Interesting read. Jake is a deep thinker, which is cool, but this is the same stuff he's been saying for years. Either you have to try and make a change, or you have to do something else. I know I'll get crucified for this post, but I just have trouble relating or feeling for a lot of these guys. Life can be tough- getting older isn't easy and it's a weird transition. I don't know what it's like to be a professional skateboarder or in between companies, and I never will, but it must not be that bad to be able to take time off, travel with friends, get money from Converse and skate whatever boards people will send you. Isn't he kind of doing what he he's against- starting to become jaded to the industry because of what's currently going on in it? And isn't it kind hypocritical to criticize the "big business" corporations that stepped in to own Alien, but turn around and skate for Converse- which would drop skating as soon as it's not making money for them?
If he is that concerned about the where things are going, what has he done to try and change it? It's one thing to express how bummed you are on how things are going, and another to actually do something about it. If he doesn't want to use his talent to help inspire the next generation of kids, maybe it's time for him to bow out, get a regular job and skate in his free time for the love of it like all of us.
Every job and organization has shitty things about it, but we have to deal and adapt. Just remember, he has the talent and ability to make a living doing what we can only dream about, but he'd rather not use it and blame other things as to why he's not out there doing his job.
I'm just saying, I don't think people should put as much stock into what a lot of these dudes say, because I don't think it's as genuine as people think. At the end of the day, they're still making money from skateboarding regardless of how much work, effort or complaining they put into it. Look at Reynolds and Greco, two dudes that cleaned up their act, yet they still use the party/burnout image and slap drug and alcohol graphics on the bottom of their boards to market their brands to kids...kids.
At the end of the day, skateboarding is a business, big business, and as much as these dudes want you to think they want things to go back underground, that's not the case. They want to make money, however they can. You think Jake would be happy if skating got really small again and he wasn't making the money he is now from it and had to go back to school, get that engineering degree and work a 9-5? Maybe he would be fine with it, but I'm guessing he would rather have that skating money and not have to work a real job.
Topic: #jkjhnsn interview. (Read 14042 times)