6. Last But Not Least, They Say----We buy shoes from China, Clothes from China, Bearings from China, etc... So, who cares if our boards come from China!!!!
Ok, so we do buy lots of other things from China, but can you tell me about any skater owned shoe factories here in America, or anywhere in the world for that matter? Of course not! Can you tell me of any skater you know employed making skateboard bearings? I doubt it. Skateboarders have really only been involved in manufacturing our decks, wheels, and trucks here in America. I'd support skater made companies any day before I'd choose to make stuff in China. Do pro skateboarders walk into clothing companies and have custom shirts made on the spot? No, but we have skaters stop by everyday to work on new shapes, and have a sample within hours. This is something that is not possible with the shoes, clothes, trucks, wheels, or any other component we buy for skateboarding, but it is possible, and happens everyday with skateboard decks. Why would we want to change this when we don't have to, just because some big public company, or some greedy former skater wants to earn higher profits from skateboarders? Is it better to email dimensions to a factory thousands of miles away, when a local US factory can produce what you need right away? I don't think so, do you? When skaters get good, they send their sponsor me tapes to deck companies first, they don't send them to bearing companies until after they have got a deck sponsor, and it's rare for a skater to have a shoe or clothing sponsor before they have a deck sponsor. The skate deck is the very heart, soul, and life of skateboarding. It begins the process and is the basis of the image that supports all the other fringe product sold to skateboarders and those who want to be like skateboarders. It cannot be compared to other items that do not have the history or play such an important role to skateboarders everywhere. This once again is a argument by someone trying to cover up the games they are playing for more profit. Clothing and shoe companies profit off the image of skateboarding that is built from riders that come to ride for them after years of being supported, promoted and nurtured by skateboard companies, and it always starts with the deck sponsor. To try and pretend the skateboard deck manufacturers play a similar role in skateboarding as shoe and clothing companies is just plain crap. They are the ones who've helped make skateboarding what it is today, but supporting it in good times and in bad, for over 30 years now. When bad times hit, Chinese skateboard manufacturers are not going to help us get things back on track again--they'll just walk away, the same way the chain stores do when skateboard sales slow down. The Small Skate Shop, and the American Board Manufacturer are the backbone of the skateboard industry, and damaging either of them is just plain dangerous for the future of skateboarding.