I've never seen anybody who doesn't skate wear Santa Cruz gear (I see Vans worn all the god damn time by little trendy morons in tight pants which is why I never wear them) but I'm not that surprised. Their older boards are totally bitchin and everything but their reissues have gotta be the worst on the market! I refuse to give them any money until they clean up their act and start offering something halfway decent. Those Star Wars/Simpsons boards were totally lame, too...
Skateboarding seems more bipolar these days than it ever has in it's entire history. On the one hand you have the very 'pop' (both in art and shape) oriented 'toy' market, whilst on the other you have very guttery, neo punk skaters risking life and limb doing absurd, and insane tricks and attempts that pros in the 80's and 90's would have been having nightmares over...
It's funny how the rebellious SC has embraced the 'toy' line, whilst the angelic pp has become grittier imo
There are a billion different niche markets these days. Tech skaters, boardz 4 kidz, flashy poseur companies, 80's comebacks, 90's comebacks, yo-yo home boy hip hop skaters, etc. You'd think poseurs would wear Diamond Co., Supreme or whatever the hell else Zumiez sells. Sucks about Santz Cruz... I guess a lot of companies have sold out, though. Guys like Steve Rocco can shit talk about Powell Peralta til the cows come home but brands like Powell Peralta still put out stuff meant for people who love to shred while World products sit on the shelves of Wal-Mart.
Well said Mcshred, all true!......Nah Wake, I haven't been near the joint! I'll give it another month till all the hoo harr settles down! It's shitfight central there at the moment!
unfortunately as much as i hate to say it those ppl who wear skate stuff and dont skate is secretly the backbone of the industry because their money keeps our shit afloat
Nah, I've got quite the full quiver now ptown lol. If need be I could resort to Streetplant
My point is I don't believe two or two million non skating beef cakes buying SC singlets are keeping the industry alive. There is so much diversity and small operations(take Pavement wheels), that any influence by non skaters would be negligible if at all!
@brigade_bill I have ridden a few of the China SC decks and I gotta say they have held up really good. Nice pop and did not fall apart on me. Then again I am not jumping down a 15 stair rail or bomb dropping off a house.
@WakeInFright all the SC decks I have only ridden the modern shapes with only one or two colors. I will say I like the Powell shapes better. And the tails a lot more. They are a bigger tail and more squared off and not rounded and tapered like the SC decks.
My buddy has a regular pop SC and it isn't that bad of a deck (not something I'd prefer, however) but their reissues are the worst out right now. And I mean that. Really sucks for dudes like myself who only ride 80s style. My OG decks still rip but when I want a good reissue true to the 80's originals and don't ride like crap, I always go for brands like Powell and Alva. I'd go for something from Select but the only problem with them is the new school drill hole pattern... The reissues make me wonder how much coke SC snort in their office.
brigade_bill August 15 edited August 15 unfortunately as much as i hate to say it those ppl who wear skate stuff and dont skate is secretly the backbone of the industry because their money keeps our shit afloat
I believe the above statement to be true and accurate. There are WAY more people going to the mall and buying skate shit than there are us dudes buying skate shit. I understand what Bill is saying and agree.
It's kind of like if you have a favorite underground band that you've followed for years. Then suddenly one year they make it big and you're like, "man they sold out!" Maybe everybody is buying them but you still like their music, so you just accept the "bad" and continue to listen. Or maybe their music has changed for the worse (for the masses), so you say, "screw you guys I'm going to another band!" Or maybe I'm just full of shit, I don't know.
I don't disagree that non skaters are purchasing lots of Vans shoes and SC apparel, but it ends there. They don't buy Skateone, Select, Pure, or any of the smaller brands. It's kind of like saying people who buy Nike spectacles are propping up the NBA, and basketball everywhere in the world.
When l was younger, if you wanted proof someone was a skater, you always looked at his shoes. If one shoe was thrashed and the other wasn't, there was your answer.
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By the way Boner, how's Bateau? I'm keen to try that Renton Miller designed park(that so reminds me of Greg Norman designing golf courses
It's funny how the rebellious SC has embraced the 'toy' line, whilst the angelic pp has become grittier imo
Rocco is a kook
When the palaver dies down Boner, can you scope out the joint? Maybe even post pics? I can't be assed going for the drive if it's a dive! Cheers dude!
My point is I don't believe two or two million non skating beef cakes buying SC singlets are keeping the industry alive. There is so much diversity and small operations(take Pavement wheels), that any influence by non skaters would be negligible if at all!
August 15 edited August 15
unfortunately as much as i hate to say it those ppl who wear skate stuff and dont skate is secretly the backbone of the industry because their money keeps our shit afloat
I believe the above statement to be true and accurate. There are WAY more people going to the mall and buying skate shit than there are us dudes buying skate shit.
I understand what Bill is saying and agree.