Author Topic: Skate journalism  (Read 4896 times)

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Sad dad

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Skate journalism
« on: June 08, 2018, 02:11:10 PM »
What (if anything) do you feel is being ignored by the people writing about skating? What stories are not being heard. Please no ____ is a nazi and _____ loves him.

Yung Brimley

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Re: Skate journalism
« Reply #1 on: June 08, 2018, 02:12:18 PM »
i recommend this


ShyLow

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Re: Skate journalism
« Reply #2 on: June 08, 2018, 02:13:19 PM »
Never heard those 2 words together

Colt Cannon's Cargos

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Re: Skate journalism
« Reply #3 on: June 08, 2018, 02:28:22 PM »
A serious skateboarding journalist would need to dumb their articles down to about a 2nd grade reading level for 1/2 of the industry to be able to comprehend it.

DCLOVE

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Re: Skate journalism
« Reply #4 on: June 08, 2018, 02:38:45 PM »
A serious skateboarding journalist would need to dumb their articles down to about a 2nd grade reading level for 1/2 of the industry to be able to comprehend it.

I love skateboarding but his true , we’re all idiots. But we don’t have a league that puts us through college for financial gain like team sports do. I’ma rephrase that y’all all idiots. I gotta degree I can read.
PINE 2009, 2010, 2011, 2020, PINE STILL MAKIN' MONEY.

Hairy Ballsagna

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Re: Skate journalism
« Reply #5 on: June 08, 2018, 02:44:48 PM »
It seems like there is no actual mainstream skate journalism, as anything that sources/companies involved are allowed to review really isn't journalism. A guy going on a tour and writing about it while a sponsor pays for it will never yield journalism.

veritas

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Re: Skate journalism
« Reply #6 on: June 08, 2018, 04:03:37 PM »
Most magazines really just print fluff pieces that accompany photos. This however, is journalism at its best, and I can always remember the writing style and photos that accompanied it from when it came out.

https://skateboarding.transworld.net/magazine-archive/seven-honkies-and-a-random-black-man/

"by Brian Wenning and script-doctor Super Tim O’Connor"

itsyourdad

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Re: Skate journalism
« Reply #7 on: June 08, 2018, 04:15:14 PM »
A serious skateboarding journalist would need to dumb their articles down to about a 2nd grade reading level for 1/2 of the industry to be able to comprehend it.

i disagree, to an extent. most skateboarders are mouth breathing neanderthals, but i think there’s a pretty large population of skateboarders that would appreciate well writen skateboard journalism.

redcurb12

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Re: Skate journalism
« Reply #8 on: June 08, 2018, 04:40:27 PM »
can I just say skate world is sick


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ya0jLgcDvEU
Let me preface this post with the fact that I am slightly inebriated, very uneducated and I havent read any papers or done any research at all, or read your post really.

GAY

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Re: Skate journalism
« Reply #9 on: June 08, 2018, 04:44:11 PM »
I wish more focus would be on Doug Brown and the good thing that he done.

Art_Vanderlay

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Re: Skate journalism
« Reply #10 on: June 08, 2018, 05:43:45 PM »
The No Coping podcast episode on the love bowls was a really good listen and very well researched. It's wasn't a ground breaking story but still highly recommend if you haven't listened yet.

gub

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Re: Skate journalism
« Reply #11 on: June 08, 2018, 07:20:50 PM »
Expand Quote
A serious skateboarding journalist would need to dumb their articles down to about a 2nd grade reading level for 1/2 of the industry to be able to comprehend it.
[close]

i disagree, to an extent. most skateboarders are mouth breathing neanderthals, but i think there’s a pretty large population of skateboarders that would appreciate well writen skateboard journalism.

But who would pay

Pat Eisenhauer

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Re: Skate journalism
« Reply #12 on: June 08, 2018, 07:53:20 PM »
Expand Quote
Expand Quote
A serious skateboarding journalist would need to dumb their articles down to about a 2nd grade reading level for 1/2 of the industry to be able to comprehend it.
[close]

i disagree, to an extent. most skateboarders are mouth breathing neanderthals, but i think there’s a pretty large population of skateboarders that would appreciate well writen skateboard journalism.
[close]

But who would pay

Us old folk only.  But dear god is it a breath of fresh air when I read something written like "Primitive Progressivism" .

WarmUpZone

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Re: Skate journalism
« Reply #13 on: June 09, 2018, 08:18:39 AM »
As I am, as most SLAP posters are, an older nostalgic skate nerd who's passion for skating is continually transitioning from riding a skateboard into being a fan of skateboarding as my body breaks down, I find myself wanting more journalistic skate content and skate analysis (of videos, industry, and whatnot).
In fact, while I love all the gossip here on SLAP, it is those threads in the Photo/Video section that actually discuss and critique tricks and parts that make my day.

Blogs like chromeball, boil the ocean (when I can understand it), quartersnacks updates, village psychic, and the occasional non-puerile Jenkem article (http://www.jenkemmag.com/home/2012/04/30/what-really-happened-with-slaps-one-in-a-million-part-1/) are fantastic in that they are not beholden to advertisers and can go in whatever direction they want. I was thrilled when Chops actually brought up murder to Danny Way. Dude should get a skate-pulitzer.

Even Rad Rat, while still in a nearly unwatchable millennial youtube format, is providing some basic journalistic groundwork that would be informative to a newer skater.

I see a possible upside to the Olympic exposure is that perhaps more people will create journalistic skate content, even if not ever getting paid for it. It is hard to see skateboarding ever having the breadth of content of say, baseball journalism, where there are hundreds of paid writers analyzing every aspect of the game, but a few more outlets for intelligent thoughts, historical context, and criticism would be welcome.

While the average skateboard buyer is still a 12 year old, I do think there are enough adults interested in skating to fuel the creation some thoughtful content. I have been thinking about skateboarding in one way or another constantly for nearly 3 decades, so, yeah, I would love some more serious skate journalism.
Warm Up Zone. Let's watch some skateboarding videos.

streetsoup

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opinionated bastard

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Re: Skate journalism
« Reply #15 on: July 12, 2018, 05:58:09 AM »
integrity

georgethecat

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Re: Skate journalism
« Reply #16 on: July 12, 2018, 06:25:51 AM »
I don't think mainstream skate magazines (i.e. Thrasher) offer much substance by way of written word. Topics aren't researched and fact-checked, difficult questions go unasked, ideas arent fleshed out. Their purpose seems more to chronicle the actual act of skateboarding as it's happening, and so pictures are far more important than words. It's not necessarily a bad thing, and it appears as though this is what their readership is looking for. I would love for there to be more intellectual, long-form skate journalism, but I don't think there's much demand for that among skateboarders. If anyone is doing this work it's blogs like Chromeball and to some extent shows like Nine Club, although they are of course interviews and not think pieces.

himlor

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Re: Skate journalism
« Reply #17 on: July 12, 2018, 09:42:36 AM »
Expand Quote
A serious skateboarding journalist would need to dumb their articles down to about a 2nd grade reading level for 1/2 of the industry to be able to comprehend it.
[close]

I love skateboarding but his true , we’re all idiots. But we don’t have a league that puts us through college for financial gain like team sports do. I’ma rephrase that y’all all idiots. I gotta degree I can read.

urine idiot

ihatejulio

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Re: Skate journalism
« Reply #18 on: July 12, 2018, 10:28:05 AM »
Expand Quote
Expand Quote
A serious skateboarding journalist would need to dumb their articles down to about a 2nd grade reading level for 1/2 of the industry to be able to comprehend it.
[close]

I love skateboarding but his true , we’re all idiots. But we don’t have a league that puts us through college for financial gain like team sports do. I’ma rephrase that y’all all idiots. I gotta degree I can read.
[close]

urine idiot

That's a pretty good band name, not gonna lie.

opinionated bastard

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Re: Skate journalism
« Reply #19 on: July 12, 2018, 10:37:03 AM »
thrasher and transworld both have cover photos that aren't makes on several issues. their entire business model is hero building and advertising. not a historical record of truth telling.

currently chromeball is the closest thing around to skate journalism in my opinion

the gator movie "stoked" is a pretty good example of skate journalism. they told the truth. and the zboys movie that stacy peralta made is basically the exact opposite of the truth, purely a hero building enterprise built on myth.

when skateboarding is 100 years old the academics will really dig into the history. for now we just get product placement and politics from the industry.


problem is that based on slap atleast, skateboarders are incapable of thinking deeply, youc ant ask a tough edgy question, slap mag or big brother wouldnt last 2 issues in 2018.

billyerlife

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Re: Skate journalism
« Reply #20 on: July 12, 2018, 11:34:29 AM »
Rapists and who is sponsoring them.

opinionated bastard

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Re: Skate journalism
« Reply #21 on: July 12, 2018, 11:36:19 AM »
Rapists and who is sponsoring them.


We have a white knight on our hands everybody

TheLurper

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Re: Skate journalism
« Reply #22 on: July 12, 2018, 03:07:50 PM »
A serious skateboarding journalist would need to dumb their articles down to about a 2nd grade reading level for 1/2 of the industry to be able to comprehend it.

I think like WarmUpZone there is a generation of (older) skaters who want more than a photo of a kickflip and shit joke. Hell, 68% of Transworld's readers are 18 or older. In 2013, 51% of Transworld's readers were 18 or older, we aren't young rebels anymore (and we are just getting older).

Blogs like chromeball, boil the ocean (when I can understand it), quartersnacks updates, village psychic, and the occasional non-puerile Jenkem article (http://www.jenkemmag.com/home/2012/04/30/what-really-happened-with-slaps-one-in-a-million-part-1/) are fantastic in that they are not beholden to advertisers and can go in whatever direction they want. I was thrilled when Chops actually brought up murder to Danny Way. Dude should get a skate-pulitzer.

I see a possible upside to the Olympic exposure is that perhaps more people will create journalistic skate content, even if not ever getting paid for it. It is hard to see skateboarding ever having the breadth of content of say, baseball journalism, where there are hundreds of paid writers analyzing every aspect of the game, but a few more outlets for intelligent thoughts, historical context, and criticism would be welcome.

I wouldn't go as far as to say all of the publications you mention are free from (social and economic) obligations that encourage them to toe-the-line for key companies, but they are certainly different than Thrasher, Big Brother, or Transworld, which are/were obvious propaganda created to sell shit. (I don't see a problem with this as long as we have serious journalism as well.)

Really, I think if you want to read something interesting on skateboarding you have to look to academia. There are lots of interesting things written about skateboarders, but they aren't in journals most of us come across in our everyday lives. A quick google scholar search brings up a ton of amazing stuff. Ian Borden, Becky Beal, Ocean Howell, and Emily Yochim's shit is amazing. Hell, most of the skate academics kill it. (Greg Synder (Aaron's brother) is the only one I can't endorse. His work is terrible. All of his work misinterprets skateboarding and it feels like he is just parroting his brother who needs SL to succeed to keep getting paychecks as a SL judge.)

And, yea the Chromeball interview with Danny Way was amazing!
« Last Edit: July 12, 2018, 03:15:19 PM by TheLurper »

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Joclo

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Re: Skate journalism
« Reply #23 on: July 12, 2018, 03:35:20 PM »
My graduation project was a 20 page ethnography on philadelphia skateboarding and speech codes. My thesis statement was that mainstream society will never truly immerse themselves within the skateboarding community because of the evolving speech codes used by "core" skateboarders. It was framed around the speech code theories of Gerry Philipsen. Essentially, posers (mainstream society) are quickly "outed" by real skateboarders because they don't get the lingo, the fashion, the tricks, etc., and thus they aren't accepted and move on. Was the coolest shit I ever did in college. If I can find it I will certainly post it. It was done in 2003.

How times change...fuck.

streetsoup

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Re: Skate journalism
« Reply #24 on: July 12, 2018, 03:49:24 PM »
My graduation project was a 20 page ethnography on philadelphia skateboarding and speech codes. My thesis statement was that mainstream society will never truly immerse themselves within the skateboarding community because of the evolving speech codes used by "core" skateboarders. It was framed around the speech code theories of Gerry Philipsen. Essentially, posers (mainstream society) are quickly "outed" by real skateboarders because they don't get the lingo, the fashion, the tricks, etc., and thus they aren't accepted and move on. Was the coolest shit I ever did in college. If I can find it I will certainly post it. It was done in 2003.

How times change...fuck.

Ehhh, it still holds weight.

hip bruise

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Re: Skate journalism
« Reply #25 on: July 12, 2018, 04:10:08 PM »
One of the vice “skate” guys has a decent piece in the newest baffler, with a slap mention.

https://thebaffler.com/outbursts/a-crime-and-a-pastime-ohaver
Quote
These horrors are compounded by others—rumors of sexual assault, stories of violence, skaters who have turned alt-right—that circulate widely among skateboarders but are never written about, except on the Slap Magazine message board, a Reddit-esque forum that fields puerile jokes and suspiciously accurate gossip.

billyerlife

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Re: Skate journalism
« Reply #26 on: July 12, 2018, 10:58:00 PM »
Expand Quote
Rapists and who is sponsoring them.
[close]


We have a white knight on our hands everybody

We have a new guy who hasn't contributed anything interesting and seems to be getting kooked with every single post who thinks he can refer to the forum in general as if they are behind him everybody.

Focus your account. Just like the rest of the world, we don't need you.

thisisnotepic

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Re: Skate journalism
« Reply #27 on: July 13, 2018, 04:21:51 AM »
Expand Quote
My graduation project was a 20 page ethnography on philadelphia skateboarding and speech codes. My thesis statement was that mainstream society will never truly immerse themselves within the skateboarding community because of the evolving speech codes used by "core" skateboarders. It was framed around the speech code theories of Gerry Philipsen. Essentially, posers (mainstream society) are quickly "outed" by real skateboarders because they don't get the lingo, the fashion, the tricks, etc., and thus they aren't accepted and move on. Was the coolest shit I ever did in college. If I can find it I will certainly post it. It was done in 2003.

How times change...fuck.
[close]

Ehhh, it still holds weight.

It does hold some weight still. It's just that you probably didn't anticipate the number of posers becoming so prevalent that instead of being outed and moving on, they clicked together to develop their own subculture fit with youtube channels and even companies. They're still not really accepted by "core" skateboarders.

Alan

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Re: Skate journalism
« Reply #28 on: July 13, 2018, 06:55:47 AM »
Expand Quote
Expand Quote
Rapists and who is sponsoring them.
[close]


We have a white knight on our hands everybody
[close]

We have a new guy who hasn't contributed anything interesting and seems to be getting kooked with every single post who thinks he can refer to the forum in general as if they are behind him everybody.

Focus your account. Just like the rest of the world, we don't need you.

Seriously, all these new trolls are so bad at what they're doing, they should just focus.
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