2025 unpopular opinion thread

[GnarAlarm]

The better everyone gets at skating, the more subpar pros we end up with, which is really weird.

Subpar in what way?

[Powdered Toast Man!]

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The arms down, expressionless roll away style is deeply boring to me. Throw some fuckin jazz on that shit.

[close]

I always want to say it's just an entire generation that desperately wants to skate like Antuan Dixon, but then, the talent level in skateboarding just keeps getting higher and higher, and with people constantly getting better and better all the time, super solid, bolts, arms down landings are going to be more common too. Not too dissimilar from olympic level gymnastics.

I'm cool with whatever style as long as it looks natural and not forced, Antuan and Aimu clearly just skate like that, you couldn't force that level of steeze if it didn't come naturally. I'm cool with more wild styles too, but there's a fine line between wild style and sloppiness. If it's full on wacky flailing arm man, powersliding out of every trick with toes dragging and hands on the ground...that's a bit much for me.
Clean that shit up.

yes to both of you. add diego and wade to that list of natural.
to add a bit more, i think the immediate access to a smartphone's camera that lets you go back and forth as many times you want and analyze your own steez/ rollaway after the homie recorded you (or recorded yourself) until you're satisfied makes you look even more contrived, way too polished, and unnatural.
imo it seems like up and comers focus way more on their steeze and filming than just the act of skateboarding. and i dont blame them; it's what they see and it's how theyre being raised to "do it".

then again, this is old folk rant and it's not so unpopular of an opinion among us i think

[Democratic Republic Of Mongo]

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The better everyone gets at skating, the more subpar pros we end up with, which is really weird.

[close]

Subpar in what way?

Subpar in that they would not be pro 20 years ago because they would not be considered good enough at the act of professional skateboarding.

[goofyboi420]

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The better everyone gets at skating, the more subpar pros we end up with, which is really weird.

[close]

Subpar in what way?

[close]

Subpar in that they would not be pro 20 years ago because they would not be considered good enough at the act of professional skateboarding.

yesterdays am is today’s pro

[GnarAlarm]

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The better everyone gets at skating, the more subpar pros we end up with, which is really weird.

[close]

Subpar in what way?

[close]

Subpar in that they would not be pro 20 years ago because they would not be considered good enough at the act of professional skateboarding.

[close]

yesterdays am is today’s pro

This is clearly a case of "pro" being so open to interpretation and any company being able to turn anyone they want "pro".
If we're comparing absolute top tier technical ability, todays top pros are objectively doing harder tricks than the top pros of 20 years ago and it's not really close.
If we're going all NinjaLifestyle and complaining that "rollllll on grind" guys are going pro now, or people are going pro for dressing cool or having a lot of instagram followers, that's a whole different conversation.

[Dwayne Hoover]

today's average mid-tier pros are more well-rounded, more capable, and more productive than your average mid-tier pro from 2005, who would probably be someone like gareth stehr or braydon szafranski. there was a lot of really mid skating in the 2000s that people gloss over when they make these claims

[Audrey II]

If we're going all NinjaLifestyle

No not never. You should too.

[GnarAlarm]

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If we're going all NinjaLifestyle

[close]

No not never. You should too.

To be clear, I am definitely not a fan.

[camel filters]

today's average mid-tier pros are more well-rounded, more capable, and more productive than your average mid-tier pro from 2005, who would probably be someone like gareth stehr or braydon szafranski. there was a lot of really mid skating in the 2000s that people gloss over when they make these claims

This.

Also, I believe if today's average pros valued traditional skill sets such as straightforward rails, stairs, and ledges, they would be just as good as the average pro's of that era. Popular pros have more awareness in spot selection which I appreciate. And if you are into the traditional progression, there is plenty of that too.

[jums]

today's average mid-tier pros are more well-rounded, more capable, and more productive than your average mid-tier pro from 2005, who would probably be someone like gareth stehr or braydon szafranski. there was a lot of really mid skating in the 2000s that people gloss over when they make these claims

Disagree

If you look at skating from the early-mid 00s through 2025 lenses it's mid. The skill level has exponentially increased since then. There are 10 year olds that can kf front board 12 stairs like it ain't shit now. If you could do that back then you could get hooked up. Its easier to see amd learn how to skate because every town has a skatepark and there is so much content out there compared to back in the day.

Also, the gigantic popsicle shapes kids are skating now are easier to land on compared to the skinny boards that were the norm back then... try doing today's skating on a 7.75 or 7.5.

[pizzafliptofakie]

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today's average mid-tier pros are more well-rounded, more capable, and more productive than your average mid-tier pro from 2005, who would probably be someone like gareth stehr or braydon szafranski. there was a lot of really mid skating in the 2000s that people gloss over when they make these claims

[close]

Disagree

If you look at skating from the early-mid 00s through 2025 lenses it's mid. The skill level has exponentially increased since then. There are 10 year olds that can kf front board 12 stairs like it ain't shit now. If you could do that back then you could get hooked up. Its easier to see amd learn how to skate because every town has a skatepark and there is so much content out there compared to back in the day.

I think you guys are saying the same thing

[jums]

He said a lot of early 00s skating was mid and I said it wasn't. If you compare the average 00s pro to the average 2025 pro then yeah.. the 00s pro's skating would be mid... the average skill level in skating has increased.

[Audrey II]

Also, the gigantic popsicle shapes kids are skating now are easier to land on compared to the skinny boards that were the norm back then... try doing today's skating on a 7.75 or 7.5.

do you really believe its easier to do a 3flip on a 8.75 than a 7.5?

[jums]

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today's average mid-tier pros are more well-rounded, more capable, and more productive than your average mid-tier pro from 2005, who would probably be someone like gareth stehr or braydon szafranski. there was a lot of really mid skating in the 2000s that people gloss over when they make these claims

[close]

100% this. There are few skaters from that era who would be considered standouts by today’s standards. I think people just remember the cinematic elements and soundtracks of that era more so than the actual skating.

So someone like an Evan Hernandez would be considered mid now? He was one of the top up and comers back then, or TK?

[jums]

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Also, the gigantic popsicle shapes kids are skating now are easier to land on compared to the skinny boards that were the norm back then... try doing today's skating on a 7.75 or 7.5.

[close]

do you really believe its easier to do a 3flip on a 8.75 than a 7.5?

Not really talking about flip tricks... you think these kids would be able to huck and grind down 20 stair waist high rails on those small skateboards from the past? The boards got larger because everyone goes BIG now.

[GnarAlarm]

Forgot about this one, apparently thinking Versace_Plug isn't objectively the greatest skateboarder of all time is unpopular.

[Dwayne Hoover]

He said a lot of early 00s skating was mid and I said it wasn't. If you compare the average 00s pro to the average 2025 pro then yeah.. the 00s pro's skating would be mid... the average skill level in skating has increased.

there was lots of mid skating in the early 2000s based on the standards of the time, not compared to now. compare "dying to live" or "sorry" to "slaughterhouse" or "cataclysmic abyss" and you'll see plenty of guys doing one-down tricks at popular spots years after the fact. there's an entire microgeneration of handrail guys who could barely push down the street but could kickflip back lip a rail. there was a solid few years where doing a 5-0 stall or a flip trick to fakie on a mellow bank was considered "creative" and video-part worthy, and people thought it was lame at the time too. when people reminisce on an era they generally think about the absolute highlights and there are lots of mid-2000s videos and skaters that i put on a pedestal, but there was plenty of bland and forgettable skateboarding to go around

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today's average mid-tier pros are more well-rounded, more capable, and more productive than your average mid-tier pro from 2005, who would probably be someone like gareth stehr or braydon szafranski. there was a lot of really mid skating in the 2000s that people gloss over when they make these claims

[close]

This.

Also, I believe if today's average pros valued traditional skill sets such as straightforward rails, stairs, and ledges, they would be just as good as the average pro's of that era. Popular pros have more awareness in spot selection which I appreciate. And if you are into the traditional progression, there is plenty of that too.

all of this + pros today have to perform at a pace that would kill your average mid-00s pro who could put out a three minute video part and then rest on his laurels for three years

[camel filters]

Forgot about this one, apparently thinking Versace_Plug isn't objectively the greatest skateboarder of all time is unpopular.

To answer that commenter's question, everyone who isn't bs doubleflipping down sets is better. Yuck.

[Democratic Republic Of Mongo]

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The better everyone gets at skating, the more subpar pros we end up with, which is really weird.

[close]

Subpar in what way?

[close]

Subpar in that they would not be pro 20 years ago because they would not be considered good enough at the act of professional skateboarding.

[close]

yesterdays am is today’s pro

[close]

This is clearly a case of "pro" being so open to interpretation and any company being able to turn anyone they want "pro".
If we're comparing absolute top tier technical ability, todays top pros are objectively doing harder tricks than the top pros of 20 years ago and it's not really close.
If we're going all NinjaLifestyle and complaining that "rollllll on grind" guys are going pro now, or people are going pro for dressing cool or having a lot of instagram followers, that's a whole different conversation.

Yes. There are definitely still people pushing boundaries and skating anything you can put in front of them, but there is this class of novelty pros whose current footage would make you scratch your head if it were shown to you in like 2006.

[jums]

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He said a lot of early 00s skating was mid and I said it wasn't. If you compare the average 00s pro to the average 2025 pro then yeah.. the 00s pro's skating would be mid... the average skill level in skating has increased.

[close]

there was lots of mid skating in the early 2000s based on the standards of the time, not compared to now. compare "dying to live" or "sorry" to "slaughterhouse" or "cataclysmic abyss" and you'll see plenty of guys doing one-down tricks at popular spots years after the fact. there's an entire microgeneration of handrail guys who could barely push down the street but could kickflip back lip a rail. there was a solid few years where doing a 5-0 stall or a flip trick to fakie on a mellow bank was considered "creative" and video-part worthy, and people thought it was lame at the time too. when people reminisce on an era they generally think about the absolute highlights and there are lots of mid-2000s videos and skaters that i put on a pedestal, but there was plenty of bland and forgettable skateboarding to go around

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

today's average mid-tier pros are more well-rounded, more capable, and more productive than your average mid-tier pro from 2005, who would probably be someone like gareth stehr or braydon szafranski. there was a lot of really mid skating in the 2000s that people gloss over when they make these claims

[close]

This.

Also, I believe if today's average pros valued traditional skill sets such as straightforward rails, stairs, and ledges, they would be just as good as the average pro's of that era. Popular pros have more awareness in spot selection which I appreciate. And if you are into the traditional progression, there is plenty of that too.

[close]

all of this + pros today have to perform at a pace that would kill your average mid-00s pro who could put out a three minute video part and then rest on his laurels for three years

Point taken.. agreed.

[camel filters]

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The better everyone gets at skating, the more subpar pros we end up with, which is really weird.

[close]

Subpar in what way?

[close]

Subpar in that they would not be pro 20 years ago because they would not be considered good enough at the act of professional skateboarding.

[close]

yesterdays am is today’s pro

[close]

This is clearly a case of "pro" being so open to interpretation and any company being able to turn anyone they want "pro".
If we're comparing absolute top tier technical ability, todays top pros are objectively doing harder tricks than the top pros of 20 years ago and it's not really close.
If we're going all NinjaLifestyle and complaining that "rollllll on grind" guys are going pro now, or people are going pro for dressing cool or having a lot of instagram followers, that's a whole different conversation.

[close]

Yes. There are definitely still people pushing boundaries and skating anything you can put in front of them, but there is this class of novelty pros whose current footage would make you scratch your head if it were shown to you in like 2006.

Funny I was just thinking about Suffer the Joy (2006) where Austin Stephens did a varial heel on bank at my local skatepark for his part that was def abd by us groms at the time. I don't think even the novelty pros today would use that for a part.

As for the reason why there are pros that don't go as hard, I think generally people are more informed and care about their futures a lot more than when I was growing up. They probably just looked at the lives the majority of these mid tier pro huckers lead now and decided that wasn't for them. And people in general don't buy stuff based on that either. Everytime I look at a old head complaining about the new kids in comments, I look at their profile and its usually a giant alcoholic headed dude that looks like they haven't bought a board in 20 years.

[camel filters]

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today's average mid-tier pros are more well-rounded, more capable, and more productive than your average mid-tier pro from 2005, who would probably be someone like gareth stehr or braydon szafranski. there was a lot of really mid skating in the 2000s that people gloss over when they make these claims

[close]

100% this. There are few skaters from that era who would be considered standouts by today’s standards. I think people just remember the cinematic elements and soundtracks of that era more so than the actual skating.

[close]

So someone like an Evan Hernandez would be considered mid now? He was one of the top up and comers back then, or TK?

[close]

Especially those 2

Prod came up and kinda just made Evan uneccessary.

[oldfart]

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Forgot about this one, apparently thinking Versace_Plug isn't objectively the greatest skateboarder of all time is unpopular.

[close]

To answer that commenter's question, everyone who isn't bs doubleflipping down sets is better. Yuck.

Salabanzi also did crazy double flip things:

1:37 but watch the whole clip. what a show! crazy stuff!

But yeah.... double flips are a big no no in my book...

[Sloppy Krooks]

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The arms down, expressionless roll away style is deeply boring to me. Throw some fuckin jazz on that shit.

[close]

I always want to say it's just an entire generation that desperately wants to skate like Antuan Dixon, but then, the talent level in skateboarding just keeps getting higher and higher, and with people constantly getting better and better all the time, super solid, bolts, arms down landings are going to be more common too. Not too dissimilar from olympic level gymnastics.

I'm cool with whatever style as long as it looks natural and not forced, Antuan and Aimu clearly just skate like that, you couldn't force that level of steeze if it didn't come naturally. I'm cool with more wild styles too, but there's a fine line between wild style and sloppiness. If it's full on wacky flailing arm man, powersliding out of every trick with toes dragging and hands on the ground...that's a bit much for me.
Clean that shit up.

[close]

yes to both of you. add diego and wade to that list of natural.
to add a bit more, i think the immediate access to a smartphone's camera that lets you go back and forth as many times you want and analyze your own steez/ rollaway after the homie recorded you (or recorded yourself) until you're satisfied makes you look even more contrived, way too polished, and unnatural.
imo it seems like up and comers focus way more on their steeze and filming than just the act of skateboarding. and i dont blame them; it's what they see and it's how theyre being raised to "do it".

then again, this is old folk rant and it's not so unpopular of an opinion among us i think

I disagree with the ‘Steeze is supreme’ takes, and agree with the original post that expressionless skating is boring.

Like in all art, there are people who value technical execution over all else. And sure, technical skill impressive, but it doesn’t make me feel anything. Painting, music, or otherwise.

I love seeing someone walk the line and attempt to cross the gap between their ability and their vision, and let it rip. Beginners it pros, that’s what gets me stoked to skate. Arms be damned.

[GnarAlarm]

I disagree with the ‘Steeze is supreme’ takes, and agree with the original post that expressionless skating is boring.

Like in all art, there are people who value technical execution over all else. And sure, technical skill impressive, but it doesn’t make me feel anything. Painting, music, or otherwise.

I love seeing someone walk the line and attempt to cross the gap between their ability and their vision, and let it rip. Beginners it pros, that’s what gets me stoked to skate. Arms be damned.

I'll take an abstract painting over a photo-realistic painting any day.
I'd rather listen to The Misfits than Dream Theater.
But when I'm sitting down to watch a skate video, I'd rather watch Wade Desarmo than T-Funk.
I'm surrounded by sloppy skaters barely skating within their abilities every time I go to a skatepark, hell I'm one of them half the time, so I don't need to see it on my TV too.

[Slappykrook]

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I agree that rollerskater girls are cool and I have no issue with them, but I'll throw out the unpopular opinion about them.

I see some of them doing grinds on lower boxes where they put one skate up on the ledge and their other leg is still on the ground, then they lift up the other skate into the grind never having jumped into it. Maybe it's a way to learn, but the ones who do it easily enough AND for an entire session don't get a pass that's illegal. Jump into it.

[close]

you're basically describing a slappy noseslide

[close]

Slappy crooks

Not if u do them right on an actual curb, on a higher ledge this is true somewhat tho

[BOILED ANGEL]

id rather watch someone eat shit 20 times in a row than whatever people were doing in 2012

[DeanMaple]

I puked in my mouth when i read Gareth Stehr

[Dwayne Hoover]

you should be allowed to reuse an ABD song only if you have the balls to publicly say that whoever used the song before sucks and didn't do it justice

[Roy Machine]

you should be allowed to reuse an ABD song only if you have the balls to publicly say that whoever used the song before sucks and didn't do it justice

I second that