Skateboarding has always had its debates, but the latest one comes straight from The Boonies CEO Tim Pool, who didn't mince his words on his thoughts about tariffs and the state of the skateboarding industry.
It all started when we reported about veteran skater Chris Eidem, after 26 years in the game, made a t-shirt protesting the tariffs that have been affecting skateboard production.
He has reached the point where he feels the industry isn’t working for the skaters anymore.
Pool, however, is going beyond protest shirts. He is presenting what he calls “receipts” to show how tariffs could actually help skateboarding.
He explained that sending production overseas, particularly to China, created huge markets in Southeast Asia while strangling the U.S. skate scene.
He said that all Boonies boards are fully American made, pressed locally, and that professional skateboarders under his leadership earn fifteen dollars for each board sold.
According to Pool, the larger industry has been lying to the public about how skateboarding is really run.
Of course, not everyone agrees. Skate industry insider Garric Ray responded with a strong opinion.
He argued that tariffs will not save local skate shops but will only make skateboard products more expensive for consumers.
Ray questioned whether distributions like Deluxe and NHS, or brands like Vans, would even bring production back to the United States.
He suggested that tariffs are simply a tax on skateboarders and would mainly benefit no one but government revenue.
Ray did acknowledge that Pool’s approach to paying pros a higher royalty is a good thing, but he expressed doubt that tariffs are the right solution.
Pool fired back by explaining the economics behind his boards.
He pointed out that his company reinvests around ten dollars per board into the business while paying pros fifteen dollars per board.
He criticized the industry for sending American maple to China, paying low wages there, and then importing the boards back.
In Pool’s view, this model has hurt U.S. skate manufacturing for decades. He claimed tariffs are a way to reclaim the market, support local shops, and keep the money within the country.
Pool also referenced examples like Kasso and Berriqs and highlighted videos from Chinese skateparks as evidence of the shift in production overseas.
Ray maintained that the situation is more complicated than Pool makes it sound. He noted that many industries send manufacturing overseas to maintain profits, and that skateboarding companies were actually slower to move production abroad than some other sectors.
He emphasized that local skate shops already operate on thin margins and that tariffs could further threaten their survival.
Ray questioned how long it would realistically take for major companies to bring production back to the U.S., suggesting that most will wait out the political climate rather than make drastic changes.
The back-and-forth ended with Pool reiterating his philosophy.
He emphasized that American manufacturing and local printing are possible for any company, and criticized the high prices charged by larger brands.
He also pointed out that buying boards in bulk significantly improves margins, highlighting how smaller companies can still make the numbers work without sacrificing the skaters or the product.
The debate is far from settled. Pool is calling for skaters to support American-made products and keep the industry honest, while critics warn that tariffs may make skateboarding more expensive and harm local shops.