Skateboarders have noticed that Element Skateboards complete decks are now available at Walmart.
Normally, decks like these are meant to be found at local skate shops where the community can gather and small businesses can thrive.
Friendly Reminder: Let Us Always Support Our Local Skate Shop
Many skate shops are struggling to stay open, and some have even had to close their doors, which makes seeing a big corporate chain carry these decks a little bittersweet.
Element has always been a recognizable name in skateboarding, and they had to make choices to keep selling boards and reach more people.
The Walmart versions are often cheaper and more accessible to a wider audience, which brings skateboarding to newcomers who might not be able to find a board in a small shop.
The downside is that these decks are usually easier to break and don’t always offer the same quality or personal touch that you would get from a dedicated skate shop.
For skaters who have been around for a while, seeing these decks in a big-box store is a little hard to swallow.
The boards are available in popular sizes and designs, which means more people can pick up a deck without seeking out a shop that has been part of the skateboarding community for decades.
It’s a practical move for Element, but it also shows how tough it can be for small skate shops to survive when big-box stores carry cheap decks.
Despite the concerns, there is still a sense that skateboarding culture will survive.
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Core heads continue to support shops when they can, and communities are finding ways to keep the local skate scene alive.
Meanwhile, boards at Walmart are making the sport more approachable for people who are just starting out.
It is a complicated situation where both the survival of a well-known brand and the struggles of small shops exist side by side.
Skaters might feel conflicted about buying a board at a big-box store, but it also opens the door for more people to experience skateboarding.
The hope is that as long as the community supports the shops that remain, local skate culture can continue to thrive even with more boards showing up at Walmart.
