Skateboarding has always been about loyalty, community, and the people who hold it all together. That is why many core skaters were deeply affected by what professional skateboarder Jordan Maxham said about Lakai.
Rick Howard and Mike Carroll were not just part of Lakai. They were the heart of it.
From the early days, they built the brand with a clear identity and made sure the team reflected the kind of skateboarding they believed in.
They brought together some of the most respected names in the scene and helped shape what Lakai stood for. So when word got out that both Rick and Mike had been removed from the brand they created, it felt like something important had been lost.
Maxham made his feelings very clear. In an honest statement, he said:
“Lakai is dead to me as far as I’m concerned.”
For anyone who has followed his career, it was not surprising to hear him speak so directly. He has always been the type to say exactly what he thinks.
The new ownership of Lakai has left many skaters unsure of what the brand stands for now. Luis Mora, a content creator and skater with a large following, is now the owner. Mark Rocca is also involved.
According to reports, Rick and Mike tried to protect the team and the brand’s direction, but their efforts did not stop the changes from happening. Riders were being dropped and decisions were being made without the same care that Lakai was known for.
Maxham did not hold back on how he felt about Mora either. He took a jab, saying Lakai might as well be called Evolve Shoes or whatever Mora’s brand is. It was clear he sees the new version of Lakai as completely disconnected from what it used to be.
For all the core skaters, Lakai represented something real. It was a company built by skaters, for skaters. Rick and Mike gave it soul. Now, with them gone and a new team running things, that feeling is missing for a lot of people.
Some skaters may give the new direction a chance. Others, like Maxham, have already checked out. When someone so closely tied to the skate community says a brand is dead to them, it is not something people take lightly.
No matter what happens next, the legacy of Rick and Mike’s Lakai will always mean something to those who grew up with it. Even if the brand can carry on without them in a way that still feels authentic is a question that only time will answer.