HUGE NEWS

ppk187

sorry... felt good, had to let off some steam. as long as they keep the cab ban this i guess i'll be.. ok.. but still....

brigade_bill

no problem lol

ppk187

so what... they're going back to the powell dark ages( mid 90's) of "team" decks, for a "team" of ams that will eventually leave because they'll never be more than an am?? oh... and pig's i guess.

... had a bit more left in me i guess 

brigade_bill

looks to be that way

ppk187

can't wait for the official announcement now... the wife's already sick of hearing me bitch about it

brigade_bill

haha

SK8ER

So is Bartie and Hoffart off the bones team too?

Johnophean

Nah, Bones is the cake. If they leave Bones you'll know it wasn't amicable. But I think it was. I think this is a good thing - for the skaters. I really like Jordan Hoffart, as a skater and as a dude. He's a good guy, Bartie too. I wish all the luck and happiness to Chad as the new Osiris brand manager. And look forward to hearing who Jordan's new board sponsor will be.

myren

Dang sequestration!

And here is a video of Jordan Hoffart, lisen to what he says at the end of this.

Chris

Yea, what does this mean for Cab and Killian?  I figure Cab is a fixture, he's connected through the re-branded "Bones Brigade" and could be a legacy type rider.....similar to how Hawk has himself on Birdhouse and Staab.  But Killian is the most exciting skater out there today, in my opinion.  He's not part of this "skate park culture" group of guys out there.  Not to discredit them, they are amazing skaters...but they are manufactured, growing up in perfectly sculpted parks, they kind of lack that "street" that guys like Vallely, Hill, Lee, Mariano, so on and so on.  Again, I don't want to knock those guys, they are awesome.  But Killian just has that wow factor. 

brigade_bill

no doubt

Johnophean

Cab's still on...he said so in the FB group as well. Cab IS Powell Peralta! Kilian is on too... Anyone else think this feels like Order 66 in Revenge of The Sith? : P

Paul Bound

This is obviously just a practical business decision. If they dont have the time, desire or financial ability to have a pro team and all that entails I say good on them for recognising what they can do well, and most important are willing to do well and sticking to that. I love Powell but to be fair they are more a legacy based company rather than fresh and cutting edge. This doesnt change my view of them. I would bet that majority of their fans are likely 30 and over any way.

Chris

I think that's the biggest question....and it goes back to something Vallely said on his way out the door.  Is Powell Peralta, as a company, saying they are a legacy brand and not trying to push the sport?  I guess that means their focus will be on wheels....which was George's focus from day one.  Powell Peralta was once the company that really pushed the boundaries of the sport, innovations in wheels, functional deck shapes, graphics and laminate advancements, not to mention the best skaters in the world, pushing the sport itself into new and exciting areas.  Now it's all reissues and nostalgia?  It's nice for us old guys, I suppose.  But it kind of feels like the mid 90s all over again.  

Chris

Forgot to add....

As mixed as I am about things like the X-games, and all these commercialized contests on FuelTV and whatnot.  I watch because I love the sport and want to see something new.  Having said that, it's always the same handful of guys....and I know contests are not the measure of a skater.  But that IS where the sport is getting most of it's exposure.  On one hand I am much happier skating a curb, or much happier that I grew up in an era where we had to go find skate spots.  On the other, I would like to see the triple P represented in events other than an "old timers, let's remember the 80s" contest.

Paul Bound

I hear you Chris. I guess the reality is they caught lightening in a bottle in the 80s. Every era seems to have its different companies that are cutting edge. I am happy to enjoy the other companies yet Powell will always be an old favourite because of what they were when I was a young fella.

brigade_bill

or maybe the brand will get put back to powell and stacy splits again just like the rock

Paul Bound

Yeah that is a possibility I guess. Either that or he just wants to have to give less time to it. Time will tell. Will be good to hear when they announce. It would be lame if Stacey left again and it was back to Powell Skateboards.

brigade_bill

id be kind of stoked about it cause i didnt start skating til the mid 90s anyway when it was powell

Paul Bound

Haha, different perspective for different eras I guess!

DaRule

I agree too Chris. I'm also a skater from the 80's & man was it fun to go out and look for different skate spots for street. Still do at 35!

SK8ER

Cab's pro deck hasn't been available for a long time.

ppk187

gotta stay powell peralta.... gotta

Chris

I tend to agree, but I suppose it does depend on their goal.  The thing that made them such a force in the 80s was the two front "attack".  George with the funding and the innovation with the decks and wheels, and Stacy with finding the right guys to fill the team, and "coaching" them.....three front if you count VCJ and his iconic graphics.  But right now skateboards are pretty much where they need to be, not much new can be done to make them "better", and I don't see them really building a team of guys who are going to progress the sport.  If they are going to be a nostalgia brand, then so be it, but that is not a smart business model, in my opinion.  It has a limited shelf life, we aren't getting any younger, neither are the BB boys.  I mean, many of us aren't as "dedicated" as we were, older, working jobs, raising families.  Plus let's face it, the ground is a lot harder at 40 than it was at 17.  So it's not like PP can continue as a business for much longer, 10-15 years, maybe.

I would like to see Stacy build a team around Killian, and go find the new batch of kids who are going to really push the sport....and find that one guy who can take over the team and continue.  Life is evolution, it needs to evolve to survive, and it would be a shame if PP is left in the past.  Run it like any other business, progress and evolve.  Treat it like a true sports team, Eddie Shore, Bobby Orr, Ray Bourque....all retired, now it's Milan Lucic and Patrice Bergeron, and one day they will retire and there will be new players I will cheer for.  Treat it the same way.  We've had our time, find the next batch.

Paul Bound

I doubt that is Staceys desire at this point in his life. He seems to have different interests aside from skateboarding. If Powell lasts 10-15 more years as a nostalgia brand I would be surprised! All things must pass. Plenty of other great teams out there.