone who really skates knows that the graphics (rarely) mean shit. The graphics today don\’t have as much meaning behind them as they did in the past, or at least not to me personally.
Most graphic designers today are pussies when it comes to board graphics. Back in the day people used to have the ill shit on skateboard decks. I.E. Randy Colvin & World Industries:
http://www.clicheskate.com/img/prod/muse/img/th_clichemuseum–World-Randy-C2.jpg
Today “skate” companies only care about one thing: the bottom fuckin line. Nobody gives anything back to the kids, unless the company can make a profit off of it — i.e. how the stickering of the Tampa S.P.O.T. has evolved over the past decade. You KNOW that those BRANDS paid dude to put those logos up.
But what Deluxe does in SF is pretty rad. They’re an exception in my mind. They did those spontaneous contests and shit — no prior announcement, just show up at spot X at 10pm. That whole “fuck it” attitude rules. It’s a weird situation, though.
You’d have to be naive to say that you don’t want a piece of the $9 billion dollar pie that is the global skateboard market.
Y’know what i’m saying?
Not that I’m condoning CSS, but remember when boards and graphics were HALF of the CSS catalog?
Could that equate to less board sales for the pros? Less focus on boards and graphics, and more focus on clothes, style and image. The industry shoots itself in the foot time and time again.
The industry did this to themselves, so stop blaming the kids and start blaming yourself. If you can’t afford to pay all your riders, then drop some, don’t try to guilt trip the kids into gathering an extra $15 bucks for so and sos board when they can’t afford it. A team doesn’t need 20 dudes on it anyway, especially when they all look and skate the same exact way.
Have you seen http://www.aworldwithoutpros.com? This shits ridiculous. They actually want me to believe that Tony Hawk is going broke because of blanks? They need to get off their high horse and realize that until they can offer a higher quality deck than a blank, or until they lower the price to the same as a blank, that kids are going to with blanks time and time again.
average price of a skateboard deck in 2007- $50
average price in 1985- $50
any questions? there is no margin to make money on a board these days which is what prompted everyone to move overseas and start clothing and shoe companies (which have always been made over there.) blank boards will always be around an its up to the shops to decide if they want to carry them. when nocturnal sells more shop boards then anything and they make maybe more money from it and its a huge advertisment for the shop, its kinda hard to tell them not to do it. when are we going to see some haveboard decks stealing that pro money? or should we just turn jon pro now?
Buy 20 blanks, print them your self and you’ve got your own skateboard company. Call it something stupid and sell boards to your friends. Then your friends are supporting the local company, no one is buying blanks and Jamie Thomas will say its cool that you started your “own thing”. Then EVERYONE is happy! :)
What chaps my ass, is how these “pros” think the world owes them. So they can skate well, and (some) make an interesting video. They aren’t actually doing anything to help other skaters. In actuality, most of these pros simply alienate everyday skateboarders by pretending to be rock stars. Fuck the fuckin’ spoiled brats. You know when I care? When they actually do something to help. The current idea of the “pro skater” is on the wane. You wanna be a pro skater? Start building skateparks. People who advocate and build for the greater good of skateboarding are the new pro skaters.
Unfortunately in life, if you want to do what you love, you have to make sacrifices. Sometimes it’s working a full-time job you aren’t totally psyched about. Sometimes, it’s taking those sponsorships for companies that DO have the money.
The “a world without pros” site is terrible. Look at the internet, and check out how much awesome, raw, skateboarding is going down, just about everywhere.
Haveboard decks?? We’ll see. it was like pulling teeth to get people to buy a Tshirt from me, so I don’t know how well me pedaling decks would go, unfortunately.
If you look at like, the NFL, there are a limited number of pros at any one time, its not the case with skateboarding. You don’t really have any official way to measure a pro. If you keep pouring water into a cup, its going to overflow, and the water that didn’t stay in the cup will go on to the floor and dry up, it will evaporate, much like a washed up or non-marketable pro career.
There is nothing that can be done about it, stopping blanks won’t stop this from happening. Stopping blanks is a weak, shortsighted plan that could actually hurt the same people it’s supposed to help.
This is epicly retarded.
Remember when skateboards had real awesome and clever graphics that made you want to buy them?
Last time I saw that was the Traffic “Temple” board. But that’s just some alumni love.
Jorge said: “People who advocate and build for the greater good of skateboarding are the new pro skaters.” Thats great, cause all I can do is a no-comply on street. Now i’m part of the new pro generation!
Seriously, its funny, we are all on agreement here at Haveboard. Is this a first?
What annoys me is that most videos and magazines advocate either “f@#$ the world get boozy” or “check out how rich I am!” So the message to kids is now going to change? This only exists in southern Cali. The rest of the world could care less and really focuses on the core of skateboarding: friends, fun, creativity, progress and self motivation.
Core shops do what they have to do to survive, and they do more for the skaters then any other group of industry heads.
tons of kids are buying pros boards, and i would too, and do occasionally, for companies i feel. but the blanks will never die, i’m so broke i can barely afford those. but so many little gromlets buy companies boards, so it’s cool. alot of us older folk take what we can get, yo. tres deuce in full.
the IASC had a small booklet enclosed with this months transworld business magazine thats sent out to shops nation/world wide. wonder how much that cost and what it could have done if invested back into skateboarding.
Industry leaders are saying, Look, we have no imagination and cannot think of any other ways to compete.
I typed up a nice long heartfull comment and it was too lengthy. Thanks Fin. Anyway here is the bottom line. These companies outsourced boards therefore making more money. They keep it for themselves and sometimes overpay an overly marketed pro. Don’t share shit with the shops and in the end give the kids a shitty fucking board that breaks. That is the cover up. How can you pay one pro 5-10k a month when your product aint backing it up. Then you want to dis the shops. Fuck you and fuck your blame game. Respect the shops and your customers. Make a good board and understand that the skateboard puzzle isn’t going together cause you got too many pieces.
Henry Panza said I really dislike the fact that pros and people are hating on the shops. This to me is about them just as much as the “pro”. Most companies ruined this for themselves. You want to put all your eggs in one basket and get cheaper boards in other countries. If you made good boards that didn’t break kids prolly wouldn’t always buy a lower price board, granted they will break to. There is so much polution with shitty boards that blanks and shop boards are your blame. I don’t hear people bitching about a shop shirt. I like reppin shop shirts and I am sure kids are hyped to rep a shop board. These companies are making better margins for themselves and sometimes paying the pro more but not giving back to the shops or kids. Make a quality product and have some real pros rep it. This drama queen comotion is about the rich faggot saps that line their pockets in skating. This didn’t start with the companies that are keeping it legit. This will blow over, ju
st like the prediction that goes like this. “if you don’t move to oversea production, you will go out of business” guess what. That is biting all you in the ass right now. That is the problem. Getting too use to making money but the product sucks and you don’t share with shops well congratufuckinglations.
If anyone has a rebuttle, come with it.
Editor Note: comments limited to 1000 characters.
Talk about a Traffic jam…..
>insert rimshot here<
When companies start selling long boards with functional shapes then I’ll support them,I promise.In the meanwhile,I have to hope I come across this hippy guy that sells blanks out of his van.As far as pros are concerned,I wish the Lix’s model was discontinued.Where do you get off?Might as well give demonchild Waldman a board or Mark Heintzman.
Burn out the day? Hippie Dave? Nickel and Dime Skates?
Not even acknowledging the name nickel and dime skates.If it dosen’t come with a graphic on it.Its a blank.Yeah,its hippy Dave’s boards though.
Is he still in Philly? If so, why haven’t I seen him at the Park in ages?
Check out Hoodlum and companies like them…I went to the demo at Junction on Friday and those guys are working – Their pros are rewarded a certain amount per deck and so for them to make money those guys are out there shredding it, hyping up kids, talking to them, remembering names, spreading the love, and in turn being rewarded if the kid that gets super psyched and picks up their pro model – Its ashame that sometimes the ones who work the hardest and do the most for skateboarding aren’t always the ones being rewarded…but thats life – If you are going to be pro and want to make it a living it shouldn’t just be a walk in the park – Just like anything in life, if you want to do what you love and make a living you need to work work work – which is FUN, because you love it. Remember?!