January 6, 2006
Simply For Skaters
Vancouver skateshop has a unique approach.
By Rob Brink
TransWorld Skateboarding Business April 2004
When it comes to skateboarding, Vancouver, British Columbia is a city known for it's parks, scene, and producing its fair share of talented skateboarders. Michelle Pezel and Girl professional Rick McCrank wanted to do something different for themselves and for skateboarding in Vancouver. The result is a skateboard shop and art gallery known as Anti Social, located just outside the downtown area in East Vancouver.
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January 6, 2006
Resurrecting the Tech:
Should we expect a resurgence of more technical, pricier skateboard shoes in the near future?
By Rob Brink
TransWorld Business December 2004
Interesting factoid alert! Nike sent me an email super pissed for not including them in this article. If I wasn't cool with the guy who wrote it, I would print it here. So funny. The last article I asked them to be in before this one, my Limited Edition Shoes piece, they refused to be interviewed for, so why would I bother? The rejection is just too much for me to take these days! Oh well, what can ya do? All has since been forgiven and forgotten. I even own a few pairs of Nike SBs. Enjoi the article.
Long gone (well, at least a few years gone) are the days of the uber tech, basketball-inspired skateboard shoes and shelling out close to $100 or more to get them on your feet. But remember that skateboarding has always been cyclical in nature, which means that, much to the chagrin of many in the core industry, the “tech-looking” skateboard shoe may very well see the light of day again. But is “tech” a fashion-related look or is it a design and function issue and how do the two coexist in modern skateboarding footwear?
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January 6, 2006
I Want My P.O.P.!
There's a purpose to point of purchase propaganda.
By Rob Brink
TransWorld Skateboarding Business April 2003
There is no escape.
Posters, banners, hanging mobiles, sun catchers, stickers, dominos, light boxes, benches, inflatable “whatevers,” bottle openers, key chains, beer-can coolers, racks, stands, shelves, displays, and on and on.
This is the propaganda known as P.O.P., and you have little control over its arrival.
It's the stuff you either love or hate when it's delivered to your shop or your warehouse. It's the decorations worth making room for on the walls or filling the dumpster with before they see the light of day.
As much as some P.O.P gets us stoked, we often view P.O.P. as “junk” or “disposable.” We may even take it for granted. Although our shops, warehouses, trade-show booths, and bedrooms would look pretty bland without it.
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January 6, 2006
Unbreakable:
New York-area companies and shops rebound after September 11.
By Rob Brink
TransWorld Skateboarding Business January 2002
New York is probably one of the most resilient cities in the world. So it comes as no surprise that the skateboard industry and community within the city is equally resilient. The September 11 terrorist attacks affected everyone, especially New Yorkers and the companies that do business there. Local skate-shop owners and skateboard manufacturers were no exception to this, and after speaking with some of them, it seems more than obvious than ever that the skateboard industry's current ability to remain minimally affected by economic strain is quite remarkable.
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December 13, 2005
"Industry Ticker" was a column for TransWorld Skateboarding Business that simply assembled info and facts in the skate industry. I did two of them and for some reason they never saw the light of day. I think it was about the time the three TransWorld Business mags (Skate, Surf, Snow) combined into one. Regardless, I thought this info was interesting.
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December 11, 2005
Tampa Pro 2003
By Rob Brink
Skatebiz.com May 2003
This year's annual Skate Park of Tampa Pro Contest ran without a hitch as usual. Spectator turnout was about the same as previous years with 400 people on Friday and 600 people on both Saturday and Sunday. The addition of a new upstairs seating area made the crowd more comfortable and provided a better view. However, SPoT Owner Brian Schaefer and many others throughout the weekend noticed a dramatic decline in industry presence: "Skater, friend, and industry attendance was at an all-time low-related to the financial decline and tons of companies out of business, in my opinion."
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December 11, 2005
Redline Entertainment
By Rob Brink
TransWorld Skateboarding Business September 2003
Redline Entertainment, a Best Buy-subsidiary and Minnesota-based youth-entertainment-label, is determined to push forward in the skateboard industry despite slowing economic times. The company hopes this commitment will keep future generations interested in skateboarding and patronizing 'core shops for years to come.
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December 11, 2005
New Jersey Trade Shows
By Rob Brink
TransWorld Skateboarding Business Janurary 2003
What happens when an organization like ASR abandons the people they profited from for years by canceling their annual Atlantic City, New Jersey trade show?
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December 11, 2005
Screwy
By Rob Brink
TransWorld Skateboarding Business June 2002
I seriously wrote a full feature on hardware back in 2002. Crazy.
Some people think its just nuts and bolts—any will do as long as it holds the trucks on the board. Others need and swear by certain brands or types: Shorty's one-inch Phillips, Diamond 7/8- inch Allen, Monkey blue-painted heads, Randoms "skull" heads, etc. Whatever the case, for such a simple purpose, skateboard hardware has undergone a lengthy evolution—from nails and wood screws used to fasten roller skate trucks to two-by-fours, and custom- designed and tempered fasteners that come packaged with their own tools (Allen keys). Some even require only one tool (wrench or socket). Many kinds have come and gone: U-bolts, Bridge bolts, T- bolts, and the old-school bolts with the raised rounded head.
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November 23, 2005
DC Pro Team Bios 2
By Rob Brink
dcshoes.com June 2004
Here's the final batch of team bios I wrote for dcshoes.com in the summer of 2004.
Rob Dyrdek
If you mention the word “entrepreneur” in relation to skateboarding, Rob Dyrdek most likely comes to mind. He founded and operated his own hip hop record label, P-Jays. He started Orion trucks and founded Reflex bearings. He's the man behind the revolutionary Rob Dyrdek/DC Skate Plaza concept/operation; he has appeared in music videos, Rolling Stone and Playboy magazine and made cameos on multi-platinum records. He has starred in his own DC television commercial; he has action figures that bear his likeness. He is in video games and on trading cards.
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