I don’t think you can blame the demise on the amount of companies alone. I think it’s more due to the mindset that people don’t really want to support things, they’d rather get some of their own kudos. Social media has changed people so much. Kudos is nice, it produces the right shit to make us happy of course but people are getting drunk on seratonin. They need their back slapped every five minutes and most people can’t produce enough reason to get this so they spread kudos for lesser things, bringing the quality of all credit down by a dangerous amount. Now, all people care about is getting a nod so they are essentially becoming their own brand. They can’t support a real brand because they are pushing their own personal one even if all they sell is a pic of their dog with cgi human eyes and a hat.
It’s game over for skateboard companies on a large scale, it’s just small brands scattered around for groups of friends to get collective kudos. The sponsorship angle still holds a little weight to lift people to the next level.
RAMBLES
Out of interest…what do you take as a serious UK board brand?
Skate Cafe, Isle, Palace, Yardsale, Lovenskate…
I’m actually trying hard to think of any others at all right now, “legit” or otherwise.
(Here is the bit where I get shot down for forgetting someone obvious).
‘Ones Americans have heard of’, probably. So yeah, Palace, Isle, Skate Cafe… Is Yardsale making moves over there (beyond having an American name)?
I’d add National to that – probably about it.
Palace is its own thing now. On another level.
So the more ‘serious’ ones to me are National, Cafe, Lovenskate, Isle and maybe Yardsale although the name has always bothered me haha. There really isn’t much else and I can only see Joe fitting on The National out of them.
If anything Palace is less serious, something on the side to take care of some skaters careers while they focus on all the clothing and stores.
I’d say Palace is more akin to mates messing about but lucked out on opportunity (even if planned) and hit on a unique angle of hype.
Not sure what legit even is anyway? If you looked behind the scenes at any skate brand (that isn’t established over time, they are flying by the seat of their pants, especially UK ones.
Yeah I agree. I don’t really see it as a skate brand anymore.
I’d put Death in there too. Longest running UK board brand now?
Until yesterday, when I learned otherwise in this thread, I thought Yardsale was an American company.
wonder if theyd have had the same success if they were named car boot sale
She wears a coat that was advertised under the line “Strong coat for sale”.
Haha!
See…I knew I’d forget an obvious one.
Don’t forget about Heroin. Can’t remember the last board I had which wasn’t Landscape/Heroin.
Heroin has become a mess of a company, neither UK or USA really
Bermudian?
Fos is still doing some interesting stuff, but it’s not what it once was in the sense of feeling like a UK company.
But he doesn’t live in the UK, so why should it I guess.
I guess another question to ask would be what was the best time for UK companies? It seems like when blueprint was at its peak… we had an interesting mix of them, death, heroin, landscape and maybe a couple of others.
Big Push board company era imo was the peak
Or maybe a little earlier First Broadcast era where you had Unabomber & Reaction still about
Yeah, Heroin isn’t UK for sure…Moved away, kinda like Flip isn’t British.
