As a spectator of skateboarding sliding down a slippery slope to a corporate driven and controlled industry, I feel compelled to speak out! The CBL anti-corp logo is a depiction of a true skater/snowboarder trapped by the bar-code of corporate America, and our reminder of the industries take over. I’m amazed by the amount of “drones of the corporate movement” I see around town, they’re easy to spot if you just pay attention to shoes. Next time you see someone wearing skate apparel or carrying a skate deck, check out the brand of shoe’s they’re wearing - Do you recognize them as a basketball/baseball/football shoe brand? If so, you just encountered one type of corporate drone.
It’s amazing to me because many are simply following a trend not realizing the damage they’re doing to their sport and industry. An industry that as of 15 years ago was owned and operated primarily by skateboarders, for skateboarders. Remember the “support American skateboarding” and “don’t buy Chinese skateboard” advertising campaigns that were going on 4 years ago? You won’t see them anymore (at least on a large scale) because most of the companies who funded those campaigns used them as a smoke screen while they moved their operations overseas. You would be amazed how many previously “American” skateboard companies have since taken a slice out of the U.S. skateboarding scene and moved to a Chinese mass producing facility. It’s been sad to see so many skateboarders loose their place in skateboarding (sales reps, board builders, warehouse staff, sponsored skaters, shop owners) as this corporate movement has been taking place.
An industry created skateboarder today is more enthralled by his non-skate brand shoe’s and hoody than how his trucks operate, or how fast his bearings are. Progression and self expression in skateboarding seems to be going to the way side to fashion - “how do I look standing here” seems to be the focus of these drones. The problem I see is the people and brands who have been so supportive for so long are being pushed out because corporate America caught a whiff of money and decided to buy their way into the market. All the while convincing a large portion of “skaters” it’s cool to wear the same brand football cleats, running shoes, basketball shoes and skate shoes and to buy all of them at the same mall their Mom buys her make-up and high heel shoes.
Anyone who cares about where skateboarding is headed should educate fellow skaters; explain how supporting your local skate shop, buying from American based/made skate companies, boycotting large sporting brands from skateboarding and skate progression are the keys to keeping skateboarding ours!
Free the drones from corporate America!
