http://www.jenkemmag.com/home/2014/12/16/an-interview-with-keelan-dadd-and-his-girlfriend/You left DGK recently? What’s the deal? I heard it was because you were unhappy with the pay?
KEELAN: Actually the pay and stuff was good. It was more of, I’ve been with DGK for a long time and at this point in my life I’m just ready for change, ready to better myself and I just wasn’t so down with the direction that the brand is going nowadays. It caters to a young crowd and I’m here for the kids but at the same time, I’m an adult and I was trying to make it to a point where I could satisfy all the people that are into me. We just weren’t coming to an agreement so the decision I made was to leave. I was approached about an apparel brand a little while ago and I thought it’d make sense to take the chance and just basically be a part of something that I can have a say in the direction and the whole look of the company. Take control over what I’m trying to do. I’m just here to grow.
Is it true you were making $10,000 a month riding for DGK?
KEELAN: Yeah, well basically how I was saying with the whole direction, it’s funny that people will believe whatever they hear or see, but money was not the issue. $10,000 a month is a decent amount of money. That was for a full DGK package [Being sponsored by DGK boards and DGK apparel]. I was willing to take a cut from that. I was even trying to take a pay cut to make it work just so I was sponsored for riding the boards or whatever. Basically I was just trying to show my support and my loyalty for the brand, and I was willing to take a pay cut, to do what I do. With that being said, after talking, it still did not work out. The money was not the issue, I can say that over and over.
I have to ask – what about this text message apparently from you that circulated around the internet, saying money was the issue?
KEELAN: Oh yeah, I saw that but you know, it’s 2014, our phones talk to us… you can create any name that you want for any contact and you can take a picture of whatever you want. Like I said, people will believe anything that they see or what they hear. I’ll say believe what you will, there’s a lot of bullshit out there. I mean, it looks like a text, but I don’t know who put that shit out there. I can make a screenshot of your name saying whatever and put any name that I want on it, right now, you know?
DGK doesn't do royalties just salary.
Keelan thought he'd be better off getting royalties and that didn't work out.
He also wanted to leave DGK clothing to rep a clothing brand and take a paycut to do it. As shown with Darren Harper and YUMS, DGK will veto sponsors from other brands when they feel like they just want a piece of the DGK image/market. Which I can kind of understand. They've had that "urban" demographic cornered forever and part of that is by protecting their image. DGK want's you to buy DGK clothes. They don't want you to go into Zumiez and see Keelan on a poster for DGfaKe clothing riding a DGK board, wearing a DGK hat but a DGfaKe shirt.
That's just my speculation. I really like Keelan's skating. I'd like to see him back on DGK honestly.
Topic: Keelan Dadd (Read 22019 times)