2021 unpopular opinion thread

[Nosebleed-section]

I have had fun at some evergreen skateparks

[ihatejulio]

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There are not enough board companies. I'm not talking about some random designing 20 boards with Sonic the Hedgehog hitting a bong on buildcustomskateboards.com to sell out of their trunk at the skatepark to vaping teenagers.

I'm talking about actual board companies with a nice overall aesthetic, great video direction, a solid team, and a real stake in the market. Because if you really think about it, there really aren't many of those companies around. I like going to the shop and seeing a wide variety of different companies on the wall with all different shapes, woodshops, and places where they originated. That's why I don't like when people roll their eyes and say "oh here we go, yet another board company." If a new board company blows it though then they blow it and the market will respond accordingly. But to dismiss a new company right out the gate for no reason other than them being new is shortsighted imo.

I'd rather be oversaturated with new board companies than only having the option of buying from a few established big brands. It's like going to an ice cream store and only having 8 basic flavors on the menu. Like nah, give me a Reece's peanut butter cup pistachio oreo crunch sundae with gummy bears and go fuck yourself.     

[close]

Even if there are more board companies your dream might not happen cause brands have a very local market, imagine Baker and 5Boro for example, you'll probably find on in the east coast more than the west and vice-versa. There's also that thing some guy said in another thread about board brands being fucked by most of them being made by the same few woodshops, so they spend extra money that they could save making their own boards. I mean, how hard could it be? I live in Brazil and there's a couple of brands from my area that make their own boards, and when I said from my neighborhood that's really, it they're really not selling to the whole country or anything like that. They don't have fucking scientists designing stuff but the boards are still good, even with ivory wood instead of maple.

I touched on that a little but I like it when I see east coast boards on the west coast and vise versa. Obviously there are logistics and cash flow hurdles for the distribution of smaller brands to reach different coasts/countries but there is something so awesome about seeing a wide variety of boards on the wall from many different places. That's what I'm mostly aiming at conveying in my post.

They (board brands) can't all succeed, I get that. And overcrowded shelves can be a problem in shops. But I just like having a wide variety of options to pick from and I like seeing people succeed when they start out rather than be pessimistic that they will suck just because they are new and it's, "yet another board company."

[Donkey Lips]

most skaters would see their skating improve if they moved back down to 8.0 boards from 8.5

Maybe if they have little baby feet. For most of us, moving to 8.5 made catching flip tricks even easier and riding around just more stable in general.

[Frank]

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most skaters would see their skating improve if they moved back down to 8.0 boards from 8.5

[close]

Maybe if they have little baby feet. For most of us, moving to 8.5 made catching flip tricks even easier and riding around just more stable in general.

i thought about going down to 8 again, just to make everything a bit lighter. i'm tiny though so it would still be a big board for me. i definetly had more flips overall when i rode smaller boards back in the day, but skating a wider board just feels nicer when ollieing and stuff. i think i would profit more from a shorter board overall. been on 8.25-8.5 for ten years now.

[Paperclip20]

wide wheels catch on pebbles more than skinny wheels due to more surface area (rather than "riding over" pebbles)

bones are better than spitfire on rough surfaces

These are interesting takes because durometer is a huge part of a wheel being good or bad on a surface. And wide wheels aren't just about "riding over pebbles" but more uneven ground or cracked ground. It's like the difference between a wider or skinny car tire.

[gsosa]

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There are not enough board companies. I'm not talking about some random designing 20 boards with Sonic the Hedgehog hitting a bong on buildcustomskateboards.com to sell out of their trunk at the skatepark to vaping teenagers.

I'm talking about actual board companies with a nice overall aesthetic, great video direction, a solid team, and a real stake in the market. Because if you really think about it, there really aren't many of those companies around. I like going to the shop and seeing a wide variety of different companies on the wall with all different shapes, woodshops, and places where they originated. That's why I don't like when people roll their eyes and say "oh here we go, yet another board company." If a new board company blows it though then they blow it and the market will respond accordingly. But to dismiss a new company right out the gate for no reason other than them being new is shortsighted imo.

I'd rather be oversaturated with new board companies than only having the option of buying from a few established big brands. It's like going to an ice cream store and only having 8 basic flavors on the menu. Like nah, give me a Reece's peanut butter cup pistachio oreo crunch sundae with gummy bears and go fuck yourself.     

[close]

Even if there are more board companies your dream might not happen cause brands have a very local market, imagine Baker and 5Boro for example, you'll probably find on in the east coast more than the west and vice-versa. There's also that thing some guy said in another thread about board brands being fucked by most of them being made by the same few woodshops, so they spend extra money that they could save making their own boards. I mean, how hard could it be? I live in Brazil and there's a couple of brands from my area that make their own boards, and when I said from my neighborhood that's really, it they're really not selling to the whole country or anything like that. They don't have fucking scientists designing stuff but the boards are still good, even with ivory wood instead of maple.

[close]

I touched on that a little but I like it when I see east coast boards on the west coast and vise versa. Obviously there are logistics and cash flow hurdles for the distribution of smaller brands to reach different coasts/countries but there is something so awesome about seeing a wide variety of boards on the wall from many different places. That's what I'm mostly aiming at conveying in my post.

They (board brands) can't all succeed, I get that. And overcrowded shelves can be a problem in shops. But I just like having a wide variety of options to pick from and I like seeing people succeed when they start out rather than be pessimistic that they will suck just because they are new and it's, "yet another board company."

Definitely agree with you guys.

Skateboarding is in a dire need of more board brands that are actually well constructed. (nice overall aesthetic, great video direction, a solid team etc). Sure everyone and their mother is trying to launch their new brand but not many people are actually producing dope content, taking the time to actually do shit with their team and getting out there and promoting the brands.

Creating an insta page with 3 deck designs and a few clips with a cell-phone of their riders is nowhere near enough for a good brand to be successful.

Actual well produced vids is something (from my perspective) that is key to promote a brand, their image and to have people identify with them.  Look at Polar at first not many people (outside of Europe) really knew the skaters but it was thanks to their videos (as well as banging ass boards and graphics) that people really identified with the brand. Shit I still watch their first promo all the time, which is not something you can say about insta clips.

More Polar, Quasi, Palace less Raw Dog Raw, and Skate Mentals please.

[EXTRA SPICY]

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wide wheels catch on pebbles more than skinny wheels due to more surface area (rather than "riding over" pebbles)

bones are better than spitfire on rough surfaces

[close]

These are interesting takes because durometer is a huge part of a wheel being good or bad on a surface. And wide wheels aren't just about "riding over pebbles" but more uneven ground or cracked ground. It's like the difference between a wider or skinny car tire.

My shitty engineering brain might get hung up on the factor of pneumatics and shock absorption around that last sentence.

I also like wide wheels, so my biased ass should be recused.

[Brguy]

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most skaters would see their skating improve if they moved back down to 8.0 boards from 8.5

[close]

Maybe if they have little baby feet. For most of us, moving to 8.5 made catching flip tricks even easier and riding around just more stable in general.

[close]

i thought about going down to 8 again, just to make everything a bit lighter. i'm tiny though so it would still be a big board for me. i definetly had more flips overall when i rode smaller boards back in the day, but skating a wider board just feels nicer when ollieing and stuff. i think i would profit more from a shorter board overall. been on 8.25-8.5 for ten years now.

Wheelbase plays a big part here as well, even an 8.0 can be hard to flip if the wheelbase is too high. And everyone has plenty of room to kick forwards, but not so much sideways, I can't even do a proper kick higher than my waist these days.

[boi-cuzudo]

the AWS Life Splicing vids are pretty rad

[formula420]

I like skateboarding but don't find the industry or culture surrounding it all that interesting anymore

So why do you come on slap?

[Paulie Gualtieri]

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I like skateboarding but don't find the industry or culture surrounding it all that interesting anymore

[close]

So why do you come on slap?

Shoes & gear threads and the occasional video part or 2000s nostalgia thread. I'm coming back from a 10 year-long hiatus and it's kind of hard for me to stan for dudes that are mostly around my age or younger at this age point

[Dwyck]

a lot of people who "dont care about board size or wheelbase" are short people who've never thought about it (or rightfully annoyed skate shop employees.) That's fine. A lot of pros are short, too. Some of the objectively best skateboarders ever are short. I don't think any of my skate friends (besides the guy who was actually good, he wasn't tall) who weren't tall ever even talked to me about deck size or anything. There are arguments that mechanically it's better to be sub-5'10" over all. There's a reason Reynolds was taking those ice baths. There's a reason Jake Johnsons entire shit is fucked up. But understand that laymen, regular people are also taller than you are. or shorter, whatever. I'm 6'2" with size 12 feet; I'm not gonna DM alexis sablone about her set up, you know? I haven't skated an 8 inch board since I was twelve.

[JamesFardy]

It was the new H street video

[Paulie Gualtieri]

I'm 6' with weak, long limbs and prefer 8-8.25s because they're lighter and easier to flip, although I'm only a size 10 foot.

[cumlover84]

polar big boys with dunks will never look good

[Billy Bitchcakes]

There are not enough board companies. I'm not talking about some random designing 20 boards with Sonic the Hedgehog hitting a bong on buildcustomskateboards.com to sell out of their trunk at the skatepark to vaping teenagers.

I'm talking about actual board companies with a nice overall aesthetic, great video direction, a solid team, and a real stake in the market. Because if you really think about it, there really aren't many of those companies around. I like going to the shop and seeing a wide variety of different companies on the wall with all different shapes, woodshops, and places where they originated. That's why I don't like when people roll their eyes and say "oh here we go, yet another board company." If a new board company blows it though then they blow it and the market will respond accordingly. But to dismiss a new company right out the gate for no reason other than them being new is shortsighted imo.

I'd rather be oversaturated with new board companies than only having the option of buying from a few established big brands. It's like going to an ice cream store and only having 8 basic flavors on the menu. Like nah, give me a Reece's peanut butter cup pistachio oreo crunch sundae with gummy bears and go fuck yourself.       

The reason there aren't more big, established board companies with a stake in the market is precisely because there are too many board companies. Companies can't stand out as much or reach decent levels of success when the market is so saturated, especially with a product with such slim margins. You can't really have it both ways.

[TheDraught]

GME is never going to take off, let alone go to the moon.

All you apes holdling 20 shares thinking they will get tendies, lambos and mansions because the HF's are run by a bunch of morons, think again. They have had months to cover their asses and by now the GME rocket is a fairytale.

Oh wait wrong website, my bad.

[sketchyrider]

most skaters would see their skating improve if they moved back down to 8.0 boards from 8.5

ace trucks are actually kind of bad. heavy and turn poorly if they are tightened much at all. ok if loose but no better than indy

wide wheels catch on pebbles more than skinny wheels due to more surface area (rather than "riding over" pebbles)

bones are better than spitfire on rough surfaces

supreme has a great team and cool videos and their hats have no peers

i know this is for unpopular "opinions" but this one is just wrong. kind of like people who think skinny wheels "grip" as much, if not more than wide wheels, it's a misapplication of physics. there's a reason cruiser wheels are wide bro.

i tried skating an 8.125 a while back, its a no from me dawg...not everyone should be on 159's but i ain't going back.

[jorge]

GME is never going to take off, let alone go to the moon.

All you apes holdling 20 shares thinking they will get tendies, lambos and mansions because the HF's are run by a bunch of morons, think again. They have had months to cover their asses and by now the GME rocket is a fairytale.

Oh wait wrong website, my bad.

Yeah but what about AMC?  Smooth brained apes need to know.

[baaaaaaguette]

most skaters would see their skating improve if they moved back down to 8.0 boards from 8.5

ace trucks are actually kind of bad. heavy and turn poorly if they are tightened much at all. ok if loose but no better than indy

wide wheels catch on pebbles more than skinny wheels due to more surface area (rather than "riding over" pebbles)

bones are better than spitfire on rough surfaces

supreme has a great team and cool videos and their hats have no peers

I have 30 cm feet and I’m tall. 8,5 is perfect and I have no problem boosting my tricks high up

[baaaaaaguette]

GME is never going to take off, let alone go to the moon.

All you apes holdling 20 shares thinking they will get tendies, lambos and mansions because the HF's are run by a bunch of morons, think again. They have had months to cover their asses and by now the GME rocket is a fairytale.

Oh wait wrong website, my bad.

Please crawl back to reddit, thanks

[TheDraught]

Expand Quote

GME is never going to take off, let alone go to the moon.

All you apes holdling 20 shares thinking they will get tendies, lambos and mansions because the HF's are run by a bunch of morons, think again. They have had months to cover their asses and by now the GME rocket is a fairytale.

Oh wait wrong website, my bad.

[close]

Yeah but what about AMC?  Smooth brained apes need to know.

I will ask my wife's boyfriend. He's wrinkly brained ape, I just eat crayons all day.

[boi-cuzudo]

if skateboarding was a financial market would yall invest in what?

[pizzafliptofakie]

a lot of people who "dont care about board size or wheelbase" are short people who've never thought about it (or rightfully annoyed skate shop employees.) That's fine. A lot of pros are short, too. Some of the objectively best skateboarders ever are short. I don't think any of my skate friends (besides the guy who was actually good, he wasn't tall) who weren't tall ever even talked to me about deck size or anything. There are arguments that mechanically it's better to be sub-5'10" over all. There's a reason Reynolds was taking those ice baths. There's a reason Jake Johnsons entire shit is fucked up. But understand that laymen, regular people are also taller than you are. or shorter, whatever. I'm 6'2" with size 12 feet; I'm not gonna DM alexis sablone about her set up, you know? I haven't skated an 8 inch board since I was twelve.

He did this literally once

[codymacfan]

Are a lot of girl skaters riding boards too big? We've obviously seen many girl skaters who can skate with big speed and power, but it always looks like some girls could benefit from a smaller board when they're barely landing kickflips. Do they just like skating like that? Are they just not strong enough yet?

Possibly unpopular because sexism, etc.

[sketchyrider]

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most skaters would see their skating improve if they moved back down to 8.0 boards from 8.5

ace trucks are actually kind of bad. heavy and turn poorly if they are tightened much at all. ok if loose but no better than indy

wide wheels catch on pebbles more than skinny wheels due to more surface area (rather than "riding over" pebbles)

bones are better than spitfire on rough surfaces

supreme has a great team and cool videos and their hats have no peers

[close]

i know this is for unpopular "opinions" but this one is just wrong. kind of like people who think skinny wheels "grip" as much, if not more than wide wheels, it's a misapplication of physics. there's a reason cruiser wheels are wide bro.

i tried skating an 8.125 a while back, its a no from me dawg...not everyone should be on 159's but i ain't going back.

[close]

cruiser wheel can just cruise over the pebbles though

I realize its wrong but ever since I moved from tablets to V3 slims I've never hit a pebble!

grip is a different thing. the slims aren't as grippy skating bowl but they are grippy enough. but for anything outside of bowl. I don't care about "grip" .

lol, i guess that's one approach, can't hit a pebble if your wheels are slim enough to slide in between them all...

[boi-cuzudo]

Are a lot of girl skaters riding boards too big? We've obviously seen many girl skaters who can skate with big speed and power, but it always looks like some girls could benefit from a smaller board when they're barely landing kickflips. Do they just like skating like that? Are they just not strong enough yet?

Possibly unpopular because sexism, etc.

does a big butt butt requires bigger wheelbaase?

[codymacfan]

Expand Quote

Are a lot of girl skaters riding boards too big? We've obviously seen many girl skaters who can skate with big speed and power, but it always looks like some girls could benefit from a smaller board when they're barely landing kickflips. Do they just like skating like that? Are they just not strong enough yet?

Possibly unpopular because sexism, etc.

[close]

does a big butt butt requires bigger wheelbaase?

Idk, ask this chick.

[tortfeasor]

 rollerbladers appear to be coming out of their oyola-era as strong, lean, and loyal as skateboarders were at the time. the average person who rides a skateboard is becoming more kooky, more insecure, and less dedicated . the type of person who would have picked up a skateboard a decade ago may be reaching for rollerblades in a few years and there will be a lot of barely used skateboards wasting away in garages.   i'm not sure where the fault lies but skateboarding became too accessible and not discerning enough. as a result its become bottom dependent and diluted. we are in a bubble. the end of skateboarding's fourth big money phase is on the horizon.

[boi-cuzudo]

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Are a lot of girl skaters riding boards too big? We've obviously seen many girl skaters who can skate with big speed and power, but it always looks like some girls could benefit from a smaller board when they're barely landing kickflips. Do they just like skating like that? Are they just not strong enough yet?

Possibly unpopular because sexism, etc.

[close]

does a big butt butt requires bigger wheelbaase?

[close]

Idk, ask this chick.

actually my comment was dumb, I don't know what i was thinking.