A few things:
First: I just want to say that I'm a tired motherfucker. Between this site and my day job, I'm fucking beat. Nothing a couple of beers won't fix, but goddamn!
Second: Every single industry head in every facet of skateboard-making is watching the fuck out of this thread. To all of them reading this, please pay attention: I am NOT a business owner. I do NOT have any stake in this. The shop I'm affiliated with is not mine, nor do I have one penny of financial debt or claim in it. I'm a skateboarder, just like the site says (see avatar). Nearly every call I've had has started off with the person on the other end thinking that I'm somehow affected by the business... no, nope, nadda, negative. I'm not that guy.
Third: I got a sense from two different cats (via emails that I glanced over) that they may want me to do some business thing with them or for them... if you two dudes are reading this, the answer is no if you actually decide to ask. I'd email you but I forgot your names and your shit is lost in my gmail. I have a day job, so s'all good. By the way, if a particular Slap Pal is reading this, I'm not referring to your project... I'd like to be a part of that, I'm just talking to two randoms.
The phone call: pretty much what you'd expect I guess. Steve was very nice, as everyone that has called me has been so far... but I know that their are some pissed off cats too. For the record, Steve has my phone number and he has permission to give it out to anyone in the industry that feels the need to "educate" me even more. Just keep in mind, I'm one skater in Louisiana, and I've already been talked to by industry heads, board makers, skatepark people, wheel companies, a LOT of skateshop owners, and just about every skater with an email address (the skateshops and fellow skaters all being AWESOME AS FUCK).
I'll just say that Steve made some points that were really good, but nothing that changes my reasoning for building the site. I promised Steve that I woulnd't quote him on anything. I'm not out to burn anyone, so I'll just lay down some things I had on my mind:
1. I took issue with the industry attacking skateboarders. I still do. Mistake or not, that's what happened. It's the industry's responsibility to correct that.
2. I took issue with these things being done in a publication that we weren't meant to see.
3. I took issue with product being sold in mall stores that are undercutting or competing with real skateshops. If a core shop closes because of a Zumies, then that city has lost a hub for skating. Fuck the mall, fuck the chains. Yes, some of them do demos, but those demos are just commercials for those very same chains.
4. Don't hate on shop boards, and don't hate on regional (city-wide) boards. The industry started because of shop boards and crews (Z, Dogtown, etc etc). Big brands are cool, but step the fuck off of the shops and small regional crews. The distros are the problem, attack them.
5. Stop just marketing to kids, or at least start marketing to thinking skateboarders. Transworld is across between MTV and Hightlights these days.
6. Drop the wall between the corpomonsters and the skateboarders. I used H-Street as a good example of what was good... you could look at Mike Ternasky and Tony Magnussion and say "hey, they're H-Street!" Now, it's like all of these companies are hidden in a bubble... there are offices over here, share holders over there, the boards are getting flown in from wherever... the industry is faceless now (with the exception of a few great places like Deluxe). With the industry in a bubble, it's no wonder they're surprised to see the website I threw together get blown up so fast. They're waaaay over there, and a bunch of us are waaaay over here.
I also pointed back to the fact that I don't have a clue as to how it works on that side of skateboarding. I'm not that person.
I can say that Steve heard me out. He listened to what I had to say, and I did the same. I can't speak to what he agreed or disagreed with, because I don't know. It looks like there are some folks that are ready to talk, and by that I mean it sounds like the industry is tripping out a little bit... but I have no clue what kind of discussion it'll be if we have one.
Industry people: I don't have answers, I'm not a leader or anything special in this at all. I have the ability to point my finger and voice an opinion, and that's it.
Last thing: some people have been calling the shop that my friend owns... our shop isn't even affected by this. Our shop has never carried the blanks that the IASC is worried about. Small Time's has no affiliation with the site other than the fact that it's on the list, the owner is my best friend, and he agrees with the general premise of what the site says. I do run the shop's site, but I do that because I want to. I would never accept a dime for it... I'm a geek that loves my shop.
For the record (again, to anyone who may contact me in the industry): The CEOs site cost me roughly $20 to set up, and roughly two days to design and build. I have nothing to lose here, and I don't want to gain anything.
I may have missed some things I said, so just bear with me... it was a long phone call, and I'm exhausted.