Just for the record, True Love Collective has no issue with the IASC, and they are NOT down for blank boards. They do, however, believe that shops have every right to do what they need to do to support themselves, as they are the ones who are trully LIVING skateboarding, every day, and who are 100% invested in their local scene (or at least SHOULD be). Why should shops not have their own boards, with a higher margin? Who says that they should make less money than all the big companies? What right do all these larger companies have to tell them they SHOULDN'T make a decent living? If these companies were doing their jobs all along, and REALLY supporting skateboarding and real skate shops, this would never be an issue. Most of the shops I go into actually get their boards made HERE in the USA, at SKATER OWNED woodshops. Some of these huge companies have recently STOPPED getting quality, US made boards, or even quality Chinese made boards that are at least done in factories owned by skateboarders over there, and have switched to bullshit boards that no doubt cost a lot less. Just pick up some of these boards and look for that telltale serial number between the truck bolts, it's gone.
To be fair, some of the larger companies (like DLX and Black Box) are UNQUESTIONABLY down for skateboarding, you really cannot deny it with any rational argument. Some others are obviously just trying to make money at this point. Remember Vision?
I'm rambling, sorry. The point here is that until the bigger brands actually do something REAL to help the real skate shops, they have NO RIGHT to whine about dwindling sales.
And kids, for the record, you want to support skateboarding? DON'T buy a board, blank pro or otherwise, at the fucking MALL.