Polar skate co “Everything is normal” vs Powell Peralta “Crazy Wisdom”

[144p]

I found it interesting that Polar Skateboards, an elite skate brand released a full length vid on June 21st and has around 51k views while Powell and && vid is just over a week old with 312k views.

To me this shows the fundamental shift taking place in skate culture and that the majority of skaters is now made up of a different demographic than 10 years ago.

Maybe it’s as simple as the newest vid isn’t by Pontus and lacks the creative vision his last few releases did.
Or maybe && has bridged a gap between skate genres we’ve never seen before.

Either way it appears Powell has returned to the top of skate culture relevancy in whatever bizarre world we reside in now. Maybe not necessarily causing sales to sky rocket but in visibility and brand recognition.
Are the death of big boy’s to blame? Are flight decks soon to dominate every skate shops deck wall?
Is the expiration date of most skate brands Pontus spoke of in a past interview around the corner?

[work_lurker]

I'm chalking these stats up to Powell likely having a huge non-skating, or "used to skate" following due to how long they've been around, Youtube algorithm manipulation, and family members seeing this and wanting to show the young skater in the family "how neat!"
 Ritchie Jackson has the most viewed video Thrasher has ever posted, but that does not equate to Ritchie Jackson being the most liked skater Thrasher has ever posted.

&& is better than "Slap the Ritchie out yo Fuckin name", but they aren't that different in terms of appeal.

[lurkluke]

&& is ubiquitous watching for pretty much everyone in skating. It was anticipated and controversial; from one of the most polarising skateboarders of all time... like him or not, we all watched it.

Do you really think a Polar vid would get more views?

[ok boomer]

People more curious to see if Andy getting Randy with his handy

[radcunt]

Andy gets every skate adjacent dork frothing which is smart on Powells side if you want views. It’s all just sales right, and they’ve found a solid lane with 40 something Powell collectors and little kids, which was always Powells initial strength.  It’s not for us and that’s fine.


I’m thinking either a new brand or existing will pivot into the YouTube brand space like Powells doing, but make it cool.

[Dwayne Hoover]

Do you really think a Polar vid would get more views?

no but polar vids usually hit six digit views pretty quickly and their prior three full lengths aren't far from a million views, 51k isn't great

the new baker video is doing really well, view-wise, but that's hardly surprising. videos on their channel always do well

it's not a 1:1 comparison but i'm also pretty shocked that the latest Toy Machine video is already at 385k views after less than two months - not far behind vaccine, which has been up for three full years

i think polar peaked years ago and i'm not surprised it's lagging in views but i still wonder if there's more to it than "video boring"

[Pappy Jones]

An interesting observation and a topic worth discussing. Although from what I understand from the thread about the Polar vid, the video somehow got marked as 18+ so in order for it to pop up in your suggested feed or to find it in general, you have to be logged into a YouTube account with your birthdate set into your profile showing you are at least 18 years of age. I feel like a lot of people watch YouTube but don’t have an account. This would definitely make any video miss out on all the random views you get from algorithms etc.


Videos having a million views in this day and age doesn’t mean what it did before an upload could hit some weird algorithm spike and suddenly be recommended to countless auto play feeds. That on top of the 18+ thing made a big difference I think.

[144p]

I was not aware of this, definitely changes my perspective a bit.

An interesting observation and a topic worth discussing. Although from what I understand from the thread about the Polar vid, the video somehow got marked as 18+ so in order for it to pop up in your suggested feed or to find it in general, you have to be logged into a YouTube account with your birthdate set into your profile showing you are at least 18 years of age. I feel like a lot of people watch YouTube but don’t have an account. This would definitely make any video miss out on all the random views you get from algorithms etc.


Videos having a million views in this day and age doesn’t mean what it did before an upload could hit some weird algorithm spike and suddenly be recommended to countless auto play feeds. That on top of the 18+ thing made a big difference I think.

[JonathonDerek]

&& is appealing to tweens. Polar is appealing to 40 yr olds who dress like tweens.

winner!

[Tear Up a Trick]

I found it interesting that Polar Skateboards, an elite skate brand released a full length vid on June 21st and has around 51k views while Powell and && vid is just over a week old with 312k views.

To me this shows the fundamental shift taking place in skate culture and that the majority of skaters is now made up of a different demographic than 10 years ago.

Maybe it’s as simple as the newest vid isn’t by Pontus and lacks the creative vision his last few releases did.
Or maybe && has bridged a gap between skate genres we’ve never seen before.

Either way it appears Powell has returned to the top of skate culture relevancy in whatever bizarre world we reside in now. Maybe not necessarily causing sales to sky rocket but in visibility and brand recognition.
Are the death of big boy’s to blame? Are flight decks soon to dominate every skate shops deck wall?
Is the expiration date of most skate brands Pontus spoke of in a past interview around the corner?

I was actually surprised to learn that the Polar vid was able to reach 50K views.

Was Polar the company that used the music from Future Primitive?

[Plan9Customs]

Haven’t watched either and not really planning on it. I’d be more inclined to watch the Polar vid but you have to sign in and nah.
I only want traditional hotrods/customs on my feed.

[Mean salto]

Something to also take into account is video length. Way more people will click on a video that goes for a couple minutes than something that goes for a half hour

[Slimeone]

I had to see the yoga mat with my own eyes. As expected it was disgusting. I'm satisfied.

[Unkle Fleak]

It's business as usual. People like sports and shit. Can't depend on the intel

[ApesPissed]

Every person who doesn’t skate but goes on YouTube is aware of &&. Fuckers can’t help but love his zany moves and helmet wearing ethos.

[IWANNABEABIGDOG]

Jamie platt Jamie platt Jamie platt jamie platt

[hayduke lives]

I was not aware of this, definitely changes my perspective a bit.

Expand Quote

An interesting observation and a topic worth discussing. Although from what I understand from the thread about the Polar vid, the video somehow got marked as 18+ so in order for it to pop up in your suggested feed or to find it in general, you have to be logged into a YouTube account with your birthdate set into your profile showing you are at least 18 years of age. I feel like a lot of people watch YouTube but don’t have an account. This would definitely make any video miss out on all the random views you get from algorithms etc.


Videos having a million views in this day and age doesn’t mean what it did before an upload could hit some weird algorithm spike and suddenly be recommended to countless auto play feeds. That on top of the 18+ thing made a big difference I think.

[close]

not having or wanting a youtube account is why i did not watch polar. any insight as to why it got flagged? 

[Southernmost]

Expand Quote

Do you really think a Polar vid would get more views?

[close]

the new baker video is doing really well, view-wise, but that's hardly surprising. videos on their channel always do well

If I remember correctly the BHADW2 video was up for a couple days with maybe 200k views before it got taken down and re uploaded. Honestly not surprised one bit the && part has more views than Polars new vid. It was highly anticipated and had tons of promotion on social media. I honestly didn’t even know, or forgot, Polar just dropped a vid. Gonna go watch it now.

[håkanhellström]

Andy anderssons mad wisdom part has a same kinda vibe than that richie jakcson theasher part with like a 10 milion views. New polar video speaks to skate heads andy anderson mad wisdom speaks to people who enjoy to watch people are awesome skateboarding editions. Ngl tricks on andys secret wisdom are so fucked up. But what i try to say is that both videos speaks to different demographics so i think its not to valid to compare the views.

[Cesar Vialpando]

&& happens to have corned the much sought after nitro-circus, Facebook aunt, juggling enthusiast demographic.

[Sick_McCrank_]

Crazy wisdom somehow gave me what skate vids 25 years ago gave me. Being excited to get to see weird novelty stuff done on a board that i haven’t seen before. Nostalgia. Just no need for it to be 12 mi with all the bails. Just Put them in a different edit.

Honestly I prefer that than some vid that’s just doing the vibe of the year great but are cringe when you watch them some years later.

[Gray Imp Sausage Metal]

Polar’s vid is also blocked unless you are signed in which is defs detrimental to total number of views … but yeah, every man and his dog will watch && regardless of whether they actually skate or not

[Malcolm Sex]

Ridiculous comparison. Doesn't Richie Jackson have the most-viewed skate video ever? Regular people like watching weird skateboarding.

[dallou]

The polar video was not hyped and promoted. Also Most people on the team had a few clips exept kiki oski and shin. It’s more a trip video imo

[GnarAlarm]

About a week before Everything is Normal dropped, && dropped a video of him sitting in a parking lot talking about his grip tape design. Maybe a handful of flatground tricks but 99% of the video he's talking about his grip tape. It's 15 minutes long.

It has over 60k views.

[Texas_Tone]

I viewed crazy wisdom once, but will not watch it again, the polar video will get maybe two or three views, I think that’s the difference, && is a novelty, his skateboarding is amusing, and fun, definitely makes for easy viewing, not saying that is dumb to enjoy that kinda stuff or anything, just nothing I equate real skateboarding too, it’s definitely a wooden toy and people shouldn’t take it so seriously, but he makes skateboarding easy to swallow and watered down, I prefer my skating with a lil edge to it

[schralp pal]

Expand Quote

I was not aware of this, definitely changes my perspective a bit.

Expand Quote

An interesting observation and a topic worth discussing. Although from what I understand from the thread about the Polar vid, the video somehow got marked as 18+ so in order for it to pop up in your suggested feed or to find it in general, you have to be logged into a YouTube account with your birthdate set into your profile showing you are at least 18 years of age. I feel like a lot of people watch YouTube but don’t have an account. This would definitely make any video miss out on all the random views you get from algorithms etc.


Videos having a million views in this day and age doesn’t mean what it did before an upload could hit some weird algorithm spike and suddenly be recommended to countless auto play feeds. That on top of the 18+ thing made a big difference I think.

[close]

[close]

not having or wanting a youtube account is why i did not watch polar. any insight as to why it got flagged?

I think it got flagged for the strip club scene(s).

[j....soy.....]

I think his board has outsold everyone else for awhile….the shift is tied to social media where the exercise isn’t quietly digesting the video and letting it affect the culture ….its spewing your opinion on it……

What I always felt was strange about polar was the people wearing the pants were different from those buying the boards….I thought the vid was great, focusing on Japan seemed pretty current. 

[Síota]

I think his board has outsold everyone else for awhile….the shift is tied to social media where the exercise isn’t quietly digesting the video and letting it affect the culture ….its spewing your opinion on it……

What I always felt was strange about polar was the people wearing the pants were different from those buying the boards….I thought the vid was great, focusing on Japan seemed pretty current.

Don't know I wear both the pants/shorts etc and skate the boards. Powell Peralta is lame. Just a bunch of old dudes who used to skate collecting reissues is keeping it a float. But if Tommy G. And Lance are getting checks fuck it. No way in fuck I'm gonna willingly watch that && part but as mentioned I was at the premier for the Polar and watched it loads since it's been public on YouTube.
I will give && props for not being (as far as I know ) a right wing kook like Richie Jackson.

[GnarAlarm]

Expand Quote

I think his board has outsold everyone else for awhile….the shift is tied to social media where the exercise isn’t quietly digesting the video and letting it affect the culture ….its spewing your opinion on it……

What I always felt was strange about polar was the people wearing the pants were different from those buying the boards….I thought the vid was great, focusing on Japan seemed pretty current.

[close]

Don't know I wear both the pants/shorts etc and skate the boards. Powell Peralta is lame. Just a bunch of old dudes who used to skate collecting reissues is keeping it a float. But if Tommy G. And Lance are getting checks fuck it. No way in fuck I'm gonna willingly watch that && part but as mentioned I was at the premier for the Polar and watched it loads since it's been public on YouTube.
I will give && props for not being (as far as I know ) a right wing kook like Richie Jackson.

See, this is what skateboarding is all about. Brand loyalty.
Maybe some day you'll be the weird old dude collecting Polar reissues and keeping them afloat.