Mike V starting another brand

[boyan]

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Elephant Brand? now that's something new!

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Not sure if you know but it all goes back to his OG Powell graphic.





Out of curiosity, how many companies has he ridden for? Let me know if I missed any.

Powell (3 times?)
Vallely skateboards
By the Sword
Elephant
Element
Transit
Black Label
World Industries
New Deal
Santa Cruz

Wasn't he on TV as well?

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Yes.  Him and Ed Templeton did Television Skateboards for like 6 months in '92 or so.  I think you named all the ones I can name.  Was he on Santa Cruz, or did he just ride for Speed Wheels while he was on Powell Peralta (the first time)?

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Yeah, I think you might be right about that.

I know, it was only a matter of time before he started a brand with the most obvious name Mike could come up with. Good luck to him, we aren't really surprised

[SFblah]

The elephant symbolizes the elephant in the room which is everyone he knows wanting to tell him to stop trying to start his own company.

[ihitmyheadalot]

I met mike..  He was really awesome to me when i did.  He was one of my childhood heros... I cant say i completely understand a lot of what he does these days but who am i to pass judgement.   I really looked up to him back in the day and the couple of times i've emailed him i have to be honest and say he gave me some solid advice in the reply.

Having everyone doing a running commentary on my every move would really suck..  Some of you are going to say he brings it on himself though.   

I do think though that regardless of who you are.. this isnt a great time to start a company that caters more to a novelty/niche part of the industry.  I wish him luck.

[annoyedwithskating]

he should have just ridden out what is left of his long boring career on powell. that was a meal ticket right there. they would have kept him for the long haul. dummy.

[mr cheese]

this company wont last, should of stuck with powell

[MexicanSpaniard]

I hope he doesn't screw over whatever team he assembles for this when he eventually quits.

[j....soy.....]

That looks like the Jeff Phillips graphic no?

[1978]

as a 34yo man, i have grown up watching mike v. 

first - his rubbish heap part was so rad.

second - fuck that sell out poof

[MexicanSpaniard]

Best ho-ho, him or Reese?

[foureyedjim]

played a pretty big part in paul blart, mall cop...takes himself way too seriously...

yeah, not a fan

[William Jefferson Clinton]

http://mikevallely.com/2011/12/23/i-found-out-for-myself/
Pretty fucked up.

[lamfordie]

Where does he get all this money to start board companies. All of them failed and he still come out with a new one every week.

[Sleazy]

http://mikevallely.com/2011/12/23/i-found-out-for-myself/
Pretty fucked up.

what a bunch of drama

[jay]

http://mikevallely.com/2011/12/23/i-found-out-for-myself/
Pretty fucked up.

Mike V- clearly not the sharpest tool in the shed

[NickDagger]

"DERRR OKAY NOW AFTER LYKE DA FIFTH TIME THEY FUCKED ME OVER I KNOW FOR SURE THAT THEY SUCK AND WILL NEVER RIDE FOR THEM AGAIN!!!!  ...unless they offer me another contract cough *hint hint* cough"

[via]

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a running list of everything else he failed at, aside from skateboard company owner:

hockey player
wrestler
cage fighter
musician
actor

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You could also look at that as a list of stuff the guy has had the balls to take a shot at. Sounds like a pretty interesting life to me. What the fuck have you done that's so impressive?

[close]

Im backing bandini on this, Mike V have done enough intresting stuff to last most people a lifetime, im still a fan.

He's also done more than enough stuff for people to rightfully call him a kook over. If he hadn't been who he was as a kid, defenders wouldn't have much of an argument. Everyone would just laugh.

So at that point, it's which Mike V outweighs the other, for you. If who he was years ago is enough to make up for the past decade for you, then it's fair to say you back him and wish him well. But you also can't call out people who see it the other way. For me, his recent/current affairs have overlapped who he was years ago.

If Jimi Hendrix were still alive, but playing Superbowl halftime shows with Nickelback while promoting his new "Hendrix Grill", would it not make sense some people are gonna be put off by that?


EDIT: A third option is, obviously, if you genuinely support what he's doing now, then yeah, root for your boy. But you still can't really question people for calling him out.

[oyolar]

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http://mikevallely.com/2011/12/23/i-found-out-for-myself/
Pretty fucked up.

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Mike V- clearly not the sharpest tool in the shed

Why is it that whenever one of Mike V.'s ventures fails, it's always them screwing him over while he's given the company his all? Didn't Vallely skateboards fail because of the distributors or something? And then Element screwed him over, even though he knew he was going to be dedicated to them for life? And the By The Sword folded before it got off the ground because of Powell-Peralta. And now he left Powell-Peralta because they screwed him over for the 4th time. I wonder how long it'll take before Mike V. describes his role in these failures.

[natenola forever]

Where does he get all this money to start board companies. All of them failed and he still come out with a new one every week.

He made a ton of money on that Etnies shoe, he probably also made good money riding for Element especially with that shoe deal.
Plus these last 2 companies he's down have been the only ones that he has backed himself, Vallely Skateboards was backed by giant, Transit was
backed by one of the east coast distros, and TV was done through Vision.
I've met Mike and he's really awesome person and he loves skateboarding as much as he claims to, i think where things get weird is he puts
on this Mike V character for videos and magazines. I hung out with him for 2 days and i fully back him, i can't back a lot of his decisions or
sponsorship choices but he's a legend and truely nice person.

[LOU.502]

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http://mikevallely.com/2011/12/23/i-found-out-for-myself/
Pretty fucked up.

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Mike V- clearly not the sharpest tool in the shed

I'm not a huge fan of dude but that does kinda suck. its like breaking up with a girlfriend and trying over and over to make it work. that being said, he should have just stuck with element they pay goooood. and i also didn't know he won tampa. pretty nifty i guess

[heckler]

Then the team filmed a bad karaoke segment at The Berrics.

This was my favorite part.

[Skate Edge]

Why exactly did he leave Element?

[ivegotlevitation]

at least he's being honest.

[Jive Turkey]

http://mikevallely.com/2011/12/23/i-found-out-for-myself/
Pretty fucked up.

The fucking ego on this guy.

[Jive Turkey]

there's no way i'm reading all of that.

Here’s the cliff notes:
Poor me. I’m great and creative, and I don’t like it when things don’t go my way. I’ve been used and abused. I’m so misunderstood. Why don’t people see things my way?

[friendly dave]

What I wouldn't give to see Mike V end up on Selfish.

[SteamyRayVaughan]

guess I just see him for just the awesome skating  and the influence his skating had on me and turn a blind eye to the other nonsense
in other news his shit at the berrics was pretty sick

[Chavo]

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there's no way i'm reading all of that.

[close]

Here?s the cliff notes:
Poor me. I?m great and creative, and I don?t like it when things don?t go my way. I?ve been used and abused. I?m so misunderstood. Why don?t people see things my way?

Here's the main thing I get out of it:

They paid me next to nothing ?

[asakusa75]

there's no way i'm reading all of that.

I read it all, wish I hadnt now.

[Jive Turkey]

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there's no way i'm reading all of that.

[close]

Here?s the cliff notes:
Poor me. I?m great and creative, and I don?t like it when things don?t go my way. I?ve been used and abused. I?m so misunderstood. Why don?t people see things my way?

[close]

Here's the main thing I get out of it:

They paid me next to nothing ?

Well what is “next to nothing” to Mike V? Neither of us know what the actual amount is, but considering the source and his tendency to exaggerate, I’d bet “next to nothing” is probably more like “not what I think I’m worth”.
This isn’t his first BBQ and he lives a pretty cushy life now, so I don’t buy that he went into this blindly with good intentions, only to find out they are only going to pay him next to nothing. In all likeliness things didn’t turn out how he expected and now he is playing the victim again.
He goes in there expected to get paid more to do the job he turned down 13 years ago (which according to his blog has been filled by the same person since), and so he bails. Then gets all hurt when they decide against letting him play both sides of the fence.
I’m not defending George Powell or his practices, but he is a businessman. Why would you work with a guy who shows no commitment, has talked bad about you and your company time and again, and yes will ultimately be your competition? Because he spent 4 years with Powell in the 90’s when he had nowhere else to go? He said it himself; he swallowed his pride and buckled down with them because he had no other choice.

That's how I see it. I'm not saying I'm right.

[ROCKxADIO420]

"oh you just dont know george powell like i do, i just have this feeling it will be alright this time! oh, this? its nothing, i bumped into a door."