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| Q&A: Michael Brooke - Publisher, Concrete Wave Magazine (7141 Posts)
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oNE mORE tHING !
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On 3/12/2006 Kludy Sr.
wrote in from
United States
(68.7.nnn.nnn)
Most racers in most sports does not care if it goes anywhere. WE JUST LIKE RACEN!
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Racen ?
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On 3/12/2006 Kludy Sr.
wrote in from
United States
(68.7.nnn.nnn)
I read some of the stuff about racing skateboards and its not going to ever get big. 1st off like alot of sports racing is where alot of companys do there testing and if we can race there product at speeds in a group it should be go for others that just like having fun. If you see racers and like there gear and buy it someone that did not see that race or that rider will see yours and buy it. 2nd Racing is very big around the world and just now being seen more and more thanks to people that came to a race saw it and said to there self , WoW these stuff is great to watch and others should see these guys more.Car racen started the same way back in the day maybe 50 people saw it and now look what happened! The sports of 2006 and for years to come will be skateboard racing and people will see it and say dame this is different then the money will come and bets will be made like horse racing.Bikes has been around forever, who knew they could do flips and tricks, how big is that now? To say skateboard racen will never be big or that a guy will never do it or millions of people will never do it just does not understand marketing!You may not race but you sure may fall in love with the KlUdyVilLe pro. model and ride it everyday.MAN THAT WAS FUN TO POST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
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Knee jerk poster wrote....
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On 3/12/2006
t.o.
wrote in from
United States
(12.148.nnn.nnn)
How many degrees really separate skateboarders??
If not for racing I would not be skateboarding again after a 23yr. hiatus...
I could watch Tony Hawk, Deawon Song, Josh Evans skate for hours on end...
BUT, as far as my participation goes, I'll be at the racing hill with all my like minded cronies putting it on the line in the context that I enjoy...which is being creative enough to find the fastest line through a bunch of cones and then being half assed athletic enough to DO it... I used to think the same exact way when I was getting set to bomb drop the high school loading dock 23yrs. ago......
My neurons seem to think it's all the same....... all 2 of'um...
Peace, Tod
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"High Performance" skateboarding equipment makes my ride more enjoyable!
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On 3/12/2006 NYC Asphalt Surfer
wrote in from
United States
(70.19.nnn.nnn)
I have to agree with Mr. Chaput. I recently grabbed a new pool board that I had never ridden before with Indy trucks with BDS Dub Con wheels for a test drive here in New York City. Ugh! I immediately realized why I prefer Trackers or Randals with 3dm's or ZigZags. Most of the "disposable" skating equipment manufactured today for the general masses is designed for quick-burst "stop and go" street or ramp skating -not- the 4 hour long nonstop "asphalt surfing" sessions of varying terrain that I enjoy. I suppose that you could certainly "settle" for a less enjoyable session, but why would you want to? I find it peculiar that people actually admire the bone-jarring, technical street skating enjoyed by the masses. I've never actually seen any street skater ride for any distance with any sort of style (a la Lance Mountain). I have, however, seen large clumps of skaters crowd around a particular "obstacle" and practice it for hours ad naseum. Certainly we have all seen cleverly edited video footage of various top professional technical street skaters that appear to have some amount of flow to their routines. It's always the end credits where we see the truth -- the several takes, contusions, and abrasions that it took to land that super techical sequence of tricks for the camera...
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speaking of Denis Schufeldt
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On 3/12/2006
Michael Brooke
wrote in from
Canada
(65.95.nnn.nnn)
Denis is featured as the centerspread in the buyers guide...which, if you are a subscriber should be arriving at your mailbox soon. There was a cutoff date of March 3, so if you subscribed after that, you will be getting the 2007 edition.
I am going to make a bold prediction here...Currently niche skateboarding is about 7% of skateboarding in terms of dollars....My sense is that it may very well hit 25% of the market...but I don't think it will ever be larger than 30%.
Man, I would love to be proven wrong. : )
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No Racing?
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On 3/11/2006 Kingpin
wrote in from
United States
(206.40.nnn.nnn)
Pretty impressive list of companies that no longer exist.
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Slim Pickens
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On 3/11/2006
Chris Chaput
wrote in from
United States
(66.116.nnn.nnn)
The Indians got wiped out by cowboys with new guns.
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indian not arrow
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On 3/11/2006
slim
wrote in from
(71.146.nnn.nnn)
Chris, you've got to be joking. If one is a retailer or marketer, sure, they like all the "development". And as a rider, I like having nice Abec 11 and Manx wheels and Randals and Splitfire and whatnot. But a different kind of equipment can not compare to actual creativity expressed when actually riding skateboards and most of that comes on those popsicle sticks with the same old Indy style trucks we've had for nearly 30 years. The creativity is in the Indian, not the arrow.
BTW, without "racing", there would still be plenty of great wheels out there. The "vert/street" wheel companies are making wheels in 50mm thru 66mm or so in duros of 78 to 100, in various widths, levels of grip, etc. And they make decks from 7" to 12" wide with wheelbases from, say, 13" to 20" or so. And though the selection of trucks wouldn't be as good, we'd still have trucks of varying geometries and axle heights and in widths from mid-track reissues to indy 215s. (not to mention all the "mall" longboard truck, deck, and wheel companies out there).
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oh wise guy!
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On 3/11/2006
caddy
wrote in from
United States
(206.135.nnn.nnn)
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No Racing?
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On 3/11/2006
Chris Chaput
wrote in from
United States
(66.116.nnn.nnn)
Without racing there would most likely be no Abec 11 first gen Flywheels, Stingers, Flashbacks, NO SkoolZ, Gumballs, Grippins, Strikers, second gen Flywheels, Doublewides, or Retro BertZ, VertZ, SkwertZ, Reflex formula ZigZags, or Pink P-52's, PolkaDots, Powerballs, Turner La Costas, Cambrias, Avalons, Avilas, 3DMs, Seismic HotSpots, Manx wheels, 76mm, 80mm, and 85mm Kryptonics, KrypGrips, Hyper Stradas and Mundos, Sector 9 GOS, eXkate Cherry Bombs, M-80's, Biltin Bearings, Randal luge trucks, Comp-I's, Comp-II's, Downhills, R-II 180s, R-II 150s, Magun, Crail, Force, Radikal, Split-Fire, Indy Offset, Tracker race trucks, Liquid Trucks, Fyre Trux, PVDs, newer Seismics, Holey, Jim Z's, Landyachtz, Rogers-Bros, Kebbek Racing, Sk8Kings, Axe, Roe Racing, Sc8, Skaterbuilt Racing, Pavel, We Funk, Ick Sticks, Turner Summer Skis, Gravity Race Boards, Pocket Pistol Racing, Dregs Speedboards, FatBoy Racing, Big Red X, BLR, FCR, Comet Racing, Doc GoFast, NJK Leathers, Landingham, Timeship Race Gear, EDI, ISSA, IGSA, GSI, wedge pads, X-Bolts, Trak-Mate, Chronocone, Half-Fast, Sk8-Tool...
Take away that and I really hope that you like mall style longboards and popscicle sticks with 52mm rocks and 5" trucks, because that's all you're getting.
You don't have to be a racer to appreciate all of the great things that come from racing. More creativity and performance comes from racing than from any other area of skateboarding. Period.
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Buyer's Guide...
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On 3/11/2006
M4RC10
wrote in from
Brazil
(201.10.nnn.nnn)
Will the subcribers also get the Buyer's Guide or is it only for the shops???
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Steve and Slalom...
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On 3/11/2006
Ricker
wrote in from
United States
(65.19.nnn.nnn)
Damn Steve, your hilarious! You say you have a downhill board but have you ever really takin it down a hill? Not to mention have you raced down a hill with 4 or 5 other guys? If you have then would know the feeling of wanting to be first.
Also, have you ever done slalom? Have you ever raced slalom. I recently competed in my first head to head slalom race and was blown away by the intensity of running cones with another person. Side by side out of the start ramps and down the course. It was such a rush. I know not everyone is into competing, and skateboarding for the most part isn't either but it is still fun. I think if more people (including you) would try it and have the experience of going head to head with another skater it could broaden your horizons.
Oh yeah, and if more people did start racing and competing, what would that local street spot of yours be? And is it really ever that crowded?
Though So.
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Re: Popularity
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On 3/11/2006
Sumdumsurfer
wrote in from
United States
(71.107.nnn.nnn)
Steve C. posted:
"I just have a hard time believing the future of skateboarding is racing. Not everyone, in fact most of us, don't care who is fastest. I guess I am going to be left behind when the racing revolution comes. I actually hope everyone starts racing so there will be less people at the parks and my local street spot."
I totally agree, Steve. I'll be in the same boat. I just simply like to see all aspects of skateboarding. I really don't care what's popular. I don't think racing is the future, but I think more people would be stoked on it if they were exposed to it, in person. The mainstream will always be just that... mainstream.
I'm off to go skate. Have a great weekend, everyone.
SK8/SURF 4 LIFE!
Sumdumsurfer
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core market
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On 3/11/2006
slim
wrote in from
(71.146.nnn.nnn)
I think Slalom and longboarding are a lot of fun. But the day that these fringe activities becomes anywhere near as popular as the core market (street, vert) will be a sad day for skateboaring. Skateboarding needs creativity and people to push boundries and go where no one has gone before. I don't see much of that at all in the fringe activities. They are just about either cruising around or perhaps about racing and going "fast". But despite all the technological advancements in skateboard gear, there hasn't been much progression in going fast either. I mean, how many of you are going faster these days than Shufeldt did on his 24" Bahne 30 years ago? Meanwhile, "core" skaters are still riding basically the same gear as 25 years ago (board may be narrower) but they are riding on terrain that no one ever pictured skateboards riding on, and jumping over gaps once though insane, and basically pushing the boundries.
Skateboarding needs to be about more than just "having fun".
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Numbers
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On 3/10/2006
Chris Chaput
wrote in from
United States
(66.116.nnn.nnn)
Build it and they will come. Or not. It depends on what you build, where you build it, and how you sell it.
Years ago, I could have argued that Roxy was a horrible idea. Women surfing? There's no money in that. There's like, 100 pro women surfers in the whole world - and they already have clothes! I would have been looking at the wrong number. It's not the number of competitors, it's the number of people who want to relate to them. Sometimes a piece of clothing is as close as we'll get to the activity.
Steve's a smart guy. We skate together, practice, and race. And it's frustrating for us that slalom is so small in the big scheme of things. But much of skateboard racing is guilty of small thinking. We get small skateboard companies to award small skateboard prizes at small events. Isn't that a bit like giving Tiger Woods a set of golf clubs for winning a game of golf? I think that he already has a set.
If we look at how to position the sport in a bigger light, we'll probably find that the sky is the limit. Over a period of time, our "niche" market could grow to the point of actually rivalling the "core" market. Maybe there would be a kind of dual acceptance such as in snowboarding and skiing. It's hard to say what could happen. The only thing that I know for sure is that I'll lose the opportunity if I quit before I even start.
What I find so exciting about this part of skateboarding is that there is healthy competition among the manufacturers to build a better product. This is the place where performance is noticable and measurable. There is differentiation and substance in the products themselves. It's not all attitude and hype. This isn't a house of cards that we hide behind. This is a brick house with a rooftop that I can sing from. Beacuse this market is passion based and not just an excercise in redundancy, there is no such thing at failure. How could there be? There's nothing on the planet that I'd rather be doing right now. What could be better?
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Skating is fun
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On 3/10/2006
Steve C
wrote in from
United States
(65.19.nnn.nnn)
I am glad you seem to understand where I am coming from. I am not trying to be an ass or anything. I just like to throw out my opinion now and then. I appreciatethe openness of this forum. Skating is all about fun. To me being a winner does not equal fun. Having fun equals winning, if you know what I mean. Keep up the good work!
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Steve, you ain't blind...
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On 3/10/2006
Michael Brooke
wrote in from
Canada
(65.94.nnn.nnn)
Steve,
Firstly, let me thank you for posting here. I think the key thing to remember is perspective...Not only do I deal with 100+ companies, I deal with over 15 different countries...and I can assure you, things are happening out there.
I know that I am prone to ranting and raving and hyping the crap out of what's happening...mea culpa. I admit full responsibility. But, the problem is, I can't help it...I am absolutely driven to spread the word on all types of skateboarding. In short, this what I feel I was born to do.
Sure, there are some who say, "you're nuts, it's only skateboarding." I know, but having experienced the world of office products, music and all kinds of other jobs, this is THE perfect job for me.
I keep going back to this simple refrain...it's the destination, not the journey. I don't think slalom will ever become enormous, but I do sense that as it grows in popularity, it can't help but benefit all of skateboarding.
At the end of the day, all I really care about is skateboarding....and all I really want is for people to spend more of their time skateboarding and spending their hard earned money on skateboarding.
I welcome your comments, because they are about skateboarding, and as long as people are either talking about skateboarding or actually skateboarding, then I know we've moved the ball forward.
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From the mouths of babes...
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On 3/10/2006
David V.
wrote in from
United States
(67.41.nnn.nnn)
The boy and I hopped on our longboards the other day and carved our way down to the local skatepark...each of us with an old school set-up tucked under our arms. After about 30 minutes of answering questions regarding our longboard components, we found our place in line to take our first run at the ramps. After a few warm-up passes through the park, I found myself trailing behind a teen on a popsicle stick, both of us headed full-bore for an 8ft ramp at the park's main entrance. The teen attempted some killer kick-flip maneuver and nailed it--to the obvious approval of his friends. I, however, simply shot up the ramp, got two wheels out, tapped the tail, 180'd back down and finished up with what my son calls the "twirling hippie"--multiple 360's. A couple of feet away, two teenage girls remarked in stereo, "now that old guy's a real skater!" I laughed silently wondering if it was my style or my ratty classic Van's they were referring to!
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Popularity contest
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On 3/10/2006
Steve C
wrote in from
United States
(65.19.nnn.nnn)
I actually agree about the longboarding Sumdumsurfer. I work at a shop and we seel a lot of long boards. I just read post about how slalom is getting super huge and I just don't see it. It is fun for some people but the majority of what I see is people skateboarding without a competition factor. In my eyes the vast majority of people just are not into racing.
I guess I am just a stupid naysayer then. The funny thing is I have a downhill board and have been riding it a lot. I just see Micheal and others blathering about how the revolution has begun. I guess I am just too blind to see it.
My point in all of this, if I have one, is that the vast majority of skateboarders are not into the competition factor. That is all. I am not trying to call anyone out. We all have our opinions and sometimes I think that people have funny ideas. I just have a hard time believing the future of skateboarding is racing. Not everyone, in fact most of us, don't care who is fastest. I guess I am going to be left behind when the racing revolution comes. I actually hope everyone starts racing so there will be less people at the parks and my local street spot.
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Steve C
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On 3/10/2006
Bud
wrote in from
United States
(68.57.nnn.nnn)
I wanted to take a second, and respond to Steve C's post. He asks what the "numbers" are regarding the significance and/or popularity of longboarding and slalom racing... (sigh...)
Steve, lemme tell you a little secret. Don't tell anyone I told you this, okay? But... a great idea? A really, really great idea? Some of the very best ideas in the world? They started with "memberships" of exactly one. These guys are best defined as, for your purposes: The gooberheads that think this s#@! up...
Now, if you're a little slow to catch on, it's okay. Don't be bummed, it happens. Hell, we're still trying to figure out how to deal with this whole "democracy" theory, 200 hundred years after the idea's genesis. We're also fumbling over ourselves in the attempt to export this idea to certain middle eastern nations, but that's another point. The point is, in 200 more years or so, hopefully, we'll have it all figured out.
The problem is that the most ridiculous folks in the history of mankind are the "insta-naysayers" of our world. You might be one of these- and again, worry not, there have been others. Like the guy that said that the Navy would never have a use for fleet-going airplanes? Or, the admiral that said he'd "stand bareheaded" on any capital ship being attacked by aircraft? (About 15 minutes before an airplane sank it, good thing he didn't take his own advice very seriously, eh?) Today, aircraft carriers are the backbone of our Navy- go figure. Now, the guys that still hold fast to the idea that our Navy has no use ofr airplanes whatsoever might as well be checked straight into Bellevue for being total quacks. Steve, don't be a quack. Wait and see what the future holds before commenting too hard on it, okey-dokey?
As for "numbers", I don't give two beezulbubs what the "numbers" are, Steve-o. Noone does. When I go out for a criuse on one of my trusty longboards, do I worry about what the current market outlook is on longboard sales? No, noodlehead; I go have fun. That's what we're workin' on here. But, but, but... if there's only one crazy fellow (presumably, me?) out there in this big 'ol world of ours actually having fun on one of these dorkfangled kooky longboards, is that some sort of total loss for the skate world as we know it? I think not, buddy. It's a great idea with a single subscriber. We just successfully spread the simple little idea to a slightly more massive audience. Y'with me, kool kat?
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your 2 cents is good
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On 3/10/2006 F
wrote in from
Canada
(70.48.nnn.nnn)
My first deck was a Madrid. It got me where i am now: in shape, happy, healthy and well, fully adrenalised, and in company of brothers that share the same stoke.
Longboarding i$ the future of skateboarding in a certain way...
-F
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Re: Popularity Contest
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On 3/10/2006
Sumdumsurfer
wrote in from
United States
(71.107.nnn.nnn)
Steve wrote:
"Hell longboarding in general."
Steve I kinda-sorta see your points to an extent. BUT, in regards to longboarding, I'm seeing huge numbers in the way of interest during the last 1-2 years. How? Simple, I work for one of the (if not, THE oldest) longboard manufacturer... Madrid. We're moving more longboards and mini cruisers more than ever. Surf shops along the coastal towns have always shown a strong interest in longboards, but lately... it's bigtime, and we make every discipline of skateboarding currently available. Even sandboards, wakeskates, and skimboards. What little traveling I do around the country also proves my theory; I'm seeing more and more people finally discovering how user-friendly and fun longboarding is. For further proof, do an Internet search engine query on longboards or race boards. I'm sure the bigger of them all will be longboarding.
One day, I'd like to see a bigger interest in slalom and downhill racing, but we're slowly getting there. Sorry, just my 2¢. Carry on.
=)
SK8/SURF 4 LIFE!
Sumdumsurfer
Madrid Pro Designs/Full Circle Dist.
www.madridskateboards.com
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woop! woop!
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On 3/9/2006
caddy
wrote in from
United States
(71.105.nnn.nnn)
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Michael
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On 3/9/2006 F
wrote in from
Canada
(70.48.nnn.nnn)
It was a nice phone conversation Michael. See you in 3 weeks.
-F
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I stand corrected
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On 3/9/2006
Michael Brooke
wrote in from
Canada
(67.70.nnn.nnn)
Ok, so it seems I might be a little fuzzy with the info that I got from silktide.com. My earlier post about popularity is based on what I learned from silktide evalution, and it appears that this evaluation might not be as accurate as I first thought.
So, I will move from this discussion of websites and popularity and throw out this irrefutable fact: more people are participating in niche skateboarding than 10 years ago. In fact, there has been growth in this market year after year. It has not shrunk...it has expanded. Yes, Envy, Black 29 and host of others have gone the way of the dodo, but the overall numbers are growing.
The web has been an instrumental part in this growth....but my sense is that the simple of act of just trying out a board has been the best way for this movement to spread.
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