Author Topic: AN INTERVIEW WITH MIKE SINCLAIR, SKATEBOARDING’S MOST FAMOUS TEAM MANAGER  (Read 16571 times)

0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

Buck Russell

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 643
  • Rep: -318
  • Bug or gnat?
  • User is on moderator watch listWatched
Damn I wish that was longer. It'd be nice to have TMs getting interviewed more often, they've got a good perspective on the industry that's between the skating side and the business side.

an interesting perspective he brought up was its not so much that the skater owned shoe co's got smaller cause of corpo so much as they looked much smaller by comparison.

PeggyHillsShittySpanish

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 249
  • Rep: 2
Expand Quote
Expand Quote
Expand Quote
I think it’s super lame that Tum Yeto doesn’t pay those dudes per diem. “Hey just set your life aside for a month to go across the country with us and put yourselves in harms way, but we aren’t going to feed you. You’ll have to figure that shit out on your own.” Fuck that. Have a smaller team that you can actually take care of. The latest chromeball states it best in the sense of skateboarding had 30 years to figure out how to treat these dudes like professionals. Nike does that and I am happy for anyone afforded that opportunity. Foundation has a rad team. Oddity is IMO the best full length to come out in recent memory. It bums me out to know those dudes aren’t really taken care of.
[close]

it's not like they aren't getting paid per diem and the owner is out driving around in a ferrari you dipshit.  there's a reason..
[close]

Oh yeah I forgot how important it is for Templetits creepy photos of innocent bystanders to be published in a book. It’s not like I think the heads at Tum Yeto are killing it. I think it’s dumb to have such a large team to where if you had half the dudes you could afford to actually take care of them. You dipshit.
[close]

you are probably also one of those people that think decks can stay $50 for ever

I absolutely think it’s absurd decks still cost $50. I understand the concept of inflation. Something Foundation can do is not have half their catalog be team decks since they apparently only pay royalties, or they could charge $60 bucks a pop for team decks and throw the extra $8 into an account to pay those dudes per diem on trips. If I knew that’s where the money was going I’d have no issues forking out the extra dough. Those dudes rip. They make the brand. The brand should take care of them. Tum Yeto is fucking up.
« Last Edit: August 27, 2018, 08:08:07 PM by PeggyHillsShittySpanish »

gub

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • SLAP Pal
  • ******
  • Posts: 3487
  • Rep: 221
  • SLAP OG SLAP OG : Been around since SLAP was a mag.
Does Mike Sinclair draw a salary from Foundation while the riders don’t get paid?

Francis Xavier

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • SLAP Pal
  • ******
  • Posts: 6729
  • Rep: 2137
Does Mike Sinclair draw a salary from Foundation while the riders don’t get paid?
Wouldn't you want to get paid to deal with Nick Merlino?

He does what else with Tum Yeto?Foundation, Toy Machine,Pig Wheels...and thats it right?

Damn I left my bubbler at my parents house

botefdunn

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • SLAP Pal
  • ******
  • Posts: 3909
  • Rep: 685
If swank or anybody at tum yeto is claiming they can't afford to pay some sort of minimum per diem, they are simply lying.
$20/day to 10 dudes= $200/ day, so let's say $1500/ week? $2000/ week if they got off their wallets?  This is jack shit in the grand scheme of operating costs for even a small company, not paying anything is an embarassment.
Unless of course they are giving their riders a decent annual travel budget in a lump sum and letting them figure out how to budget it themselves...
 Anybody know what tum yeto is valued at?

PeggyHillsShittySpanish

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 249
  • Rep: 2
If swank or anybody at tum yeto is claiming they can't afford to pay some sort of minimum per diem, they are simply lying.
$20/day to 10 dudes= $200/ day, so let's say $1500/ week? $2000/ week if they got off their wallets?  This is jack shit in the grand scheme of operating costs for even a small company, not paying anything is an embarassment.
Unless of course they are giving their riders a decent annual travel budget in a lump sum and letting them figure out how to budget it themselves...
 Anybody know what tum yeto is valued at?

Precisely. Anyone who has the argument that these are just kids and that the market is saturated, eat a dick. The dudes are human beings who do an exceptional job and deserve to be treated as such. Also fuck the whole blue collar “accept the suck” argument. Obviously there is money to be made otherwise TY would have vaporized years ago. Take care of your people.

Roisto

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • SLAP Pal
  • ******
  • Posts: 2745
  • Rep: 474
I know I sound like a broken record, but I really wish Tum Yeto would stop blowing it.

I'd buy a Toy Machine Monster board in 8.25" to 8.6" with a 14.5" wb if I could find one in Europe. I can't! They're just not available. I was looking to buy the Ed Templeton cat board as a cruiser. Couldn't find it anywhere in Europe. I'd like to buy a Foundation board too but no luck. I've been burned with crap dimension China wood Toy Machine boards too many times here in Europe to be able to trust them anymore and that's a damn shame cuz I've loved Toy Machine since I was a kid and think Foundation is rad as fuck too.

I also recently bought a Toy Machine monster T-shirt that I've wanted like 20 years. After the first wash the print looks like the shirt actually is 20 years old. Worst quality ever.

Why couldn't they operate like Deluxe? Why do they have to be so untrustworthy with their product? Why do they have to sell people outside US crap product with different dimensions? Make quality stuff and have it be available outside of California and you might get some more cash flow to treat your riders better. There are too many brands giving us consumers quality product to keep pulling shit like that off and expecting us to continue to give you money.

Also has anyone ever cared for Blake Carpenter, Josh Harmony or Billy Marks? If you won't put Forrest on, at least give him a guest board and actually sell that somewhere!

Basically Mike, I want to give you my money but you're making it difficult as fuck! Please stop doing that!

Dooky-shoes

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • SLAP Pal
  • ******
  • Posts: 1431
  • Rep: -305
  • User posts join approval queueModerated
Skateboarding isn’t about paying the bills. Many great skaters have come and gone for that reason.
The idea that skating owes anybody anything is wrong. We owe skateboarding everything.
Also, that was way more dramatic than i meant it.
In other words...skate or don’t.
« Last Edit: August 27, 2018, 09:59:39 PM by Dooky-shoes »

zuma

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • SLAP Pal
  • ******
  • Posts: 1711
  • Rep: 143
from an outsiders perspective it seems very strange that everyone working for a skatecompany is getting paid aside from the actual professional skaters- without the team there would be no real skate company.

sinclair sais he starts at 30000 a year. it d make more sense than spend 2500 a mounth on the actual team and manage it yourself if you re the owner and claim your brand skateboarder owned. strange times.

Budgie Lasek

  • Guest
I know it might seem like Toy and Foundation are major brands, but what Sinclair mentioned with shop boards and all the small brands is sadly the truth, and Tum Yeto has a small fraction of what they had, financially, several years ago. I've worked for their distro and when you see the numbers going out the door you can put two and two together and understand why there just isn't the same budget available for the team anymore. I'm not sure what the answer is, but the market share is tiny compared to the past, so companies are gonna have to start looking at ways to keep a team and stay profitable. Luckily, there's a never ending crop of young rippers eager to kill themselves for the smallest amount of free product, let alone any money. Companies know this, and that makes it even harder to justify allotting large amounts of budget to the skate team for salaries.

Personally, I think skaters deserve to make a lot more than they do, but that doesn't change the fact that the money literally isn't there aside from a select few brands.

offkilter

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • SLAP Pal
  • ******
  • Posts: 1834
  • Rep: 265
I feel like the foundation team could get together with some good artists and a quality woodshop and make their own brand, and actually make some money.

BobbyPshew

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 469
  • Rep: -61
How many times has the Foundation team had to be built up from nothing and no-one?
a'la Toy Machine.
Tum Yeto got problems, mang.
Ron Don's Playpen-Home Of The $2 Lap Dance

Atiba Applebum

  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • SLAP Pal
  • ******
  • Posts: 14246
  • Rep: 282
I feel like the foundation team could get together with some good artists and a quality woodshop and make their own brand, and actually make some money.

Then they wouldn’t be able to skate unless they hired someone to manage the brand and the team while they skated

MalHuis

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 131
  • Rep: 4
I know I sound like a broken record, but I really wish Tum Yeto would stop blowing it.

I'd buy a Toy Machine Monster board in 8.25" to 8.6" with a 14.5" wb if I could find one in Europe. I can't! They're just not available. I was looking to buy the Ed Templeton cat board as a cruiser. Couldn't find it anywhere in Europe. I'd like to buy a Foundation board too but no luck. I've been burned with crap dimension China wood Toy Machine boards too many times here in Europe to be able to trust them anymore and that's a damn shame cuz I've loved Toy Machine since I was a kid and think Foundation is rad as fuck too.

I also recently bought a Toy Machine monster T-shirt that I've wanted like 20 years. After the first wash the print looks like the shirt actually is 20 years old. Worst quality ever.

Why couldn't they operate like Deluxe? Why do they have to be so untrustworthy with their product? Why do they have to sell people outside US crap product with different dimensions? Make quality stuff and have it be available outside of California and you might get some more cash flow to treat your riders better. There are too many brands giving us consumers quality product to keep pulling shit like that off and expecting us to continue to give you money.

Also has anyone ever cared for Blake Carpenter, Josh Harmony or Billy Marks? If you won't put Forrest on, at least give him a guest board and actually sell that somewhere!

Basically Mike, I want to give you my money but you're making it difficult as fuck! Please stop doing that!

I defs +1 you bro. I'm from South Africa and I aint ever seen one in the wild or at any shops around here. Breaks my heart that we only have a couple of brands distributed here.

Joust Ostrich

  • Trade Count: (+2)
  • SLAP Pal
  • ******
  • Posts: 6037
  • Rep: 662
  • Speculatnaciousness?
Expand Quote
If swank or anybody at tum yeto is claiming they can't afford to pay some sort of minimum per diem, they are simply lying.
$20/day to 10 dudes= $200/ day, so let's say $1500/ week? $2000/ week if they got off their wallets?  This is jack shit in the grand scheme of operating costs for even a small company, not paying anything is an embarassment.
Unless of course they are giving their riders a decent annual travel budget in a lump sum and letting them figure out how to budget it themselves...
 Anybody know what tum yeto is valued at?
[close]

Precisely. Anyone who has the argument that these are just kids and that the market is saturated, eat a dick. The dudes are human beings who do an exceptional job and deserve to be treated as such. Also fuck the whole blue collar “accept the suck” argument. Obviously there is money to be made otherwise TY would have vaporized years ago. Take care of your people.

Uhhhhh, I'm going to go ahead and say that these are kids, and the market is absolutely fucking saturated.  The first part may be a matter of perspective, the second part is not. 

They certainly do deserve better.
I'm posting from my blackberry wtf?!?!?

Big Baby Jesus

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • SLAP Pal
  • ******
  • Posts: 2308
  • Rep: 268
    • Suciu avatar image
In tum yeto’s defense most board companies do not have contracts with riders. I’d assume Element and a select few pros under the dwindle umbrella do. Crail dlx and baker boys dont do contracts so not surprised Tum Yeto doesn’t. That said not paying the foundation riders outside of royalties and no per diem is shitty. They could afford $20 per day, I got more than that on road trips in college and I just played lacrosse. Our team didn’t bring in revenue to the AD but we still ate. To think they probably make more of their wheel/truck sponsor is laughable. Hasn’t swank always had a reputation for being shifty though?
flat spotted 3 times in 2 weeks, other than that awesome wheels

Baby is gonna be raised by Max and Cyrus

dirtywork81

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 211
  • Rep: 16
I know I sound like a broken record, but I really wish Tum Yeto would stop blowing it.

I'd buy a Toy Machine Monster board in 8.25" to 8.6" with a 14.5" wb if I could find one in Europe. I can't! They're just not available. I was looking to buy the Ed Templeton cat board as a cruiser. Couldn't find it anywhere in Europe. I'd like to buy a Foundation board too but no luck. I've been burned with crap dimension China wood Toy Machine boards too many times here in Europe to be able to trust them anymore and that's a damn shame cuz I've loved Toy Machine since I was a kid and think Foundation is rad as fuck too.

I also recently bought a Toy Machine monster T-shirt that I've wanted like 20 years. After the first wash the print looks like the shirt actually is 20 years old. Worst quality ever.

Why couldn't they operate like Deluxe? Why do they have to be so untrustworthy with their product? Why do they have to sell people outside US crap product with different dimensions? Make quality stuff and have it be available outside of California and you might get some more cash flow to treat your riders better. There are too many brands giving us consumers quality product to keep pulling shit like that off and expecting us to continue to give you money.

Also has anyone ever cared for Blake Carpenter, Josh Harmony or Billy Marks? If you won't put Forrest on, at least give him a guest board and actually sell that somewhere!

Basically Mike, I want to give you my money but you're making it difficult as fuck! Please stop doing that!


I think you're are yelling at the wrong dude. Mike is a team manager and not in sales or marketing for TUMYETO. He's on a salary just like any other employee and he is not making the executive decisions.


StabMasterArson

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • SLAP Pal
  • ******
  • Posts: 4591
  • Rep: 774
  • SLAP OG SLAP OG : Been around since SLAP was a mag.
He's the team manager that would kick you off and have the right words to say to make you feel good about yourself, your career and then you'd hang up the phone with a faint resemblance of a smile and then quickly realize it's over and you never should have traded those boards for dime bags.

The Ghost of Lenny Kirk

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • SLAP Pal
  • ******
  • Posts: 6797
  • Rep: -146
 
In tum yeto’s defense most board companies do not have contracts with riders. 

 ive always loved how companies will spin this like they're doing them a favor but actually its a great way to not have to pay them benefits or give them adequate compensation. crailtap is the most notorious imo.

shit_for_brains

  • Guest
Expand Quote
In tum yeto’s defense most board companies do not have contracts with riders. 
[close]

 ive always loved how companies will spin this like they're doing them a favor but actually its a great way to not have to pay them benefits or give them adequate compensation. crailtap is the most notorious imo.

And no security whatsoever while they're out getting hurt to sell pieces of wood.

Roisto

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • SLAP Pal
  • ******
  • Posts: 2745
  • Rep: 474
Expand Quote
I know I sound like a broken record, but I really wish Tum Yeto would stop blowing it.

I'd buy a Toy Machine Monster board in 8.25" to 8.6" with a 14.5" wb if I could find one in Europe. I can't! They're just not available. I was looking to buy the Ed Templeton cat board as a cruiser. Couldn't find it anywhere in Europe. I'd like to buy a Foundation board too but no luck. I've been burned with crap dimension China wood Toy Machine boards too many times here in Europe to be able to trust them anymore and that's a damn shame cuz I've loved Toy Machine since I was a kid and think Foundation is rad as fuck too.

I also recently bought a Toy Machine monster T-shirt that I've wanted like 20 years. After the first wash the print looks like the shirt actually is 20 years old. Worst quality ever.

Why couldn't they operate like Deluxe? Why do they have to be so untrustworthy with their product? Why do they have to sell people outside US crap product with different dimensions? Make quality stuff and have it be available outside of California and you might get some more cash flow to treat your riders better. There are too many brands giving us consumers quality product to keep pulling shit like that off and expecting us to continue to give you money.

Also has anyone ever cared for Blake Carpenter, Josh Harmony or Billy Marks? If you won't put Forrest on, at least give him a guest board and actually sell that somewhere!

Basically Mike, I want to give you my money but you're making it difficult as fuck! Please stop doing that!
[close]


I think you're are yelling at the wrong dude. Mike is a team manager and not in sales or marketing for TUMYETO. He's on a salary just like any other employee and he is not making the executive decisions.

You’re right. I dunno why I’m aiming my anger at him really. 🤔 I just want someone to take control over there. I dunno why it seems to be so difficult and who’s responsible.

Allen.

  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • SLAP Pal
  • ******
  • Posts: 10078
  • Rep: 695
    • Cigarettes for Cardio avatar image
  • SLAP OG SLAP OG : Been around since SLAP was a mag.
Bro if they can’t afford per diem they can’t afford shipping to South Africa et all
For someone w.no signature ur awfully hostile, & that is why I do this

Big Baby Jesus

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • SLAP Pal
  • ******
  • Posts: 2308
  • Rep: 268
    • Suciu avatar image
Expand Quote
Expand Quote
In tum yeto’s defense most board companies do not have contracts with riders. 
[close]

 ive always loved how companies will spin this like they're doing them a favor but actually its a great way to not have to pay them benefits or give them adequate compensation. crailtap is the most notorious imo.
[close]

And no security whatsoever while they're out getting hurt to sell pieces of wood.

Feel like crail is exactly where you want to be if you want security. Half their team hasn’t put out footage in 5+ years... Mike Mo hasn’t really been productive on a board in years and still has his name on a board. No other distro would do that.
flat spotted 3 times in 2 weeks, other than that awesome wheels

Baby is gonna be raised by Max and Cyrus

Issy

  • Guest
Feel like crail is exactly where you want to be if you want security. Half their team hasn’t put out footage in 5+ years...



Mike Mo hasn’t really been productive on a board in years and still has his name on a board. No other distro would do that.


Feel like crail is exactly where you want to be if you want security. Half their team hasn’t put out footage in 5+ years...

This came out June of this last year.





Mike Mo hasn’t really been productive on a board in years and still has his name on a board. No other distro would do that.

https://youtu.be/Yujqexxk0qY

"After 3 and a half years of not being healthy enough to skate, I found a brace that can actually help my paralyzed foot out (Drop Foot). Its made a huge difference in the way I am able to skate and even beyond that, just being able to walk around and live life like a normal human. When I was growing up, I always wanted to do a trick good enough where I could do 100 of them in a day. I noticed anytime that I ever did 100 in the same day the trick would always feel so much easier and I forever had the trick locked into my muscle memory. So I am using the same process as a kid, but this time I'm trying to learn with a paralyzed foot haha. Some of these tries will be sloppy as hell, but gimme a break! 100 a day."

GardenSkater77

  • Trade Count: (+2)
  • SLAP Pal
  • ******
  • Posts: 3125
  • Rep: 1035
Expand Quote
Does Mike Sinclair draw a salary from Foundation while the riders don’t get paid?
[close]
Wouldn't you want to get paid to deal with Nick Merlino?

He does what else with Tum Yeto?Foundation, Toy Machine,Pig Wheels...and thats it right?

I love his description of his job...’I ask other people to ship boards and I bring grip gum to all the contests’. It’s like the Bobs in Office Space—‘what exactly is it you do here?’ If he started at 30K ten years ago he is probably up to 50-60K with benefits. I don’t understand how having a TM is necessary. Just make the oldest rider the TM. These guys should not need a dad on tour to wipe their ass. I’m sure they would rather get their food paid for.

urbneathme

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • SLAP Pal
  • ******
  • Posts: 1670
  • Rep: 281
skateboarding and music are immensely similar. call your dlx's and dwindle's major labels - they do huge sales, their artists (riders) are compensated well, they have security. then you have your large indie labels (4AD, Matador, etc) a la FA/Hockey, Polar - well respected, so still pretty well compensated, but not doing mall numbers by any means. then you have indie labels. tum yeto falls into that category. those bands, those teams still fucking tour. because they love it, but also because when you go out there, you build a reputation that will hopefully pay back in dividends. that might be getting on a big shoe company, or getting enough shops hyped on your boards to get per diems. still gotta go out and tour. still gotta show up. sometimes, you show up and lose a bunch of money. that's how this shit goes. it isn't always secure to make art and follow a passion, don't expect it to be middle management at a fortune 500 company

Donkey Lips

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • SLAP Pal
  • ******
  • Posts: 8471
  • Rep: 1019
I don’t understand how having a TM is necessary. Just make the oldest rider the TM.

When you graduate from high school, you might learn that the oldest person isn't always the responsible one. Aside from that shit, I don't think the oldest dude on the team wants more responsibilities while trying to balance their career.

I sniff Jim Gagne's butthole all the time

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 576
  • Rep: -156
Expand Quote
Expand Quote
Does Mike Sinclair draw a salary from Foundation while the riders don’t get paid?
[close]
Wouldn't you want to get paid to deal with Nick Merlino?

He does what else with Tum Yeto?Foundation, Toy Machine,Pig Wheels...and thats it right?
[close]

I love his description of his job...’I ask other people to ship boards and I bring grip gum to all the contests’. It’s like the Bobs in Office Space—‘what exactly is it you do here?’ If he started at 30K ten years ago he is probably up to 50-60K with benefits. I don’t understand how having a TM is necessary. Just make the oldest rider the TM. These guys should not need a dad on tour to wipe their ass. I’m sure they would rather get their food paid for.
mutiny!
you just described andy schrock's business plan w/ his merry pranksters.

GardenSkater77

  • Trade Count: (+2)
  • SLAP Pal
  • ******
  • Posts: 3125
  • Rep: 1035
Expand Quote
I don’t understand how having a TM is necessary. Just make the oldest rider the TM.
[close]

When you graduate from high school, you might learn that the oldest person isn't always the responsible one. Aside from that shit, I don't think the oldest dude on the team wants more responsibilities while trying to balance their career.

I’m 40 but whatever age means. All I’m saying is middle management is where you look to cut when times are tough. The problem seems Tod and Ed are detached from their companies. So, if you don’t care don’t have a company. I think Billy Marks would want the job if it meant more money for his family—and beanies.

doomstation55

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • SLAP Pal
  • ******
  • Posts: 5488
  • Rep: 865
  • ಠ_ಠ
    • [b]TEAM DOOM MS 2018[/b] avatar image
No skater would take on the role of TM without wanting additional compensation, which is what they pay Sinclair for. Once a skater becomes a TM they definitely skate less because of responsibilities, which in turn means less productivity/money for them (photo incentives, footage, etc.)

So if Duffel is at the point in his career where he doesn't wanna tour as much and/or doesn't wanna babysit the kids on the team, the next senior rider is Merlino and that sounds like a fucking disaster.

If you have no TM do you just send the dudes out there with a list of things they're supposed to do and expect them to do it? Make sure they're in time for demos but also hitting the streets? Who books hotels and drives the bus?

It's shitty that Foundation doesn't give the riders per diem, but I'm sure the riders would take a better offer if they could.