{"id":2339,"date":"2005-02-22T15:17:18","date_gmt":"2005-02-22T23:17:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/skateandannoy.com\/features\/?p=2339"},"modified":"2026-10-07T12:30:43","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T19:30:43","slug":"interview-michael-brooke-of-concrete-wave-magazine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/skateandannoy.com\/features\/interview-michael-brooke-of-concrete-wave-magazine\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview: Michael Brooke of Concrete Wave Magazine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Glossy new skateboarding magazines seem to recurr like a case of athelete’s foot with every boom and bust cycle in skateboarding. A partial list of contenders includes Skateboarder, Poweredge, BIg Brother, Skateboarder (again and again) Homeboy, Slap, etc… Except for in the case of a complete vacum, most magazines don’t start during the downturns. One exception has been Concrete Wave Magazine. The magazine’s editorial stance is unlike any other. Is it a nostalgia collection for Barneys or a safe haven from yet another handrail and shoe advertisement magazine? Whatever your opinion, Concrete Wave has a steadily growing reading base of all ages. Aside from publishing and editing Concrete Wave magazine, he is also the author of Concrete Wave – the book, Skate Legends. What follows is an interview conducted via email, with editor Michael Brooke, who was too busy collecting photographs and words for his upcoming Buyer’s Guide to send us any decent pictures of himself and his operations!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– kilwag 2-22-05<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kilwag: Let\u2019s get some of the basics out of the way. When and where you born, how long have you been skating, and how did you pick it up?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Born in Leeds, England in 64. I moved to Canada in 72. I lived in buffalo NY for a year (father took a sabbatical) and now reside in Toronto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I saw my first skateboarder in the UK of all places\u2026in 74! In Brighton. Then, in June of 75 the neighborhood kid had one\u2026I tried it and have been hooked ever since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How many skateboards do you own?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

25+<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How many do you actually ride? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pretty well all of them\u2026.even my off road one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Favorite all time setup? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s easy\u2026Fibreflex, Bennetts and Road Rider 4\u2019s \u2013 Damn I LOVED that board!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Favorite skate spot? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vanderhoof is a nice park in Toronto \u2013 it\u2019s a bit of a drive, but it\u2019s mighty fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Favorite skater? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mullen<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did Concrete Wave, the book, come into fruition? How well did it sell?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was working at Xerox Corp trying to sell immense photocopiers\/printers (called Docutechs) to book publishers. I wasn\u2019t really getting anywhere – it\u2019s freakin\u2019 hard to sell copiers to publishers\u2026it\u2019s actually very hard to sell anything to a publisher! Anyway, at the time, I was also puttering around with this website my brother built for me. It was called The Skategeezer Homepage. This was started 1995. In 1997 I happened to contact a publisher by the name of Nick Pitt at Warwick Publishing. My sales skills must have worn him down and he agreed to meet me to learn about Xerox technology (oh boy!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The meeting was going pretty straightforward (ie: he had no interest in copiers!) but when I started talking about the internet he perked up a little. I mentioned that I had my own website based on the history of skateboarding. He then said \u201cthat\u2019s interesting \u2013 we\u2019re looking at doing a book on skateboarding. Can you put together an outline?\u201d Within two weeks I had an outline and within a few months, an advance. I then had to go out and do the research. Suffice to say, Xerox took a back seat! The book was a total fluke. No US publisher would touch it. The entire book was handled by Warwick. They have done pretty damn well with it\u202630,000 copies sold. A best seller is 10,000. So, I feel very proud to have done it\u2026and it launched a brand new career for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What was your biggest initial obstacle to getting the magazine started? How hard was it to get into publishing in general?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the book was completed, I had a lot of time on my hands. I made a decision to launch a magazine\u2026hey..why not! So, I started to work on International Longboarder<\/em><\/strong> with a magazine designer called Tom Browne. I had met Tom back in 1976 in London Ontario. He was an avid skater and I turned him onto longboarding in 1997. So in January 1999, we got things rolling. Our first issue was launched on $50 worth of phone calls. Seriously. It was just insane. But we did it. Brad Strandlund helped out immensely trying to convince folks that we were legit.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Slowly things built up\u2026but the mag was too focused on one aspect of skateboarding and the market wasn\u2019t (and to my mind still isn\u2019t) ready for a longboard only mag. I learned a hell of a lot and got frustrated a lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the end, we packed it in after 3 years\u2026Not bad really. But the truth is that I couldn\u2019t do a full time job and run two magazines. I was going mental. Concrete Wave was started in the spring of 2002 (with $2500 \u2013 due to glossy stock!) as a reaction to what I saw was missing in the skate world and in International Longboarder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How big is your operation and what is your current circulation?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well we have our 20,000 foot office space in downtown Toronto and corporate jet\u2026Just kidding. It\u2019s me, Buddy Carr, Mike Moore, Blair Watson (my editors and confidants) and hundreds of contributors who do everything from submit articles to promote the mag at their local skate shop. It is the culmination of hundreds of people\u2019s efforts that have made CW grow. We have a long way to go, but I am pleased with the pace and of course, incredibly humbled by so many people contributing to the cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Concrete Wave has a worldwide circulation of 20,000 copies. That\u2019s about all we\u2019ll be for some time. It\u2019s manageable for the advertisers. If we need to grow, we will, but there is no rush.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why start up another skateboard magazine, especially during a low point for the industry? What is the goal of the magazine?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s perfect timing as far as I\u2019m concerned. For the last 15 years, all the other big skate mags refused to cover anything but street and the occasional vert shot. Sure, they USED to cover more stuff, but they took an executive decision not to. We intend to be proactive \u2013 not reactive\u2026.I am not concerned with who this upsets or what the \u201cdemographics\u201d point to or what the hell the kids want. Young skate kids are BLANK SLATES\u2026.and right now, their diet of skate media is almost 100% street. It\u2019s a continuous circle and I am happy to throw a wrench into the mix. If I can show the next generation that there is so much more than street, I will have accomplished a key goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I work with over 150 companies who, for whatever reason, can\u2019t seem to get much attention from most of the other mags. CW aims to correct this. I\u2019ll admit that\u2019s always wonderful to see one of my advertisers get some coverage\u2026but by and large they receive no exposure in the big mags. Kudos to Concussion and Juice \u2013 they have done an amazing job at showcasing these great companies and skaters. But, we are not interested in being clones of these mags (big or small) The stated goals of Concrete Wave are very clear and nothing short of death will stop me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is from my most recent editorial:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There are three goals that are the foundation of the magazine. The first goal is to promote a variety of skateboarding that you don\u2019t normally see in other publications. Our second goal is showcase a wide variety of skateboarders. From six to sixty plus \u2013 males and females.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you add the first two goals, they lead nicely into our third goal. This final goal is to foster (and accelerate) change within skateboarding.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In your opinion, what mistakes have other dead publications made, and how do you intend to avoid them?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me blunt here: Magazines are a brutal business. 50% don\u2019t make it past the first year. Another whackload die in year three\u2026and sadly, very few make it to 5 years. We are entering year 4. I feel very blessed\u2026but as I say, \u201cparanoia is my business plan.\u201d The reality is that I can\u2019t and don\u2019t take my eye off the ball (or in this case, wheel!). The mistakes you make in publishing can be deadly\u2026I already learned that the hard way!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a very delicate balance. I see it clearly as a three-part equation. #1 you must have a valid economic engine to drive the business. Living within your means is crucial. This means you can\u2019t have a 10,000 square foot office and $90,000 car if you\u2019re not bringing in big $$$. A valid engine means you have to have enough of a potential market to work with. There is a limited market for slalom equipment, so a magazine that only covered slalom would be a risky venture\u2026at least for now. I keep things VERY lean and mean. That\u2019s the only way to keep it moving forward. Although I am not an accountant, I am committed to ensuring that the magazine keeps afloat and the only way to do this is to never waiver from having a valid economic engine. Less is more\u2026don\u2019t blow your brains out. Every dollar better count towards the goals of the magazine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#2 You must have passion \u2013 I have a passion for skateboarding AND the power of the printed page. You can\u2019t buy passion. It comes from within. For me, passion is what gets you through the crap. It goes beyond this, however. You have to have a passion to build something remarkable \u2013 something in the magazine that is truly worth talking about. In the case of Concrete Wave, we build a lot of things into the magazine that make it worth talking about. Love it or hate it, it is not something that you can ignore. And this means everything from choice of paper stock to the type of binding to the fact that we don\u2019t accept shoe ads or ads from soft drink companies (unless they are advertising a skate event).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, rounding out this equation is the desire to create something you can be the best in the world at. In the case of CW, our desire is to create the greatest variety filled skate mag out there. Not the best skate mag\u2026the best VARIETY filled skate mag. There is a big difference and we will continue to push things forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My day is spent balancing the dollars with my passion for skateboarding with the desire to create the very best variety filled skate magazine out there. It\u2019s both incredibly fulfilling and immensely stressful\u2026but it\u2019s the equation that works for me. Can it work for other mags? Absolutely. Is it foolproof? No way\u2026.business is always risky. However, it\u2019s a great way to keep focus and avoid death and\/or avoid working for someone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are your publishing and editorial influences?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

SkateBoarder circa 1978 and Surfers Journal. SkateBoarder had an amazing impact back then. It showcased a wide variety of skateboarding and skaters. Surfers Journal is beautiful to look at. Its impact cannot be discounted. It\u2019s smaller in size than Surfer or Surfing but much bigger in stature. Concrete Wave aims to take the best of these two publications and create a hybrid. We\u2019ll get there\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is Concrete Wave a full time job for you? How often (and what) are you skating now?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s more than full time. It never stops. I skate it all\u2026longboarding, freestyle, downhill, vert, slalom, parks\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

next page… The Barneys<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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Interview: Michael Brooke of Concrete Wave Magazine, continued:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the eighties we didn\u2019t really have the renaissance of 60\u2019s and 70\u2019s skaters getting back into or continuing to skate, at least not in the numbers that we have now. As a result we have the skate media backlash against the \u201cBarneys.\u201d Recently in Concussion there was even an editorial cartoon that featured a kooky looking skater with Concrete Wave sticker on his board. Thrasher magazine now makes fun of luge skating which is ironic since under KT\u2019s watch they were the earliest proponents of the sport. How do you respond to criticism that Concrete Wave is for out of touch guys that just want to relive the old days?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Firstly, I dig Concussion. I have huge respect for anyone who puts out an independent magazine. It ain\u2019t easy. That being said, they seem to get their nose out of joint by what Concrete Wave is doing and have taken a few jabs. That\u2019s cool. We\u2019ll give them a shot here and there too\u2026.after all, we don\u2019t run reviews on ladies underwear. (see their issue #25)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for the Barney\u2019s\u2026this is a load of horseshit, and they know it. If you think you \u201cown\u201d skateboarding and that only \u201cyour group\u201d is legitimate, you don\u2019t truly understand skateboarding. I believe in a total picture \u2013 skateboarding is filled with a great many types of skaters. What would you rather have? More golfers or more guys returning to skateboarding? Live and let live is my motto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This really isn\u2019t about Barney\u2019s. It\u2019s about control of the direction of skateboarding. It\u2019s about the image of skateboarding. Well, the image of skateboarding is wide ranging and sadly, a lot of it revolves around crass commercialism to hype \u201cthe lifestyle\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me say on the record that the emperor has NO CLOTHES. Actually, in the case of skateboarding\u2026the emperor has too many clothes..and shoes. The reality is that some in the skateworld want it kept underground (ie: our scene and screw you!) and some in the skateworld are happy to whore it out to the largest multinationals they can find. This is what skateboarding is today. Between these two extremes, you have all kinds of things happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Concrete Wave stands for all types of skaters and skateboarding. If certain people can\u2019t deal with that, tough shit. Skateboarding is not about lifestyle for me\u2026it\u2019s my life. I am putting the focus on skateboarding\u2026not the fashion of skateboarding. That\u2019s why we say 100% skateboarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Older guys are getting back into it. Good for them. Sure, it would be nice if they never left, but so what. They are into it, and it means that it\u2019s good for skateboarding \u2013 they are buying gear and getting out there and skating. Are they out of touch? Not really. They have deep love for skateboarding and something has propelled them back in. If other skaters can\u2019t handle that, that\u2019s their problem. Let\u2019s see if these same folks (who put down older returning skaters) will be skating in twenty years. Time will tell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thrasher promoted a lot of things \u2013 slalom, downhill, freestyle. So did Transworld. A decision was made 15 years ago to eradicate variety (with the exception of a few vert shots) and stick with mostly rails and ledges. That\u2019s the mag\u2019s decision. My reaction to this was to create Concrete Wave. I sincerely hope that the other mags start covering more than just rails and ledges and the occasional vert shot. It\u2019s their decision to do what they feel is best for the readers and advertisers. My guess is that they will start covering more. Good for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does the \u201cBarney\u201d exist as a species or is any skater OK in your book?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every skater is welcomed\u2026with the exception of one. The sad truth is that I have run across skaters who absolutely buy into the \u201cit\u2019s cool to sit around the skatepark, rip on other skaters, demand free stuff and never skate.\u201d This is a species that truly buys into the \u201clifestyle\u201d trip. They\u2019ll be involved with skateboarding for a few years and move onto something else, hopefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lack of shoe and apparel company ads in Concrete Wave is refreshing. Can you tell us why you made that editorial decision? Is there any shoe or clothing company that you would consider allowing?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We would allow shoe and clothing companies to advertise, if they were advertising\/sponsoring an event. And, I have allowed one very small clothing company in the mag since they were printing our CW t-shirts. But, for the most part, we ONLY want hardgoods guys. This goes back to our mantra of 100% skateboarding. Fifteen years ago it was 85% hardgoods and 15% softgoods in the mags. Now it\u2019s the opposite or even more softgoods! Concrete Wave wanted to be vastly different and remarkable than the other mags. I fully realize that the skateshops need the softgood revenue (9 out of every 10 dollars in skateboarding is spent on softgoods) but I don\u2019t think the mag falls short because it doesn\u2019t have a slew of shoe ads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are anxious for shoe or clothing ads, there are numerous publications that can fulfill your desire. Again, I remind all readers, you need a skateboard to skate\u2026if you remove the skateboard from the shoe and clothing companies, you just have shoe and clothing companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The recent expansion into Wal Mart locations has rubbed some people the wrong way. How does being distributed by Wal Mart jive with your stance on remaining core by not accepting unaffiliated advertisements?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s about distribution and exposure, pure and simple. It\u2019s doubtful any of my advertisers will get into WalMart. 100 million people visit WalMart each week. Even if 100 pick up the mag and read it, it\u2019s huge exposure. In my latest editorial I directed people who might not be familiar with the products inside the mag to visit their LOCAL skateshop\u2026or go on line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, in essence, we are leveraging the massive distribution\/exposure that WalMart has to reach people who may not know about the mag. Not one of my advertisers said it was a bonehead move. They loved the idea of more exposure. Oddly enough, it makes the mag more attractive to zit cream and army recruiters and cell phone companies and car companies\u2026but there is NO WAY I am letting those guys in (unless of course they sponsor a skate event).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And a final point here\u2026I don\u2019t think CW is core\u2026it\u2019s niche. There is a big difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you worried about overextending yourself and becoming beholden to your advertisers and distributors like Wal Mart, who is notoriously heavy handed when dealing with suppliers. What if they start to ask for editorial changes such as the elimination of offensive words?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We took the word f**k out in issue #3. I still use the word shit. Why did I remove f**k? Simple, 50% of skaters are UNDER the age of 11. I found that parents were much happier giving their kids CW with the word f**k removed. Since I want to ensure that we promote skateboarding to all types of people, I made an executive decision and made it parent friendly. If people want gnarly graphics and expletives, I am totally cool with that\u2026but it\u2019s not going to be in CW because it doesn\u2019t fit our goals. If we want change within skateboarding, it will have to come with the youth\u2026the next generation. And I can\u2019t jeopardize things. I have 3 kids. My 8 year old son reads CW and I am cool with that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(We still use the word “fuck” on this web site, but we try not to overuse it, simply to keep the various content blockers from blocking our site for readers at companies and schools. Don’t laugh. Some of our readers got book learned! – K.Ed)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That being said, I can\u2019t wait for some parent to call up and demand that they remove CW from Wal Mart due to word shit in there\u2026 or the Shitbird ad\u2026 or something stupid like that. The publicity would be amazing. But, I doubt that will happen. Even Transworld has the word shit. The reality is that Wal Mart has the magazine on consignment (like all mags out there!). If it sells, you stay, if it doesn\u2019t sell, you\u2019re out the door, pronto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wal Mart won\u2019t bother me\u2026I am too small and I am strictly limiting how many copies I give them for the shelves. But if they decide to be heavy handed and dictate editorial, I would pull the mag. IN A SECOND. Having WalMart does not make or break me\u2026it just increases the exposure and moves us closer to our goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How has being based in Canada affected the magazine editorially? Do you think it is a positive thing to be removed from the center of the skateboarding manufacturing (and marketing) industry?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s both good and bad. I don\u2019t deal with the politics since I am not in the firestorm down there. But, I am removed from the firestorm and I can miss things. For the most part, I am in the loop more often than not. Sure, there are folks that take shots and say \u201cwhat does that Canuck know\u2026\u201d but the reality is that I am on the phone 4 to 5 hours a day with California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think being in Canada gives me a global perspective. We\u2019re cool with showcasing stories from around the world. Most of the manufacturers and marketers I deal with seem cool with the idea of where I live. I think they are pleased to see that we are trying to help. They would like for me to be down there more often, but it\u2019s not a huge problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The industry has always been sort of a closed club, prone to back stabbing, favoritism, shady deals, and attacks through print ads. Has Concrete Wave been the recipient of any such nonsense?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sure, but I never lose site of the goals of the mag. Have we managed to piss folks off? Yep. Will we continue to upset people? Probably. But we don\u2019t intentional harm anyone and we sure as hell won\u2019t start a war or backstab someone. I learned from many in the skate industry (while researching Concrete Wave, the book) and I know that I must never back down when someone tosses a verbal grenade. So, I try to keep a sense of humor about the industry and work through the issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Concrete Wave Editions put out the Warren Bolster book as well as Disposable. Can you talk about upcoming print projects.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is one little project that is spiraling\u2026we are about to launch Bill Hensely\u2019s BEST OF THE WEST Skatepark guide<\/em> \u2013 a spiral bound book that will feature the best parks of Washington, Oregon, California and Arizona. I am just starting to work on a book with Tri Star Pictures that is a behind the scenes look at the Lords of Dogtown. It hits in May. The photos in this book will be extraordinary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A book on skate photography is coming out for the fall. There are several other books in the works. I am proud of what we\u2019ve accomplished so far and we will continue to make remarkable books for skaters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Best of the West park guide, is it taking over for the original publication (Skate Park Guide) since it appears to be the same crew, or is this just a joint venture? Details, please. Are there other volumes planned, contingent on how well this one sells?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s a crazy story… The original publisher had some marginal success with the first two guides… Author Bill Hensley and his team did a good job, but they were working with a publisher who didn’t know much about skateboarding (always a deadly combination, let me tell you!) Anyway, Bill went out and worked his butt off to get the third edition and handed it in before the deadline. A few days later, he got a call from the publisher telling him that the whole project was cancelled. What a raw deal. Bill had spent months working on this and it just collapsed. I got a call from Brad Robarge over at Team Goon\/Punk Rock skateboards. He had spoken to Bill about my publishing division. Needless to say, we leapt at the chance to help Bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I came up with the idea of a 32 page teaser…we printed 10,000 of these puppies and they have been very well received. The 132 page spiral bound book hits late April….$9.95 – which is $2 less than the previous guide. If it goes well, and I am pretty sure folks will dig it, then it’s off to the midwest, east and Europe…Australia…South America….and Mars, eventually<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have there been any pleasant surprises in your publishing endeavors?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the nicest thing is to receive an email or a comment from a reader who says \u201cyour mag got me back into skateboarding\u2026or it brought me into skateboarding.\u201d. It\u2019s nice to meet up with pros and have them remember your name. That can be truly surprising!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

next page… Chinese Wood<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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Interview: Michael Brooke of Concrete Wave Magazine, continued:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What has been your biggest setback?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Distribution is a toughie. We are constantly monitoring how the mail goes with respect to subscriptions\u2026On behalf of the US postal system, I apologize to all those who get their subs a little late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Concrete Wave TV shows seem to be a different entity entirely. Is the relationship in name only?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The show has really come into its own. The production company, JST has got 52 episodes under its belt. I helped with the initial development of CW TV and once a year I meet up with JST to offer segment ideas. However, as I like to say, \u201cif you like the show, then I had a tremendous amount to do with it. If you hate it, then I had nothing to do with it!\u201d The reality is that CW TV has certain parameters it has to follow (ie showcasing certain types of skateboarding to appeal to a specific demographic) where as the magazine can do pretty well what it pleases. The fact is that CW TV has been great publicity for the magazine and has given folks insight into areas of skateboarding they may never have seen on tv.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Concrete Wave seems to be in a unique position to compile and release older footage. I was surprised that Downhill Motion was not a Concrete Wave Edition. Do you have any plans for future releases? For instance, Skateboard, the Movie hasn\u2019t seen a proper release, and Skateboard Madness \u2018 DVD release was shoddy. These are goofy films to be sure, but still poplar and important from a historical standpoint. Also, Skater Dater is missing in action as well.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You bring up some good ideas and we\u2019d be happy to lend our name and our giant marketing machine (HA!) to any dvd release. We worked with Bart Saric on his new film Skinned Alive<\/em>. So, I am putting out a call for projects. We are working with Mike Hirsch and his history of southern California skateparks dvd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where do you weigh in on the Chinese wood controversy.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simple. It\u2019s not about China. It\u2019s about the blurring of the lines between mass market and core skate companies. China is a just a symptom of a very larger game at play here. For many years we\u2019ve had boards made in China\u2026but they were made by companies who were mass marketers (ie Nash, Variflex). The lines have been blurred now. There is nothing remarkable about a cheap skateboard. The genie is out of the bottle and margins are going to start eroding worse than they already are\u2026bigger players will step in and you are going to see ONLY very big companies and very small companies\u2026the medium sized skate company will find things increasingly difficult. Too big to compete with the small (lower overhead type co\u2019s) and too small to compete with the giant multinationals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The question is what do we do put the genie back in the bottle? How do we ensure a healthy multi sized market? My answer is plain and simple\u2026you have to expand beyond rails and ledges and the under 18 market that targets only guys. They have put all their eggs in one basket\u2026and it\u2019s a basket that folks can copy very easily (in fact, some would argue that the Chinese do a pretty good job at a much lower price). The customer votes with their wallets. Here\u2019s how most short board customers are voting: blanks and Chinese decks with nice graphics. But the truth is that on many occasions, the customer isn\u2019t aware they are buying Chinese. The lines are blurred\u2026it creates confusion and chaos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I can only present my opinion here\u2026.and for what it\u2019s worth, the move to China was the end result of the skateboard world becoming a victim of its own success. It became so big, so lucrative and so irresistible to outsiders that this was bound to happen. I don\u2019t fight it\u2026I can\u2019t fight it\u2026I just move onto other worlds. This is why I have clearly defined what Concrete Wave stands for. Our world showcases all types of skateboarding\u2026and most of our advertisers get their wheels and boards made right here in North America. If they ever became huge companies, I would hope that they remember what made them special in the first place. Again, there is nothing remarkable about a cheaper skateboard. We need cheaper skateboards for a certain part of the market. But you can\u2019t be a little bit pregnant\u2026Being CORE and a MULTINATIONAL doesn\u2019t really fit, does it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I was running a smaller skate company, I would make sure that my company stands for something and if I was running a medium size skate company, I would double my efforts to stand for something. There is an onslaught coming and it won\u2019t be pretty. Those medium and small skate companies must continue to create remarkable products and marketing them in brilliant ways. Otherwise, they will be toast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Do you think that by ignoring or downplaying the issue that the other magazines are being responsible editorially, or is it ridiculous to treat a skateboard magazine like a respectable news source?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We feel it\u2019s our duty to tell the stories that other skate mags refuse or don\u2019t wish to cover. It makes us different. I am fully aware that the other mags have different editorial agendas. That\u2019s their freedom of the press. But, what is it the other mags wish to accomplish? What do they stand for? My reaction, after seeing them for so many years ignore everything but rails, ledges and the occasional vert shot was to create CW.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where has the Christian Hosoi coverage gone? He\u2019s been out long enough for everyone to put him on the cover again but for some reason he is absent. Hell, Thrasher barely made mention of his release, and didn\u2019t even have it posted on their website in a timely manner. Discussion boards were more on top of the ball and interested then the magazines were.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For CW, we would love to a full story..we ran a table of contents pic as way to show respect. Juice did a great interview with Christian. I am sure we\u2019ll get round to it \u2013 but it will be a totally unique piece\u2026and it takes time to find the appropriate angle. The Hosoi ordeal was also covered in other media \u2013 namely Sports Illustrated. It was a low hanging fruit type of a story. It\u2019s kind of easy to cover it when so many others are covering it\u2026but we will do something extraordinary on Christian when the time is right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How are the various Internet skateboarding communities are important to skateboarding culture?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Absolutely vital. I spend a huge amount of time answering people\u2019s posts. I read a lot of posts. If you\u2019re in magazine publishing and you aren\u2019t on the boards, you are missing something. It\u2019s all happening in real time and it\u2019s interactive. That\u2019s a powerful medium\u2026.but people still need and love print. I will continue to embrace whatever the internet brings. We are working on some pretty cool technology\u2026more on that in a few months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You’ve announced the book project for the Lords of Dogtown movie. There seems to be a lot of buzz preceding this film, from the Concrete Wave camp in particular. Why do you think this movie will be any different than past media attempts to capitalize on skateboarding? One could argue that this movie has the sanction and participation of industry insiders, but then again so did Skateboard the Movie. Sure, Tony Alva may be more “lucid” at this point in his life, but Skateboard Madness was made entirely within the confines of the industry, and it was not exactly a showpiece, except in retrospect as a historical piece. It’s almost as if the Lords of Dogtown is expected to propel the industry into another growth spurt. Do you think this movie will have a greater effect on the non skating public than the Dogtown documentary, and why?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The movie will have a tremendous affect on a lot of folks. Dogtown and Z Boys hit, at its height 70 theaters…this opens in over 2500…the marketing campaign alone is incredible… All I can say is that 30 years ago, the Z-Boys shook up skating, and 30 years later, they will do it again. Amazing, ironic and absolutely true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did you become involved in the book project, and what can we expect? What exactly is your part in the project and who else is involved?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am putting together a behind the scenes book with key folks who worked on the film-limited edition run. You can get books from www.tailtap.com. The director is involved and some key folks at Sony\/TriStar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OK, time for a tough one. Given the choice between the book that is the companion to the documentary, and the book that is the companion to the dramatized version, wouldn’t it make more sense to buy the original pictures instead of people trying to portray the original pictures?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aha, trick question…the answer is to BUY BOTH! But seriously, one is a film and one is documentary…there are plenty shots of both actors, skaters and original zboys…it’s a fun stew I am cooking!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you think that the actors and director will be able to do a decent job of representing the era? Have you been on the set at all? Will the necessary liberties taken be a disservice to skateboarding history or is this another case where it is ridiculous to assign so much importance to a Hollywood film?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dogtown was based on a myth…this movie further embellishes the myth you have to take it in the spirit its presented and just enjoy it. Don’t assign too much to it. It\u2019s hollywood… entertaining above all…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does the future hold? When are skyhooks going to make a comeback?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The future will be amazing. More will be happening to skateboarding in 2005 than has happened over the past 5, maybe 10 years. It\u2019s the culmination of tons things happening. Suffice to say we ain\u2019t seen nothing yet. It\u2019s going to be mighty interesting to see what happens with the Lords of Dogtown movie. As for Sky Hooks, you never know. The point is that the sky is the limit. This is the essence of skateboarding. No boundaries. No real rules\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Thanks to Michael for taking the time to do this interview. He actually wants to your feedback. You can give it to him direct via email – mbrooke(at)interlog(dot)com. Don’t forget to check out the Concrete Wave<\/a> magazine web site for subscriptions, gear and information on upcoming print projects. If you liked this interview you might also want to checkout Michael’s blog, which is hosted on the Concrete Wave web site as well.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Glossy new skateboarding magazines seem to recurr like a case of athelete’s foot with every boom and bust cycle in skateboarding. A partial list of contenders includes Skateboarder, Poweredge, BIg Brother, Skateboarder (again and again) Homeboy, Slap, etc… Except for in the case of a complete vacum, most magazines don’t start during the downturns. One […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-features"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/skateandannoy.com\/features\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2339","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/skateandannoy.com\/features\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/skateandannoy.com\/features\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skateandannoy.com\/features\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skateandannoy.com\/features\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2339"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/skateandannoy.com\/features\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2339\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6485,"href":"https:\/\/skateandannoy.com\/features\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2339\/revisions\/6485"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/skateandannoy.com\/features\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skateandannoy.com\/features\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skateandannoy.com\/features\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}