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| Vendor's Corner (9204 Posts)
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Economics 101
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On 6/21/2007 Bola
wrote in from
United States
(206.53.nnn.nnn)
Slim;
You may have a point but it will be great if you would not get too emotional or invective. I am sure there many cool, really cool equipment manufacturers, they all cannot just be our friends.
One that would help is if you could envision yourself in a batter system. That is, if you want wheels and there is no money and you have to expend the same amount of energy, work, and resources in your area of expertise that is equivalent to the energy and resourses that the wheel manufacturer expended. Money is just a means for this exchange. So, if I make wheels and many people want them for their buggies to get around, then I can trade my wheels for doctor's care, for furniture, for land to build my house, for the carpenter. The more whhels I make the longer hours I spend making wheels and the more demand is for my wheels the more stuff I can have them exchanged for. That is not ripping people off that is fair exchange. Ripping people off is having them do work for me and not give them wheels, I mean nothing, zilch and or is like you, the carpenter, not finshing the cabinet that you promised and taking my wheels so that you can ride in your buggy.
I hope this simplistic concept is clear.
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GoSkateboarding Day!
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On 6/21/2007 JustWannaSk8
wrote in from
United States
(65.19.nnn.nnn)
It's International GO SKATEBOARDING DAY!!! How many of you skated?
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me oh my
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On 6/21/2007 sam
wrote in from
United States
(68.193.nnn.nnn)
The red has returned! Oh thats why he's punking at Chris... Red vs. Green... complementary colors...
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it's quite clear
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On 6/21/2007 bara
wrote in from
United States
(204.78.nnn.nnn)
after reading his posts........and remembering nearly identical posts made by him ages ago regarding the evils of corporate America and the opportunity to make a profit doing something you enjoy...
quite simply
Slim .....
.......is a communist.
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Green, Lemon, Lime, and Pink
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On 6/21/2007
Chris Chaput
wrote in from
United States
(72.134.nnn.nnn)
Click here or on the image above to enlarge. Congrats to Mischo on a succesful race in Vernon, B.C.
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slim pickings
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On 6/21/2007
Brady Mitchell
wrote in from
United States
(74.225.nnn.nnn)
"ownership On 2/2/2007 slim wrote in from 71.146.xxx.xxx:
Sure, someone "owns" every website. However, they operate on the internet and there are certain conventions that should be followed. In fact, the whole point of the world wide web was to hyperlink information from one site to another.
That people now use the publicly developed internet to make private money is fine. But they should do so only in ways that are in keeping with the spirit of the internet. This site is not billed as a commercial business. It is a place people get together to share information. Therefore, I feel that not allowing linking is uncool and contrary to the spirit of internet forums. I've been on hundreds of forums over the last 15 to 20 years and this is the only one I've ever been on that messes with the member's ability to link to other websites."
Just who is Slim to be dictating how Adam or Chris operates thier buisness? On another post he`s sucking up to RockinRon. So I guess it`s not about how they make money but who they are, er,,, to Slim that is....
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Equipment development
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On 6/21/2007 MP / Speedo
wrote in from
United States
(69.68.nnn.nnn)
I'm staying out of the politics, but I appreciate the correspondence from Chris and his company. They are just flat out good for the development of the sport, as well as others. The high performance segment is absolutely fortunate.
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Development has it's cost
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On 6/20/2007 PSR
wrote in from
United States
(75.69.nnn.nnn)
'Needed an Argument'? No. For as long as I've known C.C., he's been openly generous, and has always put Skaters ahead of 'good business practice'. I still have a set of Flashbacks from an early Gathering event that Chris sold to me out of his personal kit, and did so at a price WalMart would've thought was too low. (BTW, Chris, they may be returning to you, reshaped) I've got a Chapstik, and had Belair wheels at one point, way back when. I know where he's coming from, albeit, from the wrong Coast, but nonetheless, I can also see where C.C. may yet lead this sport. And, it's nice to know he's not the only one doing this. Seismic/3DM is also pushing the wheel market, truck market, and decks too. Other companies come readily to mind, such as Radikal, Comet, Pavel, Roe, Pocket Pistol, Tracker, Asphalt Playground, Landyatchtz, Airflow, and even SectorNine; All pushing things FORWARD, even if with a 'retro' style, it's Progression, not that Yada Yada same crap that's been everpresent in skateboarding since 1989. If you don't get it, go play nintendo/X-box and improve your 'life' doing that. I get it. The future is bright. It's here, and it's happening NOW. My x-box is IN a box, not hooked up at all....
I had tried a few years back to get Power-Paw to make some new, faster, grippier wheel shapes. My drawings didn't have 'all' the tech specs (enough though that they could've been used or ripped-off from). The medicore response led me to believe that the cost was the driving force here, not the progressional possibilities. I see elements of my designs now starting to appear in both Seismic, Retro, Pink and Abec 11 shapes, some 5 years later (and, no, they aren't ripping my ideas, they're just following along the same progressional path). Some people are willing to PUSH to make it happen, some like it all copesectic and tranquill, comfy-like and staid.
Which are you ?
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Getting a life and making a living
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On 6/20/2007
Chris Chaput
wrote in from
United States
(72.134.nnn.nnn)
Peters, Slim doesn't get it, and he never will. If he found out that I spent today helping Flowlab, Loaded, Hamboards, Subsonic, Rogers Bros, TVS, Carveboard, and several other manufacturers getting some airtime from a Mountain Dew shoot up on Highway 39, he would only look at it as something that helped me. It doesn't matter that I don't get paid, that I have to take time away from the shop, pay for my own gas, food, and expenses. He'll make it sound like a selfish commericial endeavor. It doesn't matter to Slim that my company has NEVER turned a profit, or that I've ponied up hundreds of thousands of dollar in tooling and R&D without any promise of a return on my investment. He'll make it sound as if I'm somehow profiting off of unsuspecting customers by forcing them to buy crappy stuff, if that serves his agenda. It's as if capitalism is a dirty word, or that I have kind of an obligation to work my ass off, and to do it all for free.
Slim, skateboard products don't appear out of thin air. Someone has to come up with a design, and take that design and put it into a format where it can be looked at by others who can build it. You have to do it yourself or partner with outside people. You have to pay money when people help help you. You have to build prototypes and then you have to test those prototypes. Then you have to do it again. You have to change things, test them again, refine things, and then you have to build the damn things. That costs more time and more money. And all of this before you start advertising and marketing and traveling and paying rent and phone bills and gas and electric and furntiture. Nobody gets a handout in this business. Nobody gets a free pass. I work my ass off and it's a blessing that I love what I do. If I just wanted to make some money, I'd have continued on as computer programmer or become an actuary like my dad. But I wouldn't be happy. And I'd probably end up with a chip on my shoulder the size of Rhode Island - just like you.
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guilty of... making a living?
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On 6/20/2007 peters
wrote in from
United States
(24.18.nnn.nnn)
truly slim, you gotta give this one a rest. if the guys making the top selling wheels and trucks right now decided to drop their time, commitment, their taking risks, and yes -- *making contributions* -- to the sport, and take up something like real estate or stock brokering instead, they'd be FAR better off financially.
and if they make just enough money off skateboarding to make a living, they're RARE and lucky, and why should you fault them for their small successes anyway? profit margins in skateboard equipment are practically zilch. you need to meet and talk with some folks who are actually doing it, and crunch their numbers -- test your perceptions against the reality, you'll be surprised.
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in for a penny, in for a pound
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On 6/20/2007
slim
wrote in from
United States
(75.61.nnn.nnn)
I always find it funny that what I perceive as "marketing/advertising in hopes of contributing to one's wealth," is seen by some as simply "contributing to skateboarding." Last time I checked, no skateboard products were being sold by company owners at "cost."
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Chris
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On 6/19/2007 Pete
wrote in from
United States
(68.228.nnn.nnn)
I don't visit this thread that much. Don't race. But it appears (only my 2 cents) that some folks give Chris an unjustified hard time. This guy contributes to this sport in a way that few others seem to. I'd guess that it comes at a fair (financial) expense. I'd put Chris up there with Jack Smith and the Carrasco family as a contributor. Give the guy a break. It's the American way for a guy to make a few bucks along the way. At least he hangs in there and continues to put what he's learned back into this sport. He also noted that girls influenece has required companies to take notice. I say, good going Chris and company. Anyway, just my rant.
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Making Wheels
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On 6/19/2007
Chris Chaput
wrote in from
United States
(66.116.nnn.nnn)
Years ago I decided to race in addition to just skating recreationally. I offered to help a lot of different manufacturers with wheel designs, board designs, and truck designs, but most everyone was pretty well entrenched with their own ideas and own products. I got a lot of the old, "You may know to ride, but you don't know anything about business" type of speeches.
I had come back from a Downhill session at GMR with Mark Golter, and went by a local hardware store to look for parts for an "on the fly" truck adjustment invention that I was cooking up. The guy who had run Bravo Corporation, the makers of Hyper, Kryptonics, and other skating brands stopped me in the aisle and wanted to know what I was doing with my board, wheels, and trucks. He and his chemist and machinist had gone out on their own here in Huntington Beach, and he was very interested in developing a longboard/racing skateboard program. We worked together on creating the first gen Flywheels that used two large new cores (50mm and 70mm) and four different sized wheel molds (74mm, 83mm, 92mm, and 101mm). Stingers (now discountinued), Flashbacks, two sizes of NO SkoolZ, and Gumballs followed in the next few years, as I wanted more wheel choices made available in all of the various styles of skating that appealed to me.
If there was an area where I wasn't happy with the choices, I'd design a wheel and bring it to the marketplace as soon as I could afford to do so. I also though that women weren't go to be happy with skate companies just throwing them a "girls too" bone, and developed the Pink lineup to show my support. I got involved in the making of The Lords of Dogtown, and made special wheels that are seen and ridden on throughout the movie. The "Retro" brand was born, having started from just two wheels, BertZ and VertZ. I revisted the Abec 11 lineup by totally redesigning the Flwheels, and adding two sizes of Strikers and Grippins. I'd later come back and help to support the slalom community by adding Reflex formula ZigZags to the available choices that already included the very popular Avalons and Manx wheels. We rounded out the roundwall and slide wheel choices by adding SkertZ and InvertZ. We've put out well over 100 different wheels to date. I'm busy with some new trucks and bushings that will join the Biltin Bearings as a nice place to hang your wheels on. Decks will come last, as I'm using a "built from the ground up" approach to making skateboards.
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Why Chaput Makes Wheels
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On 6/19/2007
Pierre Michelin
wrote in from
United States
(152.163.nnn.nnn)
<
how did you get into the wheel making business?>>
Nobody cared about that ugly spermatozoon helmet anymore so he needed something else to start an argument.
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OG OC, OMG!
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On 6/19/2007
JBH
wrote in from
United States
(165.134.nnn.nnn)
That's quite possibly the most brilliant thing I've ever read on the Internet. Thanks for revealing the conspiracy. Let me guess, you're the founder of The Society To Abolish All Societies and Organizations, Including This One. Pity you didn't include your e-mail, as I would've liked to discuss my plan for capturing the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot. Hint: It involves holding the Tooth Fairy for ransom.
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congrats
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On 6/19/2007 sam
wrote in from
United States
(68.193.nnn.nnn)
Chris you should be proud you have once again birthed another amazing wheel.
how did you get into the wheel making business?
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BigZig Podium Sweep
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On 6/18/2007
Chris Chaput
wrote in from
United States
(72.134.nnn.nnn)
This just in from Mischo Erban, the race organizer of Sunday's Downhill race in Vernon, BC.
"Thanks to everyone who made this possible. It was a wicked year again. No rain, two full qualifying runs and lots of speed! I appreciate all the guys who come from such long distances and am happy to have let you ride the course dry!
Top 10:
1 - Tom Edstrand
2 - Nate Lang
3 - Dennis Manougian
4 - Mischo Erban
5 - Kevin Reimer
6 - Hugh Johnston
7 - Mike Roosen
8 - Kyle Martin
9 - Jeff Woodfine
10 - Jesse Tynan
Complete results to come soon. The top 6 were riding on Chris's new BigZig's which totally kickass! They are better than the already sweet ZigZag's!"
High traction design ideal for GS, but also fast enough to win in Downhill!
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wow! or not...
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On 6/18/2007 sam
wrote in from
United States
(68.193.nnn.nnn)
pretty clever if its true. could a board be designed to have 6 wheels and be an advantage on tight and hybrid courses? or would the extra wheels only slow you down?
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unbelievable
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On 6/18/2007 OG OC
wrote in from
United States
(207.200.nnn.nnn)
i couldn't believe what i was hearing when somebody told me about this "six wheeler" controversy. we are all being played. i know for a fact that chaput has no intention of riding a six wheeler at the worlds. he can't ride them in tight or hybrid cuz they can't make the course. they only work in gs and he wants them to be banned so that he can ride four of his big f#@!ing wheels that noboby else can get. he's been seen twice in the last week at the secret slalom spot
he made sure he was annoying on the message boards so that people would ban
six wheelers. he wanted them banned so nobody else could ride them. he's
practicing tight now and is trying to sweep the worlds in nc. meanwhile we all think he's screwed.
you've been played an you don't even know it. now he's trying to get them
permanantly banned by pissing off the issa so we'll need to own a wheel company to compete with him. you idiots are falling for it again.
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Hands of fate?
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On 6/18/2007
Brady Mitchell
wrote in from
United States
(72.153.nnn.nnn)
Is that arab again? Good to see I still have a fan base.
Chris, what`s the word on the MoMo`s? I looked at you sites and see no mention of them?
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CC
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On 6/17/2007 DC
wrote in from
United States
(207.200.nnn.nnn)
Chris,
This isn't vendor related at all but please give me a call. I need shoulder surgery and I'm trying to contact those who have had it done. I need some advice. (760)375-6555
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Two Out of Three
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On 6/17/2007
Chris Chaput
wrote in from
United States
(72.134.nnn.nnn)
The skate buggy used by Jean Vves Blondeau is not lean-steer and would not be allowed to run. Although lean-steer, the Pumgo uses a device to propel it forward instead of gravity or pumping your board (using a series of side to side turns), which would prevent it from running.
It looks like the Freeboard, Loaded, BMW, and Wave are lean-steer boards with wheels that fit within the rules and could be run. If THAT'S what somebody wants to ride, I'd love to see someone try to make the cut on one of them.
Scott, I see no reason why your ground effects design wouldn't be allowed to run. It sounds as if Michael would claim that it's a brake because you could scrape it on the ground, but then again, he'll probably want to ban shoes for the same reason.
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Please Do
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On 6/17/2007 The Hand Of Fate
wrote in from
United States
(152.163.nnn.nnn)
Maybe you'll draw Brady in the first round and still win?
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can I race slalom with any of these?
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Traction device
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On 6/16/2007
Scott Tansley
wrote in from
Australia
(58.107.nnn.nnn)
So I guess my ground effects devise would be banned too!
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Attn: Vendors! New posting policy in effect.