Why is Street league hated by many?

[RollForever1991~``]

So ALOT of skaters I know and even friends too cannot stand street league and what it stands for ...but i can understand why?

My guess is its to do with the money $$$ ?? or maybe to do with turning skateboarding into a sport?
but then tampa pro etc arent hated on.....

it makes no sense to me so maybe someone on here that doesnt like street league and what it stands for will care to explain?
thanks

[SodaJerk]

It lacks the spontaneity and mayhem of a more traditional skateboard contest and promotes robotic style over artistic flair. There also seems to be a huge disconnection between the competitors and the observing spectators. That's why I don't like it.

[layzieyez]

Too much vault, uneven bars, balance beam and not enough floor exercise and pommel horse. 

[360 frip]

I don't think it is hated. I think people don't really care about it.

What does it prove or achieve? Mostly that skaters can be bought out by big corporations?

In my era, contests have never truly mattered in skating and anyone that skates realises that it goes way beyond winning.

But, this is the path business wants, they want a world cup, the Olympics or whatever...

I think most skaters can see through that.

[foureyedjim]

point system.

[Tracer]

Nike as a main sponsor with less than a million up for grabs

[landCow]

I find watching the actual event awkward mostly because of the commentary. It always sounds dumb as fuck, especially when the commentators get really hyped. I will happily watch highlight reels because the skating is damn good but I don't give a fuck who wins.

Hmmm I guess I don't hate it.... I just don't care.

[snaked plissken]

Everyone is bringing up great valid points, but mostly, if you have to ask why skateboarders don't like Street League, then I just think you don't have it.
And by it I mean what makes someone an actual skateboarder.
Tampa Pro has been going on for a long time, there's no Million dollar prizes or Television broadcasts, it was just, a skate contest.
Street League is like a whole other realm....personally i've never watched street league and don't care for it.
but if YOU like it, then don't worry about why other people don't like it.

[assvogel]

For me, street league stands for corporate, anti-D.I.Y, jock-mentality, but I haven't watched or followed any of contest so I might be completely wrong. Yeah I get that its great that some skateboarder gets paid but at the same time, some guy a suit is probably making alot more.

Of course there have been contest since the start of skateboarding, but even in the early pool 80's contest were for skaters from the skaters, even if it was someones dad organising the contests... or something. And when the ramp-contest shifted from backyards to televised stadion events in late 80's, it ended up killing the scene, if i remember correctly?

Like someone said on the new Loveletters that the street league/xgames/whatever thing is completely different thing, even if it's really talented skateboarding happening there....

This contest on the other hand makes me want to go out and skate

[Piri-piri]

Because it's made by cunts, for cunts.

[JB]

i used to watch it if it was on when they first started doing it. but after you see a few contests, youve seen them all. its the same 5 guys at the end doing the same tricks on basically the same obstacles. its fun to watch guys like dylan, david and ishod rip, but you know at the end its going to be nyjah doing a cab flip back lip or whatever that trick is. cole with the kickflip 360. prod doing some switch back tail variation. malto with some kind of nose grind or a hard flip. you just dont get the variation you get from something like tampa. then youve got felix and whoever else is commentating trying to explain why a tech ledge trick is just as hard as something down the biggest rail so that the people watching who know nothing about skating can hopefully follow along. its watered down skateboarding to the fullest. i think its rad that those guys who do well make a good amount of money from it, but to me its not the funnest thing to watch.

[ben shraider]

I think they're trying to move the climax of a skate contest from someone doing doing the sickest trick/line/anything that just makes the crowd explode to someone getting the highest score in an intense battle for the win. And that's because everyone can understand a number even if they have no idea of what skateboarding is.

I watch skate contests, because I like to see pros skating, and I've never felt the same kinda intensity watching skate contest as when watching hockey, basketball etc. In skating I'd rather see even some Nyjah land the craziest trick than bail so that my favorite can take the win, as when in hockey I wan't to see my team winning at all cost, no matter how the game goes.

[snaked plissken]

its watered down skateboarding to the fullest.

[Vianouz]

Because it's made by cunts, for cunts.

[NURSEJENNY]

I like to watch it. Especially if there is an underdog like Ishod (he makes it fun), Matt Berger, or Dylan Rieder. As much as I dislike Nyjah's style, he is a great entertainer. Usually his last trick in the big section is an NBD. These guys also have to make money so you can't blame them. You'd probably do something similar in their situation.

[galaxies]

Not sure if i "hate" it, but for me its like: there are awesome skate contest "formats" out there, which are just so insane and unique that they grab the attention of even the non-skating-spectator -- but street league instead decided to be the most painfully boring & bland (even the course & announcing!) lowest common denominator of a "contest". Thats what i don't like, that skateboarding itself had this opportunity to put out "their" skateboarding contest, independent of ESPN/NBC, but chose to make it look identical to XGames/GravityGames.

Isn't skateboarding about NBD? Street League's format is completely ABD...

[max power]

because of tha lix

[Sleazy]

because evan didn't make it in even though he was clearly the illest

[JB]

because evan didn't make it in even though he was clearly the illest

that was awesome, but style dont get you into the 9 club.

[Kevin Malone]

Because it's made by cunts, for cunts.

[ben shraider]

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because evan didn't make it in even though he was clearly the illest

[close]

that was awesome, but style dont get you into the 9 club.

Actually he got two 9's from the 2 tricks he landed..

[GAY]

I wish this thread was titled "Why is Street league hated by Minnie?"

[TheGodoyTwins]

A lot of reasons, but having to listen to fucking Felix Arguelles trumps them all.
Fuck that guy.

[gnidraobetaks]

because them dimesquad tits is fake.

[JB]

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because evan didn't make it in even though he was clearly the illest

[close]

that was awesome, but style dont get you into the 9 club.

[close]

Actually he got two 9's from the 2 tricks he landed..

shows you how much i pay attention. 

[Sleazy]

his run was probably the best contest run ever done

[CumOnYourFace]

I am more apathetic than hateful toward Street League, because I rather watch video parts. However, it is cool that these dudes are getting paid and you can see their consistency with certain tricks.

point system.

I started skateboarding because it's fun and I didn't give a fuck about sports. It seems weird to see skateboarding be quantified, just like how it would be weird to analyze a piece of art and simply give it __/10.

[Billy Ocean]

I think they're trying to move the climax of a skate contest from someone doing doing the sickest trick/line/anything that just makes the crowd explode to someone getting the highest score in an intense battle for the win. And that's because everyone can understand a number even if they have no idea of what skateboarding is.

I watch skate contests, because I like to see pros skating, and I've never felt the same kinda intensity watching skate contest as when watching hockey, basketball etc. In skating I'd rather see even some Nyjah land the craziest trick than bail so that my favorite can take the win, as when in hockey I wan't to see my team winning at all cost, no matter how the game goes.

This. Instead of just ripping the course your way with spontaneity, there's strategy and other jock antics. It's standardized skateboarding. Meh. I don't hate, I just get bored of it easily and would rather watch a favorite video part, or, you know, actually go skate.

[Baron Samedi]

I think most everything about Street League is wack but I really like watching it in spite of myself. I watch the X Games too. I just enjoy watching good skating even if the production itself is horribly lame. I do agree that it almost always ends up being the same dudes doing the same tricks, but high-level skating will always interest me. And even when you have those predictable guys, there are still exciting skaters that do well like Luan and Ishod who seem to skate more by feel and make it more fun to watch.

As others have mentioned, really the worst of it is always the commentary. Felix Arguelles is seriously fucking garbage and they need to just get rid of his ass. There could easily be a Felix sound board created from all the idiotic shit he said in the last one. I remember during the last one he goes "Wow, what a tough trick by Eeshod. Geoff, talk about switch." Like out of the blue just telling Geoff Rowley to talk about switch stance skating.

[Nosesalad]

I really wouldn't mind it if the commentary wasn't so terrible. Felix is the fucking worst piece of shit.