Leaving USD

[CK]

To Whom It May Concern:

The reason I am writing this letter of address is because I feel that I have been misinterpreted. I recognize this is my own fault. The situation of leaving the Conference left me very jaded, full of animosity that I was not strong enough to keep to myself. I now recognize how I approached this industry was not a manner in which any proclaimed professional should ever attempt. You all have witnessed the worst of me, which to this day has been my darkest time; however, my vengeful emotions have faded away and rationality has returned to me. With that being said, I would now like to share with you the underlying reason as to why I left all my sponsors.
I feel the mindset most professional skaters have is that they love skating so much that it causes them to accept whatever it is they are told and given, no questions asked. But before you disagree with that statement, I urge you to just read on and hear me out. So anyways, these types of passionate mind states most professional skaters have, though praiseworthy, raise a lot of important consequences I think skating, as a community, should consider. But first let it be known, we all recognize skating isn’t the most popular activity. If you go to your local skate park, considering there isn’t a contest, skaters will be outnumbered by a long shot. I get it, you get it; sales are apparently low in this industry and it’s not hard to tell. But how low are we really talking? This is where I had issues with my sponsorship at the Conference.

I feel that as an industry, which constantly likes to broadcast and stress how it’s so desperately trying to grow, we should first start out by practicing ethical business models. I feel that this will help strengthen the relationships we keep with others and it will go on to be known how we cherish our professionals, which is a good thing towards building prestige and longevity. The ideal encompassing these ethical business practices I speak of is honesty.
My issues with the Conference were not because I wanted more money but because I felt they were deceiving me. I felt that over the years, I skated by them loyally and supported their brand. I wanted to know why guys in their mid-twenties, who don’t have contracts, who don’t have health insurance, who make in-between 800 – 1300 dollars a month, don’t get to know the percentage on their royalty. Knowing the percentage on your royalty, let’s one know how much they’re selling of a particular product with your name on it, in comparison to what that company is taking away profit wise. I couldn’t know the information regarding the percentage of my royalty because I was told, “there are things as a business we cannot disclose.” For example, I was told I was getting a dollar fifty off each pair of skates sold. This made me curious as to what percent that factored into, and more importantly, why was it such a big deal to tell me the percent of that dollar fifty?

This new curiosity to discover what they were hiding is what drove me to act out of character. I thought to myself how could a company who claims they love skating say that to a guy who spent his whole life skating hard for this opportunity? Where was the respect for the professional talent? This is when I really started to feel like I was getting exploited.

After that, I exchanged words with the owner of the Conference and was told that I was now unable to speak to him through email and would now be directed to speaking to Demetrious George and Mark Korte. That just furthered my decent into frustration, because it was like they were blatantly ignoring and mocking my concerns. Overtime it was apparent I was never going to get a long with either of them, and Mark Korte ended up calling The Truth2 a two-year flop in a series of emails explaining how I need to keep my mouth shut if I want to keep my position and paycheck on the team. After this insult, I quit and that ended my sponsorship with the Conference.
Still to this day, I think the reason why they didn’t want to reveal the percentage one gets off royalties was because it would show exploitation of the professional talent. No professional for the Conference knows the answer to what his royalty percentages are. This proves no one knows how low sales really are. People who call themselves professionals for the Conference are apparently not interested in knowing percentage details as long as they get paid under the table every month and have the ability to travel with friends. But this “for fun activity” poses a serious threat to the next generation of skaters who will ultimately have to face and handle sponsorship. If there is deception going on I think people who really care about seeing skating grow need to make a stand. And it’s not a stand for more money. Like I said, I was never upset with the paycheck I got from the Conference. I was upset because I felt like my loyalty deserved to know what I was selling percentage wise.

I don’t think you can blame a man for demanding to know the truth behind a product with his name on it. We should all be practicing ethics like that in all forms of business. If professionals choose to let this go unaddressed I feel that there not only selling the craft of professional skating short, but they’re selling short our future as skaters who want to grow. Handling our selves and looking out for our worth is something every professional must face, no matter what industry or market they’re hired to work for. Choosing to carelessly ignore the information of sales surrounding a product with your name on it shows a lack of professionalism in my opinion. And to further that, what other industries have proclaimed professionals without contracts? If we want to grow we have to practice the business models that have been instilled into our economy, plain and simple.

I also want to point out that I’m not trying to single out the Conference; I am just using them as an example from my own experience. I think if you run a business in skating and your selling a product with someone’s name of it, than be honest and open about it to that skater. That statement goes for everybody in the skate industry. Skating isn’t a huge market with tons of money to be made, and professionals risk so much to skate. These professionals do it out of pure love even through the uncertainty of it all.

But that is just my own point of view based on my own personal experiences as a professional skater. And I recognize the point of all this fuss was over what I assumed to be exploitation behind hiding a royalty percentage. And sometimes the mother of all fuck ups is assumption. I should not have ever assumed other skaters were naive. Perhaps my peers who skate professionally for the Conference are fine with this practice, and don’t feel that’s necessary information for growth. Who am I to judge another man for how he chooses to look after the worth of his craft? Just like skating is for the self, how we handle our personal business negotiations are matters for the self as well. I was wrong to go on a rampage of derogatory name-calling and insults. It completely ruined what I wanted to address and looking back on it I feel regret, however; that doesn’t change the fact I still feel there is deception at hand.

Another issue I wanted to address was the reason I quit Street Artist Wheels and Create Original Frames was because I didn’t want to be representing a company that sponsored people affiliated with the Conference. That was very immature of me. They were decent sponsors, and they were honest to me about all matters of sales and operations. I did them wrong in the end, and if they happen to read this I want them to know I am apologetic. I just needed time to clear my head. Currently, I still am skating and I am going to continue to skate. My true passion has always been for making skate videos, which you can bet I will be doing in the future with my brother Sean.

Finally, I just want to clarify I don’t have any hate or dislike toward anyone, any state, any country, or any continent. I also do not hate any skater or company, professional or not. Even if you have heard me speak badly about someone on a message board, I want you to know I want to take all those words back. No longer do I have emotional issues anymore because like skating needs time to grow, so do I. This experience has taught me a lot about the industry, skaters, and myself. Thanks for bearing with me for those who never lost faith, and to those who have lost faith in me, I hope you can give me another shot in the future.

Thanks for your time,
Colin Kelso

[mikeee!]

First

[RollerDorkMofo]

Second.

[caisenma]

third

[RollerDorkMofo]

Son of a...

[ift]

Just use less slo-mo, dude. S'all good.

[BentoBox]

Very sound apology

would read again

though it does shed a bad light on the industry

[Freddy White]

Calling people names got people to read your walls of text.

That was the smartest marketing move ever.

[Village Idiot]

Good read. You address important issues, Colin.

[bfl]

To Whom It May Concern:

The reason I am writing this letter of address is because I feel that I have been misinterpreted. I recognize this is my own fault. The situation of leaving the Conference left me very jaded, full of animosity that I was not strong enough to keep to myself. I now recognize how I approached this industry was not a manner in which any proclaimed professional should ever attempt. You all have witnessed the worst of me, which to this day has been my darkest time; however, my vengeful emotions have faded away and rationality has returned to me. With that being said, I would now like to share with you the underlying reason as to why I left all my sponsors.
I feel the mindset most professional skaters have is that they love skating so much that it causes them to accept whatever it is they are told and given, no questions asked. But before you disagree with that statement, I urge you to just read on and hear me out. So anyways, these types of passionate mind states most professional skaters have, though praiseworthy, raise a lot of important consequences I think skating, as a community, should consider. But first let it be known, we all recognize skating isn’t the most popular activity. If you go to your local skate park, considering there isn’t a contest, skaters will be outnumbered by a long shot. I get it, you get it; sales are apparently low in this industry and it’s not hard to tell. But how low are we really talking? This is where I had issues with my sponsorship at the Conference.

I feel that as an industry, which constantly likes to broadcast and stress how it’s so desperately trying to grow, we should first start out by practicing ethical business models. I feel that this will help strengthen the relationships we keep with others and it will go on to be known how we cherish our professionals, which is a good thing towards building prestige and longevity. The ideal encompassing these ethical business practices I speak of is honesty.
My issues with the Conference were not because I wanted more money but because I felt they were deceiving me. I felt that over the years, I skated by them loyally and supported their brand. I wanted to know why guys in their mid-twenties, who don’t have contracts, who don’t have health insurance, who make in-between 800 – 1300 dollars a month, don’t get to know the percentage on their royalty. Knowing the percentage on your royalty, let’s one know how much they’re selling of a particular product with your name on it, in comparison to what that company is taking away profit wise. I couldn’t know the information regarding the percentage of my royalty because I was told, “there are things as a business we cannot disclose.” For example, I was told I was getting a dollar fifty off each pair of skates sold. This made me curious as to what percent that factored into, and more importantly, why was it such a big deal to tell me the percent of that dollar fifty?

This new curiosity to discover what they were hiding is what drove me to act out of character. I thought to myself how could a company who claims they love skating say that to a guy who spent his whole life skating hard for this opportunity? Where was the respect for the professional talent? This is when I really started to feel like I was getting exploited.

After that, I exchanged words with the owner of the Conference and was told that I was now unable to speak to him through email and would now be directed to speaking to Demetrious George and Mark Korte. That just furthered my decent into frustration, because it was like they were blatantly ignoring and mocking my concerns. Overtime it was apparent I was never going to get a long with either of them, and Mark Korte ended up calling The Truth2 a two-year flop in a series of emails explaining how I need to keep my mouth shut if I want to keep my position and paycheck on the team. After this insult, I quit and that ended my sponsorship with the Conference.
Still to this day, I think the reason why they didn’t want to reveal the percentage one gets off royalties was because it would show exploitation of the professional talent. No professional for the Conference knows the answer to what his royalty percentages are. This proves no one knows how low sales really are. People who call themselves professionals for the Conference are apparently not interested in knowing percentage details as long as they get paid under the table every month and have the ability to travel with friends. But this “for fun activity” poses a serious threat to the next generation of skaters who will ultimately have to face and handle sponsorship. If there is deception going on I think people who really care about seeing skating grow need to make a stand. And it’s not a stand for more money. Like I said, I was never upset with the paycheck I got from the Conference. I was upset because I felt like my loyalty deserved to know what I was selling percentage wise.

I don’t think you can blame a man for demanding to know the truth behind a product with his name on it. We should all be practicing ethics like that in all forms of business. If professionals choose to let this go unaddressed I feel that there not only selling the craft of professional skating short, but they’re selling short our future as skaters who want to grow. Handling our selves and looking out for our worth is something every professional must face, no matter what industry or market they’re hired to work for. Choosing to carelessly ignore the information of sales surrounding a product with your name on it shows a lack of professionalism in my opinion. And to further that, what other industries have proclaimed professionals without contracts? If we want to grow we have to practice the business models that have been instilled into our economy, plain and simple.

I also want to point out that I’m not trying to single out the Conference; I am just using them as an example from my own experience. I think if you run a business in skating and your selling a product with someone’s name of it, than be honest and open about it to that skater. That statement goes for everybody in the skate industry. Skating isn’t a huge market with tons of money to be made, and professionals risk so much to skate. These professionals do it out of pure love even through the uncertainty of it all.

But that is just my own point of view based on my own personal experiences as a professional skater. And I recognize the point of all this fuss was over what I assumed to be exploitation behind hiding a royalty percentage. And sometimes the mother of all fuck ups is assumption. I should not have ever assumed other skaters were naive. Perhaps my peers who skate professionally for the Conference are fine with this practice, and don’t feel that’s necessary information for growth. Who am I to judge another man for how he chooses to look after the worth of his craft? Just like skating is for the self, how we handle our personal business negotiations are matters for the self as well. I was wrong to go on a rampage of derogatory name-calling and insults. It completely ruined what I wanted to address and looking back on it I feel regret, however; that doesn’t change the fact I still feel there is deception at hand.

Another issue I wanted to address was the reason I quit Street Artist Wheels and Create Original Frames was because I didn’t want to be representing a company that sponsored people affiliated with the Conference. That was very immature of me. They were decent sponsors, and they were honest to me about all matters of sales and operations. I did them wrong in the end, and if they happen to read this I want them to know I am apologetic. I just needed time to clear my head. Currently, I still am skating and I am going to continue to skate. My true passion has always been for making skate videos, which you can bet I will be doing in the future with my brother Sean.

Finally, I just want to clarify I don’t have any hate or dislike toward anyone, any state, any country, or any continent. I also do not hate any skater or company, professional or not. Even if you have heard me speak badly about someone on a message board, I want you to know I want to take all those words back. No longer do I have emotional issues anymore because like skating needs time to grow, so do I. This experience has taught me a lot about the industry, skaters, and myself. Thanks for bearing with me for those who never lost faith, and to those who have lost faith in me, I hope you can give me another shot in the future.

Thanks for your time,
Colin Kelso

No one cares you dumb idiot. You sound vain as hell trying write this shit thinking anyone will read it or that you're important.

You're a fucking loser. Colin Kelso? LOL what a fucking joke. I never liked you as a skater or your shitty style, and I sure don't care now.

[Switch_Bcn]

I think everyone knows that what you're talking about is a serious concern, but as someone else once told you there's a right way and a wrong way of addressing those concerns- and most people who (like you) were deep enough in to see the bigger picture unfortunately thought you went about it the wrong way. Its got to suck to look back at that period with so much frustration and try to work out why nobody else jumped with you, but you had the best of intentions. However, they were holding all of the cards and your online persona really kicked you in the nuts.

Good luck doing your time in the wilderness, it'd be great to see you find your way in the world.

[Special ED]

Laced.

[hoax34]

That seemed pretty genuine, so fair play to you ck. If only you could have been like that the first time around...

[skitmatik]

good stuff here

[Le Irlandais]

inb4 TL;DR

Seriously this is true! He does have a good point

[!!!]

so wait, colin does know how to read and write? that was an awesome post, as much as i enjoyed the cracked out ck, this is better. bravo, sir.

[Nick Tary]

I farted today. Probably gonna fart tomorrow, too

[jakeordie]

To Whom It May Concern:

The reason I am writing this letter of address is because I feel that I have been misinterpreted. I recognize this is my own fault. The situation of leaving the Conference left me very jaded, full of animosity that I was not strong enough to keep to myself. I now recognize how I approached this industry was not a manner in which any proclaimed professional should ever attempt. You all have witnessed the worst of me, which to this day has been my darkest time; however, my vengeful emotions have faded away and rationality has returned to me. With that being said, I would now like to share with you the underlying reason as to why I left all my sponsors.
I feel the mindset most professional skaters have is that they love skating so much that it causes them to accept whatever it is they are told and given, no questions asked. But before you disagree with that statement, I urge you to just read on and hear me out. So anyways, these types of passionate mind states most professional skaters have, though praiseworthy, raise a lot of important consequences I think skating, as a community, should consider. But first let it be known, we all recognize skating isn’t the most popular activity. If you go to your local skate park, considering there isn’t a contest, skaters will be outnumbered by a long shot. I get it, you get it; sales are apparently low in this industry and it’s not hard to tell. But how low are we really talking? This is where I had issues with my sponsorship at the Conference.

I feel that as an industry, which constantly likes to broadcast and stress how it’s so desperately trying to grow, we should first start out by practicing ethical business models. I feel that this will help strengthen the relationships we keep with others and it will go on to be known how we cherish our professionals, which is a good thing towards building prestige and longevity. The ideal encompassing these ethical business practices I speak of is honesty.
My issues with the Conference were not because I wanted more money but because I felt they were deceiving me. I felt that over the years, I skated by them loyally and supported their brand. I wanted to know why guys in their mid-twenties, who don’t have contracts, who don’t have health insurance, who make in-between 800 – 1300 dollars a month, don’t get to know the percentage on their royalty. Knowing the percentage on your royalty, let’s one know how much they’re selling of a particular product with your name on it, in comparison to what that company is taking away profit wise. I couldn’t know the information regarding the percentage of my royalty because I was told, “there are things as a business we cannot disclose.” For example, I was told I was getting a dollar fifty off each pair of skates sold. This made me curious as to what percent that factored into, and more importantly, why was it such a big deal to tell me the percent of that dollar fifty?

This new curiosity to discover what they were hiding is what drove me to act out of character. I thought to myself how could a company who claims they love skating say that to a guy who spent his whole life skating hard for this opportunity? Where was the respect for the professional talent? This is when I really started to feel like I was getting exploited.

After that, I exchanged words with the owner of the Conference and was told that I was now unable to speak to him through email and would now be directed to speaking to Demetrious George and Mark Korte. That just furthered my decent into frustration, because it was like they were blatantly ignoring and mocking my concerns. Overtime it was apparent I was never going to get a long with either of them, and Mark Korte ended up calling The Truth2 a two-year flop in a series of emails explaining how I need to keep my mouth shut if I want to keep my position and paycheck on the team. After this insult, I quit and that ended my sponsorship with the Conference.
Still to this day, I think the reason why they didn’t want to reveal the percentage one gets off royalties was because it would show exploitation of the professional talent. No professional for the Conference knows the answer to what his royalty percentages are. This proves no one knows how low sales really are. People who call themselves professionals for the Conference are apparently not interested in knowing percentage details as long as they get paid under the table every month and have the ability to travel with friends. But this “for fun activity” poses a serious threat to the next generation of skaters who will ultimately have to face and handle sponsorship. If there is deception going on I think people who really care about seeing skating grow need to make a stand. And it’s not a stand for more money. Like I said, I was never upset with the paycheck I got from the Conference. I was upset because I felt like my loyalty deserved to know what I was selling percentage wise.

I don’t think you can blame a man for demanding to know the truth behind a product with his name on it. We should all be practicing ethics like that in all forms of business. If professionals choose to let this go unaddressed I feel that there not only selling the craft of professional skating short, but they’re selling short our future as skaters who want to grow. Handling our selves and looking out for our worth is something every professional must face, no matter what industry or market they’re hired to work for. Choosing to carelessly ignore the information of sales surrounding a product with your name on it shows a lack of professionalism in my opinion. And to further that, what other industries have proclaimed professionals without contracts? If we want to grow we have to practice the business models that have been instilled into our economy, plain and simple.

I also want to point out that I’m not trying to single out the Conference; I am just using them as an example from my own experience. I think if you run a business in skating and your selling a product with someone’s name of it, than be honest and open about it to that skater. That statement goes for everybody in the skate industry. Skating isn’t a huge market with tons of money to be made, and professionals risk so much to skate. These professionals do it out of pure love even through the uncertainty of it all.

But that is just my own point of view based on my own personal experiences as a professional skater. And I recognize the point of all this fuss was over what I assumed to be exploitation behind hiding a royalty percentage. And sometimes the mother of all fuck ups is assumption. I should not have ever assumed other skaters were naive. Perhaps my peers who skate professionally for the Conference are fine with this practice, and don’t feel that’s necessary information for growth. Who am I to judge another man for how he chooses to look after the worth of his craft? Just like skating is for the self, how we handle our personal business negotiations are matters for the self as well. I was wrong to go on a rampage of derogatory name-calling and insults. It completely ruined what I wanted to address and looking back on it I feel regret, however; that doesn’t change the fact I still feel there is deception at hand.

Another issue I wanted to address was the reason I quit Street Artist Wheels and Create Original Frames was because I didn’t want to be representing a company that sponsored people affiliated with the Conference. That was very immature of me. They were decent sponsors, and they were honest to me about all matters of sales and operations. I did them wrong in the end, and if they happen to read this I want them to know I am apologetic. I just needed time to clear my head. Currently, I still am skating and I am going to continue to skate. My true passion has always been for making skate videos, which you can bet I will be doing in the future with my brother Sean.

Finally, I just want to clarify I don’t have any hate or dislike toward anyone, any state, any country, or any continent. I also do not hate any skater or company, professional or not. Even if you have heard me speak badly about someone on a message board, I want you to know I want to take all those words back. No longer do I have emotional issues anymore because like skating needs time to grow, so do I. This experience has taught me a lot about the industry, skaters, and myself. Thanks for bearing with me for those who never lost faith, and to those who have lost faith in me, I hope you can give me another shot in the future.

Thanks for your time,
Colin Kelso
Starting your own company & never apologising would've been better.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gksSEuWu9E

[u am snookems]

Who thinks the Conference will respond? I hope so, but I doubt it.

[zale]

inb4 spaniard

[crizzle]

Toast in epic Bread

[Guy Bulleid]

I'm intrigued as to what all those $1.50s totaled up to? And good post

[floroll]

good post. what is your next video section, ssm ?

[-Fifty50-]

Posting for Spaniard/USD response.

[beenjahmon]

tl;dr

[machtroua]

Finally a sensible and thoughtful post, great.

[jonathan]

CK,

You've had my support for a l ong time now. I'm glad you're in a better state of mind.

[Dy3r]

Wow. This was a good read.

[izekiel]

impressively reasonable and sound apology. i hope that you can continue to live up to this new standard you have set for yourself

[erautour]

Definitely didn't expect that. Good shit CK

also stop quoting that wall of text!

[Teh Nap]

first!

[nb]

http://img.buzznet.com/assets/imgx/9/5/3/9/0/5/1/orig-9539051.jpg

[bfl]

inb4 spaniard

spaniard is fucking useless and retarded. everything he says is excuse making and politically correct.

so dumb. fuck him.

[ift]

I dunno I chilled with him and bladed some. Dude was legit. I'm not trying to be a pro skater or anything though, so that might change the relationship.

[Devon Avant]

word.

[danjama]

Colin, that was well written and informative. It really explained the issues, that were hard to understand fully at the time. I do agree with you, but I can't see sponsors/manufacturers handing out contracts or health insurance, when their riders are partaking in such a high risk activity. However, it is their responsibility - maybe they won't reveal profits because they know they make enough to cover the above, but don't want to.

Anyway, thanks. You're forgiven.

Make edits now, yes?

[Switch_Bcn]

spaniard is fucking useless and retarded. everything he says is excuse making and politically correct.

so dumb. fuck him.

spaniard walks an awkward line between company man and wanting to post as a dude in love with blading, too. Try to be a little more understanding of someone you've never met before you judge them and consider that there may be situations he is put in beyond his control. Unless you've met him, in which case you're wrong.

[marshun]

hahahahhahaha

[bfl]

spaniard walks an awkward line between company man and wanting to post as a dude in love with blading, too. Try to be a little more understanding of someone you've never met before you judge them and consider that there may be situations he is put in beyond his control. Unless you've met him, in which case you're wrong.

i judge solely on this responses ive seen on the board. i dont care what he is like he irl or how he skates.

he's definitely politically correct, which is something i hate.

[Shadows]

fuck babylon.

[bobgross]

I love Colin. bfl is retarded. Inb4 Oli Benet. Boycott teh Conference.

[Coopnasty]

wuck it to that jaunce

[danjama]

Rule No.1 of aggressive fruitbooting - do not argue with Guy Crawford.

[hoax34]

Rule No.1 of aggressive fruitbooting - do not argue with Guy Crawford.

Truth! (no pun intended)

[Shadows]

i like how some jawns are like "your internet persona is fucked up and portrays you in a bad way" and shit lol.
kelsos are OGs son, they can do whatever the fuck they want.
getting screwed by companies is bullshit. no health insurance, no profit margins/shares, working shit jobs? hell, i stopped rolling as serious as i used to cause i dont have health insurance. that shit is scary man. if theres something holding pros back from skating, the companies theyre with should absolutely try and help them maintain. at least with %/$$$

[Alex Coe]

First

son of a...

[nb]

CK and Oli have been working together the whole time, this was all a stunt to give them all more exposure and overshadow their rivals. They knew NIMH was going down the shitter so Colin didn't mind riding those for a while to make things look more believable.

CK and Oli.
Obama and Osama.

[Switch_Bcn]

CK and Oli have been working together the whole time, this was all a stunt to give them all more exposure and overshadow their rivals. They knew NIMH was going down the shitter so Colin didn't mind riding those for a while to make things look more believable.

CK and Oli.
Obama and Osama.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PpWKgjracdc/TSYIqR7ilrI/AAAAAAAAA6c/XY-SixJ2p1A/s320/Spike_Lee.png

Loved it. :-D You even sounded like Spike. +Rep.

[rando]

Good post. I understand totally now, and yes it makes sense. If your boss cuts you off from expressing your problems within the company, then I would have a problem also.

[Flintheart Glomgold]

Colin,


I'm excited and happy that you are the man again. It was sad to see one of my favorite skaters go to such a dark place. Despite your personal descent, you illuminated important subjects for our sport, and I think you have done rollerblading a great service. Good to have you back.

On a side bar, I'm interested to hear your take on the Nimh-SSM controversy, and the alleged bad business that happened.

[2 Chainz]

Colin,
Despite your personal descent, you illuminated important subjects for our sport, and I think you have done rollerblading a great service. Good to have you back.

QFT.

[gatsby]

I am not understanding the argument about royalties. Ck was told he was receiving $1.50 per pair sold, could he not divide the royalty check by 1.5 and figure out how many skates had been sold? Or was there no royalty check and it was supposedly incorporated into his monthly check? Regardless, Both are pretty bad; if the books are not open to the pros then there is no way of even knowing that the number of skates they told you you sold is the real number... He could have sold 2000 and been paid only for 500. So really pros should not even be accepting royalties, they should demand a lump sum. That is the smarter move anyways, movie stars do this when the film is probably going to be a flop and sell poorly

And then he kept saying he wanted to know the percentage. He means he wants to know what percentage of the conference's profit? I think he said that but just want to clarify

But the simple and most incriminating piece of evidence is the one that is public knowledge: no health insurance for the pros. That is despicable.

The personal insults from korte and the boss would have sent me over the edge, too. How incompetent is korte, if what ck said is true! Good riddance to his departure


Ck made a distinction between more money and more respect. I think that is a hollow distinction, there is no difference between the two.

"not disclosing" certain info is fine so long as you provide wages to your employees they can live off of

[KUBINS]

The truth will set you free

[Flandangle]

Glad to hear the apology to Street Artist and CO.
I never understood why you quit them, as you never really called them out on anything, and they're "skater-owned".
And that was a great read, thank you CK

[jonPOOLER]

http://media.fakeposters.com/results/2011/05/06/fkavc8hvel.jpg except....the opposite

[Garett]

A shame you didn't quit with this letter in the beginning, would of had more people join your cause and saved some face. And I agree with everything you posted 100%, just really disagreed with your emotional and immature outbursts. Too bad man.

[rock]

with this post it is the first time you did something useful with your internet connection ... somehow.

i like your style and your skating but i didn't like the way you act the last years in public (online).

just do your own thing if you like a sponsor be happy with it, if you don't like the sponsors leave them ... but dont blame them in the public because thats the only UNprofessional activity in this hole story.

good luck and roll on.

[jonPOOLER]

Really though, this was good to read. It was really easy to write CK off as immature and whiny before, but this latest articulation demonstrates a real discrepancy within our industry. With few, if any, living comfortably off of their salaries, it is clear why certain parties are going to get screwed, exploited, or mistreated, albeit unfortunate. More unfortunate is that those being taken for a ride are the ones who are seen as iconic, the ambassadors and champions of whatever the hell you want to call what we do. As a consumer, I can only do my best to vote with my wallet (feel free to correct me on that as I'd love to be able to do more)- supporting the brands I believe in most, as well as skater-owned shops with friendly folks who are just trying to get by and be a part of a subculture within a subculture. I probably don't know what I'm talking about, as per my usual tendency.

[aTOM]

But the simple and most incriminating piece of evidence is the one that is public knowledge: no health insurance for the pros. That is despicable.

.

[Makio]

ck is keeping me inspired here.

&& he's been shreding the streets up

[Stefan B.]

Just gained all respect I lost for you back, kudos to you Mr. Kelso.

Also,



FUCK The Conference.

[denialmind218]

well said colin, well said

really lookin forward to new footage!

[Matthew Shannon]

dope essay. good read. much props.

[jonathan]

FUCK The Conference.

easy now. Colin never once said for you guys to say this. This could very well be happening to razors... maybe even remz. I doubt on the later though.

I personally never liked anything the conference haz as far as products go. Amazing talent.

[corycross]

Honesty in the best policy!

[Tripps]

Id figure it be a lot of skates sold since they don't sell um to skaters only retailers, so it wouldn't even matter how many kids actually bought them but how many each shop got.

[denialchild45]

easy now. Colin never once said for you guys to say this. This could very well be happening to razors... maybe even remz. I doubt on the later though.

I personally never liked anything the conference haz as far as products go. Amazing talent.

Yeah, but The Conference was did Stefan kinda bogus as well... So that's coming from his own experiences riding for them.

[gatsby]

Id figure it be a lot of skates sold since they don't sell um to skaters only retailers, so it wouldn't even matter how many kids actually bought them but how many each shop got.

good point

[sam.anderson]

First off, you're my favorite skater, love your shit dude.


Personally I would have liked to have seen more of a public apology for Billy for calling him out, but I guess they would have sorted things out face to face like real men.

If pros get between $800-1300 a month, under the table, is that equal or less, than a 40 hour week(taxed) on a minimum or average wage?

$1.50 for a pair of skates is pretty lame, especially for a $319 carbon 1 kelso boot, would be interesting to know how much they cost to produce and the conferences mark up on that.

Glad you back CK!

[JoeyViola]

$1.50 for a pair of skates is pretty lame, especially for a $319 carbon 1 kelso boot, would be interesting to know how much they cost to produce and the conferences mark up on that

Remember, the Conference sells these skates in bulk to skateshops for a cheaper price that when broken down into what they payed for each individual skate is far less then what they are selling it for at the shop. Not trying to discount the fact that $1.50 still sounds pretty unreasonable (not that I know what should be reasonable though), but just want to point out that they are not making $1.50 off the sale of a $320 skate, rather the sale of however much the Conference sells them to the shops in bulk for

[sam.anderson]

Ah I see, for some reason I assumed it was for how many pairs the store sold, silly me!

[Jason]

Demand a contract and if they don't give you one, go to a new sponsor that will. I'm sure there are skate companies that have contracts with their skaters. I find it very very hard to believe that someone's last name can be put on a skate (or a wheel) and there isn't a contract between the two parties....

[CurbedMyEnthusiasm]

Loving it CK, good man!

[CerealGuy]

knew you could do it.

[steve103]

cool. keep up the good skating, it's the best way to support the industry.

[john doe]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but Colin let the Conference use his name on a product with out getting contract. If that is the case then I have zero sympathy for him. If he did have a contract then he has the right to audit the company to find out how many pairs were sold to the distibutors. Shit, he could still call the distibutors and find out what cost is for them and how many uints they recieved and then he would know the percentage. Not that percentage even matters since he had an agreement for a flat rate per unit. How much the rest of the sakte cost is none of the athlets concern since they have zeron knowledge about the rest of the overhead invold in making a skate. For all he knows they could have been giving him a very low percentage in hope that his skates sold enough that they would then have room in the budget for another pro spot.

None of that matters though. Professonal athlets are nothing more then advertising. When you pay a person you have to be absolutely sure that the amount of attention and therefore money they bring you is alot more then what you are paying them. If you are an athlet and all you can get is a shitty check with no contract then that is all your ass is worth. If your ass was worth more then you could go to another company and get it.

[matthewwyatt]

word ck

[chris k]

Safe man. Look forward to some clips in the near future. Im curious though, what was the reason behind the USD Carbon 1 final product not having the Kelso name on it, when it was apparent in the prototype shots leading up to the release? Anything to do with all this?

[spaniard]

Powerslide will provide a contract for the skaters for ask for one.

Skaters are self-employed as tax in Germany is really high. If they want to be considered employees of Germany then I think there's a way of doing it as I was asking for myself, but it is a bad idea. I am self employed as are the pro teams.

Quantities of products sold (wheels, frames, skates) royalties and prices are sent to team riders quarterly. There's royalties on all hardwear even those sent for free to team riders. Royalties suplement a monthly wage and travel budget.

Stefan can be upset with Conference if he likes but we supported him on Deshi while I was doing that, then he jumped ship to remz, then he jumped back when Dem was team manager and the flow team had spiralled out of control by then, theres no malice involved, just a managerial structure change.

[wil747]

If i had a skate company there would be pro-rollerbladers mopping the floors and cleaning shitstains off the toilet....

[RobiRobb]

inb4 10 pages

[Le Irlandais]

[On a side bar, I'm interested to hear your take on the Nimh-SSM controversy, and the alleged bad business that happened.


Long story short: SSM is making less money than nimh, the skins are a lot less strong and yeh.. They're 'en route' for being bust in like 6 months :/

[JimmyC]

shoulda stayed on razors

[*ROYALwithCHEESE*]

http://www.airbornegamer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/troll-face-funny.png

[ev13wt]

OP used to much text to say: "The Conference drives Ferrari while the skater takes the bus to the contest."

So OP, start a distribution, make some skates in China, call them Carbon XXX, pay 70 bucks per pair + shipping + shipping + shipping + costs of company + employees + trips to China + skates you need to throw away because of qualtity issues + advertise + make contests + answer the phone = 350$ pair of boots company and voila! you too can drive that dream car.

(Don't forget the damn tshirts)

[pltxroll]

Moral of the Story?

WEAK SAUCE... but I feel the concern...

Any other familiar pros know the exact percentage of their royalties? Probably not... Too bad you can't blade at 50 and blading isn't exploited like skateboarding... otherwise Colin wouldn't have had to say nada and nothing like this would have ever happened.

it's depressing to see badass skaters with so much skill get awarded crap... and to think of the up-and-comers getting the same toilet paper handed to them in the near future. "OH, but think positive!" Up-and-comers would be better off using their sweat and tears trying to find another path to financial/life balance... but definitely live it up and enjoy the 20s.

Whether or not you made past remarks about this and that, I get where you're coming from and it sucks... hope for the best, shred like shreddar kong and try not to crack your skull because there are more things to life then this blading politickin bs.


GO MAVS. @#$% the LAKERS!


ARRIBAH!

[*ROYALwithCHEESE*]

GO MAVS. @#$% the LAKERS!



If up and comers want to make money they need to start skiing in winter...

[Alex_H]

^ Haha, this, make some of that Shaun White money, that guy makes a dollar for every degree he spins.

[*ROYALwithCHEESE*]

shaun white doesnt ski you assclown

[Alex_H]

No, but he is a point of reference for people who make heaps of money from snowsports.

[*ROYALwithCHEESE*]

No, but he is a point of reference for people who make heaps of money from snowsports.

Relax guy.... http://img.search.com/thumb/0/01/Saddamsp.jpg/300px-Saddamsp.jpg

[Josh_Morrison]

wall of text, please summarize

[Teh Nap]

GO MAVS. @#$% the LAKERS!


ARRIBAH!
.

[Stefan B.]

Stefan can be upset with Conference if he likes but we supported him on Deshi while I was doing that, then he jumped ship to remz, then he jumped back when Dem was team manager and the flow team had spiralled out of control by then, theres no malice involved, just a managerial structure change.

I never said fuck you Oli. I have much respect for you and very much appreciate what you did for me. That was Mark Vanderbough's terrible business that I (as well as my best buddy James if you can remember) didn't want to be involved with. It was a quite a long amount of time after that before Chris Edwards hooked Kato and I up, and I REALLY wish I could still physically skate Remz. I loved them and Kato is the fucking man and does things right.
But this recent situation screwed over a few people and left a lot of people out of the dark, and that's what I have an issue with. I got done real dirty and you can't blame me (or others) for being pissed off.

Bottom line of this whole thing,

GO MAVS. @#$% the LAKERS!


ARRIBAH!

[LordBrian]

This is a great clarifying post that Colin did not even have to make. It shows that the man has alot heart and love for this sport to make the sacrifices that he made. I definitely respect Colin for opening up my eyes to a lot of the behind-the-door-going-ons that happens in rollerblading. He has always been a very well spoken and intelligent person and I am happy to see that Colin is in good spirits these days.

[nameant]

Worth the read. Pro skaters should definitely have contracts and should be told what they're going to be making per skate. Saying the royalties from pro skates goes toward their monthly payment is a copout in my opinion. Plenty of pro skaters don't have pro skates yet still get paid, so the ones that do have pro skates should get paid those royalties on top of their monthly payment. How can you make money off some1's name and keep them completely in the dark with what their name is making? There is a general lack of communication in this industry. Instead of facing tough questions or tough situations, too many companies just stay quiet. Shady shit happens all the time without any explanation. It just goes to show how unprofessional most people/companies in this industry are.

[Freddy White]

Long story short: SSM is making less money than nimh, the skins are a lot less strong and yeh.. They're 'en route' for being bust in like 6 months :/

SSM has only started making money in the past couple of days, since the skates just came out.

And if you judge a pair of skates by Rémy's use, of course no skate is gonna last more than a month, and no company would be in business for more than a year... But some people use wax, you know !?

[RoR35]

childish

[greg is cool]

Considering most be maggers take the stance when it comes to people getting screwed by their employers by saying " if u dont like it find another job", but not with skating? Fuck it, dont like the way ur being treated, find another boot sponsor. still cant get shit right? Form a union to get some bargaining rights for "pros". Get the top 20 pros to join the union, refuse to skate unless u get a better deal with ur boot sponsors. ASU, aggressive skaters union, make it happen.

[spaniard]

Worth the read. Pro skaters should definitely have contracts and should be told what they're going to be making per skate. Saying the royalties from pro skates goes toward their monthly payment is a copout in my opinion. Plenty of pro skaters don't have pro skates yet still get paid, so the ones that do have pro skates should get paid those royalties on top of their monthly payment. How can you make money off some1's name and keep them completely in the dark with what their name is making? There is a general lack of communication in this industry. Instead of facing tough questions or tough situations, too many companies just stay quiet. Shady shit happens all the time without any explanation. It just goes to show how unprofessional most people/companies in this industry are.

Ok I think you misread what I wrote. Royalties are paid on TOP of a monthly wage. So a pro skater gets a full time wage and then also royalties on top of this. If skaters earned SOLEY royalties then Im sure they would be higher.

Theres no in the dark. Read again. Quarterly summaries until stocks are finished. How many are sold and royalty per product.

Stefan I still think the issue you have is a more personal one, not the company..if when skaters run the teams and brands but don't get back to you its "fuck the Conference", if no skaters are involved its "fuck the conference", they are human errors I don't see shadyness here...I don't know...we offer skaters a chance to man the brands as its what the industry wants too, but that doesn't please everyone...

[Teh Nap]

"fuck the Conference", "fuck the conference", I see shadyness here...I don't know...we offer the industry too, but that doesn't everyone...
o rly

[nameant]

Ok I think you misread what I wrote. Royalties are paid on TOP of a monthly wage. So a pro skater gets a full time wage and then also royalties on top of this. If skaters earned SOLEY royalties then Im sure they would be higher.

Cool. I dunno if I misread that or you didn't make it clear. I thought you were saying the royalties were part of the monthly wage. Thanks for clearing that up.

[Pupi]

Finaly you manage to get this straigh out, in a better way than the first time, still think you are right about alot you saying, and I'm waiting to see how the conference answers this if they do so, respect CK

[gatsby]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but Colin let the Conference use his name on a product with out getting contract. If that is the case then I have zero sympathy for him. If he did have a contract then he has the right to audit the company to find out how many pairs were sold to the distibutors. Shit, he could still call the distibutors and find out what cost is for them and how many uints they recieved and then he would know the percentage. Not that percentage even matters since he had an agreement for a flat rate per unit. How much the rest of the sakte cost is none of the athlets concern since they have zeron knowledge about the rest of the overhead invold in making a skate. For all he knows they could have been giving him a very low percentage in hope that his skates sold enough that they would then have room in the budget for another pro spot.

None of that matters though. Professonal athlets are nothing more then advertising. When you pay a person you have to be absolutely sure that the amount of attention and therefore money they bring you is alot more then what you are paying them. If you are an athlet and all you can get is a shitty check with no contract then that is all your ass is worth. If your ass was worth more then you could go to another company and get it.

good counter-points

[jakeordie]

Powerslide will provide a contract for the skaters for ask for one.
Powerslide, can I have a contract please?

Thanks in advance.

[hoax34]

Hey, if everyone can get a contract, I'll have one too. Safe yeah?!

[villapro]

1.5 dollars for each skate sold is a fucking rip!!!
usd sells carbons2 (an example) to a skateshop for 190 dollars a pop, and the skate shop makes 150 of profit!

im glad C.K. stand out!
hope all the other pros do as well...
remember that you (the pros) are the one selling the skates, you guys are doing the hard job, and you deserve to be taken care of

[greg is cool]

lets do simple math, nice round numbers to make it easy for everyone to get and put a number out there.

skates sell for 300, meaning the shops bought them for 200, and they cost 80 for the company to make. so Generic company A makes $120 per 300$ skate sold. 1.50 off that is a shitty deal. Really just guess the cost to make it, then double it a couple of times to figure out the margins every1 makes, most things work that way.

[villapro]

skates are made in china! (excepting valos (made in italy))
that statement specks for it self.....

[villapro]

skaters talk about supporting our industry and i call that bull shit!
i find hard to support companies that care shit for their pros, and they make them sell shit just to share the profits among the companies and the skateshops leaving the pro skater behind....


FUCK THE INDUSTRY

[jakeordie]

So call up China and do it better! We all know the industry are just distributors, and the real product gets manufactured for pennies.

This is why Powerslide wouldn't discuss the details.....what would happen if skaters learnt how to run a skate company?

[r.s.]

So call up China and do it better! We all know the industry are just distributors, and the real product gets manufactured for pennies.

This is why Powerslide wouldn't discuss the details.....what would happen if skaters learnt how to run a skate company?

nimh. skaters aren't businessmen and should never pretend to be. Skater owned is a gimmick.

[chimbaktu]

So call up China and do it better! We all know the industry are just distributors, and the real product gets manufactured for pennies.

This is why Powerslide wouldn't discuss the details.....what would happen if skaters learnt how to run a skate company?

for pennies? not sure if trolling....

Even though the skates are manufactured in China, that doesn't mean that they are cheap to produce. Skating is a very small market that requires a heavy overhead cost. Boot molds aren't cheap and neither is the process for plastic molding or stitching liners. This isn't a Nike sweatshop in Vietnam that produces millions of basically the same shoe that significantly reduces their cost per unit. Skates run in relatively small lines and so their cost is always going to be higher than a less specialized and more ubiquitous product, like any other small market with specialized equipment. Skates are priced pretty close to what they should be for the most part. Distribution is the primary culprit for adding inflated costs to skates, as all of the skate distribution companies fucking suck and are stupid inefficient (skates delayed because of customs....really conference?).

All that aside, it doesn't excuse unethical business practices that see companies exploiting their talent for pennies on the dollar. But skaters aren't business savvy for the most part, so what can we expect?

[jakeordie]

nimh. skaters aren't businessmen and should never pretend to be. Skater owned is a gimmick.
Perhaps take a look at the industries of other action sports, and identify what was done differently.


for pennies? not sure if trolling....

Even though the skates are manufactured in China, that doesn't mean that they are cheap to produce. Skating is a very small market that requires a heavy overhead cost. Boot molds aren't cheap and neither is the process for plastic molding or stitching liners. This isn't a Nike sweatshop in Vietnam that produces millions of basically the same shoe that significantly reduces their cost per unit. Skates run in relatively small lines and so their cost is always going to be higher than a less specialized and more ubiquitous product, like any other small market with specialized equipment. Skates are priced pretty close to what they should be for the most part. Distribution is the primary culprit for adding inflated costs to skates, as all of the skate distribution companies fucking suck and are stupid inefficient (skates delayed because of customs....really conference?).

All that aside, it doesn't excuse unethical business practices that see companies exploiting their talent for pennies on the dollar. But skaters aren't business savvy for the most part, so what can we expect?
Thanks for the TL;DR version. I agree with you, the bulk of the money a skater spends on a pair of skates is wasted through idiocy.....and going into the pockets of people whose best interests have no relation to skating.

What can we expect? Anyone reading me on here knows I don't expect much of anything from rollerbladers anymore. SURPRISE ME!

[CurbedMyEnthusiasm]

I heard somewhere it was roughly 40g's per mold.... so if you have a size 5-6 boot, 7-8 boot, 9-10 boot, etc..... $$$BLING-BLING$$$

[bfl]

So call up China and do it better! We all know the industry are just distributors, and the real product gets manufactured for pennies.

This is why Powerslide wouldn't discuss the details.....what would happen if skaters learnt how to run a skate company?

Want to pool together and start a skate company? I am actually semi-serious.

I was actually thinking starting small like getting a wheels company going and them moving onto frame and eventually boots.

I agree how incompetent and careless some ridiculously blessed skate company/owners are. Tons of people could only dream of owning a company, and making their own designs. But some current owners (the very people in power of these aggressive skate companies) don't even give a fuck about quality. They're just sloppy as hell. No wonder why the "aggressive blading" industry never grows. Because the quality of how the businesses is run is so unrespected. There is also such an "The boot molds are expensive, therefore I can charge the so called high prices to justify the cost", or "I'm going to end up pricing these skates at an absurd $450 even though the outer walls and rivets of the boots are designed cheap as fuck..because hey, there's 2 grams of carbon in it and carbon is expensive, therefore I can charge $450 LOL" mentality. Even worse are the dumbass kids who defend this type of pricing.

The hard part during the manufacturing process is having the courage to go to China (and staying for 12 months straight) and make all the molds and shit while not even speaking the language, and then making sure you don't get screwed over (this is why I'm so amazed at Kato....How did he do it??!!!). Then after the prototypes are finally made, you bring some back home to test, test, test (hopefully...oh wait they probably don't cause look how many shitty designs have busted). Then you mass order and distribute that shit to retail stores. Then hopefully, if your boot mold design is good, you milk the same mold for literally 10+ years. Then you get lazy, sit back, jack off, and make all that revenue. Then, if the industry bitches enough or if maybe you finally say "Hmmm I think it's time to make a new mold", you go back to the drawing board and try to design a new mold or concept. This is a cycle that happens everyone 5-10 yrs, although more realistically 10-12.

To a certain extent, it's the distribution that makes the price inflate. To a certain extent it's the mold (though I think this is bullshit if you knew how to run a business properly). To another extent, it's the so called "small industry size" etc, that plays a part in how products are priced. In the end however, the following are not valid excuses, imo:

- "LOL I'm poor, please help part for my $400 boots so I can have food on my table. I have a family to support" Bullshit!
- "The boot molds are expensive!!111" Fuck off.
- "Everyone makes mistakes. Let's see you try making your own shit and running your own business!!!111" Bullshit! Given the chance, there will be someone out there who's very driven and won't take anything for granted -- If he had his own company he could probably made sure everything is near perfect before releasing it. (My point is, if you put any type of worthy effort into it, you too can reduce the amount of unexcusable mistakes certain skate companies out there are making right now.) That means no bullshit boots with no insoles in them, mis-shipped crap, delayed jew bagglery, etc.
- "Distribution! The middle men!!!!" Considering how a lot of the standalone skate companies out there actually own their own sub-distribution companies, I think this is a bullshit excuse. By owning your own distribution shouldn't you be able to reduce costs? And w/o distribution we, the consumers, would never be able to get the goods in our hands anyway. What? You want us to call direct to the Chinese factory to order some skates? In the end, you cannot necessarily avoid the distribution aspect of it. Other than distribution, what other "middle men" are there? You cannot avoid the courier, the customs and duty, and whoever else passes the product onto the store. If you want to avoid all of this, ship directly to the skaters' home from the get-go. Obviously this is not practical.

Anyway whatever. I haven't purchased anything at retail price for the longest time time. Don't care.
I also sure as hell don't believe in the "Support skater owned companies" or "Buy their products, you'd be supporting them" mantra. Who believes this shit?! Honestly. Who's to say the idol skater/new company owner that you worshipped growing up won't turn around and spend $50,000 on a new BMW that he just made on mass selling 10,000 pairs of cheap goods he got from China, instead of saving it up to spend on future R&D and molds? You can't!

[jakeordie]

Want to pool together and start a skate company? I am actually semi-serious.
Sure thing man. After reading your wall I'm not sure we're on the same page, but whatever.

Should we start a new thread, or just hijack this one?

[chimbaktu]

All that dumb shit you just wrote...

His post exemplifies another problem with rollerblading products: dumbass bladers who have strong opinions about shit they don't understand, but don't mind spouting their mouths off as if they were captains of capitalism. Please, if you don't know anything about business or economics, try asking yourself if your opinion is actually going to contribute anything before you start typing.

I miss Salomon :(

[bfl]

Sure thing man. After reading your wall I'm not sure we're on the same page, but whatever.

Should we start a new thread, or just hijack this one?

new thread

[villapro]

i dont plan going to china and doing things work, im just asking what industry you want me to support? the one whit pros getting a dollar fifty for each skate sold? fuck not
i find that statement unreal ! support the pros those are the cats busting their ass of for penis

FUCK SUPPORT THE INDUSTRY

[r.s.]

i dont plan going to china and doing things work, im just asking what industry you want me to support? the one whit pros getting a dollar fifty for each skate sold? fuck not
i find that statement unreal ! support the pros those are the cats busting their ass of for penis

FUCK SUPPORT THE INDUSTRY

Sounds sexy..

You sound extremely educated. You should start a boot company.

[jakeordie]

Please, if you don't know anything about business or economics, try asking yourself if your opinion is actually going to contribute anything before you start typing.

I miss Salomon :(
Looks like Salomon know a thing or two about the economics of rollerblading.

[ift]

Sad but true. Aggro skating for the dollars ain't worth it.

[Nick Tary]

I miss salmon.

[DnEhThEnD]

I miss salmon.
http://www.fish.state.pa.us/pafish/atlantic_salmon.jpg

[john doe]

i dont plan going to china and doing things work, im just asking what industry you want me to support? the one whit pros getting a dollar fifty for each skate sold? fuck not
i find that statement unreal ! support the pros those are the cats busting their ass of for penis

FUCK SUPPORT THE INDUSTRY

Why do you think getting $1.50 per skate is a bad deal. What evidence do you have to support that. Even CK admitted he had no evidence that getting $1.50 was bad. He said he didn't know and wanted to find out. Remember that that $1.50 comes out of the price going to the distributor. If there is only $10 of pure profit in each unit then he is getting %15 and that is a damn fine royalty. I have no idea if that is true. It was a wild guess I pulled out of thin air. People see this massive price tag at the shop and jump strait to thinking pros are getting screwed when they have zero knowedge of how much bullshit it takes to get a skate made.

[blah]

bemag you make me sad. there is so much dick sucking in this thread. only one reply showing why colin is wrong. the rest you have your mouths on his cock.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but Colin let the Conference use his name on a product with out getting contract. If that is the case then I have zero sympathy for him. If he did have a contract then he has the right to audit the company to find out how many pairs were sold to the distibutors. Shit, he could still call the distibutors and find out what cost is for them and how many uints they recieved and then he would know the percentage. Not that percentage even matters since he had an agreement for a flat rate per unit. How much the rest of the sakte cost is none of the athlets concern since they have zeron knowledge about the rest of the overhead invold in making a skate. For all he knows they could have been giving him a very low percentage in hope that his skates sold enough that they would then have room in the budget for another pro spot.

None of that matters though. Professonal athlets are nothing more then advertising. When you pay a person you have to be absolutely sure that the amount of attention and therefore money they bring you is alot more then what you are paying them. If you are an athlet and all you can get is a shitty check with no contract then that is all your ass is worth. If your ass was worth more then you could go to another company and get it.

yes.

colin is mad that he cant find out what he wants to know, which is none of his business being that he doesnt own any part of the company or have anything to do with the financial working of the company other than his pro skate which they pay him for and the check they cut him. soo he comes on to the internet for sympathy and attention. grow the fuck up.

[villapro]

if a skateshop can get $130 or more for each boot sold, i think pros deserve a little more than 1,5 dollars, dont you think?
just my thoughts...

[villapro]

do you really think that the profit of selling a pro boot is $10

[sam.anderson]

I wonder if this means CK is the new unannounced pro on the SSM website last week when it was up and running? sites down at the moment though.

[KUBINS]

So it's safe to say the fun is over?

[john doe]

if a skateshop can get $130 or more for each boot sold, i think pros deserve a little more than 1,5 dollars, dont you think?
just my thoughts... you're fucking stupid. The shop's profit per skate has no baring on royalties. The shop is taking a risk by buying the skate and has a bunch of overhead to party for. CK is taking no risk and has no overhead for putting his name on a skate.

[spaniard]

The shop is taking a risk by buying the skate and has a bunch of overhead to party for. CK is taking no risk and has no overhead for putting his name on a skate.

Plus moulds, production, design, storage, shipping, close outs, wages, industry and the % that the manufacturer makes is lower than the shop profit of course, it takes a heck of a long time to pay off a mould, years and years and the money actually made from any inline product is pennies. A full time wage plus a royalty check every 3-4 months all adds up. When were talking royalties on skates we're still talking thousands, but hey, everyone's an expert and there's nothing I can say. We also whip all our employees, none of us are allowed to eat, and all the money we make from skates goes into child labour and diamond mines.

[jakeordie]

Carbons are moulded?

[spaniard]

Carbons have the lowest profit margin of all skates, just look how expensive speed skates are. We're talking reinforced carbon. And yes, the soulplates are molds as well as other pieces (cuff and hardwear).

[jakeordie]

Hardwear is moulded?

[spaniard]

No, it grows on trees.

[jakeordie]

Trees eh?

[Quark]

What most of you don't seem to understand is that it's not about what you deserve. It never is. Not in this industry, and not in any other.Besides that the feeling of deserving something is completely subjective, Colin knew the terms to his 'employment' at The Conference, and he overplayed his hand by trying to stand up for himself. I can respect him for trying to improve his own situation and that of his friends, (but not for the way he handled it), but stomping your feet and shouting doesn't get you attention, respect or a bigger paycheck. It doesn't change reality. It just makes a lot of noise.

If the industry is going to change, it is going to take years, if not decades, and the only thing driving that change will be the push and pull of supply and demand. More rollerbladers = bigger industry. Less rollerbladers = smaller industry. And though we can all work on that and exact some influence, any real, meaningful effect we as individuals think we have is an illusion.

[jakeordie]

Yep. This is the result of a trend in our industry, where self-proclaimed saviors were financially backed by corporate interest. The average rollerblade consumer believes that one person can rise up and be the change they want. "And though we can all work on that and exact some influence, any real, meaningful effect we as individuals think we have is an illusion." Well said.

[ev13wt]

Those dumbfucks should call me and then we will make a Hollywood movie about skating with that Cirus chick or Mrs. Portman. All the kids will want to rollerblade.

That will save rollerblading. It will also make the industry so big for a while that everyone gets a piece of te cake.


I hope this industry doesn't go big. It would be so sad. Everything would get worse probably.

[john doe]

Carbons are moulded?

No. It's not. That is why the Carbons are so fucking expensive. A normal molded boot has the initial cost of making the molds and then the profit increases every time a skate is made. The carbons use a mold that is alot cheaper but to form the carbon mat around the mold takes a skilled worker and time. That cost never goes down as more units are made. This the same reason it is so fucking hard to get a good liner in a skate. They have a set cost because of the labor involves and the only way to reduce cost is to reduce the complexity of the liner.

[rock]

No, it grows on trees.

haha smartest post in this thread.
but yeah i totally agree with oli.

[fast eddie]

Plus moulds, it takes a heck of a long time to pay off a mould

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n153/dangerzone949/Carbonsaremoulded.png


We're talking reinforced carbon. And yes, the soulplates are molds as well as other pieces (cuff and hardwear).

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n153/dangerzone949/hardwearismoulded.png


No, it grows on trees.

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n153/dangerzone949/Treeseh.png




Oh for fucks sake, this was a great way to start my morning :lol:

[DanRine]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but Colin let the Conference use his name on a product with out getting contract. If that is the case then I have zero sympathy for him. If he did have a contract then he has the right to audit the company to find out how many pairs were sold to the distibutors. Shit, he could still call the distibutors and find out what cost is for them and how many uints they recieved and then he would know the percentage. Not that percentage even matters since he had an agreement for a flat rate per unit. How much the rest of the sakte cost is none of the athlets concern since they have zeron knowledge about the rest of the overhead invold in making a skate. For all he knows they could have been giving him a very low percentage in hope that his skates sold enough that they would then have room in the budget for another pro spot.

None of that matters though. Professonal athlets are nothing more then advertising. When you pay a person you have to be absolutely sure that the amount of attention and therefore money they bring you is alot more then what you are paying them. If you are an athlet and all you can get is a shitty check with no contract then that is all your ass is worth. If your ass was worth more then you could go to another company and get it.

Get a legally binding contract and audit a company that's located in Germany.. right. I can't imagine why he never did that.

[George Amos]

Colin knew the terms to his 'employment' at The Conference, and he overplayed his hand by trying to stand up for himself.

Very sad, very true.

It seems consumers in rollerblading have to obey to a strict ethical code when it comes to the brands they wear and the companies they support. For example, you rarely see kids skating in non-blade company apparel. But that same ethical code doesn't apply to sponsors. What the fuck?

I can't believe pro's don't get health insurance! That would never happen in any other formalized business which entailed the same risks.

[codyreffner]

i love you CK

[cool guy]

didn't read any of that or any of the replies, but this dude must have written this in word to get the grammar, spelling, and capitalization correct. lol, faggot

[RyanTimms]

in defense of stefan, he didnt leave deshi to go to remz. there was a period of time where he was skating valos.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZhZ-v3VS8g

just sayin..

[RoR35]

u can tell he is still bitter

[CK]

Theres no in the dark.

First off, I said I wasn't directing this at the Conference. I said I was using them as an example. But since Oli felt like participating, I must say this:

If the Conference is not deceiving people then tell your riders the percentage their royalty is. And believe me, I don’t expect you to reveal this information here on this message board. Tell it to the guys who you use to sell products.

If there were truly nothing to hide, than revealing the royalty percentages to loyal riders wouldn’t be an issue for you. I have nothing against you as another skater but you know what your doing is wrong. Yes, maybe by legal terms you don't have to reveal that information, but as a moral man and a company that supports such a tight knit, close industry I believe you owe it to them by terms of humanity and good nature. But yea, whatever; write me off as a dreamer, but I know those guys sacrifice so much and there is no certainty of anything in the future for them. Do you know how hard its going to be for them to get jobs with no degree and their only experience was skating for a guy who paid them under-the-table? Its ludicrous you people can sleep at night. Your messing with dreams and aspirations of good men; using that to get sales while keeping them blind. But prove me wrong. Tell them the percentages. Be the trend setter, market leader, you know you have the money to be that. As that power you should act with responsibility and showcase what skating should be like..

People are in the dark. And that type of practice gets accepted. I feel bad for the kids who are going to grow up and be good enough to progress skating to a new level. No one is looking out for you. A lot of pros are most interested in their personal self interest for a quick, small monetary gain and some fun times. And don't get me wrong, I'm not judging you if you do that, but just know Colin Kelso is and was for our children and the future they will face. I recognize I'm not a genius, a good writer, or even a leader, but what I do know is the difference between right and wrong. NOT giving a percentage on a royalty to a rider is wrong and is worth the accusations of deception. People need to realize skating is bigger than one person, one company, one contest, or one video. People also need to stop being so exclusive and start being inclusive. Get over yourselves. Shake hands, have respect, and treat one another as you would want to be treated. We all came from one cell, so remember that Oli next time the company you represent gives a guy his royalty without his percentage explained.

I love my brothers and sisters. Ask me my nationality and I'll say earth.

[RoR35]

u can tell he is still bitter
told ya so

[CRF]

I bookmarked this thread

[CK]

told ya so

You told them I'm bitter? No brother. I have nothing but love in my heart. I love skating plain and simple. I'm just looking out for the future. If you think thats being bitter you got a very different vocabulary from mine.

[RoR35]

Tell it to the guys who you use to sell products.
ok bruv

[jakeordie]

Your messing with dreams and aspirations of good men; using that to get sales while keeping them blind. But prove me wrong. Tell them the percentages. Be the trend setter, market leader, you know you have the money to be that. As that power you should act with responsibility and showcase what skating should be like..
I think this point ties into a larger argument that I'd like to air here & now. One big reason why I started The Strike was that there are hundreds of good men as Colin refers to them, who have the world to offer this industry and want to make a difference for themselves & skating as a whole.

But the reality is 90% of the power in this industry is wielded by two men. When rollerblading was booming, they had no power against the bigger corporations. So they exchanged their walk-on parts in the war for lead roles in a cage, they won't risk losing their 90% to their competitors in making rollerblading greater.

I wish they could see that 10% of what rollerblading could be is worth more than 90% of THIS.

[Señor Steez]

reveal the royalty percentages to loyal riders

WHAT A WEIRD ISSUE TO TAKE A STAND ON :?

[bobgross]

People need to realize skating is bigger than one person, one company, one contest, or ONEvideo.

Colin Kelso is and was for our children and the future they will face.

I love my brothers and sisters. Ask me my nationality and I'll say earth.

So many good lines. This is like a movie.

[RoR35]

stfu and start ur own boot company faggot.

http://static.ragamuffinsoul.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/1277323396-trump-youre-fired.jpg

[Muppet4Eternity]

Colin, I respect your reasoning and your decisions. If someone had called a video I had poured two years of my life into a flop, I would be as angry as you were.

However; Please continue to put out sections etc. You are without a doubt one of the most talented skaters on the planet, and rollerblading needs you.

KTHNXBYE.

[jakeordie]

No. It's not. That is why the Carbons are so fucking expensive. A normal molded boot has the initial cost of making the molds and then the profit increases every time a skate is made. The carbons use a mold that is alot cheaper but to form the carbon mat around the mold takes a skilled worker and time. That cost never goes down as more units are made. This the same reason it is so fucking hard to get a good liner in a skate. They have a set cost because of the labor involves and the only way to reduce cost is to reduce the complexity of the liner.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhetorical_question

[CK]

I think this point ties into a larger argument that I'd like to air here & now. One big reason why I started The Strike was that there are hundreds of good men as Colin refers to them, who have the world to offer this industry and want to make a difference for themselves & skating as a whole.

But the reality is 90% of the power in this industry is wielded by two men. When rollerblading was booming, they had no power against the bigger corporations. So they exchanged their walk-on parts in the war for lead roles in a cage, they won't risk losing their 90% to their competitors in making rollerblading greater.

I wish they could see that 10% of what rollerblading could be is worth more than 90% of THIS.

Thank you for writing that. That was well put. You hit the nail on the head. And just to add, I feel the awareness of this matter should go on to be continually discussed and hopefully handled with care. Our evolution depends on it.

[coldzombie]

Cool Story Bro!

[BenMagaziner]

First off, I said I wasn't directing this at the Conference. I said I was using them as an example. But since Oli felt like participating, I must say this:

If the Conference is not deceiving people then tell your riders the percentage their royalty is. And believe me, I don’t expect you to reveal this information here on this message board. Tell it to the guys who you use to sell products.

If there were truly nothing to hide, than revealing the royalty percentages to loyal riders wouldn’t be an issue for you. I have nothing against you as another skater but you know what your doing is wrong. Yes, maybe by legal terms you don't have to reveal that information, but as a moral man and a company that supports such a tight knit, close industry I believe you owe it to them by terms of humanity and good nature. But yea, whatever; write me off as a dreamer, but I know those guys sacrifice so much and there is no certainty of anything in the future for them. Do you know how hard its going to be for them to get jobs with no degree and their only experience was skating for a guy who paid them under-the-table? Its ludicrous you people can sleep at night. Your messing with dreams and aspirations of good men; using that to get sales while keeping them blind. But prove me wrong. Tell them the percentages. Be the trend setter, market leader, you know you have the money to be that. As that power you should act with responsibility and showcase what skating should be like..

People are in the dark. And that type of practice gets accepted. I feel bad for the kids who are going to grow up and be good enough to progress skating to a new level. No one is looking out for you. A lot of pros are most interested in their personal self interest for a quick, small monetary gain and some fun times. And don't get me wrong, I'm not judging you if you do that, but just know Colin Kelso is and was for our children and the future they will face. I recognize I'm not a genius, a good writer, or even a leader, but what I do know is the difference between right and wrong. NOT giving a percentage on a royalty to a rider is wrong and is worth the accusations of deception. People need to realize skating is bigger than one person, one company, one contest, or one video. People also need to stop being so exclusive and start being inclusive. Get over yourselves. Shake hands, have respect, and treat one another as you would want to be treated. We all came from one cell, so remember that Oli next time the company you represent gives a guy his royalty without his percentage explained.

I love my brothers and sisters. Ask me my nationality and I'll say earth.

Hell yes. Fuck you Oli. Manicure your facial hair more. Star in another gum commercial or some shit. Oh, you're a fucking DJ? Blow me. I have a hard on that is shaped like a red white and blue eagle and from it, flows the blood and sweat of patriots everywhere. Also, I'd like to remind you that I started this dialogue out by saying, "Fuck you" (see above), so before i get too far away from the point, if you'd bear with me here, lets just remember why we're here, and really let it sink in, a deep and prolonged marination of "Fuck you", if you will. In good taste, I'd like to provide a sorbet to cleanse the palate of our discourse here, which is that sometimes I think about Jon Julio punching you in the face and I pee, just a little bit, with delight. Allah Akbar.

[Mudhut Jollyrancher]

Hell yes. Fuck you Oli. Manicure your facial hair more. Star in another gum commercial or some shit. Oh, you're a fucking DJ? Blow me. I have a hard on that is shaped like a red white and blue eagle and from it, flows the blood and sweat of patriots everywhere. Also, I'd like to remind you that I started this dialogue out by saying, "Fuck you" (see above), so before i get too far away from the point, if you'd bear with me here, lets just remember why we're here, and really let it sink in, a deep and prolonged marination of "Fuck you", if you will. In good taste, I'd like to provide a sorbet to cleanse the palate of our discourse here, which is that sometimes I think about Jon Julio punching you in the face and I pee, just a little bit, with delight. Allah Akbar.:lol: +rep

[DnEhThEnD]

jakeordie, you are insane


do you actually believe that they are 'keeping us down' on some sort of power trip? trying to keep 90% of a small market vs having 40% of a much larger market just to be in control?

[DnEhThEnD]

way to promote your nonsense while trying to grab a slice of the future pie with your.. whatever it is you are working on

[BenMagaziner]

for a lead role in a cage.

[Senate]

for a lead role in a cage.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNYobSACns4

[Jason]

So much ignorance in this thread it's unbelievable. Do people really expect super small companies within a super small industry to provide health insurance to skaters? Do you have any idea how expensive that would be? I doubt any rollerblading company could afford that unless they lied to the insurance company and said they weren't providing to skaters but regular workers. Secondly, I know the company is located in Germany, but there is no way that I would let a company use my last name to sell a product without a contract. Obviously I feel for these skaters but what can people honestly expect from tiny companies in a tiny industry. It's sad but the only way to make money in this industry is to win contests.

[Dignan]

I like what ben says.

[alf]

Hell yes. Fuck you Oli. Manicure your facial hair more. Star in another gum commercial or some shit. Oh, you're a fucking DJ? Blow me. I have a hard on that is shaped like a red white and blue eagle and from it, flows the blood and sweat of patriots everywhere. Also, I'd like to remind you that I started this dialogue out by saying, "Fuck you" (see above), so before i get too far away from the point, if you'd bear with me here, lets just remember why we're here, and really let it sink in, a deep and prolonged marination of "Fuck you", if you will. In good taste, I'd like to provide a sorbet to cleanse the palate of our discourse here, which is that sometimes I think about Jon Julio punching you in the face and I pee, just a little bit, with delight. Allah Akbar.


ben magaziner everyone

[CerealGuy]

did i end up in the lolz thread by accident?

[jakeordie]

jakeordie, you are insane

do you actually believe that they are 'keeping us down' on some sort of power trip? trying to keep 90% of a small market vs having 40% of a much larger market just to be in control?
I didn't use the words "keeping us down". I'm sure from their perspective it's making shrewd business decisions, but from mine it's exploiting & then turning away the visionaries & legends of the last 15 years of rollerblading that built these distributors' brands up from nothing.


way to promote your nonsense while trying to grab a slice of the future pie with your.. whatever it is you are working on
It ain't nonsense just because you can't make sense of it. There is no future pie, your princess is in another castle.

[ZiM108]

You guys have no lives

[BenMagaziner]

your heroes for ghosts!

[CerealGuy]

Be-mag queen Natalie Protman

Good job!

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

but just know Colin Kelso is and was for our children and the future they will face.


hahaha oh shut up you fucking douchebag.

[Alex_H]

1. 1-3% is good commission, if that's what he was earning on the profit of the sale of the skate to a distributor.

2. Why the hell should a company from a country with one of the oldest universal healthcare systems in the world give a shit about providing health insurance just because your country doesn't care about it's citizens enough to provide their own universal healthcare? Especially if you've been dodging tax in Germany! You should be providing your own health care from your own paycheck because even those of us who live in decent countries with a squeaky farts worth of altruism do that month in month out.

3. You can't dangle the bonus carrot of reconciliation in their face while riding some other donkey.

[fast eddie]

Hell yes. Fuck you Oli. Manicure your facial hair more. Star in another gum commercial or some shit. Oh, you're a fucking DJ? Blow me. I have a hard on that is shaped like a red white and blue eagle and from it, flows the blood and sweat of patriots everywhere. Also, I'd like to remind you that I started this dialog out by saying, "Fuck you" (see above), so before i get too far away from the point, if you'd bear with me here, lets just remember why we're here, and really let it sink in, a deep and prolonged marination of "Fuck you", if you will. In good taste, I'd like to provide a sorbet to cleanse the palate of our discourse here, which is that sometimes I think about Jon Julio punching you in the face and I pee, just a little bit, with delight. Admiral Akbar.

Fan-fucking-tastic


You can't dangle the bogus carrot of reconciliation in their face while riding some other donkey.

I loved Spaced :D But that quote totally fits this thread.

[themanfromthesouth]

Wish I had Oli Bennets life....all he does is sit in his flat, paid for by the conference, in BCN, and answers emails why suck matthias's german weeeener.

[mr.ludwig]

i like how this thread went after the conference and the conference only, how about shima giving montre a pro skate with not one pro product on it (frames, wheels) and is doing the same shit, making money off people and putting out shit skates.......... oh but its shima so its ok


oh did i mention its just a skin on a 12 yr old+ shell yet its double what razors sells the exact same skates for, dont bitch about the conference like they are the only ones doing semi shady shit, everyone jumped on the skater owned bandwagon yet those "skater owned companies" or should i say skaters mom owned companies are ripping you all off way more than the conference.

[CK]

i like how this thread went after the conference and the conference only, how about shima giving montre a pro skate with not one pro product on it (frames, wheels) and is doing the same shit, making money off people and putting out shit skates.......... oh but its shima so its ok


oh did i mention its just a skin on a 12 yr old+ shell yet its double what razors sells the exact same skates for, dont bitch about the conference like they are the only ones doing semi shady shit, everyone jumped on the skater owned bandwagon yet those "skater owned companies" or should i say skaters mom owned companies are ripping you all off way more than the conference.

Wrong.

This thread isn’t about products. It is about honesty and companies that use the “passionate mind states” skaters have to exploit them. (Reference back to first post) Skater owned was never solely about supporting skaters who own companies. Skater owned is honorable under the context that a skater, someone like Shima or Julio, isn’t going to lie to you and deceive you because they know what it’s like already and they sympathize. They have been through more ranks than anyone on the planet as far as this industry goes. And that’s why skater owned is so great because it represents trust. It does not imply better products even though it could. (Good-skates is a term relative to the user) Anyways I guarantee those men mentioned are men you can trust. Men that once in market leader position will further and make skating what we all know it can be. How do they get to be in a market leader position? With your support. And I swear if you ever turn pro for either of those guys and they lie to you and exploit you, you can all personally hang me in a square to die.

Giving up my salary from a deceptive company was easy for one reason and that is because I know in my heart its worth it for the long haul. I love skating more than myself and I wish more people felt that way. There is a stagnant recycling of bad practices that must be fought against and no one does anything. I know you all love skating, even if you don’t like me, and this news isn’t easy to hear but the reason I am reaching out to you all is to create awareness of this matter. I hope you take it seriously and I can imagine many won’t but please consider who and what you’re supporting next time you all make any purchasing decisions.

[Village Idiot]

I see some back pedalling in the near future...

[mr.ludwig]

i never fully read your first post and in all honesty i buy skates for how they skate, i wont ever be in a sponsered position and blading is fun as fuck in general so what ever works best for me id gladly pay for...kinda missed the whole honesty in companys part my bad. but for what its worth you would think a person like shima would want to put out a full pro skate with all the parts being what said pro rides, not just slapping a name on a skin and putting frames and wheels even montre himself bitched about. so in a way hes making money soley off montres name yet the skate doesnt have anything on it that montre rides

[Mudhut Jollyrancher]

I see some back pedalling in the near future...
i don't think this was what you were predicting, but

i never fully read your first post and in all honesty i buy skates for how they skate, i wont ever be in a sponsered position and blading is fun as fuck in general so what ever works best for me id gladly pay for...kinda missed the whole honesty in companys part my bad
:lol:

[Village Idiot]

nope, i was thinking more of the montre / shima situation... but this is just as good.

[CK]

i never fully read your first post and in all honesty i buy skates for how they skate, i wont ever be in a sponsered position and blading is fun as fuck in general so what ever works best for me id gladly pay for...kinda missed the whole honesty in companys part my bad

It's ok. I'm sure a lot of people probably had the same thing in mind. I'm glad though you can understand my point. I respect you choose to buy based on performance. Theres nothing wrong with that because it is important to have a good time on your skates. This thread however, is for people who are interested in seeing skating grow into a greater potential. There are steps that will get us there but you might have to give up riding products from a deceptive company. But hey thats your choice, I'm not here to instruct or lead, I'm just creating awareness based on my experiences. You can take it or leave it. The power is in your hands. Either way shred on man! we both agree skating is fun, so if thats all we can agree on, then lets just celebrate that!

[klebanironcross]

I like CK the Troll better than this coherent madman.

[ift]

WHAT A WEIRD ISSUE TO TAKE A STAND ON :?
.

[ratboy]

Now THAT'S redemption.
Seriously though how did you touch upon like two or three years of message board topics in one post?!
...Lol at apologizing to continents.

[Apsley Cherry-Garrard]

It is about honesty


honorable


isn’t going to lie


men you can trust.


.



someone like Shima

[jonathan]

YEah colin, you kinda shot yourself in the foot with that statement about shima. He's on thin ice around these parts of town.

[wil747]

Dear CK,

I have been rollerblading since 1991, and I am twenty-nine years old. I also own six businesses. Perhaps I can help shed some light on the issue that seems to be annoying you so much, the revenue percentage that professional skaters employed by a certain company own.

Firstly ask yourself, do you believe the Conference sells it's products to every store for the exact same price? Do you believe that a store that has placed large orders for USD's for ten years pays the same price as a start up store in the middle of no where? What about discounts for prominent positions in store? For favourable marketing material placement? What about discounts for people they plain like better and what about charging people they don't like more? Do you think it unreasonable that the Conference may consider some of this information private and its disclosure may be harmful to it's interests?

Which figure should they calculate the revenue percentage of skates with your name on? The only fair thing to do would be to break down each individual sale of skates and let you know. Hang on a sec, this company sells multinationally so you have to figure in exchange rates..... that change daily... all of a sudden this becomes a little difficult. In this scenario the Conference employs a fulltime (perhaps two considering the amount of skaters they have) bookkeeper. Labour cost over at USD has gone up $50,000-$100,000 a year. That does not go into product development, touring, skater salaries etc that is all money going out of the industry. In fact some labour hire company owner is probably going to pay for his wifes breast augmentation with this cash...

I say this next part with the most utmost respect if you are genuinely so displeased about something you love so passionately why don't you buy or start a company and do something about it? Get in now at the ground floor. With your years of experience in the industry you must have heaps of contacts, track down tim dawe find out how he poured his wheels, you can do things 100% your way with noone to tell you what to do. Tell me in 1992 when everyone was out buying mountain bikes that bmx or fixed gear bikes would boom twenty years later. Tell me in 1994 when you couldn't find a skateboarder that 16 years later at the same bowl you wouldn't see a pair of rollerblades there for three years. Tell me in 1999 that you would have imagined scooters would dominate sales at rollerblade shops.

[CK]

Dear CK,

I have been rollerblading since 1991, and I am twenty-nine years old. I also own six businesses. Perhaps I can help shed some light on the issue that seems to be annoying you so much, the revenue percentage that professional skaters employed by a certain company own.

Firstly ask yourself, do you believe the Conference sells it's products to every store for the exact same price? Do you believe that a store that has placed large orders for USD's for ten years pays the same price as a start up store in the middle of no where? What about discounts for prominent positions in store? For favourable marketing material placement? What about discounts for people they plain like better and what about charging people they don't like more? Do you think it unreasonable that the Conference may consider some of this information private and its disclosure may be harmful to it's interests?

Which figure should they calculate the revenue percentage of skates with your name on? The only fair thing to do would be to break down each individual sale of skates and let you know. Hang on a sec, this company sells multinationally so you have to figure in exchange rates..... that change daily... all of a sudden this becomes a little difficult. In this scenario the Conference employs a fulltime (perhaps two considering the amount of skaters they have) bookkeeper. Labour cost over at USD has gone up $50,000-$100,000 a year. That does not go into product development, touring, skater salaries etc that is all money going out of the industry. In fact some labour hire company owner is probably going to pay for his wifes breast augmentation with this cash...

I say this next part with the most utmost respect if you are genuinely so displeased about something you love so passionately why don't you buy or start a company and do something about it? Get in now at the ground floor. With your years of experience in the industry you must have heaps of contacts, track down tim dawe find out how he poured his wheels, you can do things 100% your way with noone to tell you what to do. Tell me in 1992 when everyone was out buying mountain bikes that bmx or fixed gear bikes would boom twenty years later. Tell me in 1994 when you couldn't find a skateboarder that 16 years later at the same bowl you wouldn't see a pair of rollerblades there for three years. Tell me in 1999 that you would have imagined scooters would dominate sales at rollerblade shops.


Can't the Conference find under the table book keepers for 12 grand a year? They got the "best" skaters in the World for that price they should be able to find your run of the mill book keepers. Oh wait, thats right; your average college educated book keeper wont work for 12 grand a year. Weird that internationally known skaters do. hmmmm wonder why that is.....

Also how do you know what the labour costs are? You either work for the Conference and are hiding behind some fake name or your making this up because no one knows that information, so how do you?.

Look I'm just saying if they sell out of skates with my name on it, I want to know what percentage that is compared to what they take. Thats it. So hypothetically if they give me 1 dollar out of 100 dollars that were made in total off my skates, I know I got 1% of the sales. Its not rocket science dude. You own 6 business and you can't even comprehend what Im saying? Thats surprising.




You just made this way more difficult then it has to be. you also kept saying revenue percentage. were talking about royalties.

[JBWonton05]

CK,
Start a company, be the first guy to pay his skaters for what they are worth!

DO IT!

[fergus_oi_oi]

until i know for sure how much conference makes a year i can't comment on this whole thing. but you know i think colin might not be full of shit here is talking mostly to some extent some sense here. i think some of the bigger companies could for sure organize some rudimentary health insurance for at least their pros. but i think health insurance issues is a wholey separate issue to do with these private health care companies putting a price on a human's well being in the united states and saying those who want health care are communist or something.

[Apsley Cherry-Garrard]

i just typed out a bunch of stuff, but what it really comes down to is rollerbladers being dumb. either book-dumb, street-dumb, or business-dumb, rollerbladers are fucking dumb.

[Monday]

+rep

[sharkyROL]

Colin, why is that percentage that much important to you since you know what you're getting per skate and the number of skates made/sold?
As wil747 said, they surely sell skates for different prices to various distributors and shops which would make calculating a percent a bitch.
Why would you care on how much they make as long as you know what you make?
Enlighten me. I fail to understand your reasoning.

[uncle blake]

Don't mind me

[sharkyROL]

But he had the information that he was getting 1,5$ per unit, indifferent of what price the Conference sold them to other parties.

[Apsley Cherry-Garrard]

fucking people. are you serious? let me break this down for everyone (including colin) so that MAYBE people will learn something, or at the very least understand what is going on.

here is colin's argument:

if he gets $1.50 for each pair sold, that's fine. but he wants to know how much the conference is getting for each pair sold. if he is only getting 1% of the profit share, and they are getting 99% of the profit share, then that is fucked up.

here is why it doesn't matter:
colin (and EVERY SINGLE PRO SKATER OUT THERE) are not really pro skaters -- they are independent advertisers. INDEPENDENT ADVERTISERS. they agree to advertise a product for ANOTHER company. colin kelso, chris farmer, richie eisler... they are all independent advertisers for another company. they advertise for them by using their products and putting their name on the products. the company selling the product has absolutely no reason to tell a 3rd party company (the pro skater) what % of the profit is that they get for the advertisement. Pro skaters are paid $800-1300 for advertising the product, and then a portion of the sales on top of that. Colin wants to know WHAT percentage of the sales his $1.50 is, so that he will know whether or not he's getting fucked over (which he is). BUT, it is not the responsibility of the company to tell the advertiser the % of profit they are being given. their job is to advertise. the company pays them a fee to do that advertising. period.

"professional rollerblader" isn't a job. they are "professional advertisers," and there is no reason for the company that they advertise for to disclose the numbers. that's not how business/advertising relationships work.

maybe try another industry. perhaps one that is legit.

[ift]

Colin, why is that percentage that much important to you?
Enlighten me. I fail to understand your reasoning.

'Just curious' or what? Like really - why would you care? Shit isn't some big cover-up; it's none of your business.

[CK]

fucking people. are you serious? let me break this down for everyone (including colin) so that MAYBE people will learn something, or at the very least understand what is going on.

here is colin's argument:

if he gets $1.50 for each pair sold, that's fine. but he wants to know how much the conference is getting for each pair sold. if he is only getting 1% of the profit share, and they are getting 99% of the profit share, then that is fucked up.

here is why it doesn't matter:
colin (and EVERY SINGLE PRO SKATER OUT THERE) are not really pro skaters -- they are independent advertisers. INDEPENDENT ADVERTISERS. they agree to advertise a product for ANOTHER company. colin kelso, chris farmer, richie eisler... they are all independent advertisers for another company. they advertise for them by using their products and putting their name on the products. the company selling the product has absolutely no reason to tell a 3rd party company (the pro skater) what % of the profit is that they get for the advertisement. Pro skaters are paid $800-1300 for advertising the product, and then a portion of the sales on top of that. Colin wants to know WHAT percentage of the sales his $1.50 is, so that he will know whether or not he's getting fucked over (which he is). BUT, it is not the responsibility of the company to tell the advertiser the % of profit they are being given. their job is to advertise. the company pays them a fee to do that advertising. period.

"professional rollerblader" isn't a job. they are "professional advertisers," and there is no reason for the company that they advertise for to disclose the numbers. that's not how business/advertising relationships work.

maybe try another industry. perhaps one that is legit.

You didn't read the part about humanity and good nature?

[ift]

I don't think capitalism runs on humanity and good nature.

http://ih2.redbubble.net/work.3434022.1.fig,heather_grey,womens,fbfbfb.in-a-perfect-world-v3.jpg

[Apsley Cherry-Garrard]

dude, it's business. humanity and good nature do not compute. sorry you were naive.

[CK]

dude, it's business. humanity and good nature do not compute. sorry you were naive.

so you would deceive another skater because business is business? cool dude

[ift]

Two ians agree: just chill bruh.

Also nondisclosure =/= deception.

[CK]

Two ians agree: just chill bruh.

Also nondisclosure =/= deception.

so what do you think it equals ?

[ift]

Nunya dam business. You're a skater not a business partner.

[CK]

Nunya dam business. You're a skater not a business partner.

so you would deceive another skater because business is business?

[ift]

I wouldn't own a business where that would be an issue. If I ever own a business non-disclosure is unethical to a patient but is absolutely necessary to most third parties.

[a_pla5tic_bag]

maybe try another industry. perhaps one that is legit.

this. being concerned about money in rollerblading is stupid. there's hardly any to begin with. and regardless of how much he gets paid, how many people actually own carbons? I'm thinking not enough that it would be a substantial amount that he could live off of.

[ift]

I got 3 pair. Almost $5... $$$$$$

[CK]

this. being concerned about money in rollerblading is stupid. there's hardly any to begin with. and regardless of how much he gets paid, how many people actually own carbons? I'm thinking not enough that it would be a substantial amount that he could live off of.

your missing the point. people who arent reading and remembering what i said should not post here. we all agree numbers are low, but how low? reference back to first post and then you'll see how your comment isnt on par with what im talking about

[Apsley Cherry-Garrard]

colin, you don't get it. you aren't their employee. you aren't their partner. you are advertising for them, and that's it. you don't get access to that information. rollerblading or not, that isn't how business works.

[ift]

Even if he's considered an employee, he's pretty low on the business chain unless the business chooses for him to be higher. Given that he later made some crazy threat to release e-mails if he wasn't given $3000, not telling him things like profit margins was a good call.

Say I'm a pizza guy. I deliver pizzas all over town. People see the logo on my car, and sometimes it makes them want pizza more than they would have otherwise. Sometimes I even help make the pizzas. If I start demanding the owner tell me how much profit he makes on the pizza, he can choose to tell me, choose not to, or fire me if I'm being enough of a pain in the ass about it.

[CerealGuy]

Interesting point about the skaters being "advertisers"..

so you're saying, once a tv add is made (or a pro boot) the advertisers job is done... but for every time that add is aired (or the skate is sold) they receive $?
if this was the case then when bambrick was fired he would still receive his commissions on the skates razor made with his name on them...

so if razor made 5000 of the boot. (with his name on them)
shipped out 1000 to stores for the release
fired Bambrick
then sold the other 4000 (that had his name on them)

did Bambrick get paid for the other 4000?
only way he would know if he knew how many units were produced and how much he got per unit...

looking at it that way i kinda see that the % is not really important...
if you agree to $1.50 from each skate then that's the deal you have made...

if its on the sale price then the % is going to be different on different orders, as was mentioned.. so will look like this.
shop A - 1.5%
shop B - 1.275%
shop C - 1%
shop D - 0.75%
shop E - 1.33333333334%

I do understand that you want total transparency and a family like feel within the rollerblading industry...
I don't really see why seeing a list of percentages is so important to you, as it makes no difference to your $$$..
At the end of the day you agreed to $1.50 so that's what you get.....

If you had that list though you could see which stores were ordering and getting a discount..

[ift]

If you had that list though you could see which stores were ordering and getting a discount..

Which is not necessary information for a pro skater to have.

[CerealGuy]

Which is not necessary information for a pro skater to have.

agreed

[tim_adams]

this. being concerned about money in rollerblading is stupid. there's hardly any to begin with. and regardless of how much he gets paid, how many people actually own carbons? I'm thinking not enough that it would be a substantial amount that he could live off of.

I think the larger point is about those who make the most off of blading neither disclosing what they make nor necessarily reinvesting it in blading. So the little money we have, which should (and I agree with Colin on this point) go to those who work the hardest or stay in the pockets of bladers, instead goes into the pockets of... well, who knows?

Overall, I think this is an interesting and necessary conversation. If there were a legit bladers' union, I'd join it, pay my dues, etc.

[RespectfulProstitute]

I need to summarize.... Colin wants something he will never get because this industry is too small and he's a pretentious dick who doesn't understand life in general and business. And USD and their employees who are responsible for the capital of the business whose balls will be cut off if something goes wrong... are responsible for him being happy and understanding every minute detail? I fucking hate liberals that want things for nothing. Grow the fuck up CK, and understand what you're actually trying to do, and the actual amount of money involved. With that being said disclosure of sales needs to happen for an ethical contract to happen. But you didn't ask for one. It's your negligence that screwed you for what you wanted. Yes USD should, and every other company, but you didn't get it in writing. So stop wanting something that you didn't ask for.

[john doe]

so you would deceive another skater because business is business?

You have not discribe any way in which they have decieved you. You have simply said they wouldn't give you something you wanted. You keep talking about a wanting to know a percentage but what percentage would think is acceptable? If you judge the percentage to be too low what evidence are you using to draw that conclusion. Are you looking to know the percentage of the total price as sold to the distributor or the percentage above the basic opperating cost built into each skate. Maybe the percentage of the cost above the cost of the raw materials.


I think the larger point is about those who make the most off of blading neither disclosing what they make nor necessarily reinvesting it in blading. So the little money we have, which should (and I agree with Colin on this point) go to those who work the hardest or stay in the pockets of bladers, instead goes into the pockets of... well, who knows?

Overall, I think this is an interesting and necessary conversation. If there were a legit bladers' union, I'd join it, pay my dues, etc.

Why do you think the pros have the hardest job and deserve the most money. From what I have seen, pros get to do what ever they want for the most part. They have no worries about a bottom line or making sure they don't get sued. They don't have to worry that the next guy they hire to clean the toilets will fuck them over. All pros have to do is use their genetic gifts, do the thing they love, and show up to a few places a few times a year.

[Tra]

full-time desk job vs. mostly part-time death defying STUNTS

[jonathan]

Why do you think the pros have the hardest job and deserve the most money. From what I have seen, pros get to do what ever they want for the most part. They have no worries about a bottom line or making sure they don't get sued. They don't have to worry that the next guy they hire to clean the toilets will fuck them over. All pros have to do is use their genetic gifts, do the thing they love, and show up to a few places a few times a year.

Not that it means anything to you, but you just lost all your rep because of this comment.

A actor, sports player, professional businessmen, whatever... It's all the same. You have to work really fucking hard. I'm just a no body computer technician. But for the people who spent their whole lives in teh computer industry get paid a shit ton. YOu do not expect a leading scientist in whatever to work for free because he gets to do what he loves. What kind of fucking ignorance is this? Plus, what happens to people like Aaron Feinberg who spent their entire lives rollerblading and being world class? what happens when they get too old? Is there room for them to make a living not rollerblading but kinda being apart of the industry? Do people even respect Jon Elliot for being behind rattail? You know what happens? You end up on the streets with nothing on your resume other than being a contractor for a obsolete workforce (rollerblading, but at least you were the worlds best at it) and no other job experience. Yeah... Professional rollerblading is easy.

You're confusing hobbies to professionals here. If you strap on some blades or grab a baseball glove and some bats, you can always go back. You never hear about a Professional Boxer getting a day job in a office? Would you be that naive to make that assumption?

THey're risking their lives, they should be getting paid respectfully. CK has a valid point. You're keep talking to him like he wasn't a professional, like he did not have a pro model boot, like he hasn't risk his life for a company. LIke he is another grom that'll drop out of the sport when it gets boring.

[chimbaktu]

full-time desk job vs. mostly part-time death defying STUNTS


While a stupid way to view it, there is a good reason why pros should be paid better.

Scarcity of skills. A professional skater has the rare skill of skating better than most people. Like any professional sport, a company rewards those with the rarest skills who draw more money. Alex Rodriguez gets a retarded contract because that nigga plays ball better than 99.9999% of people which allows the Yankees to win and draw larger crowds. In rollerblading, professional skaters have a rare and desirable skillset that should yield them a higher salary than their office counterparts simply because you can train a monkey to do data entry and handle orders, while very people can train to skate at the level of a professional skater and draw the crowds of groms that a skater like CK can.

However, it is also up to the skater to intelligently negotiate their contract rather than signing every piece of paper that flies their way.

[jakeordie]

I understand exactly what Colin wanted to know. I also understand that, to any person who does a few skate tricks for the camera and fuck all else, seeing the figures on the books would make you feel like you're getting screwed.

In rollerblading, pro skaters still don't understand the nature of their employment. Your job is to SELL SKATES, to make more people buy the skates than if you weren't promoting them. $1.50 per pair could be worth millions if you were doing an outstanding job of representing yourself and what you do. But you're not.

I want to clarify my position here; I don't hate Andy & Matthias, I just encourage rollerbladers to see them as what stands between you scraping by and you with a future. Expert level skaters are a dime a dozen, for every pro skater that joined a union there'd be 10 ams that are ready to replace him. Andy & Matthias know this, and use it to their advantage over rollerbladers.

The way to change the status quo is to man up & put your money where your mouth is. Enough of this "molds cost a million dollars" bullshit, find a way to make skate stuff that you can sell for more than it cost you to make. I'm not talking to the teenagers here, I'm talking to the 20-somethings who care enough to have an opinion in threads like this.

Get busy faggots.

[ift]

A professional skater has the rare appeal of being more marketable than most people.

Plenty of goons out there that shred shit to hell aren't even getting flow. Skating talent alone doesn't get you pro status.

[Jar]

Everyone knows there's no money in skating. Use your brain, don't skate to become a 'professional', skate because it's fun.

[theguy0075]

I need to summarize.... Colin wants something he will never get because this industry is too small and he's a pretentious dick who doesn't understand life in general and business. And USD and their employees who are responsible for the capital of the business whose balls will be cut off if something goes wrong... are responsible for him being happy and understanding every minute detail? I fucking hate liberals that want things for nothing. Grow the fuck up CK, and understand what you're actually trying to do, and the actual amount of money involved. With that being said disclosure of sales needs to happen for an ethical contract to happen. But you didn't ask for one. It's your negligence that screwed you for what you wanted. Yes USD should, and every other company, but you didn't get it in writing. So stop wanting something that you didn't ask for.

I'm sorry I have no horse in this race, but this comment nullifies your whole argument.

[jonathan]

Everyone knows there's no money in skating. Use your brain, don't skate to become a 'professional', skate because it's fun.

:arrow:

I guess Chris farmer should should his rent in "fun" because there's no money in his Job. Wait, he lives with his mom.

[RespectfulProstitute]

I'm sorry I have no horse in this race, but this comment nullifies your whole argument.

Well to you it does, but that's what he's doing. He wants something for nothing. He needs to move to Russia.

[CK]

Well to you it does, but that's what he's doing. He wants something for nothing. He needs to move to Russia.

Since when did honesty have a price?

[flea]

I understand exactly what Colin wanted to know. I also understand that, to any person who does a few skate tricks for the camera and fuck all else, seeing the figures on the books would make you feel like you're getting screwed.

In rollerblading, pro skaters still don't understand the nature of their employment. Your job is to SELL SKATES, to make more people buy the skates than if you weren't promoting them. $1.50 per pair could be worth millions if you were doing an outstanding job of representing yourself and what you do. But you're not.

I want to clarify my position here; I don't hate Andy & Matthias, I just encourage rollerbladers to see them as what stands between you scraping by and you with a future. Expert level skaters are a dime a dozen, for every pro skater that joined a union there'd be 10 ams that are ready to replace him. Andy & Matthias know this, and use it to their advantage over rollerbladers.

The way to change the status quo is to man up & put your money where your mouth is. Enough of this "molds cost a million dollars" bullshit, find a way to make skate stuff that you can sell for more than it cost you to make. I'm not talking to the teenagers here, I'm talking to the 20-somethings who care enough to have an opinion in threads like this.

Get busy faggots.

Way ahead of you.

[BenMagaziner]

fuck you, quinn feldman.

[Muppet4Eternity]

Colin, you knew you were getting $1.50 per skate sold. Why not ring up a shop, and ask politely how much they bought your pro skates for? Then you would be able to figure out a percentage.

[*ROYALwithCHEESE*]

Colin, your a highly skilled individual in profession that is fairly small.
Getting ripped off would occur in any other industry that has those two basic flaws.
Im not saying its right, but thats how the world works.

[Flandangle]

This is getting out of hand.. again.

[ift]

Colin, you knew you were getting $1.50 per skate sold. Why not ring up a shop, and ask politely how much they bought your pro skates for?

K kid cool info, but how much of that $184.75 (hypothetically) did the conference spend to pay the manufacturer, other employees, and multiple times the skate or different parts of the skate had to be shipped before it got to the store? The relevant number is 'profit'.

[wil747]

Lets put this into perspective.

Someone starts a company. Finances everything. Puts into place manufacturing processes, marketing processes, office processes, distribution processes shit goes on and on.

Some 'talent' comes along and gets upset because said company owner won't open his books and share highly confidential intellectual information which disclosure of which may be harmful to the entity.....

CK would you be willing to share the costs of making the truth 2 with the be-mag community?

[Muppet4Eternity]

K kid cool info, but how much of that $184.75 (hypothetically) did the conference spend to pay the manufacturer, other employees, and multiple times the skate or different parts of the skate had to be shipped before it got to the store? The relevant number is 'profit'.

When I read the thread, it seemed like Colin was more interested in what percentage of the price USD sold his skates for he got, not percentage of the profit.

[Monday]

CK would you be willing to share the costs of making the truth 2 with the be-mag community?

The answer to this will make Colin a martyr... ;)

[Monday]

Posting to say that $1.50 out of every skate sold is pretty decent. Even if you don't know how many skates were produced exactly. Be it only 500 pairs. That's $750 on top of your monthly salary.

[wil747]

How much do you predict he paid the skaters in his video? Considering the cost of making a DVD compared to a skate there must be massive margins. Hope everyone who was filmed had health insurance etc etc knows their percentages whatever the shit he was rambling on about....

[Brodye Chappell]

I could be wrong here, but for an example, I think there was only 750 pairs of DG Classics made.

[john doe]

Not that it means anything to you, but you just lost all your rep because of this comment.

A actor, sports player, professional businessmen, whatever... It's all the same. You have to work really fucking hard. I'm just a no body computer technician. But for the people who spent their whole lives in teh computer industry get paid a shit ton. YOu do not expect a leading scientist in whatever to work for free because he gets to do what he loves. What kind of fucking ignorance is this? Plus, what happens to people like Aaron Feinberg who spent their entire lives rollerblading and being world class? what happens when they get too old? Is there room for them to make a living not rollerblading but kinda being apart of the industry? Do people even respect Jon Elliot for being behind rattail? You know what happens? You end up on the streets with nothing on your resume other than being a contractor for a obsolete workforce (rollerblading, but at least you were the worlds best at it) and no other job experience. Yeah... Professional rollerblading is easy.

You're confusing hobbies to professionals here. If you strap on some blades or grab a baseball glove and some bats, you can always go back. You never hear about a Professional Boxer getting a day job in a office? Would you be that naive to make that assumption?

THey're risking their lives, they should be getting paid respectfully. CK has a valid point. You're keep talking to him like he wasn't a professional, like he did not have a pro model boot, like he hasn't risk his life for a company. LIke he is another grom that'll drop out of the sport when it gets boring.

I would love for all of our pros to get huge pay checks. It is a fucking travesty that DL has to work as a bike mechanic after being what he was/is to other skaters. That doesn't mean a normal pro has a hard job. Getting and keeping the job is hard because of the massive amount of competition but the job it's self is not that hard. I just don't think the pros are the hardest working people in the companies. There are plenty of people inside the Conference or Sunshine that work their asses off running the multi million dollar companies so the pros can live a care free life and be skaters. That is how they make money for the company that pays them.

The only way our pros, that we all love, will get the money we want them to have is if more people start skating. How that is done, I don't know. I do remember a time when teams would go from city to city doing demos at the skate parks to show kids what is possible in inline. I wonder where those went. It really sucks that we aren't like skateboarding or snowboarding where any shit head can start a deck company and build it from a garage to a factory. We have equipment that requires huge amount of capital to develop. I certainly admire what CO has done. They have to really build into another awesome company. But not many can handle the type of risk and commitment that they have.

[CerealGuy]

hey look!

behind you!

yes you!

there, look!

there is a life...

waiting for you...

go out and skate...

you can do it...

let the thread die...

go skate...

go to work...

meet a woman...

have sex...

make babies...

go now... bye...



who me?

nah im a lost cause...

[Mudhut Jollyrancher]

How much do you predict he paid the skaters in his video? Considering the cost of making a DVD compared to a skate there must be massive margins. Hope everyone who was filmed had health insurance etc etc knows their percentages whatever the shit he was rambling on about....
i'm pretty sure they all got a grand

[CRF]

That's $750 on top of your monthly salary.

But is 750 enough of an endorsement for a pro rollerblader to make off of ALL of the skates that sell with his name on it? No. Rollerblader's are worth more than we think.