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| Q&A: Michael Brooke - Publisher, Concrete Wave Magazine (7141 Posts)
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CW at the Farm
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On 8/14/2006
Joe I
wrote in from
United States
(63.87.nnn.nnn)
BIG BIG THANKS TO MB AND CONCRETE WAVE MAGAZINE
This year at The Farm, lunch on the hill Saturday was provided by Concrete Wave. Having lunch on the hill is a huge benefit to racers. You don't need to leave and search for food in an unfamiliar place. It's ready when you are etc.
Mike was very generous and recieved a big round of applause when we announced he was buying us lunch.
An added benefit of his generousity was that the lunch staff drove a shuttle car up and down the hill for the final 4 of each brackett. It was a farm first and another thing that wouldn't have happened w/o Mike.
So thank you to MB and all the 06 Farmers. This year was epic and if you missed it, you reallllllly missed it.
Joe
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cool story on slalom championships from Colorado
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On 8/14/2006
Michael Brooke
wrote in from
Canada
(70.50.nnn.nnn)
Blast from the past
Slalom skateboarding national championships come to Longmont
By Zak Brown, Camera Sports Writer
August 14, 2006
It has taken more than three decades for slalom skateboarding to go from the pools of southern California to the streets of Longmont.
The smooth, cruising style of skateboarding which began in the late 1960s has found a resurgence in the 21st century. And some of the best slalom riders in the world will be in Longmont and Windsor for the four-day U.S. National of Slalom Skateboarding, which start Thursday.
"It went underground for a while once the sport started evolving into freestyle skating, and that eventually monopolized it," said Daniel Gesmer, one of the organizers instrumental in bringing the national championships to Boulder County. "Skateboard slalom was really vibrant in Europe in the 1980s into the mid-90s. It started again here in America with the growth of the longboard."
There won't be any 720s or backflips at these championships. This skating is the sweeping, speeding version associated with the longboards that flow down the sidewalks at the University of Colorado. But this competition is far from relaxed.
There will be hybrid slalom, giant slalom, tight slalom, and skatepark slalom competitions in divisions that include kids, juniors, amateurs and pros. Most of the disciplines essentially mirror the disciplines in skiing. The skatepark slalom will be at the new Sandstone Ranch Skatepark east of Longmont, and that competition will consist of competitors carving through the park.
The skatepark slalom kicks off the championships at 7 p.m. on Thursday, while all the other competitions will run from 7 a.m.-6 p.m.. The dual giant slalom — where riders will reach 35 miles per hour — is Friday at Water Valley in Windsor. The dual hybrid slalom brings the competition back to Longmont on Saturday to the course at the intersection of Bross Street and Third Street. The culmination of the national championships will be Sunday at Coffman Street and 3rd Street with the dual tight slalom.
Jason Mitchell is hoping to pick up some of those titles in his own backyard. The Louisville skater has traveled the world, winning two overall world titles. After going to places as far as Europe to participate in his sport, driving home after each day will be a nice break.
"It's tough to travel, so it's nice to have a major event like this that is this close," Mitchell said. "You don't have to lug your stuff all over the place and you can get a good night's sleep in your own bed."
Mitchell picked up the sport 33 years ago, when he began skating in the empty pools of Laguna Beach, Calif. That was the golden era of slalom, when the sport was featured on network television. In 1976, Henry Hester and Tony Alva competed on ABC's "Wide World of Sports" as part of the Carlsbad Hang Ten World Championships. It's the type of popularity and influential culture documented in the movie, "Dogtown and Z-Boys."
Two of the pioneers of the sport who were featured in that movie, Steve Olson and David Hackett, will be at this year's competition.
The sport they helped build slowly faded in the 1980s, giving way to the big-air gods. Freestyle skating dominated the sport, until the first national slalom championship was held in 2001 in Morro Bay, Calif. Now with the national championships coming to Colorado, the sport is showing it's growth.
Boulder has been a part of that growth, thanks partially to Gesmer. His company, Seismic Skate Systems, has been in Boulder since 1995 and has become one of the premier slalom manufactures in international competition. The company is also the title sponsor of the national championships.
Bringing the championships to this area could help the growth of the sport locally. Most of the competitions now on television are X-Games-style events, but this could show young skaters that there are more ways to enjoy the sport.
"This is good for the young kids. It features every kind of riding," said Mitchell, who is sponsored by Pocket Pistol Skates, Khiro Skate Products, Nitro Bearings and Skate Colorado. "It shows you can still be a cool skateboarder without risking life and limb."
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Alternate Leg Pushing - Skogging
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On 8/14/2006
Chris Yandall
wrote in from
United States
(70.167.nnn.nnn)
ready to publish article.
rough first paragraph to kick the story off. would like to develop it with your guidance.
"In the early 70's, when skateboarding was making it's transition from metal stamped trucks and clay wheels with looseball bearings, many of us in the san diego area were exploring the art of taking surfing moves to the pavement. The era 10 years prior to this important transition period was celebrating the sidewalk surfing times. If you had a chance to ride a clay wheeled looseball bearing deck with metal stamped trucks, just staying on the board was a miracle for most newbees. Those that mastered the delicate requirements in order to remain respectable were truly pioneers of the equipment we see today. If you can imagine going 30mph on clay wheels down a pit-filled asphalt hill, you could imagine the survival run demanding 2 parts insanity and 1 part skill. Other skaters relied on tricks, walking the board, 360's, front and back wheelies for their sidewalk surfing experience. It was about this time, where some enlightened skateboarders were using both legs to push their boards in their freestyle routines as a natural movement. But overall, 90% of the skateboarders today prefer one leg to push over the other. And the technique being used to push boards has even caused many skateboarding message boards heated discussions on the proper technique of pushing .e.g "mongo" is a pushing technque where one foot is placed to the rear of the board while pushing and the so called "skilled" skaters demand the reverse. One foot towards front of board being the "proper" technique. If you ride "mongo", these so called "skilled" pushing experts will ridicule you. But imagine if you used both legs to push by alternating board resting foot in either front or back and alternating legs. "mongo" suddenly becomes a redundant term."
so i am developing this article as we speak. wondering if we could take this offline and email each other as it develops. i'm skogging on average about 60k per week these days. I published my routes on skogging.com .
All sorts of skateboarding disciplines are finally taking off. To round out most people's fasination with the sport, skogging/alternating legs on the flat (cross country skiing) is rocking the viewers.
Chris Yandall
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Problems
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On 8/12/2006 Bud
wrote in from
United States
(68.57.nnn.nnn)
The main problem here is that, when your tagline is "Youth against establishment", and you BECOME the establishment, then, simple logic dictates that, sooner or later, the youth will work against you.
It's happened before, and so it shall be again. Sad, but true.
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V
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On 8/12/2006
cad
wrote in from
United States
(206.135.nnn.nnn)
www.whoisthisbro.com
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Youth Against Establishment Redux...
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On 8/12/2006
Michael Brooke
wrote in from
Canada
(65.94.nnn.nnn)
I am not sure what it is about Volcom that makes me a little anxious. Perhaps it was their claim of "youth against establishment." How far does your tongue have to be in your cheek to spit those words out (even as you go public)?
Perhaps it was every time they have a booth at ASR they make a huge mess?
Volcom are smart marketers...very very smart. But, now they are a public company and when you start to learn more about how things operate, well, I get a little queasy...Maybe it's just me...after all, I am a fashion victim.
In all seriousness, Volcom has done very well, but its story highlights several things that can happen when almost 30% of your business comes from ONE customer...in this case, PAC SUN...scary stuff.
This is from a story in Business Week...
...In 1991, he (Richard Woolcott) launched a clothing line with friends. Today, Volcom Inc. (VLCM ) -- a name he made up out of whole cloth -- is one of the fastest-growing brands in the $12.1 billion action sports industry, selling $50 board shorts and hooded sweatshirts to young surfers, skateboarders, and snowboarders. Thanks in part to imaginative marketing, the business has doubled since 2004, earning $29 million on sales of $160 million last year, results that won Volcom the No. 11 spot on BusinessWeek's 2006 Hot Growth list of small companies.
Now Woolcott is finding that Wall Street can be almost as treacherous as the waves off Baja. Volcom's share price plunged 30% on July 28 after Wachovia Securities analyst John Rouleau downgraded the stock to "market perform" and cut his earnings outlook for 2006 and 2007. The drop, to $20, essentially wiped out any gains the stock made since its debut at $19 in July, 2005. While Volcom expects to achieve its goal of boosting sales by 26% this year, analysts such as Rouleau worry that the company's growth is slowing due to weakening sales at its largest retailer, Pacific Sunwear of California Inc. (PSUN ), which is seeing increased competition from rival Zumiez Inc. (ZUMZ )They're also worried that Volcom has maxed out at surf-and-ski shops. The worst-case scenario: Pacific Sunwear drops Volcom in favor of a younger brand or the exclusive line it already carries from Levi Strauss & Co.
Woolcott concedes that sales at Pacific Sunwear will be down in the second half but says the brand remains a strong seller in independent shops. He hired new employees to work directly with Pacific Sunwear, which accounts for 29% of Volcom's sales. New clothing categories such as sandals, boys' clothing, and women's swimwear should help, he adds. He also foresees higher numbers from Europe and more company-owned stores in the U.S. "We're fired up and stoked," he says.
While plenty of businesspeople try to market a lifestyle to consumers, few live their brand quite like Woolcott. The 40-year-old still surfs three times a week and snowboards 25 times a year. Like most of the company's 200 employees, Woolcott pads around Volcom's headquarters in Costa Mesa, Calif., in shorts and flip-flops. Until last December, he lived in a trailer park at the beach and left it only because the park closed. "I loved my double-wide," he says.
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
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On 8/11/2006
Markintosh
wrote in from
Canada
(69.199.nnn.nnn)
Happy Birthday, Michael!
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Another Year
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On 8/11/2006
Slob-air
wrote in from
Canada
(70.72.nnn.nnn)
Happy Birthday, Michael! Another year to roll through.
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Keeping it simple
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On 8/11/2006 Bud
wrote in from
United States
(68.57.nnn.nnn)
I like Fausto's take on it, from the Independent book. I don't have the exact quote handy, but it's something like "Skateboarding is just skateboarding. It is about nothing except itself". I liked that one. I thought it summed it up quite nicely.
I just don't put that much thought into it, I guess. Outside of thinking about what I'm doing, while I'm actually doing it.... I don't spend a whole lotta time theorizing about it's cultural impact, or the relative significance of different types of skating, or the points of view of other skaters, or the politics of skateboarding, or anyone's particular agenda, or even what anyone may or may not think of any of this stuff. I just can't quite bring myself to care that much about it. I just like rolling around on skateboards and stuff. Is that okay....?
It's sorta like Cliver's take on art theology. Why must all art have some sort of attached significance? Why can't we just accept that, maybe, someone made something just for the sake of looking cool? Not every little thing has to have some huge importance attached to it's butt- and, that's how I view skateboarding. It's just a toy, a plaything. A device of simple pleasures. It's fun, so, I do it. And, that's about the end-all and be-all of it. But, that's just me, Mr. Free and Easy and Keepin' it Simple.
If anyone is bummed that I'm not a deep thinker or anything, sorry about that. No worries.
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skateboarding defined
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On 8/11/2006
buddy rawls
wrote in from
United States
(128.158.nnn.nnn)
As a continuation of Bud’s descriptions, and Guto and Mark, what is skateboarding? I feel it can fall into several categories, but the most noticeable might be:
+An activity of pleasure, through speed, balance, thrill, and sensory perception. (next best thing to sex!)
+An activity of exclusiveness, individuality, making a statement, or even rebellion.
+An activity of inclusiveness and fitting in; a peer acceptance or fashion
+An activity of necessity or a tool for transportation or a employment.
+An activity to conquer, to take it to the highest limit, or as notch in your belt.
These can all be interrelated easily. In my case I view it is an activity that I really enjoy and derive pleasure from. It has become part of who I am. Within this, there is some individuality in the way I skate or what I skate, but that is not why I started. I began skating from a point of wanting the latest and coolest thing. At the time, ’76, skateboards were really hitting the market hard. For others, it can begin as a statement of individuality. For some, it can begin as a want to fit in, or get the latest thing (as in my case).
At times, it has been an activity to conquer, but I am too laid back now. I just like to ride. There is no longer anything to prove. It is sole enjoyment of something I have been part of for a long time. I have never been lucky enough or unlucky enough for it to be a necessity.
Everyone can fuss about my spewing forth about categorizations and putting things into an order, but that’s who and what I am too. I am a technical guy that likes order, requirements, and satisfying requirements. So flame away, if you must.
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Why not?!
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On 8/11/2006 Guto Jimenez
wrote in from
Brazil
(200.165.nnn.nnn)
Hey Michael, why not?! (adding sex as a discussion topic)
Just be ready for whatever the creative minds provide you as fas as eventual usage of trucks, wheels & boards are concerned...
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new thrasher...sept issue
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On 8/11/2006
Michael Brooke
wrote in from
Canada
(67.70.nnn.nnn)
this is a direct quote from the Sept issue - page 129
Pretty hilarious...written by Michael Burnett
"....all you old dudes who write in to tell us how we suck have too many handrails, and should be more like Concrete Wave: after your done on eBay or developing your new racing truck, you can point your finger directly at me."
16 pages of bowl skating...it's a great piece...and thanks Thrasher, for the nod!
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what !
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On 8/10/2006
cad
wrote in from
United States
(206.135.nnn.nnn)
what happened to my wave?
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sex and skateboarding...
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On 8/10/2006
Michael Brooke
wrote in from
Canada
(70.50.nnn.nnn)
just thought I'd put that as a topic to increase my visitor count!
: )
ha!
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Skateboarding: defined
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On 8/10/2006
Sumdumsurfer
wrote in from
United States
(71.107.nnn.nnn)
Guto Jimenez posted:
"It´s impossible to define what skateboarding is all about. For skaters, no definition is necessary; for non-skaters, no definition is possible".
Agreed! Couldn't have said it better.
SK8/SURF 4 LIFE!
Sumdumsurfer
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Skateboarding definitions
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On 8/10/2006 Guto Jimenez
wrote in from
Brazil
(200.165.nnn.nnn)
I think we'll go back to that old, efficient motto from the days of old:
"It´s impossible to define what skateboarding is all about. For skaters, no definition is necessary; for non-skaters, no definition is possible".
Bottom line for me is - the only thing better than skating is sex.
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Re: Sweet!
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On 8/9/2006
Sumdumsurfer
wrote in from
United States
(71.107.nnn.nnn)
Bud posted:
"Skateboarding is not conducive to being easily understood."
Hmm... okay, I'll concur.
"I think that's exactly what I like about it."
That's not what I like about it... but, okay. To each their own.
"Is it a sport? Art? Pastime? Hobby? Affliction? Lifestyle? Reason for living?"
No, maybe, no, okay, YES, in part... yes.
"Who cares."
If that sentence was/is intended to be in the form of a query... my answer is; many people care. Otherwise, they wouldn't be skateboarding... such as it were.
"I only see it as something you either do, or don't do."
(in Jeff Spicoli's voice)
Heavy.
"Sometimes, the simple answers work the best."
In theory, yes. But remember... 'tis only a theory. Speaking of skateboarding... it's TIME! Play nice, now... I'm off to indulge in my chosen lifestyle, such that it is.
End of transmission.
SK8/SURF 4 LIFE!
Sumdumsurfer
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Sweet!
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On 8/9/2006
Bud
wrote in from
United States
(68.57.nnn.nnn)
Skateboarding is not conducive to being easily understood.
I think that's exactly what I like about it.
Is it a sport? Art? Pastime? Hobby? Affliction? Lifestyle? Reason for living? Who cares.
I only see it as something you either do, or don't do. Sometimes, the simple answers work the best.
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extremists everywhere
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On 8/9/2006
lazy cat
wrote in from
United States
(68.49.nnn.nnn)
"It has never failed to amaze me that skater's who like to characterize themselves as "open-minded, outlaw, artistic, etc. etc." can be the most narrow minded people on the planet..."
If you think these opinions from the last week represent "the most narrow minded people on the planet" I'd say you haven't experienced much of it.
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cool
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On 8/9/2006
Steve C.
wrote in from
United States
(208.252.nnn.nnn)
It is hard to read the meaning from the words we write in here sometimes. I only got so fired up because skating, for me at least, is an endless quests foe new spots, be it pools, ledges, stairs, whatever. Terrian is a major driving force for most street skaters. Otherwise videos would be people skating the same static obstacles all the time. I think we both made our points now Buddy and it is a little clearer what we both meant.
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Re: Sport?
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On 8/9/2006
Sumdumsurfer
wrote in from
United States
(71.107.nnn.nnn)
Cad queried:
"is skateboarding a sport?"
Like my other favorite passion, skateboarding means something different for everyone. To each their own. For me, the two will NEVER be a sport... but a way of life.
SK8/SURF 4 LIFE!
Sumdumsurfer
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generalization
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On 8/9/2006
buddy rawls
wrote in from
United States
(128.158.nnn.nnn)
When I said "
when terrain becomes stagnate and unchanged (ie vert ramps and street obstacles, the focus is the tricks." That is what I meant. However, it was not intended as a boredom issue, but rather "what are the possibilities" issue. Once that occurs, then the tricks start flowing. When this occurs the options really open up and sky is the limit for variations.
No offense taken at the street versus non-street. I did not view my posts as that. It was about mastering terrain as being a huge driver for the skaters' abilities.
I also said "What I am saying is that today’s ability is not occurring because kids are better skaters." this did not come out right. What I was meaning is the kids are the same, its just the entry point into skateboarding has changed.
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I see..
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On 8/9/2006
Steve C.
wrote in from
United States
(208.252.nnn.nnn)
I see where you are coming from Buddy. Once again, my whole point of my tyrade was basically this: In my opinion terrian is what drives street skating, not boredom or lack there of. I tend to be long winded and not as concise as I should be. I mean no disrespect to you or anyone else. I just think it is odd that someone who is not really involved has so much insight. I know you have been around for quite a while and you really have a lot of experience skating overall. That is great, and we all have our exeperience that drives us and gives us some insight. I just thought that this comment:
when terrain becomes stagnate and unchanged (ie vert ramps and street obstacles, the focus is the tricks.
When in reality the terrian(at least for street, vert ramps are basically the same as they have always been) is much more varied. I see kids skating the wierdest stuff. It is a constant progression, and the terrian to a large degree is what drives it. I need to not go off on so many tangents in the future and try to be more concise. I tend to spew from the mouth, and I am sorry for that.
I also think it is hard to have good perspective on something you are not directly involved in. Just because you skate means you have great insight into all aspects of skating.
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Street, Vert, Slalom, Freestyle, High jump?
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On 8/9/2006
cad
wrote in from
United States
(71.105.nnn.nnn)
X-Games
That bachflip rocket air was nice!!
oh yeah
is skateboarding a sport?
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generalization
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On 8/9/2006
buddy rawls
wrote in from
United States
(128.158.nnn.nnn)
Looking back thru the responses and disdain for my comments, I am not sure we are approaching the topic the same way. The “accordion” example in WT’s comments sort of pointed that out. What I am saying is that today’s ability is not occurring because kids are better skaters. Today’s skaters are better because the bar is set higher and higher as new skaters come in, and it cascades backwards into the existing skaters as well. And it’s not just street, or vert ramps, or downhill sliding, etc. It’s the whole skateboarding picture.
Take the accordion example. Let the accordion player play the accordion for 2 years. Then buy a 2nd accordion for a new player. But let his teacher or mentor be the 1st accordion player. Now let this percolate over the period of about 10-15 years, with all these new accordion players basically picking up at the same level as the current players. It is not too far down the pike that the accordian playing really does not even resemble what the 1st player did. The 1st player could still be playing and progressing, but a significant amount of the progression is occurring by watching what the new players are doing. Now, throw a guitar in the mix. What happens? The same progression occurs. Except, the accordion players already have an ear for the music and progression. So they pick it up easier and quicker, which bumps up the level even higher as new guitar players come on the scene.
My comments on the stagnate terrain were not intended as a bad thing, they were intended as idea of showing that growth of the activities performed on that terrain has no choice but to advance. In the 70’s things were very new. The accordions and guitars were still very new, in a manner of speaking. Now in 2006, several instruments have bubbled to the top that are really getting the brunt of the activity. The media really fuels this.
Countering that I just don’t understand street skating because I associate it with tricks-tricks-tricks, seems kind of weird. From the point of view I am looking at it, I see it as a progression of it being where it is because it has been where it is for so long. You can say that I don’t street skate, no arguments there. But I have done and do a lot of other skating, and those are following the same line. And I have been in this since 70’s. The longer you work at something the higher the abilities become, and each new group that comes in starts at the current level, and things soar from there. Since I don’t street skate, it must obviously be different and not follow this.
Skateboarding is a very “now” thing. What once was, is no longer. I think this is what Steve was pointing out in his surf statement. But it does not change the reason of why things are where they are. Maybe my thoughts about earlier skaters influencing the succeeding skaters and their level of skating progression and the time factor and terrain thing is completely off-base.
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