Mike Carroll on the future of Crailtap

[mattchew]

That's a really brutal watch right now. Damn.

[ducky darnsworth]

why do i have a feeling crailtap isn't the only thing that might be dead in the next couple of years?

[HungUp]

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Im stil confused by the McCrank tweet. Why does the anonyminity of a messageboard dilute the message? It's not our fault you decided to play skateboards for a living and pros shouldnt be so soft about this type of shit

[close]

maybe he's next in line to go corporate so he's trying to take the edge off a bit.

Ding Ding! Makes perfect sense, he's aging, not producing as much, has a family etc.  I just wish these pros understood that any reasonable person isn't going to be mad at that... unless you're a backstabbing prick about it.  Yes it would be nice if they used some of that corpo money and put it back into skateboarding.  That said, the last thing we need is another 10,000 little board companies.  I love Guy but I don't have much faith in whatever he cookin up with Kookston.  Just come correct with the footy goddammit and don't make ugly ass shoes that cost $150.

[Monkey_Mcpott]

WTF are these supposed projects??!! Seriously just stop beating around the bush and say what you gotta say, Carroll put it all on the table and you should too.

Crazy how completely different Daewon and Marc's approach is, watching MJ fall like this is like watching the Lance Armstrong controversy unfold. I think everyone's getting it right though by siding with Daewon and not MJ.

[zippy z]

He looked bad in that @nyskateboarding pic and that video was worse. He really looks like he's relapsed and stressed by the way he's talking and his body language. He's really skinny too compared to the pics that have been out since he got sober.

I hope whoever is around him is doing their best to reign him in and get help ASAP. A lot of addicts aren't good at coping with major stress and instability after they get sober. All I'm saying is Marc doesn't look well and all of this hateful talk could lead to some horrible ending if he is aware of it. The level of hate some people here are expressing over a sponsor change and some money is disgusting.

This isn't a perfect comparison, but let me at least get this off my chest. A couple days ago a close friend's younger brother passed away after turning back to booze and pills following a brain surgery for a tumor because he couldn't deal with the pain. He had gotten married a month ago. Two weeks later she left because his drinking and behavior was unbearable. They found him and he'd been dead for 24-36 hours. Right now they are running a toxicology test and his brain is in a lab for some kind of neurological testing because the autopsy didn't show any obvious sign of death. My friend told me his mom and his brother's wife are inconsolable basket cases. This is the kind of thing that happens to a lot of relapsed addicts.

[Tyroneshoelaces]

why do i have a feeling crailtap isn't the only thing that might be dead in the next couple of years?

MJ of Meth?


stoked for daewon in every way.  MJ is a bummer in every way except his skateboarding.

[unerds]

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Kelly Bird: gone
Scott Johnston: gone
Guy: gone
Koston: gone
Biebel: gone (left right as his Staple colorway was being released)

and now
Marc Johnson: gone

But it is all Marc Johnson's fault cause Mike Carroll said so!

Did anyone expect anything different when they took the money from Altamont?

Planning a clean exit for Marc from Lakai = Rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

It sucks, but nothing is forever.

[close]

Except it seems like those guys all went out in a managed way that didnt blindside Crail, with open communication and a sit down. Marc, if you believe MCs story, just simply lied about it. Also a colorway is different than a signature shoe.

I get what you are saying, but it looks like MJ bounced, lied and didnt handle it. As has been said before, when other people left, they tried to do it on a manageable schedule. Like Gino, who quit but waited to announce later so that Crail could handle its shit. Carroll says hes fine with MJ leaving; its that MJ lied to him and didnt properly negotiate a separation agreement.

Im guessing you are huge Marc Johnson fan. Sorry, bud. He's gonna let you down!

[close]

labor, I get what you're saying but I've worked places where things started to go to shit, and it was pretty apparent.  When you start to see the behind the scenes people leave, and your other co-workers, you try to hang on as long as you can.  But at what point are you staying just out of loyalty and at what point are you just like "fuck this, i'm dragging myself down by trying to hang on and be part of something that is being run into the ground".  Now I'm NOT saying you torch the people/company on the way out, but it can play on you mentally until you finally just separate yourself from it.  And it doesn't always end well.  I mean, look at all the people that left.  CLEARLY there's some gnarly behind the scenes shit that's going on.

[close]

YEAH what he said

riiiiight... clearly, behind the scenes, adidas and nike can afford to pay their team higher wages.

other than that, nothing is clearly going on behind the scenes... that doesn't mean there isn't something going on, just that it's not clear, as you say.

[doublesteveburger]

That was a pretty harsh interview to watch only because Marc shows the physical appearance of someone going through manic episodes, substance abuse or an alarming lack of rest. It felt like he couldn't even get his point, if he even had one, across. I'm not just saying this because he's been one of my favorite skateboarders since the tilt mode days but I just genuinely hope he gets help cause it seems like he needs it.

Daewon is a sweetheart.

[stevedave]

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Kelly Bird: gone
Scott Johnston: gone
Guy: gone
Koston: gone
Biebel: gone (left right as his Staple colorway was being released)

and now
Marc Johnson: gone

But it is all Marc Johnson's fault cause Mike Carroll said so!

Did anyone expect anything different when they took the money from Altamont?

Planning a clean exit for Marc from Lakai = Rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

It sucks, but nothing is forever.

[close]

Except it seems like those guys all went out in a managed way that didnt blindside Crail, with open communication and a sit down. Marc, if you believe MCs story, just simply lied about it. Also a colorway is different than a signature shoe.

I get what you are saying, but it looks like MJ bounced, lied and didnt handle it. As has been said before, when other people left, they tried to do it on a manageable schedule. Like Gino, who quit but waited to announce later so that Crail could handle its shit. Carroll says hes fine with MJ leaving; its that MJ lied to him and didnt properly negotiate a separation agreement.

Im guessing you are huge Marc Johnson fan. Sorry, bud. He's gonna let you down!

[close]

labor, I get what you're saying but I've worked places where things started to go to shit, and it was pretty apparent.  When you start to see the behind the scenes people leave, and your other co-workers, you try to hang on as long as you can.  But at what point are you staying just out of loyalty and at what point are you just like "fuck this, i'm dragging myself down by trying to hang on and be part of something that is being run into the ground".  Now I'm NOT saying you torch the people/company on the way out, but it can play on you mentally until you finally just separate yourself from it.  And it doesn't always end well.  I mean, look at all the people that left.  CLEARLY there's some gnarly behind the scenes shit that's going on.

[close]

YEAH what he said

[close]

riiiiight... clearly, behind the scenes, adidas and nike can afford to pay their team higher wages.

other than that, nothing is clearly going on behind the scenes... that doesn't mean there isn't something going on, just that it's not clear, as you say.

what, you wanna play fuckin semantics here?  yup, nothing going on, just some of the biggest names in skateboarding all leaving the SAME distribution company.  You see Trujillo, or Chima or anyone from Deluxe in a mass exodus to Nike?  Or any other companies with a mass exodus like from the Crail camp?  Maybe you remember a little situation with DNA distribution? Do you even know what DNA was?  Yeah, people leaving AWS because as you may recall, the ship sank after investment from an outside source and a lack of confidence in the new investors, while losing the family feel it always had.  sound familiar in the slightest?  keep trolling me, i'll keep kooking you. 

[spaghetti]

This whole situation really sucks as fans of both MC and MJ.  I understand that there is shit going on internally we don't know about, but from a business perspective, MJ fucked up.  Mike said that lakai riders have always had contracts, so I am assuming there is a clause in there that if MJ breaks the contract he can be held liable for any of his product lakai is sitting on.  Going from all the ads I have seen for the MJ model and the upcoming colorways, lakai is most likely sitting on a lot of MJ product.  Dude probably shouldn't keep poking the bear and just shut his mouth.  Mike said he didn't want to get lawyers involved because that's not what they are about, but hes legally within his right to.  Again, this is assuming this in in the contract, but isn't this what happened to Trevor Colden with zero, this should be common in skateboarding contracts.

Yeah, Marc looks rough.  I hope its just from stress, but his rambling really didnt help.  I also fully back Daewon and his decision, he needs a company that can support his projects.

[Toydivision]

Mike carroll sounds like a cry baby who made bad business decisions and now going on the offensive cause his brands aren't "cool" anymore. its actually making me think MC is a bitch for contacting jenkem just to trash marc.

Yes there is loyalty issues but mike and rick cashed out already and are rich while telling marc "don't take that other contract until we sell all your shoes but by the way we cutting your pay too"....

In the interview he mentioned marc responded saying "did you read the contract?" implying it was a slap in the face

A business isn't just about Mike, Rick or MJ. What MJ did affects all employees and riders over at the Crailtap camp. Basically, Marc is responsible for an even greater loss of profit, which now they're probably going to have to cut in places to make up. Mike Carrol may have made bad business decisions, but MJ made a bad ethical decision. It's not just Rick and Mike who gets affected the worst, I'd say other team riders would have to cover the cost as well, and that's not cool.

Fuck, I can only imagine the repercussions for pulling a stunt like this over at Adidas or Nike. Imagine having thousands of Adidas/Nike shoes and product ready to be sold, and just dipping on the company. Law suits and industry mayhem is all I can see.

[castillo's curls]

Man will we ever see the day when one of those new Nike/Adidas "acquisitions" will just flat out admit that they wanted the money? Creative endeavors my ass

[unerds]

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Kelly Bird: gone
Scott Johnston: gone
Guy: gone
Koston: gone
Biebel: gone (left right as his Staple colorway was being released)

and now
Marc Johnson: gone

But it is all Marc Johnson's fault cause Mike Carroll said so!

Did anyone expect anything different when they took the money from Altamont?

Planning a clean exit for Marc from Lakai = Rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

It sucks, but nothing is forever.

[close]

Except it seems like those guys all went out in a managed way that didnt blindside Crail, with open communication and a sit down. Marc, if you believe MCs story, just simply lied about it. Also a colorway is different than a signature shoe.

I get what you are saying, but it looks like MJ bounced, lied and didnt handle it. As has been said before, when other people left, they tried to do it on a manageable schedule. Like Gino, who quit but waited to announce later so that Crail could handle its shit. Carroll says hes fine with MJ leaving; its that MJ lied to him and didnt properly negotiate a separation agreement.

Im guessing you are huge Marc Johnson fan. Sorry, bud. He's gonna let you down!

[close]

labor, I get what you're saying but I've worked places where things started to go to shit, and it was pretty apparent.  When you start to see the behind the scenes people leave, and your other co-workers, you try to hang on as long as you can.  But at what point are you staying just out of loyalty and at what point are you just like "fuck this, i'm dragging myself down by trying to hang on and be part of something that is being run into the ground".  Now I'm NOT saying you torch the people/company on the way out, but it can play on you mentally until you finally just separate yourself from it.  And it doesn't always end well.  I mean, look at all the people that left.  CLEARLY there's some gnarly behind the scenes shit that's going on.

[close]

YEAH what he said

[close]

riiiiight... clearly, behind the scenes, adidas and nike can afford to pay their team higher wages.

other than that, nothing is clearly going on behind the scenes... that doesn't mean there isn't something going on, just that it's not clear, as you say.

[close]

what, you wanna play fuckin semantics here?  yup, nothing going on, just some of the biggest names in skateboarding all leaving the SAME distribution company.  You see Trujillo, or Chima or anyone from Deluxe in a mass exodus to Nike?  Or any other companies with a mass exodus like from the Crail camp?  Maybe you remember a little situation with DNA distribution? Do you even know what DNA was?  Yeah, people leaving AWS because as you may recall, the ship sank after investment from an outside source and a lack of confidence in the new investors, while losing the family feel it always had.  sound familiar in the slightest?  keep trolling me, i'll keep kooking you.  

got your hackles up, but i'm not trolling shit here.  what i'm saying is right now, money is making plays in skateboarding, and crail has the most *accessible* branding, with the greatest market overlap and evidently, the most potential to directly compete.

so when you say this is clearly the result of behind the scenes shit, i don't doubt that it is, but i do doubt that it's strictly an internal issue.

corporate skateboarding has nothing to fear from other camps, as they likely don't feel threatened by brands and teams that don't try to perpetuate an image that overlaps with their own intentions.

crail has always had a more broadly marketable thing going on, so to me, it's no surprise that whatever poaching might be going on behind the scenes would be directed at their camp first.

[Toydivision]

I feel like Adidas has lost more from acquiring MJ, than gained anything.

If they hadn't brought MJ into their team, this whole debacle never would have happened. People would just be discussing Away Days and sharing "Fuck Nike" sentiments as usual, and the world would have ignored the corporate side of Adidas and moved on.

[NickDagger]

Everyone just going to forget about the time Chocolate tried to shoot MJ in the back?

http://youtu.be/JJ_IW6l_hOo?t=143

[stevedave]

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Kelly Bird: gone
Scott Johnston: gone
Guy: gone
Koston: gone
Biebel: gone (left right as his Staple colorway was being released)

and now
Marc Johnson: gone

But it is all Marc Johnson's fault cause Mike Carroll said so!

Did anyone expect anything different when they took the money from Altamont?

Planning a clean exit for Marc from Lakai = Rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

It sucks, but nothing is forever.

[close]

Except it seems like those guys all went out in a managed way that didnt blindside Crail, with open communication and a sit down. Marc, if you believe MCs story, just simply lied about it. Also a colorway is different than a signature shoe.

I get what you are saying, but it looks like MJ bounced, lied and didnt handle it. As has been said before, when other people left, they tried to do it on a manageable schedule. Like Gino, who quit but waited to announce later so that Crail could handle its shit. Carroll says hes fine with MJ leaving; its that MJ lied to him and didnt properly negotiate a separation agreement.

Im guessing you are huge Marc Johnson fan. Sorry, bud. He's gonna let you down!

[close]

labor, I get what you're saying but I've worked places where things started to go to shit, and it was pretty apparent.  When you start to see the behind the scenes people leave, and your other co-workers, you try to hang on as long as you can.  But at what point are you staying just out of loyalty and at what point are you just like "fuck this, i'm dragging myself down by trying to hang on and be part of something that is being run into the ground".  Now I'm NOT saying you torch the people/company on the way out, but it can play on you mentally until you finally just separate yourself from it.  And it doesn't always end well.  I mean, look at all the people that left.  CLEARLY there's some gnarly behind the scenes shit that's going on.

[close]

YEAH what he said

[close]

riiiiight... clearly, behind the scenes, adidas and nike can afford to pay their team higher wages.

other than that, nothing is clearly going on behind the scenes... that doesn't mean there isn't something going on, just that it's not clear, as you say.

[close]

what, you wanna play fuckin semantics here?  yup, nothing going on, just some of the biggest names in skateboarding all leaving the SAME distribution company.  You see Trujillo, or Chima or anyone from Deluxe in a mass exodus to Nike?  Or any other companies with a mass exodus like from the Crail camp?  Maybe you remember a little situation with DNA distribution? Do you even know what DNA was?  Yeah, people leaving AWS because as you may recall, the ship sank after investment from an outside source and a lack of confidence in the new investors, while losing the family feel it always had.  sound familiar in the slightest?  keep trolling me, i'll keep kooking you.  

[close]

got your hackles up, but i'm not trolling shit here.  what i'm saying is right now, money is making plays in skateboarding, and crail has the most *accessible* branding, with the greatest market overlap and evidently, the most potential to directly compete.

so when you say this is clearly the result of behind the scenes shit, i don't doubt that it is, but i do doubt that it's strictly an internal issue.

corporate skateboarding has nothing to fear from other camps, as they likely don't feel threatened by brands and teams that don't try to perpetuate an image that overlaps with their own intentions.

crail has always had a more broadly marketable thing going on, so to me, it's no surprise that whatever poaching might be going on behind the scenes would be directed at their camp first.

OK, I hear ya.  Didn't mean to lay into you.  PERSONALLY, I don't think that that anything is being directed at their camp.  I think there's instability there, which MC pretty much admits too, and as a result, the older dudes are more susceptible to outside offers. Also, I don't doubt that a few of them actively looked elsewhere for a more stable sponsor be it boards or shoes.  A lot of team changes that go down is because people talk. "I heard dude A is bummed on his board sponsor" and with more established people in the industry going to bigger companies (Scuba, Sinclair, Bird, Johnston), they can use their influence of knowing these dudes on a personal level, and swaying their decisions to leave where they are at.  I HIGHLY doubt some no name suit from Adidas was the one to call Marc and Daewon.  Someone they know was mediating that, or bringing both parties to the able, at least in the initial stages. 

[asakusa75]

Whoa... MJ looks cooked in that interview. Crazy.

[Salty Lame Ass Poosey]

Marc Johnson looks ate the fuck up!

[Gray Imp Sausage Metal]

28 pages deep and people are still coming in all hot and not understanding that Carroll isn't mad at Marc for leaving Lakai....

THIS!
Also, "Darwin"

[slothflip]

that interview was absolutely crazy. daewon rambling on way too long about nothing that needs to be explained and mj obviously fubar. looks like they cut the video right before he was about to hit awkward gas pedal. hope his bros, family or new sponser can get him help if he needs it

[ADOLF SHITLER]

Damn my nigga maybe take your beanie off if you're sweating that hard

[Andrew]

 seems weird now

[Willie]

What the fuck was that TSM video? The worst damage control idea from the worst PR guy ever? It wasn't much of a positive promotional piece.

It's like a weird form of sec flagellation over the "right to sell out." I mean, I don't begrudge those guys doing what they feel they need to be doing (ok, I do a little) but it was just a goofy way to explain themselves. I mean, just say you have house payments and no profession besides skateboarding and I understand.


STILL WONDERING WHAT ALL THESE "PROJECTS" ARE!!?!
Hoverboards? Shoes with spurs to help you heelflip? Outreach programs? Videos that you could have done anywhere?
Can't wait.





BTW, didn't really get the alkie/junkie vibe - dude's just thin and old (I can relate).

[Jud Nestorkins]

With Marc and all of his projects that Carroll/Lakai "couldn't" do it was probably more like this. Marc being SUPER passionate about what he feels is a good idea and Carroll just laughing like, "haha! This fool cannot ACTUALLY think that's a good and/or funny idea?!"












This gif is most likely a perfect representaion of an average business meeting where Marc shares his great new idea with Carroll.

















































































PS. I still love and back whatever the fuck MJ decides to do

[LOU.502]

What the fuck was that TSM video? The worst damage control idea from the worst PR guy ever? It wasn't much of a positive promotional piece.

It's like a weird form of sec flagellation over the "right to sell out." I mean, I don't begrudge those guys doing what they feel they need to be doing (ok, I do a little) but it was just a goofy way to explain themselves. I mean, just say you have house payments and no profession besides skateboarding and I understand.


STILL WONDERING WHAT ALL THESE "PROJECTS" ARE!!?!
Hoverboards? Shoes with spurs to help you heelflip? Outreach programs? Videos that you could have done anywhere?
Can't wait.





BTW, didn't really get the alkie/junkie vibe - dude's just thin and old (I can relate).

You wanna talk projects?? How about Space heel flips, making how describing numbers through color gradient and figuring out how to vibe tre flips like "fuck you" when you're walking down the sidewalk... And that's just the tip of the berg my dude, you don't know the whole story or what's really going on behind scenes k

[DannyDee]

That was a pretty harsh interview to watch only because Marc shows the physical appearance of someone going through manic episodes, substance abuse or an alarming lack of rest. It felt like he couldn't even get his point, if he even had one, across. I'm not just saying this because he's been one of my favorite skateboarders since the tilt mode days but I just genuinely hope he gets help cause it seems like he needs it.

Daewon is a sweetheart.

Was going to say, he comes across as Bi-Polar/Manic in that interview. It was harsh, but that interview was a mess, and shouldn't of been put up.

[andocom]

So was the TSM interview was recorded after MC went in?

To me in that interview it seems as Daewon was really trying to justify a position no reasonable person would argue with, DVS aren't doing anything & aren't run by skateboarders any more, not only that he never went on anti sport shoe rants to begin with.

MJ seems to be supporting him and justifying Daewon's decision, while sounding like their situations are identical. I just can't believe they would do that interview after MC's article and not address the main point of how he left. The whole thing is bizarre and adidas must be wondering what type of shit show they have signed up for.  

[adamconway123]

Man will we ever see the day when one of those new Nike/Adidas "acquisitions" will just flat out admit that they wanted the money? Creative endeavors my ass

Seriously!!!

"I want to get paid to ride a skateboard and if people are going to offer me large amounts of money I'm going to take it so I'll have enough money to live when I can no longer skate at a level where people will pay me."

That's the only explanation you need...and it doesn't even need explaining.

[I_Respect_Wood]

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Man will we ever see the day when one of those new Nike/Adidas "acquisitions" will just flat out admit that they wanted the money? Creative endeavors my ass

[close]

Seriously!!!

"I want to get paid to ride a skateboard and if people are going to offer me large amounts of money I'm going to take it so I'll have enough money to live when I can no longer skate at a level where people will pay me."

That's the only explanation you need...and it doesn't even need explaining.

Yeah we will understand.... They trying too hard to justify what they do, The video and that " earned stripes" article just make carrolīs point stronger, I dont remember any pro changing sponsors with all this repercution, always we said "he left because he wanted more money" and thats it... I think adidas are regreting in some point what they just did....

[doyle]

So was the TSM interview was recorded after MC went in?

To me in that interview it seems as Daewon was really trying to justify a position no reasonable person would argue with, DVS aren't doing anything & aren't run by skateboarders any more, not only that he never went on anti sport shoe rants to begin with.

MJ seems to be supporting him and justifying Daewon's decision, while sounding like their situations are identical. I just can't believe they would do that interview after MC's article and not address the main point of how he left. The whole thing is bizarre and adidas must be wondering what type of shit show they have signed up for.  

no, it was recorded at the nyc premiere