Ryan Clements | The Nine Club With Chris Roberts - Episode 51

[Sleazy]

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I think the only way this balances out among say the Slap pals if he helps out the core skaters that we all love.

[close]

he said he does pro bono work for people and i'm sure that includes some cool, legit skaters

[close]

you also gets a tax write off whenever you donate to charitable causes or do something charitable like pro bono work. �
Key to life is to do something you like/love even though a paycheck may not be attached to it

[close]

who's key? that's a personal concept... the key for me at this point is my kids. i think for a lot of family guys when you get older can't just spend all your free time selfishly on rewarding projects that don't pay. i made the switch from rewarding projects to hustling projects after having kids. raising a family is expensive. i die tomorrow, in 50 years, no one is going to care about the skateboard magazine that i spent 2 years of my life busting my ass on and never made a dime off of but got a lot of personal satisfaction from. but my kids will still give a shit about the time invested in them. different people measure value of life, legacy, meaning of life, etc... in different ways.

[close]

You're talking about being responsible and doing what your supposed to do...I didn't say work for no pay, or get no compensation for your projects.... I said doing what you love doesn't always mean there is a paycheck that's attached to it ...take it how you want to but many successful business people interned for free and offered free services so they build their reputations...I get you gotta take care of your family, but once they grown you gotta evaluate what it is your willing to leave behind as your legacy.  A lot of people are a fine with working unhappily, not saying this is anyone in particular, but statistics show majority of people are mis-employed and some think its as serious as unemployment.  That is what I meant by key to life....

[close]

It's rad we have a lot of older guys around but don't you sometimes think skating was a lot better when pros didn't have to make adult decisions.....it wasn't about dudes doing what's best for their families?  Wasn't that term created by pro athletes? 

i'm not so sure. i feel like it's really diverse now and i think it's good their are big money options available for pros to sustain a career on.

shouldn't it be more about the pros than the companies at the end of the day? wasn't the gonz one of the first ones to jump on a major shoe company? are the pros really having the kind of integrity that people are wanting them too when the companies can dictate what's going on? the pros can still say no at the end of the day and if they will "sell out" if that options available then not having that option doesn't mean that all of a sudden they are keeping it core.

[ChronicBluntSlider]

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I think the only way this balances out among say the Slap pals if he helps out the core skaters that we all love.

[close]

he said he does pro bono work for people and i'm sure that includes some cool, legit skaters

[close]

you also gets a tax write off whenever you donate to charitable causes or do something charitable like pro bono work. �
Key to life is to do something you like/love even though a paycheck may not be attached to it

[close]

who's key? that's a personal concept... the key for me at this point is my kids. i think for a lot of family guys when you get older can't just spend all your free time selfishly on rewarding projects that don't pay. i made the switch from rewarding projects to hustling projects after having kids. raising a family is expensive. i die tomorrow, in 50 years, no one is going to care about the skateboard magazine that i spent 2 years of my life busting my ass on and never made a dime off of but got a lot of personal satisfaction from. but my kids will still give a shit about the time invested in them. different people measure value of life, legacy, meaning of life, etc... in different ways.

[close]

You're talking about being responsible and doing what your supposed to do...I didn't say work for no pay, or get no compensation for your projects.... I said doing what you love doesn't always mean there is a paycheck that's attached to it ...take it how you want to but many successful business people interned for free and offered free services so they build their reputations...I get you gotta take care of your family, but once they grown you gotta evaluate what it is your willing to leave behind as your legacy.  A lot of people are a fine with working unhappily, not saying this is anyone in particular, but statistics show majority of people are mis-employed and some think its as serious as unemployment.  That is what I meant by key to life....

[close]

It's rad we have a lot of older guys around but don't you sometimes think skating was a lot better when pros didn't have to make adult decisions.....it wasn't about dudes doing what's best for their families?  Wasn't that term created by pro athletes?  

[close]

i'm not so sure. i feel like it's really diverse now and i think it's good their are big money options available for pros to sustain a career on.

shouldn't it be more about the pros than the companies at the end of the day? wasn't the gonz one of the first ones to jump on a major shoe company? are the pros really having the kind of integrity that people are wanting them too when the companies can dictate what's going on? the pros can still say no at the end of the day and if they will "sell out" if that options available then not having that option doesn't mean that all of a sudden they are keeping it core.

I think that the kind of irony is how a lot of people conflate large income with entrepreneurship. Like, so now these kids have opportunities to make big money as a contractors for major corporations, but accepting these large incomes directly cripples their future potential as entrepreneurs, at least within the industry.

I'd also argue that people with kids often act more selfishly than people without kids. Look back at the whole war on drugs/crime in the '80s. A bunch of white suburban parents were scared about their kids so we started giving out lengthy non-violent drug sentences and we ended up with the largest prison population in the world. People are always making decisions that are destructive to greater society in the name of their kids.

[micky682]

^^^And at this point in history we don't really need everyone producing offspring to ensure our survival.

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

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I think the only way this balances out among say the Slap pals if he helps out the core skaters that we all love.

[close]

he said he does pro bono work for people and i'm sure that includes some cool, legit skaters

[close]

you also gets a tax write off whenever you donate to charitable causes or do something charitable like pro bono work. �
Key to life is to do something you like/love even though a paycheck may not be attached to it

[close]

who's key? that's a personal concept... the key for me at this point is my kids. i think for a lot of family guys when you get older can't just spend all your free time selfishly on rewarding projects that don't pay. i made the switch from rewarding projects to hustling projects after having kids. raising a family is expensive. i die tomorrow, in 50 years, no one is going to care about the skateboard magazine that i spent 2 years of my life busting my ass on and never made a dime off of but got a lot of personal satisfaction from. but my kids will still give a shit about the time invested in them. different people measure value of life, legacy, meaning of life, etc... in different ways.

[close]

You're talking about being responsible and doing what your supposed to do...I didn't say work for no pay, or get no compensation for your projects.... I said doing what you love doesn't always mean there is a paycheck that's attached to it ...take it how you want to but many successful business people interned for free and offered free services so they build their reputations...I get you gotta take care of your family, but once they grown you gotta evaluate what it is your willing to leave behind as your legacy.  A lot of people are a fine with working unhappily, not saying this is anyone in particular, but statistics show majority of people are mis-employed and some think its as serious as unemployment.  That is what I meant by key to life....

[close]

It's rad we have a lot of older guys around but don't you sometimes think skating was a lot better when pros didn't have to make adult decisions.....it wasn't about dudes doing what's best for their families?  Wasn't that term created by pro athletes? 

[close]

i'm not so sure. i feel like it's really diverse now and i think it's good their are big money options available for pros to sustain a career on.

shouldn't it be more about the pros than the companies at the end of the day? wasn't the gonz one of the first ones to jump on a major shoe company? are the pros really having the kind of integrity that people are wanting them too when the companies can dictate what's going on? the pros can still say no at the end of the day and if they will "sell out" if that options available then not having that option doesn't mean that all of a sudden they are keeping it core.

I fully understand the pros decision but if you're gonna talk about Gonz....what made Gonz great wasn't getting on adidas....it was dumping Vision because it was whack and doing what he wanted......that wasn't a decision for his family....or longevity.....now....a bold move would be Gonz on Nike.....really?  That's where we're at?  The focus has shifted and the kids don't know any better.....skateboarding used to be run by teenagers.....

[Sleazy]

you don't think there was a money motive for gonz getting on adidas?

[Abyss1]

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I think the only way this balances out among say the Slap pals if he helps out the core skaters that we all love.

[close]

he said he does pro bono work for people and i'm sure that includes some cool, legit skaters

[close]

you also gets a tax write off whenever you donate to charitable causes or do something charitable like pro bono work. �
Key to life is to do something you like/love even though a paycheck may not be attached to it

[close]

who's key? that's a personal concept... the key for me at this point is my kids. i think for a lot of family guys when you get older can't just spend all your free time selfishly on rewarding projects that don't pay. i made the switch from rewarding projects to hustling projects after having kids. raising a family is expensive. i die tomorrow, in 50 years, no one is going to care about the skateboard magazine that i spent 2 years of my life busting my ass on and never made a dime off of but got a lot of personal satisfaction from. but my kids will still give a shit about the time invested in them. different people measure value of life, legacy, meaning of life, etc... in different ways.

[close]

You're talking about being responsible and doing what your supposed to do...I didn't say work for no pay, or get no compensation for your projects.... I said doing what you love doesn't always mean there is a paycheck that's attached to it ...take it how you want to but many successful business people interned for free and offered free services so they build their reputations...I get you gotta take care of your family, but once they grown you gotta evaluate what it is your willing to leave behind as your legacy.  A lot of people are a fine with working unhappily, not saying this is anyone in particular, but statistics show majority of people are mis-employed and some think its as serious as unemployment.  That is what I meant by key to life....

[close]

It's rad we have a lot of older guys around but don't you sometimes think skating was a lot better when pros didn't have to make adult decisions.....it wasn't about dudes doing what's best for their families?  Wasn't that term created by pro athletes? 

[close]

i'm not so sure. i feel like it's really diverse now and i think it's good their are big money options available for pros to sustain a career on.

shouldn't it be more about the pros than the companies at the end of the day? wasn't the gonz one of the first ones to jump on a major shoe company? are the pros really having the kind of integrity that people are wanting them too when the companies can dictate what's going on? the pros can still say no at the end of the day and if they will "sell out" if that options available then not having that option doesn't mean that all of a sudden they are keeping it core.

[close]

I fully understand the pros decision but if you're gonna talk about Gonz....what made Gonz great wasn't getting on adidas....it was dumping Vision because it was whack and doing what he wanted......that wasn't a decision for his family....or longevity.....now....a bold move would be Gonz on Nike.....really?  That's where we're at?  The focus has shifted and the kids don't know any better.....skateboarding used to be run by teenagers.....

I dont know from a lot of the docs i've seen from the 70's skateboarding was seen a a fad activity in its early days...by the 80's big companies came with sponsored Vert skating events, late 80's to 90's skating got hit with the recession, and this is probably what created more independent companies. 

Roco and World profited huge off of what teenagers and kids were doing so naturally companies like Girl had to come around to the fact that they could market themselves as the product.   Since then things blew up financially with the X-Games and MTV's investing into BAM and Dyrdek.  Skateboarders and skateboarding now had Fuck You money.  With hopes of a trickle down reaganomics effect people used them to influence more corporate sponsorship to keep the budget runway fat. 

Skater can now easily market themselves in a P2P landscape with any sponsorship...Boo working with Weed Maps for example.  Or you can be like Guru ans start your own soap company. 

At the end of the day no matter how old you are you shouldn't keep doing what you hate in order to survive...

[coyote2425]

I think a misconception from this episode is a lot of you think Clements is just feeding kids to Nike and the big brands. The way I understood it, you hire him to represent you, he listens to your desires and goes to bat for you. It doesn't mean you have to ride for Nike/Adidas/NB#, although that's where you'll probably get the most money. Obviously, I have no idea, but I bet if you wanted to get on Emerica or Lakai, he'd do the work, too. He's your employee, not one of your parents making decisions for you.

Also, like it or not, skateboarding isn't what it used to be, at least not for now. Not until the bubble bursts again. Kids are looking at skateboarding as careers and see dollar signs. They see the purses for Street League, the Nyjahs.

It's not like some of the recent Nine Club guests' stories, where they had fun, got good, started getting product and that was enough. Kids/pros are looking long-term. I can't completely fault them for that. If I was good enough, I'd be looking to set myself up, too, in a way I was comfortable with.

It's all a double-edged sword these days.

PS: I'd love to see someone here turn down $100K just to wear a pair of skate shoes.

[asakusa75]

I think a misconception from this episode is a lot of you think Clements is just feeding kids to Nike and the big brands. The way I understood it, you hire him to represent you, he listens to your desires and goes to bat for you. It doesn't mean you have to ride for Nike/Adidas/NB#, although that's where you'll probably get the most money. Obviously, I have no idea, but I bet if you wanted to get on Emerica or Lakai, he'd do the work, too. He's your employee, not one of your parents making decisions for you.

Also, like it or not, skateboarding isn't what it used to be, at least not for now. Not until the bubble bursts again. Kids are looking at skateboarding as careers and see dollar signs. They see the purses for Street League, the Nyjahs.

It's not like some of the recent Nine Club guests' stories, where they had fun, got good, started getting product and that was enough. Kids/pros are looking long-term. I can't completely fault them for that. If I was good enough, I'd be looking to set myself up, too, in a way I was comfortable with.

It's all a double-edged sword these days.

PS: I'd love to see someone here turn down $100K just to wear a pair of skate shoes.

Give me the money.
I will wear Airspeeds and a Redbull beanie year-round.

[Brett]

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I've known Clem well for close to a decade and all I can say is he's one of the best humans I've ever met. 100% skateboarder and now helping Pros and Ams get a fair shake from all these companies. He helps them manage their money/taxes/contracts which well most skateboarders really really need help on. He genuinely cares for all of his dudes and they're more like family to him. He loves skateboarding and gets how this crazy game goes.

[close]

Cliff and I are both super biased, because we've worked with Clem for so long, but here's my thoughts.  I've actually been working/friends with Ryan since 2000 now, so that's longer than anyone I've ever worked with, really.  My favorite quote from anyone about Ryan was someone saying "I would love to hire Ryan to be my boss", and they were already the head of a company at the time.  I think that says a lot about his work ethic and ability to motivate.  He straight up gets shit done. 

I have also known Clem for a few years (close to 10?), haven't seen him in a few though. Mainly from bringing the Canadian kids to Tampa Am or whatever contests were going on. He was always welcoming to Lee and Jon and Ben and myself and was always more than willing to go out of his way during the most hectic weekend. From my experience the dude is a straight up guy and he knows his shit. He also happens to have the best driveway that I have yet to skate. 

[REGS]

His house tho... damn.

[too much]

He might be a great guy...look at his house...his family must love him...to give a skatepark...joking...he builds skateparks....the thing is he wasn't modest or humble at all in his interview...he was patting himself on the back the whole time...he's going to phrase everything in his benefit...it's not like the other interviews...Jeremy Wray, Lil Wayne, Reda, etc...way more humble...x infinity...there is no need to have agents in skateboarding...let skateboarders fuck themselves over...he said it himself, "you're waking up when people are having lunch or done with the day?" He saw an opportunity to make money and created the business...his only fault is he bragged about it...there are 1000's of other people who can do what he does, and there are people who do what he does, but they don't brag about it.

Now my only gripe in skateboarding is why do we have to dick ride the sports industry? Why set these boundaries? Maybe because pro-athletes make the most money? Is that true? The Nyjahs want to make the Kobe Bryant money but why not find some skaters and let them make the Bill Maher money? Or Jimmy Fallon money, or Pharrel money? There are huge gaps in earnings between athletes in skateboarding so why not put guys who are worthy of making money in other industries...I always trip out why we don't have a skateboard travel show on Animal Planet....The skateboard industry soared after Back to the Future but we seem to have forgotten that and we want to go in the direction of the National Basketball Association where the refs go to jail for throwing the games. It's so fucking stupid! Fuck all of you who say this is the only way to go when history has shown you otherwise.

[micky682]

He might be a great guy...look at his house...his family must love him...to give a skatepark...joking...he builds skateparks....the thing is he wasn't modest or humble at all in his interview...he was patting himself on the back the whole time...he's going to phrase everything in his benefit...it's not like the other interviews...Jeremy Wray, Lil Wayne, Reda, etc...way more humble...x infinity...there is no need to have agents in skateboarding...let skateboarders fuck themselves over...he said it himself, "you're waking up when people are having lunch or done with the day?" He saw an opportunity to make money and created the business...his only fault is he bragged about it...there are 1000's of other people who can do what he does, and there are people who do what he does, but they don't brag about it.

Now my only gripe in skateboarding is why do we have to dick ride the sports industry? Why set these boundaries? Maybe because pro-athletes make the most money? Is that true? The Nyjahs want to make the Kobe Bryant money but why not find some skaters and let them make the Bill Maher money? Or Jimmy Fallon money, or Pharrel money? There are huge gaps in earnings between athletes in skateboarding so why not put guys who are worthy of making money in other industries...I always trip out why we don't have a skateboard travel show on Animal Planet....The skateboard industry soared after Back to the Future but we seem to have forgotten that and we want to go in the direction of the National Basketball Association where the refs go to jail for throwing the games. It's so fucking stupid! Fuck all of you who say this is the only way to go when history has shown you otherwise.

Damn I hadn't thought of it that way, kinda like what McCrank did with "Abandoned".

[Joe Pesci]

His house tho... damn.

In his defense he did say Florida was cheap.

[sheet]

Hes just playing the game, hes not reinventing it.

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

I don't think Ryan Clements is a bad guy....guys like him make skateboarding go round to some degree but I don't always like hearing about it.  Like,when he said how guys can just make money doing contests.....yah that's true but I don't give a shit about those dudes let alone someone who facilitates it......if I have to pick a side....I'm on the Instagram pro side......