Skateboarding or Marketing?
Well, it’s 2030. Nyjah just won his 15th SOTY, and is now sponsored by costco and Lulu lemon. Arron “Jaws’ Hamoki just got surgery on his now 100% steel robotic legs. The only shoe brands left are Nike, Adidas, and Vans. All others have been bankrupt due to nobody wearing them in trendy, trap, Instagram edits. Does this seem out of reach? Or are you starting to notice a trend?
My sister just got back from a trip in Chicago, and brought back a Zine for me. Independently published, and probably 1/10 or so, it wasn’t big. Dedicated to 80’s skateboarding, “Not like You” featured an array of pictures only, with no credit, of big airs and classic spots from the eighties. It was so pure, and I love it.
It makes me feel that skateboarding has changed- obviously it has, but for the worse. Has skateboarding, as a whole, sold out? is anything about skateboarding anymore? Or am I overreacting? I probably am. I just can’t help it but to think that things are spiraling out of control, when Louis Vuitton has a skate shoe( basically a revamped Circa), and a Pro skater. I’m stoked for Lucien Clark, (the skater) and that he is getting a nice, big fat check- which every skater that has hit a 10 stair kinked rail deserves. With that being said, what is next for skateboarding? Which giant corporation will dip into the industry and cause another small skater owned company to go out of business? You decide.
