Old school was: Less crowds; Less leaches; Less kooks; Less self-important arrogant asses. Less quick-buck Chucks and less pretending to be nice while pretending to listen to them. Most of those involved in skateboarding during the late’70s through the ‘80s had some sort of role they played and were recognized for. Like the “wheel” guy, the “trucks” guys, or the “board” guys. There wasn’t much anything else. There weren’t any agents, personal assistants, reps, junior mid-managers, marketing, PR, or the junior women’s sub-culture winter apparel and key chains. Everybody just about knew everybody. You could get everybody together in a small auditorium, and it’d be no bigger than a small-town PTA meeting.

I have an attachment to the spirit inherent in the people who were into it back then. More edge, more depth and emotional attachment to what we really were all there for. I wouldn’t be surprised that most all of the people involved at that time got into much the same way I did. I never set out and picked this as a career; it picked me. I just went along for the ride. There were people who’d invested more than just money into skateboarding. They gave their heart, blood, sweat and passion to this unique activity, giving it breath, substance, controversy and relevance. Think what you like, but look how much was given by people like Fausto Vitello, Frank Hawk and Jean Hoffman. How many people can compare to the level of committed initiative by the likes of Stacy Peralta, Steve Van Doren, Eric Swenson, Paul Schmitt, Stecyk, Skipper, Red Dog, Larry Balma and Brad Dorfman? These are just some of the names of people who went out and made things happen.

Add to the skater element, and you have the young men who were caught in a void at the end of the ‘70s, left to fend for themselves, to create their own, new reality. And then there’s Thrasher, which was the internet, message board of its day.

When it changed in the ‘90s, I had to step off the ride.

We have a team jumper!

Falling so close the announcement of Koston moving to Nike, it stands to reason that we’d be hit with another major shoe sponsorship shake up.

Former Globe pro Greg Lutzka now riding for K-Swiss. I know what you’re thinking…what a brilliant move…after all, K-Swiss, I mean…K Swiss…but don’t take my word for it: listen to what Greg says in the youtube video

“A company over 40 years in business making one of the most iconic shoes in footwear history…a brand known for quality and innovation and now we’re making skate shoes. IT’S ON.”

Wow, I can HARDLY wait…just what the world needs: more footwear companies entering the skate shoe market.

What would have I have loved to have seen happen?

If K-Swiss have all these technological ideas about dealing with abrasive tennis courts and they are applying them to skateboarding, why didn’t they do this years ago? Why didn’t they share this amazing knowledge and come out with a skateboard program?

I am sure Greg is getting a handsome paycheck from K-Swiss. I am also sure the guys in marketing and design will do a bang up job creating his ultimate skateshoe.

Then again, wouldn’t have been easier just to use one of their current sponsored athletes for the skate program? You know, like give Anna Kournikova her own skate shoe?

PS - as these things happen in threes, I am waiting for Danny Way to leave DC and starting riding for Reebok.

Over the past few years I have pointed out the myopia within skateboarding. While I have been mocked for not following the status quo, I never waivered from my conviction: skateboarding needs VARIETY. Thankfully, people are starting to embrace this idea…albeit fairly slowly…this is just the beginning.

Repeatedly I told a number of people who work in this industry that things were changing. Some folks listened - most did not. The one’s who listened and decided to act accordingly have found themselves in a unique position…many are actually having problems FILLING orders! The size of their operation can be best described as LEAN & MEAN. They will make it through this storm because their is a demand for their product and they will carefully manage

Those who have ignored what was happening have found the opposite problem: their overheads do not match the size of the operation. Orders are much harder to get, the competition has slashed prices and marketing costs are forever crawling upward. It just isn’t the same old, same old.

Those who followed industry business guru Jeff Harbaugh know that he was preaching this stuff for YEARS. Unfortunately, only a few people actually took the time to implement the ideas he discussed.

I guess it’s a bit like reading a business book. You can read them, feel that you’ve gained some good insights and then move on with the task at hand. I figure about 80% or more of people who read business books don’t actually implement the ideas they contain. Actually, I figure it’s probably like 90%! It’s easy to read, but much harder to actually DO SOMETHING.

I had a phone call the other day from a guy that works in the skate biz. He’s somewhat on the periphery, but he’s there…doing his thing. Sadly, I could tell that he’s pretty shook up by the number of problems that he’s seeing out there. Shops are closing, some manufacturers are having a hell of a time keeping things moving forward and there’s just a general feeling that “a great sea change” is happening. “It’s like the early 90’s all over again” he said.

While I might agree that there is indeed a “sea change” happening out there in skateboarding, I am not sure everybody is willing to actually acknowlege it. Which, if you think about it, is one of the reasons that things are in fact changing…oh, the irony!