@@RamenBoi I just started skating bought mine 3 days ago , i did go for blank deck cause it doesnt look like a pro skatebard , i wanna keep it lowkey and minimalist its kinda good quality too
brailleskateboarding.com/product/colored-blank-decks/?attribute_size=7.5&attribute_color=Orange&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwtmhyZDN6gIVhRh9Ch3k2grTEAsYASABEgIUo_D_BwE That’s the blank deck I will probably get
@@jbdoingstuff7015 buying someone elses work is pretty normal tho. Supporting the artist ya know. Nothin against doing it yourself, don't get me wrong. Hell I make linocuts and print them onto my decks
Ed Templeton recently said in an article that he thinks almost no skaters can make a living off of their deck sponsor. Many top skaters get the majority of their earnings from shoes and other product sponsors like red bull. I don't think think that is because too many kids are buying blanks. I think it's because the market is way too saturated. There are so many small brands taking their bite out of the pie. Even if blank decks stopped existing tomorrow I doubt that it would make much difference.
+Collin good point! I remember hearing how Mike V would make 20 grand a month on board sales back in the day, but things have definitely changed. Thanks for the comment!
Collin Also I think that newer generations are not following specific skateboarders due to the proliferation of good and unknown skaters all over the internet. It could have come a more generic "sport".
Collin Yeah, I mainly longboard, but I've always been disappointed in the fact that for the most part, big skateboard companies don't create anything new like unique molds or materials. in longboarding, most of the new teach mentioned in this dude's videos about cool Tech have been in longboard manufacturing for years.
Supply and demand would indicate that we are happy with the blank decks and that we don't need pro riders or experimental tech if a company wants the edge, they will need to innovate the fact that people buy blanks is evidence that skate companies have made zero REAL progress for DECADES
By design, it is a good thing consumers rule the roost in a (relatively) free market economy, like the one within which skateboarders and their supporting industries operate. While the idea of consumers unnecessarily spending more for a product might benefit those industries, it would not make sense to say "bad consumer!" if she/he did not see the value in doing so and instead chose to buy blank decks. Rather, the onus is on the industries to persuade and attract those consumers' spending by communicating and delivering better value than the blank decks. Some consumers do consider "indirect" benefits when deciding on purchases (i.e., choosing to pay more for Fair Trade certified products for moral reasons or paying more for a graphic deck versus a blank deck), but successful businesses take responsibility for promoting this consumer behavior. Pressuring consumers to act against their own perceived self interest is a losing endeavor, and we should all be thankful this is true. The alternative, at least if taken to extremes, results in less quality and value for everyone.
What does it matter if you support your local shop but they don't support you. It's all about the money making, nothing above or below that. I have invested lots in buying skate stuff from local skateshops but in return they don't even make a descent discount or something. I ride whatever I want now, made up my mind that skate decks won't last for ever, they'll break sooner or later. Bought a blank today. Despite skating gaps and stairs, they hold up descently. Kinda got tired of always supporting, supporting, supporting. By buying skate stuff from all these shops, the only thing you support is their money-making. If you really want to support skateboarding, then just skate. Skate whenever you want, whatever you want, just skate.
WORD!!!!! The rich don't give a shit about you. And the pros Do it for the money. Jason Lee had a signature shoe with airwalk and appeared on the cover of Thrasher wearing vans.
A lot of (most of) pros and skate shop owners really are into the skate community and they love to contribute to the community of skating, but if no one helps them out so that they can continue to fund the shop, then the skate community will die out because there will be less availability for skateboarding and less of a culture. Skating is all about having fun and if a person is doing it for fame or money, then they're in the wrong industry.
@@braydenowsley121 That may be true, but I rather have an online shop that is active in my country and sells just about anything for a decent price, than having to spend extra on a 'local skateshop rebranded' board that's not even really worth the $100 they ask for, but do sell as a 'good beginner board'. Which is basically a big lie. The more boards you ride, the more obvious it is a certain quality of boards (as in the better completes or more expensive setups) does translate to much nicer skating. And most of my local shops don't carry a lot of brands at all. A handful at best and they tend to be the cheaper stuff that is an easy sell to a kid and his mom buying a first skateboard. "Skating is all about having fun and if a person is doing it for fame or money, then they're in the wrong industry." Yeah. I don't think that's how these sponsorships really work out anyway. Most sponsors will come to whomever is doing well in competitions or has some kind of other audience (nowadays, more and more this includes CZcamsrs / InstaGram). I must say I do dislike seeing the 'vbloggers' get sponsored who barely seem to really skate. But it makes sense from a business perspective. I'm pretty sure those people would be dropped by their sponsors in a heartbeat the moment they're no longer relevant in the social media scene. So no, they probably can't slack off and live rich. No such life in skateboarding with maybe like one or two exceptions. Think Tony Hawk and how the Pro Skater video games were a massive success and certainly made him a lot of money.
When I was at my peak in skating, looking around for local sponsors, I was also buying blank decks by the box. One of the local shops actually sold blanks and would offer box discounts. I really couldn't tell you if they were better or worse than normal decks, because the shapes were good and I'd be going through at least one a week. This was back in 1998-2000. I was working part time at a print shop and would bring home like $125 a week for 20 hours of work. Living with my folks, I could have food and gas money and save enough to buy a box once a month. I would get a full roll of Jessup grip and that would last like two boxes if you did a solid cover on every board. If you're paying for your own skating and have some talent, I'd say at least go through a phase of skating where you're not worried about monetary cost and lose the fear of breaking or wearing out your board too soon. It helped my skating tremendously to have a pile of new boards on hand and not worry about being without a board until I could cash my part-time job check and get a new one. I love skateboarding and would prefer to always support brands I like, but if you're skating hard at a level where you could get sponsored, you kinda need to support yourself sustainably. Spending $50 on a single board that might break when you're trying to BS 360 a 9 stair vs having 10 gripped boards waiting on hand for $150 is kind of a no brainer. If a board usually lasts you a month or longer and you have the financial means, buy a board that supports your favorite company.
I always went with pro decks. Just in case they were better quality. I certainly wasn't going to research the matter. I also liked riding the board of a favorite pro. Was inspiring.
For me, what is important is supporting companies that make their products in the USA where I'm more confident workers are in decent working conditions and get paid decently. Powell, mini logo, bones, zoo york, jessup, etc make great products at great prices.
I have mountain biked for about 5 years and just recently started trying to learn to skate. For me, in both of these hobbies I want to be proud of/personally dig the way the thing I'm riding looks. It's kind of a reflection of yourself. A guy who primarily listens to pop and rap wouldn't skate a deathwish or darkstar deck (I wouldn't think so anyways...). I let my daughter pick my first deck (I said I'm very much a beginner lol) and because of that I have a somewhat cartoonish Santa Cruz deck right now. I love that when I skate to work and put my board in my locker I see the deck and smile thinking of my little girl sitting there helping me pick it out. To me that personalization and extra love for the thing you're doing and spending time with is well worth an extra $20 or so every so often. Excellent video I learned alot as well from the other stuff you pointed out here. For me that's all just icing on the cake :)
I'd say that's true for most big companies... Almost however seem to be different... I remember skating their "pressure" decks back in the mid/late 2000's... the ones with the rings around the truck bolts to even out the pressure... couldn't even snap it by jumping off a 3ft ledge into the centre of the board!!
I feel like custom deck graphics should be more popular. Since skating is about personal expression and creativity, it's something I'd rather do if the quality is the sam. Sorry pros, there are too many of you these days, and hardly any are so unique that they're something special.
When I was a kid. I couldn't afford skateboards, so I would ride the one I had until there was basically no tail or nose. Or I would be given a deck that someone was done with. When I would buy a deck if I got xmas money, I would get a blank, or just a local board shop board.
I am a big fan of shop decks. I have a few skate shops around me that make their own decks. Some are blank and some have shop logos on them but they are cheaper usually 35 to 40 bucks. I know one shop by me uses locally sourced maple and the whole deck is made in my state. If you are strapped for cash I feel like this is a good way to go. You are getting good value for money and you are supporting local businesses.
Rad Rat Video I haven't bought one yet. but I was gonna use paint markers to start off. I will probably buy some just so i can experiment. I'm not very artistic tho. but practice makes perfect. also i was gonna get a stencil and use spray paint.
Rad Rat Video I also forgot to say that I mostly just buy boards for brands and skaters I like. I want them to keep doing what they love. but I still gotta keep some variety and there is also some pride in making your own graphics.
And that is the reason why blank decks are not destroying skateboarding. Theres allways gonna be some people who wanna support their favourite skaters. I do think they should find some way of making the artwork visible throughout the deck. Mabey if they print the artwork on each ply before they press them together or some sort of ink that soaks into the wood.
Saying "skateboarding is artistic at its heart" as an argument for buying decks with visual art on them seems like the same as saying "music is artistic at its heart" as an argument for buying a guitar with cool graphics on it. If it's artistic at its heart then graphics don't affect this. Otherwise you're saying the only actual art that skateboarding offers is the graphics on the deck.
yeah as a some one who plays guitar, if i don't like how a guitar looks, i feel less inclined to pick it up and play it, and ultimately less of an emotional attatchment/investment
Blanks are good for beginners and those who don't have enough cash to buy pro decks. I don't think it is a biggie considering those blanks are made by local companies with experience anyway rather than from China.
I kind of look at it the other way around. First of they are the same quality as pro decks, they just don't have graphics so beginners, usually meaning little kids, have their parents buying boards for them and they want to ride boards of their favorite skaters whereas people that can actually skate and don't give a s*** about gaphics and skate hard and go through a lot of decks buy blanks
They are all blanks before a company puts their logo on it. You sound like the guy that buys an iPhone because it has iPhone on it, not because of it capabilities. Untie your shoes, sag you pants, wear you hat sideways and be original just like everyone else.
2:32 I strongly disagree with this point. A lot of decks have graphics that I really can't stand, so a sleek wood finish comes out ahead of the pack in my opinion, and it's also easier to track flips because the light wood color is very different than the black grip tape.
I was actually very, very involved in this very debate... if not in a bit of a cyber fight with several of the bigger companies back in '07. Mainly with Blitz Distribution and then a bit of a love/hate relationship with Dwindle. The issue was blanks & shop decks as opposed to pro boards, but the International Association of Skateboard Companies (IASC) attempted to shame kids that were getting blanks, but also about to pitch the idea for shop decks to be cobranded by the companies involved in the debate rather than the shops by directly from Pennswood and Chapman & the like. It's such a long story. Anyway, I'm fortunate to have relationship with Deluxe, and I definitely live and breath everything they do, at the same time, I know what it's like to be broke as hell and need a ride and there are times (financially) when a 15 or 20 dollar difference in a deck price might as well be a million dollar difference if you're broke. Good video.
I used to be amazed watching this guy skate I forgot that he existed I’m glad the algorithm worked it’s magic I’m glad he seems to be doing well. I started skating again at 27 just recently because I don’t wanna waste my last possible chance to skate again in my life it’s been so much fun and I’ve loved it.
I don't want to support a capitalist industry (by paying over the odds for paint which I scrape off within a day) I want to skate. I buy blanks (and uncuts) when I know where they came from.. I would pay for premium handmade decks though from artisans or micro companies, I support that.. I don't support making rich people richer.
vapin scoundrel I understand where you're coming from, but buying a deck from Skater owned brand will help support my favorite skater put food on the table... I suppose the industry is so saturated by corporations now it's hard to find a purely 'skater owned' brand
Supporting micro/independent companies is a more capitalistic act then supporting large companies. Don't get fooled by neo-liberals that capitalism is bad. Every modern society apart from north Korea and African tribes works in a capitalistic manner.
I rode blank decks for years. Would buy them in groups of 5 for like $70. I probably skated 30 of them until for my birthday I got an Almost and immediately I could tell the difference. I'd say if you're just beginning, buy blanks. But once you get to a point where you are doing bigger gaps ledges and such, buy pro boards.
There are so many great comments here. I love the opinions. Rad Rat, you really are supporting skating with your videos and the questions you receive. Great job Man. Well done. 👍👍
Also btw i love the videos where you are talking about board tech, or the industry in general, along with you experience as a consumer. maybe you can address the "nike and adidas in skateboarding" debate :')
please do! its so wrong, when i see kids and friends wearing them i always cant help but bring it up like "hey you know that was probably made in some sweat shop?" i feel like a nark
You are amazing at breaking down the business and real life applications of skateboarding.. I am like you where I used to break it down into a science... very well done.
Me too man. Can't believe this clown is trying to make me feel bad for taking money out of Nyjahs pocket 😂 the fucker is a multi millionaire. And, the the boards are all made by the same companys anyways then all that shit he said about design development and manufacture is all bullshit anyways! If you buy a blank the same company gets the money and it will be them that will lead the way in new design... But what sells it for me most is that if you buy blank then you can get American or Canadian made rather than made in China shit.
Uk here. Back in the day a blanky was around 20 pound, vs 65 for the pro decks. Being a teenager, it’s genuinely no shock what we bought the most. Pro decks were reserved for Christmas time. Truth be told a lot of the times the blanks worked just as well. Hurting skating? Nah not at all. What hurt us were brands thinking they were in the same league as Gucci!
I need to mention that big companies also had blank decks editions. I still ride my only survived out of the bundle of four of them official Powell blank deck (the logo is printed only on the grip side of the deck. I started buying them cause I got bigger and decks would break under me too damn often whenever I missed landing clean on the truck screws.
All my parents could afford were blank decks when I was a kid. Once, a friend snapped my board so she stole an Element Featherlight and I snapped that shit in a week. I went back to blanks after that.
Fun fact! All the decks you see in shops are produced by the same handful of manufacturers. There is a 60 percent chance that the blank deck which is 20 something bucks was produced in the same factory as that baker, flip etc... 60 something bucks.
nah try to get it as cheap as possible .. as an example a altamont pant cost the company 4 bucks to make it and the big retailer pays 12 bucks for the pant and they sell it for 45 bucks to the shop and the shop sells it to you for 90 bucks ..does this sound okay to you ?? i dont think soo .. they are makeing enough money .. there is no reason to feel bad when you rather go for the cheap one .. most of the time its even the same deck just without graphics . all companys should sell blank decks too
Yeah, I get what you're saying. It would be cool if different brands made their own Mini Logo style blanks. But then we might be able to tell how similar they all actually are.
I think it would be great if you made a video on cheap alternative brands of shoes (or ways of getting them) that are good to skate in. Is there a solid suede shoe out there for under $30 that will hold up to the mainstream competition? Anoyone who skates knows how expensive of a habit it can be, and this would make quite a difference for some. Either way, keep up the quality content.
Ill buy a hero deck from time to time but ive had good luck w blanks and a lot of the time i thought some teams had lame graphics Honestly whatever keeps me skating the most is best for me. Skateboarding got along before my dollars and will after.
I'd like to suggest the angle of the tail too. I have come across a few boards with a steeper angle on the tail than the nose, I HATE this. how can you tell before you buy online?
chimyshark- any deck you are interested in you can look up the nose angle and tail angle on google if not listed on the online shop details you buy from.
good episode . i agree 100 percent . we however sell a to of blanks . not as many as we sell revive decks but a lot of blanks. we sell a lot of mini logo as well
I just want to say I totally agree with all of your points. However, I buy my decks, blank and in bulk, because I snap decks a lot, and I am a college student with no money. When I do buy non-blank decks, I usually buy shop decks to support my local stores. (I actually bought one today rep wws boardshop haha)
I like to ride blank decks, because they feel really chill and laid back. I'll buy pro decks too, if I can find something really chill, but that's just hard for me to find; that's why I tend to ride blank decks.
I would always buy Powell mini logo's when I started skating in 2001-2002. They were generally less than half the cost of my favorite pro boards at the time like Geoff Rowleys Flip decks and Tom Penny. The Powells actually skated really well too and they seemed to hold up longer by suffering less delamination and cracks. Once I got better at skating I started to spend more on my decks, I had many Flip decks at the time, Zero, Toy Machines, Cliche, Almost etc, but these never lasted long and snapped in silly situations. Once a Flip "new wave" board I had snapped vertically in half ollieing over some cobble stones 2 days after I paid £60 for it! Things like this would piss me off so much at the time as I wasnt making much money as I'd not long left school. I eventually went back to skating Mini Logos or even local Skateshop branded boards which were just blanks with their own designs on them. My skating got better and I wasnt so afraid to try more daring tricks as I knew I could easily just buy 2-3 more boards for the price of a single pro deck. Saying this though I am currently skating a Chocolate deck... but it was 60% off clearance XD
I had the same thing happen with the one and only Girl deck I bought. I paid full price for it, and the tail broke right off doing a no comply trick on flat. I was furious. I know it was just a fluke, but it was terrible.
Awesome content as always I've never rode blanks simply because of the way my brain is wired. Not to do with "supporting the industry" but that I am a very artistic and creative person.
Thanks! Did you know in the early 90s, the big fad was to buy a name brand deck and scrape the graphic off? You'll see tons of 'blank' decks in skate videos at the time. It looked terrible.
Yeah I was reading an interview about it a few weeks ago. Kids would pick out decks based on how easy they were to peel off. But I'm with you, I think that's crazy.
i cant find a single graphic that resembles me sadly, this is why i skate ether blanks or boards with the name of the brand on them Enjoi, Almost, Baker Etc
I used to only skateboard (no other hobbies) and I would buy whatever board I liked sometimes blankdecks.com sometimes blind, toy, black label, etc. But recently I started mountain biking, and that's a really expensive hobby (and I'm building a miata) so I got less money to spend on decks so I've been riding blanks. The way I see it buy whichever you want, the industry will make it.
I have always been afraid of trying blanks. I break decks every 4-6 weeks from flatground only, so I don't want to risk getting a blank deck that could potentially last only 1 week. but I think I'll give blank decks a try if you think they feel the same and are the same durability. I ALWAYS paint my own decks, yes- I have been painting over the graphics on the pro decks I buy, so I don't care about the art it comes with.
chimyshark you don't think finding out would be worth it? just buy one and see what's up. BTW. A 4 to 6 week deck life sounds pretty standard in my experience.
You should definitely give it a try if you're burning through them that quick. If it doesn't work for you, you're out 20 bucks, but if it does work, you would save hundreds.
well you're a skateboarder so you should be used taking risks by now. but hey if you have the money to throw away on pro models that chill too. edit: woah! I just read that you're painting over pro graphics??? fuck you man.
I never like any of the backgrounds, my favorite was enjoi blues, and it's retired, so I painted over a pro deck to try to imitate the enjoi blues graphic, and that's where it started...
iv been skating since I was 4 years old I'm now 41 .. there have always been blanks of some sort the whole times iv been skating be it the square blanks you cut your self .. or already cut and sanded blanks .. if you like a pro model you buy it if u can afford it .. if you cant you buy a blank and use that .. blanks have little impact other than to keep ppl who cant afford pro models in skating .. always a good thing
I'd normally save my money and try to get my self an old school board reissue. Usually always in the 50-60 range. Idk paying 50 dollars for a popsicle deck feels like way to much
If you're gonna spend money, spend it on trucks. I normally get indy or thunder trucks and replace the bushings with thunder blacks...makes a huge difference. The last non-blank deck I bought was a revive that was on sale for 30 bucks because I think revive is alright philosophically even though they aren't alienating badboys like the skaters I grew up watching.
My first deck was a blank that had a paragraph about not supporting corporate skate co.'s. As a graphic. I'll always skate blanks. Fuck corporations who leech off the underground.
+Oscar Eliasson that's a good way to go, and that's what I liked about blankdecks, because they described the shape. It's always a gamble buying online or mail order.
The only decks I buy are my local shops decks. Really nice graphic the wood is stained so it still looks nice when the graphic wears off and they’re pretty cheap $30-$40 depending on the size.
When I was a kid making almost no money, I had to scrap together 2 months worth of allowance to pay for a pro model. Considering that I was going through a board about every month I'd say blanks were justifiable back then. Continuing to skate was definitely more important. Now that I'm an adult with a job though, I always buy pro models. Gotta support the industry if you can.
I never used to like blank decks as a kid. I had a couple of them but i always used to get it in my head that they weren't "proper" decks. Even at 25 i'd rather pay a bit more for a graphic.
I currently have two boards, I have a pro deck that use for cruising and a blank deck for tricks, this is because I would prefer to destroy the bottom of a deck a paid $20 for rather than a deck I paid $60 for.
I'll tell you in 2023 decks are outrageous and there's no way I'm paying 80-90 dollars for the same deck I used to buy 10-13 years ago for 40/50 dollars. They're out of their minds charging prices like that and if the big graphic deck market dies because of it, so be it, it's their fault for inflating the shit out of the prices
I remember watching those old videos you posted of you doing tricks years ago man what channel was that? and also I always skated blanks or shops boards beacause they're half the price and as a kid I had no money and lame parents
+Solo Dolo the channel is aronl. It's still up but some of those videos got removed for copyrighted music. Yeah, same here. 50 bucks was a lot of allowance money back then
My first board was a blank deck. Not because of price because it wasn’t that much cheaper than anything else but because I couldn’t find a graphic I liked more than the lack of one. I still find most graphics to be off putting.
Not everyone have money to pay for boards that comes from industry, moreover with blank decks, you can design it on your own wish. It is true that you can support the local company that takes artist design but then eventually everybody would be doing and wishing the same thing.
I buy blank boards that my locally owned skateshop makes. I've basically been riding the same board for awhile. Durable, great pop, and cheap. Downside is that it's kinda sticky on grinds imo
I skate graphic/pro decks because I like the graphic. I think it's part of the expression of it all. I mean, all the decks you'd find at a skate shop are all pretty much the exact same quality. They're all made from 7 ply maple, it's not like the blank decks are made from a special kind of weaker maple tree. I just buy whatever I think looks the coolest and that I can afford.
I just bought a Blind “super saver” deck - I haven’t skated it yet but we’ll see how it performs. I think Dwindle has done a good job at competing with blank deck companies by providing an option that is nearly the same price wise
I used plattinum skateboards because they claimed progressive mould technology this did make a stronger board lasted longer but i think they went out of business i used to skate plan b boards in the 90s too and the shape was better but the plys separated early sometimes sometimes you get a nice one kinda inconsistent
Good video. You've really got a point. It's a shame because I used to buy blanks and love the price. 'Act local. Think global.' Just like the one person driving a Hummer might encourage others to follow suit so a blank deck user might encourage others.
Summer of 96 and 97 I lived off Powell blanks in New York City. I could not afford to buy regular decks since I was bordering on homeless crashing at my girls dorm room and using hand-me-down trucks and wheels. The good thing was I have big feet and was able to buy wide decks. I also remember skate naked way back in the day was selling blanks but I never had any. All that being said, I'm not going to buy a deck that only cost $18. These were like $10 less than Pro Models, that's it and they were still made by a major company
Blanks have been around forever. I bypass the brands buy blank decks in bulk directly from the wood shop. But I also buy brand decks when I see something I like or would like to hang on my wall.
Mini logo make good blanks(based off this princible) since theyre a legit company that have a team and actually make full colour art decks, either that or you can buy a shop deck for around £30 as oppose to a pro deck for £45-60, i like buying blanks to sticker bomb them
I guess blanks are better for training or just having fun and graphic ones for filming video or just looking good. It's just part of your style and sometime you just don't want to ruin your beautiful stuffs.
As of last year/early this year, I buy my decks based on support of a company. I buy 5boro decks and clothing, as a born and raised New Yorker and from the fact that Steve Rodriguez has always played a big role in the skate scene in New York City, including trying to save Brooklyn Banks, supporting the build of what was once Fat Kid spot which is now IMO, one of the best skate plazas we got (AND it's near my job!). Otherwise, I used to buy Enjoi decks because they felt comfortable. Not pro decks, but just the regular letterprints. I never bought blanks, for reasons I don't quite know, but the idea is still there.
I bought 5 blanks for fifty bucks once. One of the worst decisions I have ever made. The boards were thick, the paint felt like a sticker (similar to how graphics are on toy store boards), and they broke way to easily. Within the first day and a half of skating the first one, I managed to break the nose off. I would recommend that if anybody buys a blank, that they buy a Powell mini logo, cause I have at least seen those last people
Sometimes I don't want crazy graphic on my board.. it's like sometimes I want a plane bike or a plane car or plane trainers or plane t-shirt.. lol for me it's not about supporting or not supporting .. it's more about if I like it or not
i usually buy company decks that are on sale or overstock to save some money. but yesterday i got rid of my crusty stereo board for an industrial rideshop shop deck. Theyre blank in the sense that there is nothing on the bottom, except for a laser etching of the company's logo in it. they are 25 bucks and the rideshop has a good skate team and have events. I know it probably isnt hitting their balance sheet when i buy one of these, but i feel comfortable that i buy the economy board from a rideshop that helps out our skate community, rather than some weird ass website.
+toastybunsprod yeah I agree. The only local shop board I ever had delaminated the day I got it, but if I had a good local one, I probably would have skated that instead
I have mixed feelings about blank decks. It really depends on the terrain the person chooses to skate. If someone skates big gaps and breaks boards often blank decks would be a good option. On the other hand, for someone like me who skates mostly transition shelling out more money for a pro or team deck isn't a big deal.
I buy blank decks because 1, they’re way cheaper, and 2 I like to paint on them to make a custom design. It’s not worth it to drop $60 on a deck when I can get the same thing for half or less
I like the look of natural wood. I'd much rather buy a blank than something splattered with artwork that I have no interest in. Maybe this isn't an issue with the consumer. Maybe this is a hole in the market that the industry is failing to serve. If I could spend more for a quality blank from a reputable brand or local shop, I would. Sadly, they are all covered with crazy artwork. So, the only option available to me is to get the no name blanks or make my own. I don't do it to save money. I do it because the industry doesn't currently offer a product that interests me.
I hate blank decks cuz people like to put logos on them and resell them like CANDY, or REVIVE.. and they those companies dont help the industry, they just help themselves
No problem with blank decks. They are top quality and affordable for kids who are starting out or can't afford to replace a 50-60$ deck once a month. When I was in the late 90-00's All I rode was blank decks and Hook-ups. The market is so saturated pros make money of shoes and other sponsors.
No if the big guys are not supporting the Pro skaters enough, you do not need to support the big guys. Why is the MTB and BMX industry still booming even with Blank Bikes? Why was I now able to buy a skateboard when I was a Kid and so I can now afford it as adult? My skate will gather the dust in my house, it might as well cost less and have my own paint job on it.
I'll do whatever it takes to keep skating. Sorry to the skate industry, but a blank deck board is better than having no board at all.
The people selling blank decks ARE the skate industry. There's no reason why the big companies should have exclusive rights to it.
Yup
I only get blanks cuz i pay this girl on my block to paint them.
@@BATMANFOOLS same my homie paints mine custom
Nikolas Gibson how long did your board last you ,I just bought one and want to find out if they are good
Blanks are the way to go. Why should I pay 3 times the price for a graphic that I wear off in 2 days
@@RamenBoi I just started skating bought mine 3 days ago , i did go for blank deck cause it doesnt look like a pro skatebard , i wanna keep it lowkey and minimalist its kinda good quality too
@@Tyronin bro, in what page can I order some good quality blanks?
brailleskateboarding.com/product/colored-blank-decks/?attribute_size=7.5&attribute_color=Orange&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwtmhyZDN6gIVhRh9Ch3k2grTEAsYASABEgIUo_D_BwE
That’s the blank deck I will probably get
@@rileyalexis06 nice
Amen!!
I love to draw so I buy blank decks as canvases that I can also skate on. It's pretty sick haha
Dude... Thank you for this idea. You're absolutely right... I'm an artist. Wtf am I buying someone else's work for? 🤔
@@jbdoingstuff7015 buying someone elses work is pretty normal tho. Supporting the artist ya know. Nothin against doing it yourself, don't get me wrong. Hell I make linocuts and print them onto my decks
For me it's more like: Are graphic decks destroying my wallet? Should you ever buy graphic decks?
Fr
Facts
Ed Templeton recently said in an article that he thinks almost no skaters can make a living off of their deck sponsor. Many top skaters get the majority of their earnings from shoes and other product sponsors like red bull. I don't think think that is because too many kids are buying blanks. I think it's because the market is way too saturated. There are so many small brands taking their bite out of the pie. Even if blank decks stopped existing tomorrow I doubt that it would make much difference.
word
+Collin good point! I remember hearing how Mike V would make 20 grand a month on board sales back in the day, but things have definitely changed. Thanks for the comment!
Collin Also I think that newer generations are not following specific skateboarders due to the proliferation of good and unknown skaters all over the internet. It could have come a more generic "sport".
Mark Valencia yessir
Collin Yeah, I mainly longboard, but I've always been disappointed in the fact that for the most part, big skateboard companies don't create anything new like unique molds or materials. in longboarding, most of the new teach mentioned in this dude's videos about cool Tech have been in longboard manufacturing for years.
Supply and demand would indicate that we are happy with the blank decks
and that we don't need pro riders or experimental tech
if a company wants the edge, they will need to innovate
the fact that people buy blanks is evidence that skate companies have made zero REAL progress for DECADES
By design, it is a good thing consumers rule the roost in a (relatively) free market economy, like the one within which skateboarders and their supporting industries operate. While the idea of consumers unnecessarily spending more for a product might benefit those industries, it would not make sense to say "bad consumer!" if she/he did not see the value in doing so and instead chose to buy blank decks. Rather, the onus is on the industries to persuade and attract those consumers' spending by communicating and delivering better value than the blank decks. Some consumers do consider "indirect" benefits when deciding on purchases (i.e., choosing to pay more for Fair Trade certified products for moral reasons or paying more for a graphic deck versus a blank deck), but successful businesses take responsibility for promoting this consumer behavior. Pressuring consumers to act against their own perceived self interest is a losing endeavor, and we should all be thankful this is true. The alternative, at least if taken to extremes, results in less quality and value for everyone.
What does it matter if you support your local shop but they don't support you. It's all about the money making, nothing above or below that. I have invested lots in buying skate stuff from local skateshops but in return they don't even make a descent discount or something. I ride whatever I want now, made up my mind that skate decks won't last for ever, they'll break sooner or later. Bought a blank today. Despite skating gaps and stairs, they hold up descently. Kinda got tired of always supporting, supporting, supporting. By buying skate stuff from all these shops, the only thing you support is their money-making. If you really want to support skateboarding, then just skate. Skate whenever you want, whatever you want, just skate.
most pro skaters or skate shops dont care about us at all
WORD!!!!! The rich don't give a shit about you. And the pros Do it for the money. Jason Lee had a signature shoe with airwalk and appeared on the cover of Thrasher wearing vans.
A lot of (most of) pros and skate shop owners really are into the skate community and they love to contribute to the community of skating, but if no one helps them out so that they can continue to fund the shop, then the skate community will die out because there will be less availability for skateboarding and less of a culture. Skating is all about having fun and if a person is doing it for fame or money, then they're in the wrong industry.
@@braydenowsley121 That may be true, but I rather have an online shop that is active in my country and sells just about anything for a decent price, than having to spend extra on a 'local skateshop rebranded' board that's not even really worth the $100 they ask for, but do sell as a 'good beginner board'. Which is basically a big lie. The more boards you ride, the more obvious it is a certain quality of boards (as in the better completes or more expensive setups) does translate to much nicer skating. And most of my local shops don't carry a lot of brands at all. A handful at best and they tend to be the cheaper stuff that is an easy sell to a kid and his mom buying a first skateboard.
"Skating is all about having fun and if a person is doing it for fame or money, then they're in the wrong industry."
Yeah. I don't think that's how these sponsorships really work out anyway. Most sponsors will come to whomever is doing well in competitions or has some kind of other audience (nowadays, more and more this includes CZcamsrs / InstaGram). I must say I do dislike seeing the 'vbloggers' get sponsored who barely seem to really skate. But it makes sense from a business perspective. I'm pretty sure those people would be dropped by their sponsors in a heartbeat the moment they're no longer relevant in the social media scene. So no, they probably can't slack off and live rich. No such life in skateboarding with maybe like one or two exceptions. Think Tony Hawk and how the Pro Skater video games were a massive success and certainly made him a lot of money.
@@PHeMoX Tru, I just ordered a new deck online for a cheap price, so online is much better. 🤷
I've always thought pro decks have been over priced. Especially since if your good they will only last a month or two.
The guys who make them always said they’re not prices high enough. The cost of materials is high especially now
When I was at my peak in skating, looking around for local sponsors, I was also buying blank decks by the box. One of the local shops actually sold blanks and would offer box discounts. I really couldn't tell you if they were better or worse than normal decks, because the shapes were good and I'd be going through at least one a week. This was back in 1998-2000. I was working part time at a print shop and would bring home like $125 a week for 20 hours of work. Living with my folks, I could have food and gas money and save enough to buy a box once a month. I would get a full roll of Jessup grip and that would last like two boxes if you did a solid cover on every board.
If you're paying for your own skating and have some talent, I'd say at least go through a phase of skating where you're not worried about monetary cost and lose the fear of breaking or wearing out your board too soon. It helped my skating tremendously to have a pile of new boards on hand and not worry about being without a board until I could cash my part-time job check and get a new one.
I love skateboarding and would prefer to always support brands I like, but if you're skating hard at a level where you could get sponsored, you kinda need to support yourself sustainably. Spending $50 on a single board that might break when you're trying to BS 360 a 9 stair vs having 10 gripped boards waiting on hand for $150 is kind of a no brainer. If a board usually lasts you a month or longer and you have the financial means, buy a board that supports your favorite company.
I always went with pro decks. Just in case they were better quality. I certainly wasn't going to research the matter. I also liked riding the board of a favorite pro. Was inspiring.
honestly i shred on blanks im always worried about messing up the prodecks design... i still have tony hawks signiture on my full skull deck
+Daniel Moreno Yeah I would only do boardslides after the deck was a little beat up because I felt guilty messing up the graphic
I'm gonna buy a blank deck and buy I sticker pack and sticker bomb the bottom
Hell yeah
For me, what is important is supporting companies that make their products in the USA where I'm more confident workers are in decent working conditions and get paid decently. Powell, mini logo, bones, zoo york, jessup, etc make great products at great prices.
+Anthony Tran that's a good thing to keep in mind, at least until there's some kind of industry fair trade agreement. Thanks for the comment!
Anthony Tran I bought a Mini Logo at my local shop for Christmas last year. Had a tiny sticker on the side of the tail that said made in China...
blackdecks.com has made in america decks too.
Anthony Tran yessir
Who want's a product made by a lazy American
I have mountain biked for about 5 years and just recently started trying to learn to skate. For me, in both of these hobbies I want to be proud of/personally dig the way the thing I'm riding looks. It's kind of a reflection of yourself. A guy who primarily listens to pop and rap wouldn't skate a deathwish or darkstar deck (I wouldn't think so anyways...). I let my daughter pick my first deck (I said I'm very much a beginner lol) and because of that I have a somewhat cartoonish Santa Cruz deck right now. I love that when I skate to work and put my board in my locker I see the deck and smile thinking of my little girl sitting there helping me pick it out. To me that personalization and extra love for the thing you're doing and spending time with is well worth an extra $20 or so every so often. Excellent video I learned alot as well from the other stuff you pointed out here. For me that's all just icing on the cake :)
I think it makes it more about the pure skating and less about what crappy over-hyped brand you're repping.
I'd say that's true for most big companies... Almost however seem to be different... I remember skating their "pressure" decks back in the mid/late 2000's... the ones with the rings around the truck bolts to even out the pressure... couldn't even snap it by jumping off a 3ft ledge into the centre of the board!!
I feel like custom deck graphics should be more popular. Since skating is about personal expression and creativity, it's something I'd rather do if the quality is the sam. Sorry pros, there are too many of you these days, and hardly any are so unique that they're something special.
When I was a kid. I couldn't afford skateboards, so I would ride the one I had until there was basically no tail or nose. Or I would be given a deck that someone was done with. When I would buy a deck if I got xmas money, I would get a blank, or just a local board shop board.
+Dion Yeah it definitely helped. I did everything I could to save a few bucks as a kid. Including department store boards for a while.
I am a big fan of shop decks. I have a few skate shops around me that make their own decks. Some are blank and some have shop logos on them but they are cheaper usually 35 to 40 bucks. I know one shop by me uses locally sourced maple and the whole deck is made in my state. If you are strapped for cash I feel like this is a good way to go. You are getting good value for money and you are supporting local businesses.
I started with a basic blank Mini Logo board, and as I got better and better, I bought pro models from companies I wanted to support.
I'd buy blanks to put my on designs on it and so i can just trash it. but then again I'd buy both any way.
+dxmanforlife2000 how do you do it? Paint markers?
Rad Rat Video I haven't bought one yet. but I was gonna use paint markers to start off. I will probably buy some just so i can experiment. I'm not very artistic tho. but practice makes perfect. also i was gonna get a stencil and use spray paint.
Rad Rat Video I also forgot to say that I mostly just buy boards for brands and skaters I like. I want them to keep doing what they love. but I still gotta keep some variety and there is also some pride in making your own graphics.
That's cool. The markers work really well if you like to draw. I've never tried stencils though, at least not for decks.
Heavy Spray paint + Stencils look sick. If you ride before it dries, you get a neat run look
I ride pro boards. the reason.. i wanna ride decks of my favorite skaters.
nice man, keep pwning :)
Does skating a pro deck make your tricks noticeably better?
@@mikeymercure lol no
Same
And that is the reason why blank decks are not destroying skateboarding. Theres allways gonna be some people who wanna support their favourite skaters. I do think they should find some way of making the artwork visible throughout the deck. Mabey if they print the artwork on each ply before they press them together or some sort of ink that soaks into the wood.
Saying "skateboarding is artistic at its heart" as an argument for buying decks with visual art on them seems like the same as saying "music is artistic at its heart" as an argument for buying a guitar with cool graphics on it.
If it's artistic at its heart then graphics don't affect this. Otherwise you're saying the only actual art that skateboarding offers is the graphics on the deck.
yeah as a some one who plays guitar, if i don't like how a guitar looks, i feel less inclined to pick it up and play it, and ultimately less of an emotional attatchment/investment
Blanks are good for beginners and those who don't have enough cash to buy pro decks. I don't think it is a biggie considering those blanks are made by local companies with experience anyway rather than from China.
Yeah! Blood for the blood god man!
I kind of look at it the other way around. First of they are the same quality as pro decks, they just don't have graphics so beginners, usually meaning little kids, have their parents buying boards for them and they want to ride boards of their favorite skaters whereas people that can actually skate and don't give a s*** about gaphics and skate hard and go through a lot of decks buy blanks
They are all blanks before a company puts their logo on it. You sound like the guy that buys an iPhone because it has iPhone on it, not because of it capabilities. Untie your shoes, sag you pants, wear you hat sideways and be original just like everyone else.
2:32 I strongly disagree with this point. A lot of decks have graphics that I really can't stand, so a sleek wood finish comes out ahead of the pack in my opinion, and it's also easier to track flips because the light wood color is very different than the black grip tape.
I was actually very, very involved in this very debate... if not in a bit of a cyber fight with several of the bigger companies back in '07. Mainly with Blitz Distribution and then a bit of a love/hate relationship with Dwindle. The issue was blanks & shop decks as opposed to pro boards, but the International Association of Skateboard Companies (IASC) attempted to shame kids that were getting blanks, but also about to pitch the idea for shop decks to be cobranded by the companies involved in the debate rather than the shops by directly from Pennswood and Chapman & the like. It's such a long story.
Anyway, I'm fortunate to have relationship with Deluxe, and I definitely live and breath everything they do, at the same time, I know what it's like to be broke as hell and need a ride and there are times (financially) when a 15 or 20 dollar difference in a deck price might as well be a million dollar difference if you're broke. Good video.
I used to be amazed watching this guy skate I forgot that he existed I’m glad the algorithm worked it’s magic I’m glad he seems to be doing well. I started skating again at 27 just recently because I don’t wanna waste my last possible chance to skate again in my life it’s been so much fun and I’ve loved it.
I don't want to support a capitalist industry (by paying over the odds for paint which I scrape off within a day) I want to skate. I buy blanks (and uncuts) when I know where they came from.. I would pay for premium handmade decks though from artisans or micro companies, I support that.. I don't support making rich people richer.
vapin scoundrel dude, skateboarders are typically by no means rich. This is with the exception of a few of course.
vapin scoundrel I understand where you're coming from, but buying a deck from Skater owned brand will help support my favorite skater put food on the table... I suppose the industry is so saturated by corporations now it's hard to find a purely 'skater owned' brand
"I don't support making people richer" smfh
If you think about it, it's actually capitalist to buy blank decks
Supporting micro/independent companies is a more capitalistic act then supporting large companies.
Don't get fooled by neo-liberals that capitalism is bad. Every modern society apart from north Korea and African tribes works in a capitalistic manner.
I rode blank decks for years. Would buy them in groups of 5 for like $70. I probably skated 30 of them until for my birthday I got an Almost and immediately I could tell the difference. I'd say if you're just beginning, buy blanks. But once you get to a point where you are doing bigger gaps ledges and such, buy pro boards.
+Evan Spencer sounds good to me. Especially if you're taking about the Uber and Impact stuff!
There are so many great comments here. I love the opinions. Rad Rat, you really are supporting skating with your videos and the questions you receive. Great job Man. Well done. 👍👍
Also btw i love the videos where you are talking about board tech, or the industry in general, along with you experience as a consumer. maybe you can address the "nike and adidas in skateboarding" debate :')
+toastybunsprod oh man, that's a giant can of worms. I should probably talk about it though!
please do! its so wrong, when i see kids and friends wearing them i always cant help but bring it up like "hey you know that was probably made in some sweat shop?" i feel like a nark
Man, big thanks to Ya for making that awesome content. Keeps me inspired all the time.
Shout-out to You from Moscow, Russia.
You're very welcome. I'm glad you enjoy my channel!
You are amazing at breaking down the business and real life applications of skateboarding.. I am like you where I used to break it down into a science... very well done.
Is it bad that now I want to buy a blank deck
Me too man. Can't believe this clown is trying to make me feel bad for taking money out of Nyjahs pocket 😂 the fucker is a multi millionaire.
And, the the boards are all made by the same companys anyways then all that shit he said about design development and manufacture is all bullshit anyways! If you buy a blank the same company gets the money and it will be them that will lead the way in new design...
But what sells it for me most is that if you buy blank then you can get American or Canadian made rather than made in China shit.
No
No
good video with alot of morality and ethical questions, keep up the good work!
+Otaku Skateboarding thanks! I will!
Uk here. Back in the day a blanky was around 20 pound, vs 65 for the pro decks. Being a teenager, it’s genuinely no shock what we bought the most. Pro decks were reserved for Christmas time. Truth be told a lot of the times the blanks worked just as well. Hurting skating? Nah not at all. What hurt us were brands thinking they were in the same league as Gucci!
I need to mention that big companies also had blank decks editions. I still ride my only survived out of the bundle of four of them official Powell blank deck (the logo is printed only on the grip side of the deck. I started buying them cause I got bigger and decks would break under me too damn often whenever I missed landing clean on the truck screws.
All my parents could afford were blank decks when I was a kid. Once, a friend snapped my board so she stole an Element Featherlight and I snapped that shit in a week. I went back to blanks after that.
Fun fact! All the decks you see in shops are produced by the same handful of manufacturers. There is a 60 percent chance that the blank deck which is 20 something bucks was produced in the same factory as that baker, flip etc... 60 something bucks.
nah try to get it as cheap as possible .. as an example a altamont pant cost the company 4 bucks to make it and the big retailer pays 12 bucks for the pant and they sell it for 45 bucks to the shop and the shop sells it to you for 90 bucks ..does this sound okay to you ?? i dont think soo .. they are makeing enough money .. there is no reason to feel bad when you rather go for the cheap one .. most of the time its even the same deck just without graphics . all companys should sell blank decks too
Yeah, I get what you're saying. It would be cool if different brands made their own Mini Logo style blanks. But then we might be able to tell how similar they all actually are.
DanielBx Blank deck basically cuts out the middle men .
SKATAN This.
I'm just going to buy blank decks until I hopefully get sponsored
I think it would be great if you made a video on cheap alternative brands of shoes (or ways of getting them) that are good to skate in. Is there a solid suede shoe out there for under $30 that will hold up to the mainstream competition? Anoyone who skates knows how expensive of a habit it can be, and this would make quite a difference for some. Either way, keep up the quality content.
Skateboarding gives us so much, I love to give back by supporting local Skateshops and my favorite skaters n' companies.
Ill buy a hero deck from time to time but ive had good luck w blanks and a lot of the time i thought some teams had lame graphics Honestly whatever keeps me skating the most is best for me. Skateboarding got along before my dollars and will after.
Are you Ashkenazi? Lol
Have you done a video about concave? Like why people skate Flat or Super Deep? (Jart boards have this concave)
I haven't, but that could be interesting! I'll make a note of it. Thanks for the suggestion.
I'd like to suggest the angle of the tail too. I have come across a few boards with a steeper angle on the tail than the nose, I HATE this. how can you tell before you buy online?
Go to a skateshop that carries that brand, and step on it.
chimyshark- any deck you are interested in you can look up the nose angle and tail angle on google if not listed on the online shop details you buy from.
good episode . i agree 100 percent . we however sell a to of blanks . not as many as we sell revive decks but a lot of blanks. we sell a lot of mini logo as well
I just want to say I totally agree with all of your points. However, I buy my decks, blank and in bulk, because I snap decks a lot, and I am a college student with no money. When I do buy non-blank decks, I usually buy shop decks to support my local stores. (I actually bought one today rep wws boardshop haha)
I like to ride blank decks, because they feel really chill and laid back. I'll buy pro decks too, if I can find something really chill, but that's just hard for me to find; that's why I tend to ride blank decks.
I would always buy Powell mini logo's when I started skating in 2001-2002. They were generally less than half the cost of my favorite pro boards at the time like Geoff Rowleys Flip decks and Tom Penny.
The Powells actually skated really well too and they seemed to hold up longer by suffering less delamination and cracks.
Once I got better at skating I started to spend more on my decks, I had many Flip decks at the time, Zero, Toy Machines, Cliche, Almost etc, but these never lasted long and snapped in silly situations. Once a Flip "new wave" board I had snapped vertically in half ollieing over some cobble stones 2 days after I paid £60 for it! Things like this would piss me off so much at the time as I wasnt making much money as I'd not long left school. I eventually went back to skating Mini Logos or even local Skateshop branded boards which were just blanks with their own designs on them. My skating got better and I wasnt so afraid to try more daring tricks as I knew I could easily just buy 2-3 more boards for the price of a single pro deck.
Saying this though I am currently skating a Chocolate deck... but it was 60% off clearance XD
I had the same thing happen with the one and only Girl deck I bought. I paid full price for it, and the tail broke right off doing a no comply trick on flat. I was furious. I know it was just a fluke, but it was terrible.
Awesome content as always I've never rode blanks simply because of the way my brain is wired. Not to do with "supporting the industry" but that I am a very artistic and creative person.
Thanks! Did you know in the early 90s, the big fad was to buy a name brand deck and scrape the graphic off? You'll see tons of 'blank' decks in skate videos at the time. It looked terrible.
I always assumed they where actually blanks hahaha thats the weirdest thing ever
Yeah I was reading an interview about it a few weeks ago. Kids would pick out decks based on how easy they were to peel off. But I'm with you, I think that's crazy.
The blank decks in my local shop (with griptape) cost $40.
i cant find a single graphic that resembles me sadly, this is why i skate ether blanks or boards with the name of the brand on them Enjoi, Almost, Baker Etc
I used to only skateboard (no other hobbies) and I would buy whatever board I liked sometimes blankdecks.com sometimes blind, toy, black label, etc. But recently I started mountain biking, and that's a really expensive hobby (and I'm building a miata) so I got less money to spend on decks so I've been riding blanks. The way I see it buy whichever you want, the industry will make it.
Used to ride Mini Logos all the time back in the day. Those are what we considered blanks until the mall stores started selling cheap blanks.
I have always been afraid of trying blanks. I break decks every 4-6 weeks from flatground only, so I don't want to risk getting a blank deck that could potentially last only 1 week. but I think I'll give blank decks a try if you think they feel the same and are the same durability. I ALWAYS paint my own decks, yes- I have been painting over the graphics on the pro decks I buy, so I don't care about the art it comes with.
chimyshark you don't think finding out would be worth it? just buy one and see what's up. BTW. A 4 to 6 week deck life sounds pretty standard in my experience.
You should definitely give it a try if you're burning through them that quick. If it doesn't work for you, you're out 20 bucks, but if it does work, you would save hundreds.
I just never wanted to take risk. I also custom grip my boards, it take usually 8 hours to do this, so I didn't want to waste my grip on a blank.
well you're a skateboarder so you should be used taking risks by now. but hey if you have the money to throw away on pro models that chill too. edit: woah! I just read that you're painting over pro graphics??? fuck you man.
I never like any of the backgrounds, my favorite was enjoi blues, and it's retired, so I painted over a pro deck to try to imitate the enjoi blues graphic, and that's where it started...
speaking of tech, have you seen the new Powell Peralta flight decks?
+sktnz Yeah I've seen a couple pics. I wonder if they're any good. They seem promising!
they have released a few videos showing them being ran over and then skated for a while. Curious to to hear how they are in the wild
Me too! Being strong doesn't necessarily make a deck good, but hopefully they did it right.
iv been skating since I was 4 years old I'm now 41 .. there have always been blanks of some sort the whole times iv been skating be it the square blanks you cut your self .. or already cut and sanded blanks .. if you like a pro model you buy it if u can afford it .. if you cant you buy a blank and use that .. blanks have little impact other than to keep ppl who cant afford pro models in skating .. always a good thing
+Neubauten C good point! I remember seeing ads for the uncut ones. I can't imagine companies selling those these days
I'd normally save my money and try to get my self an old school board reissue. Usually always in the 50-60 range. Idk paying 50 dollars for a popsicle deck feels like way to much
If you're gonna spend money, spend it on trucks. I normally get indy or thunder trucks and replace the bushings with thunder blacks...makes a huge difference. The last non-blank deck I bought was a revive that was on sale for 30 bucks because I think revive is alright philosophically even though they aren't alienating badboys like the skaters I grew up watching.
My first deck was a blank that had a paragraph about not supporting corporate skate co.'s. As a graphic. I'll always skate blanks. Fuck corporations who leech off the underground.
I really loved the graphics of the 80's decks, the ones that would make you think, the religious ones or the political ones, and others.
i buy decks based on the shape, and kayo's boards work great for me. i like their graphics too, which is a nice bonus
+Oscar Eliasson that's a good way to go, and that's what I liked about blankdecks, because they described the shape. It's always a gamble buying online or mail order.
Where I'm from, buying decks from the big companies is a luxury, most skaters can afford blank decks only
Imagine being such a comsumerist that you freak out that someone didn't make a brand their identity
The only decks I buy are my local shops decks. Really nice graphic the wood is stained so it still looks nice when the graphic wears off and they’re pretty cheap $30-$40 depending on the size.
When I was a kid making almost no money, I had to scrap together 2 months worth of allowance to pay for a pro model. Considering that I was going through a board about every month I'd say blanks were justifiable back then. Continuing to skate was definitely more important. Now that I'm an adult with a job though, I always buy pro models. Gotta support the industry if you can.
I never used to like blank decks as a kid. I had a couple of them but i always used to get it in my head that they weren't "proper" decks. Even at 25 i'd rather pay a bit more for a graphic.
I currently have two boards, I have a pro deck that use for cruising and a blank deck for tricks, this is because I would prefer to destroy the bottom of a deck a paid $20 for rather than a deck I paid $60 for.
I'll tell you in 2023 decks are outrageous and there's no way I'm paying 80-90 dollars for the same deck I used to buy 10-13 years ago for 40/50 dollars. They're out of their minds charging prices like that and if the big graphic deck market dies because of it, so be it, it's their fault for inflating the shit out of the prices
I love blanks not cause they are cheaper because it's simple and i can customize them and I can get a plan color
I remember watching those old videos you posted of you doing tricks years ago man what channel was that? and also I always skated blanks or shops boards beacause they're half the price and as a kid I had no money and lame parents
+Solo Dolo the channel is aronl. It's still up but some of those videos got removed for copyrighted music. Yeah, same here. 50 bucks was a lot of allowance money back then
My first board was a blank deck. Not because of price because it wasn’t that much cheaper than anything else but because I couldn’t find a graphic I liked more than the lack of one.
I still find most graphics to be off putting.
Not everyone have money to pay for boards that comes from industry, moreover with blank decks, you can design it on your own wish. It is true that you can support the local company that takes artist design but then eventually everybody would be doing and wishing the same thing.
I buy blank boards that my locally owned skateshop makes. I've basically been riding the same board for awhile. Durable, great pop, and cheap. Downside is that it's kinda sticky on grinds imo
Colored blank decks look so cool though, often better than decks with complicated graphics on them.
I skate graphic/pro decks because I like the graphic. I think it's part of the expression of it all. I mean, all the decks you'd find at a skate shop are all pretty much the exact same quality. They're all made from 7 ply maple, it's not like the blank decks are made from a special kind of weaker maple tree. I just buy whatever I think looks the coolest and that I can afford.
Fancy pro decks for parks and wooden ramps, blank decks for street skating, beating on and learning new tricks.
Personally I could never get myself to buy a blank board. I like to be excited about my setup and know I supported a company that I care about.
Good reasons! I always did grip art on my blanks, but it was never really the same.
I just bought a Blind “super saver” deck - I haven’t skated it yet but we’ll see how it performs. I think Dwindle has done a good job at competing with blank deck companies by providing an option that is nearly the same price wise
I used plattinum skateboards because they claimed progressive mould technology this did make a stronger board lasted longer but i think they went out of business i used to skate plan b boards in the 90s too and the shape was better but the plys separated early sometimes sometimes you get a nice one kinda inconsistent
I skate blanks and to quote Glen E Friedman "they need us more than we need them"
Your knowledge of skateboarding is insane. Somebody pay this man more money.
Good video. You've really got a point. It's a shame because I used to buy blanks and love the price.
'Act local. Think global.' Just like the one person driving a Hummer might encourage others to follow suit so a blank deck user might encourage others.
Summer of 96 and 97 I lived off Powell blanks in New York City. I could not afford to buy regular decks since I was bordering on homeless crashing at my girls dorm room and using hand-me-down trucks and wheels. The good thing was I have big feet and was able to buy wide decks. I also remember skate naked way back in the day was selling blanks but I never had any. All that being said, I'm not going to buy a deck that only cost $18. These were like $10 less than Pro Models, that's it and they were still made by a major company
Blanks have been around forever. I bypass the brands buy blank decks in bulk directly from the wood shop. But I also buy brand decks when I see something I like or would like to hang on my wall.
Mini logo make good blanks(based off this princible) since theyre a legit company that have a team and actually make full colour art decks, either that or you can buy a shop deck for around £30 as oppose to a pro deck for £45-60, i like buying blanks to sticker bomb them
I guess blanks are better for training or just having fun and graphic ones for filming video or just looking good. It's just part of your style and sometime you just don't want to ruin your beautiful stuffs.
That's why you get a blank deck to add your own art your own graphic it's so much more fun to make graphics
As of last year/early this year, I buy my decks based on support of a company. I buy 5boro decks and clothing, as a born and raised New Yorker and from the fact that Steve Rodriguez has always played a big role in the skate scene in New York City, including trying to save Brooklyn Banks, supporting the build of what was once Fat Kid spot which is now IMO, one of the best skate plazas we got (AND it's near my job!). Otherwise, I used to buy Enjoi decks because they felt comfortable. Not pro decks, but just the regular letterprints. I never bought blanks, for reasons I don't quite know, but the idea is still there.
I bought 5 blanks for fifty bucks once. One of the worst decisions I have ever made. The boards were thick, the paint felt like a sticker (similar to how graphics are on toy store boards), and they broke way to easily. Within the first day and a half of skating the first one, I managed to break the nose off. I would recommend that if anybody buys a blank, that they buy a Powell mini logo, cause I have at least seen those last people
Sometimes I don't want crazy graphic on my board.. it's like sometimes I want a plane bike or a plane car or plane trainers or plane t-shirt.. lol for me it's not about supporting or not supporting .. it's more about if I like it or not
i usually buy company decks that are on sale or overstock to save some money. but yesterday i got rid of my crusty stereo board for an industrial rideshop shop deck. Theyre blank in the sense that there is nothing on the bottom, except for a laser etching of the company's logo in it. they are 25 bucks and the rideshop has a good skate team and have events. I know it probably isnt hitting their balance sheet when i buy one of these, but i feel comfortable that i buy the economy board from a rideshop that helps out our skate community, rather than some weird ass website.
+toastybunsprod yeah I agree. The only local shop board I ever had delaminated the day I got it, but if I had a good local one, I probably would have skated that instead
I have mixed feelings about blank decks. It really depends on the terrain the person chooses to skate. If someone skates big gaps and breaks boards often blank decks would be a good option. On the other hand, for someone like me who skates mostly transition shelling out more money for a pro or team deck isn't a big deal.
I buy blank decks because 1, they’re way cheaper, and 2 I like to paint on them to make a custom design. It’s not worth it to drop $60 on a deck when I can get the same thing for half or less
I like the look of natural wood. I'd much rather buy a blank than something splattered with artwork that I have no interest in. Maybe this isn't an issue with the consumer. Maybe this is a hole in the market that the industry is failing to serve. If I could spend more for a quality blank from a reputable brand or local shop, I would. Sadly, they are all covered with crazy artwork. So, the only option available to me is to get the no name blanks or make my own.
I don't do it to save money. I do it because the industry doesn't currently offer a product that interests me.
I’ve never thought about this perspective before. Thanks for the helpful insight.
I hate blank decks cuz people like to put logos on them and resell them like CANDY, or REVIVE.. and they those companies dont help the industry, they just help themselves
No problem with blank decks. They are top quality and affordable for kids who are starting out or can't afford to replace a 50-60$ deck once a month. When I was in the late 90-00's All I rode was blank decks and Hook-ups. The market is so saturated pros make money of shoes and other sponsors.
No if the big guys are not supporting the Pro skaters enough, you do not need to support the big guys.
Why is the MTB and BMX industry still booming even with Blank Bikes? Why was I now able to buy a skateboard when I was a Kid and so I can now afford it as adult?
My skate will gather the dust in my house, it might as well cost less and have my own paint job on it.
your like one of the nerdiest skateboarders ever and it's great, these videos are great
Thanks! I'm glad you like them.
Electric cheapo blanks are Kmart. Get a decent blank put a sticker on it. I've snapped both got almost resin 9 fiber light it snapped after two flips.