The New Era of Skateboarding

There is no question that skateboarding has been in and out of the spotlight since it was first considered a sport, yet it seems to be trending even more in teenagers within the past few years. Starting in 2016 it seemed like there was an influx of girls wearing Vans, guys wearing Thrasher shirts, and a lot of newbies riding at local skateparks.

Even those who don’t skateboard have been welcoming the culture of grunge clothing and punk music. It’s no secret skateboarding has been around for a long time, so why is it now trending?

Skate brands like Vans, Thrasher, Obey, and even our own Milo skate shop have had a huge amount of customers in the last few years. Needless to say, the producers of skate gear are very happy about our society’s new fad, but how do the skaters feel? Well, for every skater who is passive about fashion’s recent obsession with skateboarding, there’s another that’s annoying, even offended by the current trend.

Typically, skaters are very welcoming to one another, for example, the pros helping rookies at local parks; however, they are very averse to posers and the fashion industry’s appropriation of the skate culture.

As per Alexa Castro for Fashionista Magazine, an employee at New York skate shop, KCDC, regarding the apparent appropriation of skate culture said, “I think the people who get mad about it are those who try to ‘own’ skateboarding, but you can’t own skateboarding. It’s for everyone and you can’t try to claim it as your own. I think it’s flattering to skateboarding that it’s reaching other areas and other lifestyles, but it sucks if they don’t do it properly or get the right people involved.”

On the flip side, many non-skaters see the recent trend as a way of self-expression that identifies with them.

Skyline’s own Emma Champ, a non- skater states, “Fashion is for everyone, there shouldn’t be any reason skaters are upset that we are enjoying their culture.”

Deciding whether or not it’s not right for non-skaters to mimic skating culture while bringing a certain aura of ignorance and “basicness” to the sport is up to you. Skateboarding has always drifted in and out of the spotlight, and pretty soon the real skaters can continue their sport without the mainstream media.