SKF bearings back to skateboarding (with a heavy team)

[halfbad]

SKF is THE company that got filthy rich by selling ball bearings to nazis before and during ww2. Every tank, weapon system, airplane, the trains that took jews to concentration camps - EVERYTHING with rotating parts or wheels - the nazis had was rolling exclusively on swedish SKF bearings.

That's how the swedes got where they are today. Sad but true

Edit: So for anyone who has a problem with indy's iron cross: SKF is the real deal XDDD

Right, and many democrats were segregationists in the 1940s and 50s. Times change.

I'd love to try a set SKFs.

[bbk]

I saw the catalog today, they're doing Oski signatures and ceramics and they ave a two page ad in this or the next thrasher

[fakiefs180]

I got some SKF bearings in a car shop, although they had metal shields, they were good. Better as the reds they replaced. If they come with nylon shields, I'd like to try them again.

[rocklobster]

Maybe 1 of the CEOs kids was tasked with expanding their market share, the skateboarding market will be pocket change to them. Auto / airline / heavy machinery client probably make up the bulk of their revenue, can't see how much the skateboarding segment will add to their overall revenue.

[manysnakes]

Maybe 1 of the CEOs kids was tasked with expanding their market share, the skateboarding market will be pocket change to them. Auto / airline / heavy machinery client probably make up the bulk of their revenue, can't see how much the skateboarding segment will add to their overall revenue.

Yeah, it’s kind of shocking to decide to enter the skateboard market, which is small and niche, and devoted to a number of brands who make openly subpar products. Like the best bearings are Bones Swiss, which are about twice as much as the cheap stuff, last much longer, and are still too expensive for most skaters. I expect that a single yearly run of Swiss are what SKF will sell to Boeing in a week, so it’s hard to see how this is worth the effort.

[Ishaboi]

The bearings I tried in the late 2000s during their short stint were absolute dog shit.

[fartface]

Gothenburg pride

[MysticalTypeExperience]

They’ll all probably still just skate Swiss anyway.

This, I'm gonna need proof in the form of purely 8k res footy Strobek zoomed into the bearings on every trick.

Also, if they're Chinese made bearings they're made in the same factories as every other company. It's just marketing bullshit like 99% of everything in skating

[benboardbreaker]

Fun fact: one of the most coolest and obscure skate parks is in SKF's old warehouse deep in a mountain cave in Gothenburg, Sweden. I used to study in Gothenburg Uni as an exchange student for 6 months in 2011. Every Friday night there where old boys street session and beer there where I got warmly welcomed by the locals. Good times. I recommend people to visit if they are near by ever. 

See this clip from this bizarre skatepark 

[ziggy]

I would have preferred SMA but okay

[GardenSkater77]

In the shop when they used to ask, German or Swiss? Who made the German bearings?

[backinaction]

In the shop when they used to ask, German or Swiss? Who made the German bearings?

GMN

https://www.gmnbt.com

[nonickname]

SKF is THE company that got filthy rich by selling ball bearings to nazis before and during ww2. Every tank, weapon system, airplane, the trains that took jews to concentration camps - EVERYTHING with rotating parts or wheels - the nazis had was rolling exclusively on swedish SKF bearings.

That's how the swedes got where they are today. Sad but true

Edit: So for anyone who has a problem with indy's iron cross: SKF is the real deal XDDD

So the air raid on Schweinfurt was really in Sweden? Those B-17s must have been really off course...damn Norden's must have needed recalibration.

[bbk]

The box for the Oski pros I saw actually said "Made in Italy".

[rocklobster]

The box for the Oski pros I saw actually said "Made in Italy".

Does that make them better than "Made in China"?



SKF = Skaterboarders Kickflip Fast

[Coping Grinder]

Maybe 1 of the CEOs kids was tasked with expanding their market share, the skateboarding market will be pocket change to them. Auto / airline / heavy machinery client probably make up the bulk of their revenue, can't see how much the skateboarding segment will add to their overall revenue.

Could be a move for cheap and effective marketing for their products as a whole. Photos of skaters can make your industrial bearings look a little more exciting, and the photos/videos would be their property to use across all products.

[S.]

Expand Quote

Maybe 1 of the CEOs kids was tasked with expanding their market share, the skateboarding market will be pocket change to them. Auto / airline / heavy machinery client probably make up the bulk of their revenue, can't see how much the skateboarding segment will add to their overall revenue.

[close]

Yeah, it’s kind of shocking to decide to enter the skateboard market, which is small and niche, and devoted to a number of brands who make openly subpar products. Like the best bearings are Bones Swiss, which are about twice as much as the cheap stuff, last much longer, and are still too expensive for most skaters. I expect that a single yearly run of Swiss are what SKF will sell to Boeing in a week, so it’s hard to see how this is worth the effort.

They‘ve had their bearings in skate shops in Germany for decades. My first setup in 1997 had skf bearings. They guy in the shop told my dad that those were the cheapest and best bearings they had. Of course he bought them. I have three siblings. he took every chance he could to save a little. The bearings were great and lasted forever. I kept buying them, but when they officially entered the skate market internationally their bearings weren’t as good anymore I feel. They were still great, but would break more quickly than their older lines of bearings. By the way you can just order industrial bearings online and use them for skateboarding. I used to do that until I discovered powell mini Logos which are good and cheap.

[Mr.Jenkins]

Fun fact: one of the most coolest and obscure skate parks is in SKF's old warehouse deep in a mountain cave in Gothenburg, Sweden. I used to study in Gothenburg Uni as an exchange student for 6 months in 2011. Every Friday night there where old boys street session and beer there where I got warmly welcomed by the locals. Good times. I recommend people to visit if they are near by ever. 

See this clip from this bizarre skatepark 

Those fridays was legendary. Probably skated together then. Jens (last Guy in your clip) is still going hard.

And fuck SKF. They are a few hundred meters away and never supported the skatepark. In fact, they sold off the place 2 years ago (was rented out to the city) and almost make the park close due to that.

[Chavo]

According to that informative Rock n' Ron rant, SKF no longer makes miniature bearings and outsources skateboard bearings to China.

[Lou Strux]

According to that informative Rock n' Ron rant, SKF no longer makes miniature bearings and outsources skateboard bearings to China.

This is good intel to have before shelling out $, only to realize you've just bought what amounts to a set of Lucky bearings.

[franquietits]

I had them in the late 2000's after seeing reynolds in some of their ads back then; they really weren't much better than reds from what I remember. I'm not sure I would take their heritage as a bearing maker as a strong credential for a skating specific context, but we'll have to see what they come out with this time.

[rocklobster]

Expand Quote

According to that informative Rock n' Ron rant, SKF no longer makes miniature bearings and outsources skateboard bearings to China.

[close]

This is good intel to have before shelling out $, only to realize you've just bought what amounts to a set of Lucky bearings.

Say no to Lucky bearings, Speed Demon & World Industries in the grenade case for life!

[noninjasinstreetfighter]

They’ll all probably still just skate Swiss anyway.

The Royal Treatment

[The Drew]

I just buy NTN or NSK 608Z's

[benboardbreaker]

Expand Quote

Fun fact: one of the most coolest and obscure skate parks is in SKF's old warehouse deep in a mountain cave in Gothenburg, Sweden. I used to study in Gothenburg Uni as an exchange student for 6 months in 2011. Every Friday night there where old boys street session and beer there where I got warmly welcomed by the locals. Good times. I recommend people to visit if they are near by ever. 

See this clip from this bizarre skatepark 

[close]

Those fridays was legendary. Probably skated together then. Jens (last Guy in your clip) is still going hard.

And fuck SKF. They are a few hundred meters away and never supported the skatepark. In fact, they sold off the place 2 years ago (was rented out to the city) and almost make the park close due to that.

Great. It was funny because Gothenburg also had a 80's group that skated every Sunday morning with Powell boards that skated transition. I thought that that was quite diverse to have such different scenes. Very organized, very Scandinavian.

[Vintagebody]

SKF skate bearings are cheaper then regular 608 SKF, or NTN bearings. Which make me wonder if they have skimped on the tolerances. Tho it makes sense as most skaters doesnt use the bearings correctly. Nor is the wheel tolerances up to par

[R3dBullRox420]

This, I'm gonna need proof in the form of purely 8k res footy Strobek zoomed into the bearings on every trick.

Also, if they're Chinese made bearings they're made in the same factories as every other company. It's just marketing bullshit like 99% of everything in skating

Lmao. Solid takes. 

Expand Quote

According to that informative Rock n' Ron rant, SKF no longer makes miniature bearings and outsources skateboard bearings to China.

[close]

This is good intel to have before shelling out $, only to realize you've just bought what amounts to a set of Lucky bearings.

The "Made In China" quality stigma is outdated. Did y'all go full caveman mode during the pandemic?
Haha y'all act like we don't live in a global economy that heavily relies on quality manufacturing from China.

Also SKF is the top bearing maker, based in the country that invented the bearing.
Why would they dilute their quality when they could just give their sauce to their Chinese producer?

SKF is THE company that got filthy rich by selling ball bearings to nazis before and during ww2. Every tank, weapon system, airplane, the trains that took jews to concentration camps - EVERYTHING with rotating parts or wheels - the nazis had was rolling exclusively on swedish SKF bearings.

Learned of this recently at an art exhibition for gothenburgs 400th birthday a few months back. It was sheading light on swedens role in WW2, slave trade, etc. Fucked up history, but the accountability is kind of cool It was state sponsored but the curators still got to show that it hasn't always been a goody two shoes country

I had them in the late 2000's after seeing reynolds in some of their ads back then; they really weren't much better than reds from what I remember. I'm not sure I would take their heritage as a bearing maker as a strong credential for a skating specific context, but we'll have to see what they come out with this time.

Damn I remember Andrew Reynolds had one of those Pay Day giveaways in Transworld during that Baker 3 era. Was the fattest box.. but yeah they had some SKFs in there.
The Skate Fast moniker was kinda tight. A not-too-corny spin on their name.

[mj23]

SKF is THE company that got filthy rich by selling ball bearings to nazis before and during ww2. Every tank, weapon system, airplane, the trains that took jews to concentration camps - EVERYTHING with rotating parts or wheels - the nazis had was rolling exclusively on swedish SKF bearings.

That's how the swedes got where they are today. Sad but true

Edit: So for anyone who has a problem with indy's iron cross: SKF is the real deal XDDD

Fun fact: one of the most coolest and obscure skate parks is in SKF's old warehouse deep in a mountain cave in Gothenburg, Sweden. I used to study in Gothenburg Uni as an exchange student for 6 months in 2011. Every Friday night there where old boys street session and beer there where I got warmly welcomed by the locals. Good times. I recommend people to visit if they are near by ever. 

See this clip from this bizarre skatepark 

i'm piecing this all together and getting kind of a 'james bond villain' vibe