Rob Dyrdek is buying Alien Workshop / DNA Distribution from Burton?

[oyolar]

alien is still the best company. not talking about the wood though

I'm skating an AWS now and I really like it.

I suspect Burton wants to sell it off. and I would like to think that Dyrdek is a much better option than some mega corpo shit swooping in like say Marc Ecko, Timberland, or Billabong.

And I'd support Dyrdek's purchase if Burton's trying to sell AND if he buys all of DNA--not just AWS.  After that, I haven't been able to find a consistent argument that Burton owning DNA is affecting how AWS and Habitat are ran, so if Burton isn't doing that and if they aren't looking to get rid of the companies, then I see no reason to change hands.

[deluxxxe]

http://instagr.am/p/gIldz/
"Rob Dyrdek announces he just bought Alien Workshop. Yes."

[pugmaster]

We all complain when companies are not skater owned, and now when someone comes up enough to buy one, you give him shit....




Right on Dyrdek! do what you do lil' daddy 

[MexicanSpaniard]

http://instagr.am/p/gIldz/
"Rob Dyrdek announces he just bought Alien Workshop. Yes."

Is the middle bgp d00d wearing an index shirt?

[Fongstarr.]

Wow. Now no one can use the Burton excuse why it sucks. Now we have to find another reason.

Good shit Dyrdek.

[Chron Artest]

this is major.

[Randozzi]

Now if he hires back Don Pendleton, all would be right.

[MANshark]

Just texted the DNA rep and he had no idea this was happening... he's tripping. 

[Stolen_Darkness]

Now if he hires back Brian Wenning, all would be right.

[GarglesCmen]

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http://instagr.am/p/gIldz/
"Rob Dyrdek announces he just bought Alien Workshop. Yes."

[close]

Is the middle bgp d00d wearing an index shirt?

If you are talking about the black shirt with the white lettering, it's JSLV.

[sid vicious]

i'm so hyped on this - rob is a pioneer street pro, glad the workshop is back in skate hands

[Bronson]

Hyped/shocked.

(Was listening to The Lung by Dinosaur Jr. While reading this)

Also

this is major.

[bumpnrun]

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Now if he hires back Don Pendleton, all would be right.

[close]

Agree.

[waltercronkite]

cool hopefully he doesn't start making changes to the team or art direction

[Sold Out]

I don't think Alien is worth as much as people think it is. Its hard to make money off a board company. Also when Burton bought them they switched all the distribution from the big skate distributers to the same distributers and their snowboards in lots of regions. So instead of being able to buy workshop boards with a batch of other decks you have to order them from Burton and pay separate shipping! I wouldn't be sup prised if their sales dropped quite a bit from switching to burton

[b.v.]

If this somehow resulted in Workshop going back to what it was like 18 years ago then I'd be stoked.

So they haven't done anything good since 1993? Really?Are you that jaded and disconnected from skating that you can't even acknowledge anything cool Chris Carter and Mike hill have done since slick bottoms and bearing covers? I realize most people here don't bother offering a counter point to anything you say because 15 paragraphs later they're blowing their brains out, but having skated for over 25 years and seeing many changes in this industry,I can say that the workshop has dropped the ball a few times but it sure hasn't been almost 2 decades since they were relevant or done something worth mentioning.
Damn dude, you keep the bitter old guy schtick up pretty well, so kudos on that. But there is still some cool stuff happening out there, if you look around a little more.

[MexicanSpaniard]

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If this somehow resulted in Workshop going back to what it was like 18 years ago then I'd be stoked.

[close]

So they haven't done anything good since 1993? Really?Are you that jaded and disconnected from skating that you can't even acknowledge anything cool Chris Carter and Mike hill have done since slick bottoms and bearing covers? I realize most people here don't bother offering a counter point to anything you say because 15 paragraphs later they're blowing their brains out, but having skated for over 25 years and seeing many changes in this industry,I can say that the workshop has dropped the ball a few times but it sure hasn't been almost 2 decades since they were relevant or done something worth mentioning.
Damn dude, you keep the bitter old guy schtick up pretty well, so kudos on that. But there is still some cool stuff happening out there, if you look around a little more.

Mid West much?

[FART BOY]

I hope all goes well with this move. Alien is one of the only companies I really pay attention to, It just better not go ass backwards.

[johnnymousedoom]

sometimes he's funny, sometimes unwatchable. but he's always done a lot for skateboarders.

never understood this mentality that if you can flip a board decently, you're not allowed to do anything else with your life.

you, sir, are not core enough

[Bubblegum Tate]

day one baby

[dirtjers]

whatever. alien/habitat have been shit for some time now. i don't know what is or isn't burton's fault, but it's been going south since the acquisition. don't confuse good skateboarders with a company. sure all the dudes on alien/habitat kill it, even the new guys. however, alien never really had the "best skaters," just certain kinds of skaters. as good as half the new dudes are (undeniable), they don't belong THERE. people hardly got on alien/habitat before. just an example, but steve durante was flow for them for 5 years before they even gave him a real spot on the team. countless votes and revotes.. if one person said "no," you weren't on. how many votes do you think some of these new dudes got? i'm guessing that process went out the window long ago. even graphic wise, it never seemed like random series' of boards, but more like a huge cohesive piece of work. definitely not the case in the past few years. every piece of the puzzle just fit so well. i don't know, i hate complaining like this, but in my younger years i just felt so strongly about alien (and habitat when it started up).  i guess my point is, who knows how much of this rob dyrdek can fix? but it can't really get any lamer at this point, so i don't see what's so bad about letting a person who obviously loves the company a chance at bringing it back. what do we have to lose? andy warhol themed boards? i mean c'mon....

[brent]

daewon baby!

[MexicanSpaniard]

I've put stickers on every alien board I've had since '99

[AsianVegan]

I've got faith in the guy but I kinda feel like there's the chance of him being pushed around by all the heavy corporates he's backed by. Really hope the Street League/MTV/Monster shit keeps its hands off this and the creative direction stays with Carter etc.

[Nosferatu]

I hope he makes a series of really bad business decisions and crashes it into the ground to the point where nobody would want to touch the company. Then in 20 years I can buy the rights to the name for a handful of beads and turn myself pro for Alien Workshop.

[LooseTrux]

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Don't forget he'll have and instant demographic ready to buy-in. (inadvertently) Developing a fan base that large from all of his TV shows and participation with major networks over the years can only be a good thing.


People may not like his business motives, but the man has a plan that seems to be working. Can't hate that.

[close]

How will he have an instant demographic buying in? The random people that know about him from MTV don't give a shit whether Burton or Dyrdek owns AWS/DNA.

You answered you own question homeslice....Ask MTV, who obviously sees a need to give him one show after another. They don't do that for just anybody- it's simple business sense. Does Pauly Shore have a show?? No. He's not relevant (I miss him though). Dyrdek has viewers, fans, good ratings, Rob & Big and basically Fantasy Factory in syndication....a following...my point wasn't that they'd give a shit about skateboarding, my point is they see a face, they see his gear, and they buy more.

I mean who the hell buys Young & Restless gear? Nobody at my local park, and nobody I've seen on a board around Philly. The fact that 'DramaBeats' 'designs' the gear, and has an office in the Fantasy Factory is all kids need to see.
The 'core' scene may dislike DC but they sell a lot of gear...Are they still a 'Skate Company'? Why would they need to re-brand the skate section? If they weren't sponsoring Street League (Dyrdek on TV in front of Millions of impressionable youths again...but on another network), and Battle of the Berrics, would their sales be as strong as they are?

I'm almost 28 and the marketing/advertising doesn't phase me as much now, in fact it pisses me off that it's so tactless and over the top in some ways- but you gotta pay bills. Make BIG Moves, while others talk about them on message boards.

I didn't say I fully backed the motives, just said the plan was wise.

Edit: it should be noted that in a few of his MTV shows there are a shit-ton of AWS boards allllllll over the place. You think he asked an interior designer what would look best? Think about it next time you flip through the channels. Son is a business, man.

[Bronson]

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day one baby

[close]

We always thought he said dick one baby in the photo intro as kids. Yeah..

[chockfullofthat]

whatever. alien/habitat have been shit for some time now. i don't know what is or isn't burton's fault, but it's been going south since the acquisition. don't confuse good skateboarders with a company. sure all the dudes on alien/habitat kill it, even the new guys. however, alien never really had the "best skaters," just certain kinds of skaters. as good as half the new dudes are (undeniable), they don't belong THERE. people hardly got on alien/habitat before. just an example, but steve durante was flow for them for 5 years before they even gave him a real spot on the team. countless votes and revotes.. if one person said "no," you weren't on. how many votes do you think some of these new dudes got? i'm guessing that process went out the window long ago. even graphic wise, it never seemed like random series' of boards, but more like a huge cohesive piece of work. definitely not the case in the past few years. every piece of the puzzle just fit so well. i don't know, i hate complaining like this, but in my younger years i just felt so strongly about alien (and habitat when it started up). ? i guess my point is, who knows how much of this rob dyrdek can fix? but it can't really get any lamer at this point, so i don't see what's so bad about letting a person who obviously loves the company a chance at bringing it back. what do we have to lose? andy warhol themed boards? i mean c'mon....

[Soty2020]

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Now if he hires back Brian Wenning, all would be right.

[close]

[Alan]

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whatever. alien/habitat have been shit for some time now. i don't know what is or isn't burton's fault, but it's been going south since the acquisition. don't confuse good skateboarders with a company. sure all the dudes on alien/habitat kill it, even the new guys. however, alien never really had the "best skaters," just certain kinds of skaters. as good as half the new dudes are (undeniable), they don't belong THERE. people hardly got on alien/habitat before. just an example, but steve durante was flow for them for 5 years before they even gave him a real spot on the team. countless votes and revotes.. if one person said "no," you weren't on. how many votes do you think some of these new dudes got? i'm guessing that process went out the window long ago. even graphic wise, it never seemed like random series' of boards, but more like a huge cohesive piece of work. definitely not the case in the past few years. every piece of the puzzle just fit so well. i don't know, i hate complaining like this, but in my younger years i just felt so strongly about alien (and habitat when it started up). ? i guess my point is, who knows how much of this rob dyrdek can fix? but it can't really get any lamer at this point, so i don't see what's so bad about letting a person who obviously loves the company a chance at bringing it back. what do we have to lose? andy warhol themed boards? i mean c'mon....

[close]

Nah, he's right.