Skateboarding legend Ed Templeton has never shied away from stirring conversation with his art, and his brand Toy Machine has built a reputation for boards that say something beyond the graphic.
As we previously reported, they released a deck featuring a burning Ku Klux Klan figure, and it has turned into one of the most heated drops in recent memory.
Plenty of skaters and fans have celebrated the graphic, saying it’s about time a company took a hard shot at hate groups.
Social feeds lit up with riders posting the deck and praising Templeton for putting it out. But on the other side, KKK sympathizers and people defending the group are furious, calling Toy Machine disrespectful and claiming the graphic crosses a line.
Some critics outside of that circle are also weighing in, saying that while they understand the message, they think the board shouldn’t be used as a product for sale.
A few online voices have argued that putting the image on wood and selling it through skate shops turns a serious subject into something they don’t feel comfortable with.
Even pro skater and internet personality Weckingball chimed in, bringing up Todd Francis, questioning his credibility as a skater, and accusing Templeton of copying ideas.
That just made it even more heated, turning the whole thing into a debate about who actually gets to speak on stuff like this in skateboarding, not just the board itself.
At the end of the day, the deck has done exactly what Toy Machine graphics did exactly what they were meant to: remind people that skateboarding has never been afraid of controversy.
The KKK supporters might be mad, but a lot of skateboarders are rocking the deck with pride, knowing their setup is sending a message they’re proud to support.
If you are easily offended, please don't read the comments on all ShreddER-related posts about the KKK Templeton pro board.