Josiah Gatlyn on skateboarding
Someone just posted this over at The Kids Table.
"I wasn't going to say anything, but i'm gonna fill some people in on the reality of skateboarding right now.
The reason why skateboarding is dying is because of all the millions of kids on the internet, who upload videos to youtube, and share it with all their friends. Then watch it for free, and complain and gripe and hate on a video that they just saw for free. And then don't want to contribute money to skateboarding, and then complain and hate on all the big corporate companies that are actually contributing to skateboarding and getting involved with skateboarding and actually paying guys real money that they deserve (example; Gatorade, Sean Malto)
Rob Dyrdek was doing kickflips before any of you kids where even breathing. And now he's actually making the money he deserves and can do anything he wants. Nobody even understands the reality of skateboarding. I was just in Orlando a bit ago skating with Dave Bachinsky and we were talking one night and he was saying how he's struggling so hard and he's right back at where he was when he was 16; broke and just getting by just to be able to skate. He was in Orlando skating the Dew Tour just to make some money. The dude kickflipped El Toro, had a video named after him, and rides for Oakley. You probably would never think this would happen to him right? Wrong, cause you have no idea.
Then we have Chaz Ortiz, who is a contest skater. He won over $300,000 just on contests alone. Where did all that money come from? Dew Tour and companies who actually have money. He is one of the most hated skateboarders right now. But he is extremely talented and deserves every bit of every freaking thing he gets. But do kids care? no. all they care about is hating on skateboarders who they don't like and trying to be cool in front of their friends.
Fact is, most of the money that skateboard companies get is from little kids who are stoked on skateboarding alone and don't give a crap about the politics. The kids who buy skateboard videos from skate shops and don't go on internet message boards."
Thoughts?
Reply With Quote
