Answer: Because it’s their choice.
I’ve been having a little discussion with some folks about blank decks and the one person had this to say:
“Basically it is this: All the cheapo blank boards and mini logos out there mean kids are not buying as many pro decks. Therefore the pros must make their money with sponsors other than skateboarding in order to get paid — sponsors such as Oakley, Red Bull, Sobe, Nike, Nixon, etc.”
My other posting responds to the blank deck issue, but then there is this other issue about why skateboarders sell out to these corporate interests that have nothing to do with skateboarding other than that they want to make a buck off of it. It’s not because blank decks are eating away at pro deck revenue and pros have to endorse Mountain Dew or Red Bull to pay the bills, it’s because the pros want to make more money.
Think about it. 10-15 years ago a professional skateboarder was lucky to make enough money to buy a modest house, have a decent car, and not have to work another job to supplement what he made off of skateboarding. Pros used to raid their sponsors’ warehouses and sell the product in order to make more money.
Pros like Tony Hawk and later the Plan B and World teams probably made pretty good money, but even what they made I’m sure was a far cry from what pros make today.
Part of the money pros make today is due to increased numbers of board sales. When Plan B agrees to fork out a $120K salary to each of its pros do you think they’re going to make that up in t-shirt sales?
Tony Hawk owns Birdhouse and probably takes home a few hundred grand from it each year. P-Rod and the other Plan B riders get a $120K salary. Stevie Williams can’t be doing too shabbily from DGK sales. So why does Tony Hawk agree to endorse McDonald’s and a host of other non-skate related corporate entities? Why does P-Rod ride for Nike? Why is Stevie signed to a $500K per year contract with Reebok? Why does Bob Burnquist get $80K from Ogio for endorsing their backpacks? Is it because they can’t afford to live on what they make from their core skateboarding sponsors? Is it because sales of blanks decks are forcing them to it?
It’s because they’re being offered the money and they’re making the choice to take it. Nobody is forcing them, and they’re already making plenty of money to live on. Whether they do anything good with the money is a matter of opinion, but nobody can make the case that skaters don’t make enough to live on in this day and age. If you’re of that opinion go talk to somebody who was pro in 1990 and ask them how they feel about what pros make today. Just don’t tell them that pros today are struggling financially.
“Basically it is this: All the cheapo blank boards and mini logos out there mean kids are not buying as many pro decks. Therefore the pros must make their money with sponsors other than skateboarding in order to get paid — sponsors such as Oakley, Red Bull, Sobe, Nike, Nixon, etc.”
I don’t think this is actually true. The thought of this idea is that kids don’t buy as many pro decks, so sponsors go other places to make money. Sponsors would seemingly go after skaters because they are in the magazines, on the videos, on TV, etc… where their logos are going to show up on the Andrew Reynolds/Chad Muska’s of the world.
Kids want to learn new tricks. Tricks break boards. Cheap/blank boards serve the same purpose as logo boards So, kids buy cheap/blank boards that may even last just as long or longer than logo boards. And, they start to choose blank over logo because logo doesn’t matter anymore. It’s all about skating.
Why do the pros take the money? Because they can. Ogio pays because it sells bags. In reality, Ogio doesn’t want a $10,000 guy because the economics of his popularity won’t sell more bags. They want an $80,000 guy. The pros get paid the premium because the corporate yahoos know it will reap the benefits much more than the skater will.
If I were a pro skater (and I’m far from it!) I’d take as much cash from endorsements as possible. Like all sportsmen, these guys have a limited career span, and the possibility of being out of action for weeks/months/years/indefinitely due to injury is fairly likely. Get it while ya can! To paraphrase a line from a bad movie I saw once… it’s not selling out, it’s buying in.
yeah, i think i’m gonna be happy just to be able to skate. It doesn’t really matter to me about making money, i just want to be happy and skating makes me happy.
This almost makes me look at it a little more than i used to, because if i ever get that famous (hey, i might) then i wouldn’t want to take every oportunity to make money. I mean, you don’t want to be the guy who all the ‘core skaters say, “He makes so much money, he could buy all the football teams and make them all wear dresses.” And you know that would be cool, but thats not what skating’s really about.
The whole limited career thing, you don’t have to scrunge for all the money you can find, just keep a nice little retirement fund, and in that put about 5%-15% of all your makings. That way, you should have enough money by the time you break both your legs off and you can’t skate anymore.
I find it amusing that Nixon is mentioned in the same sentence as Oakley, McDonalds, etc. As far as I know, Nixon doesn’t pay their riders a lot of money. In fact, I believe their team budget is paltry compared to someone like Ogio.
Not to mention that I think the guys who started Nixon might actually skate, or if they don’t I know they’re down with it. I seriously doubt any of the uppers at the other companies skate or have any interest in it other than the money they can make off of it.
i dont see any problem with skaters at a pro level makein a load of cash coz lets face it at the end of the day we all wouldnt say no to it! i dont think its selling out if they keep skateing just as much and still love the sport, sure it mite seem more like a job to do but most pros u see or hear in interviews would still enjoy skating just as much if they wernt gettin paid, if you start for the love of skating then you deserve to make as much money as dumb companys are willing to throw at you i know id give anything to be able to skate everyday until my legs just cant skate no more! laters mark 18 uk
I think skaters should get paid what there companies will pay them but the should be awear of what there company does to put back into skateboarding,
skaters have always been used by big companies, the say they are in it for the skateboarding and when they get a teast of cash it gets handed over to money men, then thats when it goes tits up.
I like this little skate company in CA, there owner skates pritty well, there shirts and company are for skaters only, http://www.sunriseskateboarding.com, there getting out there in CA, so supporting real skate brands that will put back into skateboarding is a cool company and skaters should skate and get paid but big companies who sell to beach posers kinda suck as its cashing in on the style of skaters but nothing is done to put back in or promote the sport to other kids who can have fun like us on there boards.
its a tough decision bc these guys have families and when you do what is your goal? to be the best provider for your family as possible, i understand what everyone is saying about taking money from big non skateboarding companies such as Oakley, McD’s etc is selling out but who wouldnt take the money? first off its not ruining the sport, as nike is trying too, they are just trying to advertise i a way they think is profitable. if Oakley came up to me and said they would pay me to have a sign on my desk, i would obviously say yes but if a skater says yes to a sticker on his helmet or board it is selling out. these companies are not trying to take over skateboarding, its just good marketing. now if McD’s comes out with a board, wheel or truck line, i will be 100% on your side but for now it just people making money bc lets face it when you reach “pro” status now a days its your job and who doesnt want to get paid more?
The fact that pro riders get paid big money by company’s does not mean that they are selling out. It is true that they dont make as much money from there pro companys but if you were in there position would you really turn down free products and say 20,00 dollars to endorse a product. The answer is no you wouldn’t because there is not reason not to take the deal.
Also another point is yeah maybe P rod does ride for nike but that doesnt make P Rod a bad skater. He still amazing for his age and his style is flawless so just because he makes alittle extra money doesnt make him a sellout it makes him a business man.
I read an article on Jason Lee one time and it talked about how people were calling him a sellout because he no longer skates and because he makes movies and tv shows now. Jason Lee is a hugely influencial skater from the early 90’s and now that he makes movies he’s a sellout…. Thats just crazy. That’s like saying if Rodney Mullen quit skateboarding tomorrow and went to work for say Reebok that he would then be a sellout which everyone knows that the things he’s done for the industry can never be forgotten.
As far as blank decks go I think it’s fine because we all know unless your a teenager and your parents a rich you dont have money to afford 60 buck every 3 to 4 months (sometimes much sooner) to buy a new board so we have to buy blanks sometimes which sucks because name brands I feel are usually better but I dont think that blanks are killing the industry
I dont think that skaters are selling out when they get sponsored. Being a sell out would be dancing around in a chicken suit giving out coupons for a job.
….dude they buy blank decks cuz they are cheaper and they last as long as the pro decks. The pro decks just have graphic on them which makes it cost more….
If I was pro i’d accept all the sponsorships possible maybe become a billionare
It’s amazing how they sell out like that.I would take all the sponser offers!!!!!!
I think selling out is some of the part in the skateboarding world. But if everyone would stop buying cheap lame boards and be a normal person and buy something pro I think It would be better for pros.
well if you look at the differnt pros they all span in fame it seems once a pro gets into a tony hawk game they gain fame and their career can live for a longer time with out selling out. EX: mike valley in a tony hawk game but doesnt look real rich and you never see him skating in a sponsers skate park or advertising some whack tee shirt. yet chad muska has his tee shirts professional boards and professional skate shoes and he looks likes he is doing well finacialy. this could be just me but i think its all about the shoes. and if the shoes are more popular among posers then the pro with that sponser and their own shoe gets paid.
skateboarding isnt all about being B.A. but it mostly is… go skate
1st. if you wanna be a pro and whine about kids buying blank decks you better look at what your supporting first. (nike, rbk, sunglasses clothing, anything not skate related
only he who has no sin can caste the first stone.
2nd. I LOVE SKATEBOARDING, if a kid had the choice of either skating 1 board a year or two boards. i would want him to be able to enjoy skating as much as i do as often as i can. any pro who thinks otherwise should be ashamed of themselves as a person not just pros. man kids look up to you, its not all about making money.
3rd. how can any board manufacture say corprate shops are going to crush all the little shops and be the end of skateboarding when you allow your boards to be sold their. if you wanna stop all the nonsense get the problem at the start. with the MANUFACTURE stop allowing your boards to be sold at zummies and ccs? guess what they can’t exist without you. but that will never happen cuz in the end every wants more money. no one will make a stand that will cost them possible revenue
4th. probably most important. do you know how many pros their are these days? i dont. i know its a @#$# load. i know most of them are the same breed that throw basic tricks down stairs and rails. their needs to be a thinning of the heard. pro used to mean you brought something new or different to the table. now if you can backlip and 3flip down huge stairs your pro. theirs way to many pros doin the same tricks at different spots. we need more mullens haslems daewons and hell even that jackson weirdo. the point is skateboarding used to be unique and orignal now when i see parts from teams its almost the same tricks just different spots.
we just get blanks when we don’t have enough for pro decks but still need to skate
imagine not being able to skate for weeks
anyways blanks are just there
pro decks are still better