We previously broke the news that Ryan Sheckler has officially closed down his brand Sandlot Times.
And after closing down the brand, he has now joined the faith-based brand Zero Skateboards, leaving skaters talking about what went wrong with his own company.
READ MORE: Zero Skateboards Spreads the Gospel w/ Brother in Christ Ryan Sheckler’s Holy Cross Pro Board
While some were caught completely off guard, others weren’t too surprised.
The skateboarding market has been crowded lately, with a lot of smaller brands popping up and competing for attention.
For many, it’s become tough for even well-known names to keep their companies alive when so many new players enter the scene.
Pro skater Manny Santiago even weighed in on the situation, pointing out that the bigger brands are feeling the pressure because of the constant influx of smaller companies.
READ MORE: Manny Santiago Says Too Many Skate Brands Are Flooding The Market, Leaving Big Brands Struggling
These smaller operations grab a slice of the market, but often don’t last very long, and that dynamic is affecting the bigger players too.
Amid all this, pro skater Anthony Shetler didn’t mince his words in expressing his disbelief about what happened with Sandlot Times.
On social media, he wrote:
"How in the fuck does Sandlot times go out of business?? You’d think Ryan Sheckler with his name recognition and all his big sponsors it could stick around a lot longer!?!"
You already know that even fellow pros are scratching their heads over the situation. Sandlot Times had a lot of attention when it started, and seeing it disappear so quickly has left many in the skateboarding community wondering about the challenges that even big names face in a crowded market.