THE BUSINESS OF SKATEBOARDING !

Mark Szymanski local Chicago ripper and occasional philosopher. Photo: Scotty Karate

How do I get sponsored?
I think I'm gonna start a company!
Where do you get your wood from?
I'm gonna throw the sickest sk8 jam!
Let's open a skate park..
What's a rep do?

These are all common and often irritating topics of conversations or monologue among sessions, almost always guaranteed to kill the vibe. Not that the inquiries and aspirations aren't genuine, but more often than not misconceptions and myths are so deeply rooted showing a lack of "homework" and investigation.

I won't attempt to answer all the previously mentioned questions but I will take a shot at steering skaters and perspective business owners away from dreamy misguided runs.

First off, skateboarding is something that skaters fortunately or not have embedded somewhere deep in the mind, body and soul that transcends hobby or activity. It's pretty much an involuntary function that just is. Like breathing, we just have to do it. Maybe breathing is a bit of a stretch, but even after a long or short hiatus from skating, you feel an instant exhale the second you step foot on the plank again. Much like holding your breath for as long as you can and then breathing freely again.

So how could something so personal and heartfelt be Business? How could this wonderful escape from life's stresses and ills actually have an ugly manufacturing, marketing, accounting, distribution, corporate sponsorship, competitive painful side to it?

Because it IS a business, & "NO, you can't have a free board, here's a sticker". I'm kidding . Free product and give aways have and will always be part of the game but if you haven't noticed our economy kinda sucks these days. Many companies, especially smaller ones often wilson out and fold before reaching even a fraction of their potential. At the same time, thousands of talented skaters spend hours and hours capturing footy in hopes of local or major sponsorship only to find themselves ignored with representation.

Behind the scenes and totally oblivious to the average rider, there's wood and pressing, printers, accountants, rubber processing plants, trucks / bearings / nuts & bolts manufacturers, travel expenses, team riders, utility bills, photographers, computers, graphic artist, distributors, software, store front rent and so much more than what the average skater ever thinks about. Your board, beanie and brand new kicks weren't magically hatched in the rear of your favorite shop. In fact, it was a long road getting there. Your favorite pro didn't get kickflips on lock, send Adio a clip and then start demanding threads and shoes every few weeks. It's all a process. Regardless if manufacturing, distribution, retail, sponsorship, or repping, it's all a process of something paying for something else in hopes of making a profit. Think about it, why do you wanna be sponsored? If you're a valid dude, you probably not only want the convenience of having product free and readily available, but also love the idea of being able to skate for a living. That's a honorable goal and realistically one that very few will attain but is attainable.

Have I painted a grim ass picture here? CHEER UP! I'm sorry if I did, it's not that bad. It is however, business. The very fact that being sponsored improves your own personal micro-economy, is in itself a business move on your part. You wanna profit from the sponsorship and in turn the company wants your riding for them to reflect profits through sales based on your effect as a actual walking talking ripping marketing tool. It's a pretty fair exchange if the deal is right and profit is personal for each one of us. For some, the freedom to skate and not work a day job or work as little as possible doing something other than skating, is success. For others, popularity, fame and recognition or money is the prize. All of these are good reasons and great motivators for embarking on a journey from skater to skate industry rider or business owner.

I believe the important thing is not losing the inner skater self. The part of you that rides because it's the air you breathe and a part of you that propels you to leave the rest of the world behind and skate when needed. Take Hawk, Koston, Williams, Mullen, and many others who are essentially businessmen in many ways. Do you think they still enjoy skating? I do. I think no matter how many millions of dollars, lines of shoes, games and whatever, they enjoy stepping on their boards just as much as you and I.

I'm glad that we do have local and major skateboard products produced, distributed and sold BY SKATERS. If you think and truly believe you're anti corporate, then try skating your handmade board with your handmade trucks rolling on your...hmmmm i have no idea what you're going to do for wheels and bearings.

Bottom line: skateboarding and business don't mix, they were never meant to BUT they do COEXIST. They essentially coexist, because without them together there would be no local shops, no magazines to expose hard working skaters, no shoes exclusively made for the physics of skating, no parks, no choices of decks and definitely no drive and innovation.

So keep dreaming but spend some time putting in work during the waking hours. Open that shop, invent that new shoe design, shoot that footy or do whatever it takes to get you closer to what you consider personal success. Just remember business is business and skateboarding is skating. Keep it true and close to the heart.

Skate on and BIG UPS to all the sponsored, am and pros, skater owned businesses, reps, manufactures and real retail shops. Equal props to those who could care less about the business end, being sponsored or any of that.

There are no rules in skateboarding, just effort, ethics and integrity with an ideal return of pleasure, success and some sense of fulfillment.

21 Comments

J Tron says:
Sick article, great read!

calabro says:
Ahh, but there is ONE rule to skateboarding. HAVE FUN.

oasis says:
on point, soma!! killer shot too!

antidote says:
Calabro is drunk.

Preach on Soma!

Pitbull Skate Co! says:
You tell'em Soma. Great Article!

Jeff G. says:
Soma, straight to the point! For sure man, you got everday workin people like me, who, are very talented on a skateboard, but decided to pursue something else as a career. I was never talented enough to be a pro, but that don't mean you can't get sponsored. I foresaw that when I started skatin, so I knew I had to get in school and do something else. I skateboard for the LOVE of it! It was me who chose never to get sponsored. I don't mind feedin money into the industry, goin through boards, trucks, shoes, and bearings like they were goin out of style! If people ain't buyin equipment, then the companies ain't makin any income, leaving nobody to manufacture the boards that we take for granted! Bottom Line: We can't all be sponsored, but that doesn't mean that we should love skateboarding any less! Think about those who aren't fortunate enough to skateboard because of a disability, or those who don't have the talent that we possess. This is something we all take for granted at some point in time, but at the same time, we gotta remain grounded! Much love Soma!

iSapien1956672 says:
You have a way of getting out what frustrates me when i'm trying to explain this to the shop-deck-riding-sparkle-eyed-dreamers, they'll never listen, they'll just look at you like some old fart that never made it, one day they will understand when they too are 30+.

d-money says:
to long to read bitch

momusick says:
Amazing Job Soma, this is some serious good stuff that every kid should read and learn from. Youre a great writer and I think that it's really cool that you write for a magazine. If it is cool for you, i am going to post this on my blog along with the sweet picture of Mark. KEEP SHREDDING and WRITING
P.S. do you think you could hook me up with some free skateboards, i just learned switch tres yesterday and im gonna start a sweet board company..... Just Kidding!

Jezajezajezai says:
Nice. Like everything that was once unpopular, even ridiculed and scowled upon, skateboarding has bubbled up (and down...)in the business world here and there for the profit-milking vampires, but one thing always endures. The essence of free motion and adapting to any environment, and creatively manipulating a mobility tool to impress one's self and others for the mere joy of it. That's primal. Just gotta handle our biz so we can keep coming back for that feeling... peace SOMA. Keep this up. You're on a roll hehe, I know, I'm a punny guy. oh well. oh and d-money's retarded:)

levi says:
hey soma, great article, im glad i waitied till after a good sesh and brokem board to enjoy. props bro keep up the good work

ARMORY CHICAGO says:
SOMA you are a wise man. Be water my friend

grant says:
very well-written! all great, very well thought-out points. i gotta get out and skate more, reading this..

kunz says:
gnarly soma

Al Kim says:
Nice article...see you at Wilson...

Convoy Skateboards says:
Your final words say it all...there are no rules in our business, but your ethics, integrity, word and respect for skateboarding is all you can rely on in this world. None of us are getting rich monetarily, but are getting a HUGE sense of fulfillment our of what we are doing. We can always look back and say, "I did that" and "It was damn fun!"

Peace.
Eamonn @ CONVOY!

Phillip Thompson says:
Hey soma dan demchuck gave me the info so i peeped your article good words. As an artist whom carves from time to time on a set of bullet wheels and a 20$ 70's board i understand what you mean. The only thing i can add to this is that i pray for thoes stary eyed kids with there dream killing dads because bills and money making is not life but an aspect of how we live. If your ever offerd a sponsership TAKE IT and if you want one then fine hangout with the right people and skate like hell but don't expect anything but torn jeans and a smile from your friends when you nail that trick. Also give it up for thoes crazy kids who are 9yrs old and kickflip 10 stairs on a broken deck thoes are the really Tony Hawks in my mind.

Google PHARTH for some sweet art!

p.s. north park university in chicago has some sweet ledges but pre prepaired to laugh at tons of long boarders

The Real Matt Frankland says:
Great article Soma. I've been thinking about this stuff for years now.

Here are my two cents:
I study economics at school. By definition, a business is an entity designed to maximize profits for everyone invested in it (shareholders, workers, the owner, etc). I don't think of your typical skateshop or skate company as a business, but they undoubtedly constitute an industry when you put together all the skate businesses. A skate company, though they do have to turn a profit to stay in business, has different business model.

They exist to maintain skateboard culture. and I think that the fact that culture is much more important than money is what makes skateboarding a beautiful thing.

I mean, you don't break a drill and go to sears and say "I'm broke man, but can I get a drill anyways if I pay you back later, cause I just want to build that tool shed in sooo bad." But my shop has hooked me up for years, and I love them for that.

I guess it all depends on how you define wealth. To me, a wealthy life is one where I can travel, have enough money not to worry about it, and am surrounded by close friends and a supporting family.

gfmiv says:
great article

goyou says:
removing home Street I never living When I don't know spent days pulled for the in the had probably