Skateboarding is HOLLYWOOD
A skateboarder somewhere kicking around decided one day to say “Fuck it.”, and walked into the local Movie Theatre he hits up on the way to the skate park.
No intentions, just a random act of fuckery to see where things go.
Not being an avid moviegoer, the skater realizes it’s kind of busy for the time of day.
To his (yes, the portrayal in this story is of a dude with the pronoun of “Fart Duster”) dismay, and quite frankly, disgust, he finds himself amongst what seems to be a skate event, only to find that the people here don’t skate, that was for damn sure.
After some attempts of sparking conversation with some fellow Thrasher hoodie / Vans combo cult members, he found out that they didn’t know dick about Skateboarding and that they didn’t know the brands were even Skateboarding related.
Let down, but attempting to be more accepting of what Skateboarding has become, he decides again, “Fuck it.”, let me check out one of these movies.
After a quick gander of the lineup, he was extremely unimpressed. However, this got him thinking:
“Has Skateboarding gone Hollywood?”
Then a light bulb above his head lit up.
Not only has Skateboarding gone Hollywood…
It IS Hollywood.
(Fart Duster is gonna sign off now and hand it over to me, your favorite degenerate, Steve.)
Slowly bled into the mainstream, Skateboarding is now in many commercials, many TV shows and many movies.
It started back in the day with Harold and Kumar where skaters were looked at as white boy adrenaline junkies that were looking to pick fights and be jerk-offs.
Now, well now… Skateboarding is the most inclusive thing ever, right?!?
I mean, yeah, sure, but hasn’t Skateboarding always been one of the most inclusive groups of individuals that reside in their own culture of sorts?
That’s the thing I have always loved about Skateboarding.
You can skate with those that are at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to belief systems, upbringing, socio/economic status, you name it, and you get along because you’re creating together, and that’s an impactful thing, man.
It’s a beautiful fucking thing!
It’s so goddamn beautiful that it has made me a much better human than I would be otherwise.
I gotta give back to Skateboarding.
It’s been the giving tree of Skateboarding that has led me to create Skateboarding Saves back in 2020.
The world was hurting then and is still hurting now. Skateboarding not only keeps me going, it also motivates me and reminds me of paying back my dues, and that’s what I intend to do.
There are many that can echo my words on this one, but Skateboarding has saved my life many times over.
Ok, emo time is over…
So why the fuck is Skateboarding like a Movie Theatre, you ask?
Oh shit, that’s right. Let me get to that.
For starters let’s go through the rating system to find out.
Skateboarding’s Rating System
Skate XS
Skate XS is a brand that I totally stand behind. I have been a satisfied customer for my kids for about almost 10 years now.
If you have a little grom that you want riding with a great quality deck, check them out.
The cool part about this brand is that they size their decks according to age range.
So, instead of a 32” deck, you have like a 28” inch deck. It makes it so much easier for young kids to learn with a more realistic deck for their size.
This is the only company that does this kind of thing to my knowledge – being a kid-only facing brand.
Revive
On the other hand you have Revive.
CAN SOMEONE SAY CLICKBAIT!!!!
Revive seems to do whatever gets them YouTube numbers. Not a knock, you do you.
Revive is kid facing due to YouTube’s desire to have families broadcast their every movement.
My son digs them, and by the looks of his house, I’d say he’s cashing in from YouTube, good for you brah.
I guess I just feel like families that constantly broadcast their lives cheapen their souls a little.
But I’m just a stoopid degenerate, so I digress.
Nuff said, pic explains it all.
NEXT!
This one is pretty easy – almost the whole damn industry. Still striving to be badass, but on a politically correct level, of course, I’d say most of these brands here are kinda one in the same – their content is owned by Thrasher, and, in most cases, their product is owned by large distributors, these brands tend to push political views and agendas, and I can’t fucking stand it.
These brands tend to follow the cash, and that’s what makes them different colors in the same Crayola box.
These are the brands that are unique and want to stand out from the pack, do things differently and make change just as much as the next person, these brands usually care less about the money and, in most cases, go against the grain, much like Skateboarding Saves – an effort some bozo from Norristown, PA started in 2020.
My latest favorite that I want to make note of is Kill Skateboards.
Being a Big Brother fan, I have loved these kinds of brands since the 90’s, back when Skateboarding was NOT cool (but cool to our small niche).
Kill is much like us at TSM – Sick of the bullshit.
Skateboarding was never broken, but yet here we are trying to fix it, manipulate it, brain wash it and reinvent it with a capitalistic approach.
Hopefully more brands like Kill Skateboards can help combat the cancer of modern Skateboarding.
When we think industry, it’s easy to think deck companies, truck companies yada, yada, but where do the efforts like TSM Media and Skateboarding Saves fit in?
Where does that put us?
The ones that aren’t into privatization, signing blood contracts or joining Scientology blindly without knowing shit about it.
Ya know, the ones that are in this game to be original and unique, but not like a fucking snowflake, more like a brick that stands out in an urban landscape near you.
They (corporate) will put us (little guys) where they (suits) always have:
On the outside looking in.
We’re merely window shoppers looking at shit we can’t afford.
To be in the same conversation with top brands in Skateboarding is more than any average person (without connects to Skateboarding’s Illuminati) can afford.
So, what do we do?
I think Skateboarding 2.0
I think Big Brother 2.0
We have the best culture on Earth. I firmly believe that, and that’s all I would like to share with the world.
I may have to do it alone, but I don’t want to.
I want fellow wood pushers to join me in embracing the best parts of this amazing culture and do it for the LOVE, like all of us at TSM Media.
The ones that want to see not just their local shop thrive, but their community.
That’s the road to becoming golden again and the road I plan to travel for the rest of my life.
In conclusion, Skateboarding is about Community, not greed, not power, not division, not privatization or any other negative contaminant that has infected the industry.
Peace & LOVE,
Your homie – Stevie Steez
Special Creds and thanks: (This will be a new section and is in development)
