Author Topic: AN INTERVIEW WITH MIKE SINCLAIR, SKATEBOARDING’S MOST FAMOUS TEAM MANAGER  (Read 16556 times)

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stevedave

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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.
[close]

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.

Just a few questions. 

1) What do you think the average age is of the "oldest RIDER" on an average tour?
2) What percentage of those have actually EVER held a full time job?
3) Do you have kids?  If so, have you ever tried to get a GROUP of them that are hungover skaters in the van on time to get to a demo?
4) You ever get a phone call hours before an international flight from someone saying they don't know where their passport is? 

Being a TM (even a Euro TM!!) is a pain in the ass and a 24 hour job of babysitting.  The oldest pro doesn't want that job unless the company owner says "due to your age/ability, you're no longer the oldest pro in the the van, you're merely just the oldest person - but I'll give you X amount of money to babysit these ungrateful, Peter Pan complexed tweeners."
"See you are like Mark David Chapman and my posts are John Lennon. You having nothing to offer so the best you can do is try to assassinate my beautiful posts. My Dental Plan is Strawberry fields and you are a sexually frustrated fat man."  ---NigNogNooo---

doomstation55

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If a full team of skateboarders was responsible enough to not need a TM/handler it would literally just be a team of Zion Wrights and then skateboarding would be boring as shit.

GardenSkater77

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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.
[close]

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.
[close]

Just a few questions. 

1) What do you think the average age is of the "oldest RIDER" on an average tour? Billy is 30 right? I think he is adult enough.
2) What percentage of those have actually EVER held a full time job? No idea but moving to skater/TM sounds better than a real job.
3) Do you have kids?  2 If so, have you ever tried to get a GROUP of them that are hungover skaters in the van on time to get to a demo? My kids are 6 and 9 so they aren’t hungover yet, but getting the in the Forester can be a pain at times.
4) You ever get a phone call hours before an international flight from someone saying they don't know where their passport is? No. Most people I know take care of their travel with no issues.

Being a TM (even a Euro TM!!) is a pain in the ass and a 24 hour job of babysitting.  The oldest pro doesn't want that job unless the company owner says "due to your age/ability, you're no longer the oldest pro in the the van, you're merely just the oldest person - but I'll give you X amount of money to babysit these ungrateful, Peter Pan complexed tweeners."

I answered your questions I just hate to think these skaters who are Thrasher and YouTube fucking shit up are scrounging for food. Are there any brands that are truly employee/skater owned? Is WKND and equally owned collective? What about Alltimers? I doubt they have a TM but can they function and make money? I don’t know that either. Never really spent much time with the business end of skateboarding but it is interesting.

stevedave

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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.
[close]

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.
[close]

Just a few questions. 

1) What do you think the average age is of the "oldest RIDER" on an average tour? Billy is 30 right? I think he is adult enough.
2) What percentage of those have actually EVER held a full time job? No idea but moving to skater/TM sounds better than a real job.
3) Do you have kids?  2 If so, have you ever tried to get a GROUP of them that are hungover skaters in the van on time to get to a demo? My kids are 6 and 9 so they aren’t hungover yet, but getting the in the Forester can be a pain at times.
4) You ever get a phone call hours before an international flight from someone saying they don't know where their passport is? No. Most people I know take care of their travel with no issues.

Being a TM (even a Euro TM!!) is a pain in the ass and a 24 hour job of babysitting.  The oldest pro doesn't want that job unless the company owner says "due to your age/ability, you're no longer the oldest pro in the the van, you're merely just the oldest person - but I'll give you X amount of money to babysit these ungrateful, Peter Pan complexed tweeners."
[close]

I answered your questions I just hate to think these skaters who are Thrasher and YouTube fucking shit up are scrounging for food. Are there any brands that are truly employee/skater owned? Is WKND and equally owned collective? What about Alltimers? I doubt they have a TM but can they function and make money? I don’t know that either. Never really spent much time with the business end of skateboarding but it is interesting.

So yeah, trust me when I say that being a TM is a HELLUVA lot worse than a real job.  Fuck, a real job has set hours, set pay, benefits (hopefully), etc. And when you're co-workers can't handle the things that are asked of them, they are fired rather than have the ability to call a TM to ask for help for even the most mundane things.
"See you are like Mark David Chapman and my posts are John Lennon. You having nothing to offer so the best you can do is try to assassinate my beautiful posts. My Dental Plan is Strawberry fields and you are a sexually frustrated fat man."  ---NigNogNooo---

StabMasterArson

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Working in skateboarding is cool until you realize it sucks like any other job, but it pays you in tshirts.

jakeumms

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If a full team of skateboarders was responsible enough to not need a TM/handler it would literally just be a team of Zion Wrights and then skateboarding would be boring as shit.

I feel like either the industry isn't giving riders enough credit or not expecting enough from them. Like urbeneathme mentioned, independent music has managed to create a whole marketing apparatus (venues, bookers, labels, websites, studios, festivals etc.) that runs on the accountability of the people directly involved in the scene. There have been literally thousands of bands that have made it happen on their own and musicians are ya know kinda famously flakey and prone to overindulgence. This to me seems like retro "skaters can't own companies" thinking that Rocco blew the fuck up 30 years ago.
them cats are out getting mashed up to jungle, he's out mashing up jungle cats. it's just not gonna work.

Colt Cannon's Cargos

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Working in skateboarding is cool until you realize it sucks like any other job, but it pays you in tshirts.

Yup


Hairy Ballsagna

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His skate footage is impressive. Nice job Mike.

Sick Duck

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I guarantee all those dudes are glad sinclair is using his big boy skills to handle shit for them so they can just fuck off and skate

TITANIUM NIPPLES

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I remember reading that Dan Lu didn't want to ever be a TM because he liked to get stoned all the time. So yeah, having a dedicated TM (read: adult) taking care of logistical stuff like travel, food, etc, makes a lot of sense.

Sick Duck

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It’s more than just being an adult though. He’s obviously a good networker and his personality can come off well to alot of different types of people. Plus he must really love skating and travelling in a damn van constantly

IHOP

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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?

So 1500 or 2000 a week per diem, but in the same interview sinclair said they have done month long cross country tours for 3500.  Not saying They dont deserve it but I think theres a lot more at play here than just "they should be able to afford it" because regardless of being a nationwide brand i havnt seen a foundation board in a shop in years.

I dont think enough people are giving tm's enough credit, booking flights/hotels/demos and catering to a bunch of manchildren 24/7 would get old real quick, and although tum yeto pays him I doubt they are paying him great if he has time to tm for nike too.

j....soy.....

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I'm gonna assume that board companies can't afford to tour which is why so few so it....so the fact they even do it is something.....I don't think anyone at Tum Yeto is rolling in it.....I bet Ed draws next to nothing from Toy Machine.....

Zumiez And Xanax

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yeah no one buys toy machine socks

conqueso

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This guy is living the dream if you ask me. Multiple salaries and very little real responsibilities.

Zurg

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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.

it kinda happened with justin brock on king of the road, but then again he isnt skating at all and doesnt seem like the best TM(for kotr at least. jack olson had to check jamie thomas)

SHIREFLIP

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CARPE PER DIEM

Robert Baratheon

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Fun and personal choice aside, it's pretty shitty to send a bunch of dudes on a work trip for your business with no food money. Especially when they are risking their asses on no insurance.

Still Tippin

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If a full team of skateboarders was responsible enough to not need a TM/handler it would literally just be a team of Zion Wrights and then skateboarding would be boring as shit.

zion is managed by not only sinclair, brock and whatever other brand managers he may have, but also the boardr.

tortfeasor

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Just so I am clear.  In corpo terms is TM is a C-Suite level?  are they a VP of personnel?  if there is a major meeting at foundation is it just assumed Sinclair has a seat at the meeting? or are they as other stated "middle management"?
more heaven-cruise than hell-ride.

planman

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If a full team of skateboarders was responsible enough to not need a TM/handler it would literally just be a team of Zion Wrights and then skateboarding would be boring as shit.
[close]

zion is managed by not only sinclair, brock and whatever other brand managers he may have, but also the boardr.
is Brock even an actual TM?

I saw your mom do a ollie to cooch drop straight down the big black pole, it was gnarly. she defiantly shut that shit down

botefdunn

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I mentioned before, if anyone knows what Tum Yeto is valued at, or has any info relating to the company's actual sales, I'd be interested to hear it. Everything else is conjecture if we don't actually know something concrete about their financial situation, debating how they do or don't spend the money they do or don't have.

feedmeseymour

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You would think working with professional athletes for a living you would try to not be such a fat slob.

straight fucking edge

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he may be fat, but comes off as far from a slob..
i don't want to link to the channel because is promotes athiesm.

Badmeaningood

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He's in line for a coronary very soon if he keeps going the way he is.

IHOP

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Fun and personal choice aside, it's pretty shitty to send a bunch of dudes on a work trip for your business with no food money. Especially when they are risking their asses on no insurance.

If this was nike i would agree, but with foundation I doubt tod swank or sinclair is the one making them go on the road, its probably them wanting to go on a trip and foundation helping out with gas money.  In the interviews for oddity they said they were taking trips fully on their own budget, and in the latest glick interview he says him and dakota planned a trip for foundation but they had no money so it became a toy machine trip. Foundation might as well be shep dawgs at this point they just happen to make boards.  I hope things turn around with KOTR because they sure as hell have the skill and heart for a brand to thrive, but we all know how hard it is for an old company to come back swinging.

botefdunn

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Fun and personal choice aside, it's pretty shitty to send a bunch of dudes on a work trip for your business with no food money. Especially when they are risking their asses on no insurance.
[close]

If this was nike i would agree, but with foundation I doubt tod swank or sinclair is the one making them go on the road, its probably them wanting to go on a trip and foundation helping out with gas money.  In the interviews for oddity they said they were taking trips fully on their own budget, and in the latest glick interview he says him and dakota planned a trip for foundation but they had no money so it became a toy machine trip. Foundation might as well be shep dawgs at this point they just happen to make boards.  I hope things turn around with KOTR because they sure as hell have the skill and heart for a brand to thrive, but we all know how hard it is for an old company to come back swinging.

Sometimes a friend helps you dig a hole in your backyard and they say they were glad to help and you thank them and maybe make them some spaghetti (and you don't make them pay for it). When you own a landscaping company and your friend helps you dig holes in other people's backyard, you pay them. Even if your friend is a little soft in the head and says no no, I'm just glad for the opportunity to dig holes, you pay them anyway, and if you don't, you're an asshole.
I've been on van tours for the local shop with a bunch of friends who all split the costs, doing demos for free gear and the occasional pizza, and in those scenarios, there's no team manager making 30-60 grand salary. Foundation is a decades-old company with established international distribution whose brand is currently featured on a popular show on Vice: they can twist it any way they like, but if the tm is making 30-60 then Swank or whoever is making more, and could afford to pay those per diems out of pocket if need be.
I find it very hard to believe that Higher ups at foundation aren't making at least 100gs/annual, but then somebody who knows these things prove me wrong and I 'll gladly shut up.

TITANIUM NIPPLES

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.....I don't think anyone at Tum Yeto is rolling in it.....I bet Ed draws next to nothing from Toy Machine.....

Are you serious? It's his main source of income.
It's what allows him to fuck around with his camera while Deanna doesn't work and they still live in a very nice house in Orange County and work on their art. (the down payment for the house came from an award he won for Teenage Smokers)

Almost every skate shop I've ever been to in the world carries at least the Toy Machine socks.

KingKook

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Hating on Sinclair for pulling in $15 an hour.

el chino

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The gipper aint saying shit on this thread.
That said i saw that foundation was asking kids to bring some gifts for the newlyweds to a demo/signing and the best gift would get a poster and a deck or something like that.
Is that an NBD? https://www.instagram.com/p/Bm3xs-ggFgk/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=12pe89zhsgqri
<iframe class="imgur-album" width="100%" height="550" frameborder="0" src="http://imgur.com/a/8ph4y/embed"></iframe>