Skateboarding has always had its ups and downs, but these days, it feels like the whole scene is at a crossroads.
Money’s tighter, small brands are popping up overnight, and social media has flipped the script on how people film and share skating. Everyone’s got an opinion on where things are headed, but Roger Bagley isn’t sugarcoating anything.
Sitting down with Jenkem Magazine, he laid it all out, why core skate shops are struggling, how the industry got to this point, and what might come next.
Things aren’t looking too hot, with skate shops closing down left and right. Zumiez is taking over, and pro skater Weckingball has called out the whole industry for selling out just for a box of shoes.
With the Olympics pushing skateboarding into the mainstream and many core brands struggling financially, Ian Michna asked Bagley if it's true that the industry is in rough shape.
Bagley didn’t hold back: "I think the industry’s completely f*cked right now. Every skate shop is now a brand and every person who has an Instagram with over a certain number of followers thinks they can be a brand and start their own skateboard company."
He mentioned, "Honestly, I place some blame on the wood shops. The wood shops lowered their minimums so much so that anyone can start a brand. Some places only have a 25 board minimum."
"It makes it tougher for legit skate companies to compete for wall space at a skate shop. "Back in the day, a lot of brands were like, “Hey, you’re our woodshop. You don’t fuck with anyone else.” They had a sort of agreement with the wood shop of, “You only make our shit.” He said.
When Michna shifted the convo to how filming skate videos has changed recently, especially since the pandemic, Bagley noted, "Filmmaking changed as soon as Instagram started video."
He added, "Once you’re on a session and everyone’s got their phones out and meanwhile you’re sitting there with a tripod and $3000 lens on your camera like, “What the fuck am I doing here?”
"That was a breaking point where I’m like, “Dude, this is ridiculous.” Bagley explained. "I mean Andy Anderson filmed his entire part on an iPhone pretty much. He doesn’t give a f*ck."