Caleb McNeely has been part of Krooked Skateboards for a while, traveling, skating, and living the dream that so many skateboarders chase.
But that all changed recently when he was dropped from the team with no warning. The news came straight from McNeely himself, who shared his frustrations and disappointment in an emotional post that quickly caught the attention of the skate community.
McNeely opened up about how much Krooked had meant to him, not just as a sponsor but as an experience that shaped his life.
He talked about the opportunities it gave him. The ability to see the world, pay the bills, and be surrounded by a crew of creative and talented skaters. But just as quickly as it was given, it was taken away. No heads-up, no conversation, just cut off with no explanation.
This kind of thing isn’t new in skateboarding, but it’s happening more and more. Teams are changing, skaters are getting let go, and entire careers are being thrown into uncertainty.
McNeely pointed out what a lot of skateboarders have been feeling. There’s a shift happening, and not in a good way.
What was once a tight-knit culture built on community and respect now feels like another business where decisions are made behind closed doors, with little regard for the people who actually make skateboarding what it is.
McNeely didn’t just call out the industry, he made a big decision. Instead of scrambling to find another sponsor, he’s stepping away from it all.
He’s cutting ties with every brand he was connected to and looking to rediscover what skateboarding really means to him.
That’s a bold move in a time when many skaters are holding on to whatever support they can get.
His post wasn’t about burning bridges but about pulling back the curtain on an issue that’s been ignored for too long.
The industry has changed, and not necessarily for the better. The question now is: will skaters and brands recognize what’s happening and do something about it, or will the focus stay on quick content and social media engagement at the cost of real skateboarding?
McNeely Posted: "this is a post I’ve been on the fence about making for the past couple weeks. As of a couple weeks ago I was let go from a sponsor that had played a very important role in how skateboarding affected my life, it offered me the opportunity to travel the world, pay my bills, and be around a bunch of talented and creative people and I will forever be grateful for that. I was let go completely out of the blue and with absolutely no warning. This is something that has been happening more and more recently in the skate world, friends losing jobs, families being affected, and it is seemingly so far from the ethos that I thought the industry was founded on. The lack of a sense of community, the hidden agendas, it’s something that I don’t think many skateboarders see the full scope of. Behind closed doors this is a business like any other and the people who call the shots are getting these orders from a slew of investors, not people that actually care about the wellbeing of skateboarding and its integrity. Since when was posting a 15 second Instagram clip more important than a video part? This shit is honestly disgusting and so far from the culture that made this thing so special in the first place. I’m not out to bash anyone, I just want an eye opened to a dark time that needs to be pulled out from under the rug. I have decided to part ways with all of my sponsors and obligations in hopes of finding the purity again. If you made it this far thanks for reading 😃"