The landscape of skateboarding started to change in 1990 and 1991. There was a shift from the bigger companies - Powell Peralta, Vision, Santa Cruz, G & S, etc - toward smaller, skater owned operations. The emphasis moved from vert skating to street skating. Even though the next couple of years were some of the worst for skateboarding in a business sense, it paved the way for a rebirth of skateboarding in the mid 1990s that has gotten things to where they are today. For better or worse.
A lot of pros looked to start their own companies as a means to be involved in skateboarding after they retired. Some of these ventures lasted and are now the basis of the skateboard industry while others faded away quickly. Every month there was something new and team changes were happening at the drop of a hat. This Powell Peralta ad makes fun of just that. Of course if the folks at PP had known how the next few years would turn out, they might not have been so quick to throw stones and point fingers. Looking at things over the last twenty years, Powell has turned from an industry leader into a sort of AAA affiliate to the major leagues* of skateboarding.
* I'm sure I didn't come up with that baseball comparison and give credit to whoever the original author might be. I don't have the time or motivation to search through old Boil The Ocean or Frozen In Carbonite columns right now.
Transworld - March 1991 Volume 9 Number 3
3 comments:
Why would I want to run through a graveyard?
You really have to wonder whether Hawk, Mountain et al were actually down with these ads. Behind those shades are they already plotting new companies?
At least in those days, Powell stood for something. At this point its a legacy brand whose legacy has long since past and nobody is sure where to go from here.
judging by the sweat pits on barbee i'd have to say they must've felt a little wierd about it. haha
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