Four FOOLPROOF Ways to Become a Sponsored Scooter Rider (Number 4 will SHOCK you!)

Also a mainstay of being a pro rider: sitting around.

So we all know there's no point in scootering unless you're sponsored. Sponsored riders live a glamorous, exciting lifestyle, full of free scooter parts, discount codes, the occasional riding trip and struggling to pay rent. Now, you may think that reaching that highest echelon of riding is near impossible, but today I am going to give you the keys to becoming sponsored (it’s easier than you think!).






Ride with the Pros
To be the best, you gotta beat the best. Hit your favorite riders up and tell them to come to your out of the way, middle of nowhere local. When they do show up, see what tricks they’re working on. Try landing it before them! Bonus points for a one up; the TM will see you and know you deserve to be on the team. Don’t forget to keep up with the Instagram game, uploading all the latest tricks with no original input from yourself. Which leads into the next tip...

Have Fire Instagram Clips
Instagram is the best way to get noticed these days. It used to be you got sponsored by working for months to make a compilation of your best tricks across a variety of parks and street spots. Today, all you have to do is hand your homie your phone and get a few bangers at the local, maybe with a hype, overblown rap song on top of it. If you accidentally film a clip on a real camera, simply record the clip off the LCD, straight to your phone. Don’t forget to tag your favorite riders/team managers in your clips so they can see how good you are!

Observe Alec (left) Instagramming to get his rep up, while Charlie (middle) and Jack (right, sponsored) discuss how much they can sell their used parts for to the 10 year olds at the local.

Slide into the DM's
You can skip the whole filming an Instagram clip thing by going straight to the source- DM’ing your favorite company with reasons why you should be “sponcered.” List out where you live, what your setup is, and all the tricks you can do. What they really love is when it’s a DM to multiple companies- that really personalizes it for the brands to let them know how special you think they are.

No English? No problem!

Work Hard and Ride for Fun
This technique first involves forgetting about being sponsored. All you have to do is focus on having fun scootering, and pushing yourself to progress your tricks and style. By riding for yourself, your own style will shine through, setting yourself apart from the rest. Show the dedication you have to scootering by filming full parts, and being a contributing member of the community. Brands will then take notice and may decide to get you involved in their sponsorship programs.

Street Jam Shred-iquette

Street Jam Season is now upon us as summer gears into full force. These warm months mark the time where our community comes together to hang out, shred, and make a few memories in various cities across the country. With so many street jams happening the past couple years, I thought it might be prudent to put together a list of the Do’s and Don’ts of a Street Jam. So read on to find out how to make the most out of your street jam trips.

Do: Come prepared.

Don’t: Come overprepared.

If this year is going to be your first time at a street jam, there are a few things you’ll need to keep in mind to be prepared. First, you’ll want to be sure you know how exactly you’re getting to the meetup spot of the jam- because the group waits for no one. Last thing you want is to miss half the jam because you didn’t make it to your train on time! Next, you’ll want to be ready to be pushing a lot- so pack light. It’s a good idea to bring a bag, but don’t stuff it full of spare parts/tools unless you really need em. Don’t forget water!

Do: Document as much as you want.

Don’t: Forget to have a good time!

It’s a given that you’ll be wanting to Instagram and Snapchat your favorite moments from the day- the insane rail trick that your favorite pro landed, the gap you pushed yourself to hit for the first time, or when your homie ate it going over a crack in the road. But 1. Don’t forget to live in the moment and experience things firsthand, not through a lens! And 2. Try not to get in the way of the “official” photographers and videographers. I know at the Chicago Jam there will be paid filmers and photographers capturing the event, so be careful not to get in their shot! It’s a stressful job documenting a street jam, and the video/pictures will end up even better if they don’t need to worry about finding an angle without a bunch of kids’ phones in the way.

Do: Shred hard!

Don’t: Be a snake.

It can be intimidating to hit spots during a street jam, especially at the bigger ones. A competitive environment can develop, and younger/inexperienced riders might be a little shy on hitting their feeble downside whip when pros are doing back noseblunt whips. However, everyone deserves to have a chance to shred, so go for it! But remember to take turns, don’t snake anyone, try not to immediately one up your homie, and be aware of your surroundings.

Do: Take time to appreciate the local culture.

Don’t: Wander too far from the group.

If you’re traveling far for a street jam, you should take some time out to experience what that city is all about. Don’t just eat at McDonald’s, try some of the local cuisine, or catch a glimpse of the local sights. I’d recommend waiting til after the jam is over to do so though, because you don’t want to get separated from the group. Cruising around the city with your crew after the jam is over, finding fresh spots and stacking clips is a must as well.

Looking for a street jam near you? Below are a few of the street jams coming up, let me know if there are more that should be added to the list!

7-9 Boise Street Jam

7-17 Milwaukee Street Jam

7-23 Chicago Street Jam
8-21 San Diego Street Jam

SELLOUT RANKINGS

For reasons explained later in this article, I must inform the readers that this is a satirical article meant to entertain, not to be taken seriously. So don't take this seriously. Or do, it's a free country.

The struggle to maintain one’s integrity through the temptation of soulless exploitation within scootering is very real. The number of ways to make money in this industry without compromising one’s morals is miniscule, if not nonexistent. So, we see certain individuals taking advantage to propel themselves into fame and fortune. Is it really so wrong to capitalize on your passion? Not really, but it’s fun to roast the dudes who do some lame shit. You’re all thinking it, I just wrote it. So without further ado, here’s the top nine Scootering Sellouts.

1. Tanner Fox- The vlogs weren’t that bad, initially. But then after gaining some popularity, the fame started going to his head. That first taste only left him wanting more. He became skilled in the art of clickbaiting, titling his videos in all caps and inserting enticing thumbnails, while including less and less scootering and more and more dicking around. Now he uploads videos every other day, in order to appease the three quarters of a million subscribers he has, because if he doesn’t, his empire will fall.
2. Funk Bros- Just how many teams have these guys been on? They’ve been on more teams combined than world’s firsts they’ve landed. Why is this? The answer starts with the letter M and rhymes with “honey”. And now hiring a dude to tell them the best ways to make money from scootering? Maybe you should train a little harder and you’ll be getting them first place checks, Capron. And I’m not even getting into their webisodes.
3. Dakota Shuetz- Where to begin? Starting with being Fuzion’s ex-poster boy, Kota threw his own metaphorical (because ginger) soul in the trash when he canned that old two wheeled scooter.  Look back to just a couple years ago when the kid was on Lucky- he had a whole signature scooter coming out, like the entire line was being produced, then decided to dip on them because he wasn’t getting paid enough for it. Or something like that, it's hard to say with his tyrannical father pulling the strings behind the scenes.
4. Jon Reyes JRIZZY- Remember Proto Catalyst Jon Reyes?  That was the best Jon Reyes. Jon, along with Dan Barrett, originally sold out to Phoenix back in 2011.While Dan has done great things with Phoenix, what did we see from Jon? Four flatland edits. He later followed the money to Envy, where he gets paid to film flatland clips every day. Oh, and lets not forget when he was sponsored by one of those fraudulent “magic” balance wristband companies.
5. Everyone who dances on ledges like it’s actually impressive- doing a million tiny grinds/nose “manuals”/bars/whips/180s on a ledge is NOT hard. Especially when you throw 4 pegs on. You know why these people choose to ride this way? Because it’s super impressive to every little scooter kid who thinks more tricks = better. Thus, you get more views, and your sponsors respond accordingly.  It’s sad really- there’s no incentive to be creative, instead doing the same cookie cutter ledge combos is rewarded.
6. Jordan Jasa- The Comissioner has staunchly supported rider owned companies since he made the move from Blunt/Envy to Tilt. So what puts him on this list, you ask? The guy has made money through advertising on Inside from pretty much all the major companies, including those evil bloodsucking corporation types, for years. It’s pretty obvious that his journalistic integrity has been compromised in order to appease the hand that feeds. Also, the dude is on Tilt and can't hit handrails, whats up with that? He sucks.
7. Evan Yamada/James Gee/Blake Bailor- it pains me to add these guys but let’s be honest. Lucky adding Kota to their team was the final straw for these old street veterans. They didn’t want to be on a company so geared towards children anymore, so they called it quits. Then, after realizing there was nowhere else to go, they crawled back to continue leaching off a brand who couldn’t care less about supporting the core scene.  There was also this.
8. Terry Price- #YOLOWARRIOR. Nuff said.
9. Josh Toy- I’ll be the first to tell you, Josh is a legend in scootering. First to do tons of tricks, one of the first people to place emphasis on and develop a real individual style, got countless people into scootering through the RVM series and his early Youtube edits. But its 2016 now. It’s been at least five years since he’s been relevant, but his Instagram bio lists nine, count em, nine sponsors. When was the last time you saw Josh Toy footy you were hyped on? Ever since he dropped Razor, he’s been milking it. Sad to say, but that’s the truth.

There it is, folks. What do you think of this list? Agree, disagree, have more to add? Drop a comment down below and let us hear it. If you enjoyed this content, please do us a favor and share it on FB, or your social network of choice. Thanks!

TOP TRENDS 2015

2015, for myself at least, went by in a flash.  A lot of big things happened, starting with another great competition at SD, numerous street jams, a ton of amazing videos, and overall growth of the sport. Take a look back at the trends that made the year 2015 stand out from the rest:

1. The 2015 “Street” Uniform:

-Hightop Converse

-Dickies (slim straights, cuffed)

-Dad hat

-Coach jacket

-Polo shirt

Not too long ago this instead used to comprise of Janoskis and five panels.  Instead, another Nike owned brand, Converse, took the scoot scene by storm, with riders everywhere lacing up a pair of hightops.  Dad hats have been in vogue as well- spurred in part by Sky High’s limited release of a few different dad hats, and by secondhand shoppers everywhere. Or maybe it was an attempt to pull off the “dad bod” everyone was talking about like eight months ago. Clothing trends do stay for quite a while so I’m sure we’ll be seeing plenty of dad-fashion continuing into 2016.

2. The Sex Change

Probably my least favorite trend of 2015 has been the on purpose sex change.  Into grinds, out of grinds, in spins, kids everywhere do them as if it adds any real value to a trick.  These Caitlyn Jenners, as I call them, require little to no skill.  It’s fine if you think they’re fun to do, but don’t act like a boardslide to sexchange out is any cooler than a plain boardslide.  It’s a gimmick, and will surely die out.  I have to admit though, Brian Chavez’s half cab sexchange to switch front board was an amazing use of a sexchange. Will it continue on in the new year? I’d say it’ll mostly die out, but keep living on through at least a few people.

3. The Feebzer

Nathan Flemongo ia Root Industries

Already the topic of many discussions were “feebzer/hanger/feeble” and their smith counterparts.  Tying into the “zeach” as well, the merit and actual existence of these tricks were debated widely over Instagram and Facebook.  Regardless of what you call em, it seems these are here to stay.  Lets hope the conversations about them are over, now that we semi-officially have proper names for them.

4. The Full Whip

this trick wood b kooler if I tagged sum real pros #skyhighscooters #forefrontsupply

A video posted by Lanky Lenny (@jimmynachtigal) on Oct 12, 2015 at 2:22pm PDT

Yet another trick with a big year is the full whip.  Full whips have been utilized by a few riders for years, but it wasn’t until the past couple years that the average rider started throwing them.  We’ve seen them thrown into feebles, 50s, out of grinds, manuals, in spins, in flat combos, switch...it even has its own hashtag, #fullwhipfam. Don’t expect to see these lose popularity anytime soon, they’ve definitely become a bread and butter trick.

5. Rider Owned Companies

A big growth in rider owned companies also highlighted this past year- out of the UK, companies like Elite and Revolution made waves on Instagram, especially after arriving in the US due to another new rider owned company, a distribution called Forefront Supply. Established rider owned companies like TSI, Proto, and Tilt had huge years as well- TSI moving into a new shop, releasing the Paramount, generally being the street deck of choice, Proto with the Intermission video dropping, as well as finally putting out the Orion deck, and of course Tilt with Tilt2 and all the new parts they produced.  Affinity has grown by leaps and bounds as well, producing one of the best T-bars right here in the USA.  Have to mention Hellagrip too, easily the most-ridden griptape out there. I'm definitely missing some here, but make no mistake, these companies will continue to flourish in 2016.

6. Rise of Crews/Crew Videos

@fatcatsruleall dropped a dope full length "DC Diaries" this weekend. Scope it on Inside now. #FatCatCrew

A video posted by Inside Scooters (@insidescoot) on Sep 9, 2015 at 2:05pm PDT

So while we saw big videos from manufacturers, crews/crew videos made a splash this year too.  “Whats Hillary Duff Doing?”, the DC Diaries, Cuff Crew, Michigangg, Chi Guys, who could forget Friendly’s LUX finally being released, the list goes on, but it’s been awesome seeing riders come together to produce content without the backing of a real company.  These are the core dudes doing it for the love of riding, so I hope this trend only continues into the new year.

7. Webisodes

Thumbnail Via Capron and Corey Funk's Youtube

A few scooter riders started making webisodes this year.  In a time where riders have more followers than their own sponsors, it’s been becoming less important to make actual edits and instead project a lifestyle out there that the scooter market (young kids) can relate to. Lucky’s Tanner Fox has found huge success with his webisodes, currently sitting at over 200k subscribers to his Youtube. These webisodes document the day to day life of scooter riders- from chilling around at home, riding hoverboards, going to the park, and generally just dicking around. The kids love it. This is so far fairly contained to SoCal riders, but as more realize the importance of connecting with their audience in a way that plain riding videos can’t achieve, We've already seen Jake Hershey take a more mature approach via his "Mondaze" series, so I’m sure we’ll be seeing plenty more webisodes in 2016.

8. Overall Progression

Decided to mix it up tonight with a Cashroll Tailwhip! #nitrocircus #utah #scooter #fun #mixingitup #cashroll #tailwhip #1showleft

A video posted by Ryan Williams (@rwillyofficial) on Nov 20, 2015 at 10:06pm PST

The best trend, however, has to be the continued progression of scootering in general.  People are doing pegless tricks like nothing, and pushing what can be done on various obstacles.  One of the coolest spots people have hit this year are wall-rails.  These are perfect for inside 50s, and 2015 has seen a lot of crazy wall-rail variations.  On the park side of things, you got dudes throwing 540 double flairs and insane tricks over the mega (shoutout to Rwilly).  It’s getting so hard to keep up, with people dropping bangers on Instagram like it’s nothing (“chill clips”). This is another trend I’m sure will keep going!

Honorable mentions: 5050 grinds, loose scooters, foot fenders, bs half cab manual fs 180, using Hollowsquad/Xavier Wulf/Bones in videos, charging 500 bucks to make an edit, and talking shit on the internet.

Just What Is This Trick?

The name of this trick is still unconfirmed, but whatever it is, @nathanflemongo is damn good at them. 📷@reganthompson23 #rootindustries #scooters #scootering #scoot #scooter #hanger #feebzer #smith #churchburner

A photo posted by Root Industries (@rootindustries) on Sep 22, 2015 at 2:41am PDT

Can we just lay this to rest now?  There’s a trick that’s been trending for the past year that nobody really seems to agree what to call.  The trick, mostly done on rails, is similar to a boardslide or lipslide, with the balance point being towards the back of the deck, by the back wheel, as opposed to the middle of the deck.  In skateboarding, the closest translation would be feeble/smith, as the back truck is locked in and the rest of the board hangs over.  But this is an issue because feebles/smiths are already a trick possible on rails-if you’re grinding on your back peg/dropout, and your front wheel is on the rail, the BMX world considers it a feeble.  So by what precedent should we name this trick?

@tomkvilhaug doing a...whatever you wanna call it. #railfeeble #feebzer #shittyboardslide

A video posted by thesatori (@thesatori) on Oct 6, 2015 at 1:50pm PDT

There are a handful of names that people are calling them, depending on the area.  Feebzer is one I’ve heard, the origins of which I’m not familiar.  Another is churchburner, which I believe Elliot Arnold came up with.  Hanger is one as well, but then we already have toothhangers.  Is it a zeach?  Countless instagram comments might lead one to think that. But IMO a well done “feeble” is way different than a zeach.  East coast head John Cottle had this to say- “If you hang on with the back peg churchburner, no peg feeble. But I still call it a feeble if it’s a good one either way.” Ledge/rail tech wiz Luis Oppel said he calls it a feeble, because ""I just think if you do it right it looks like a feeble on a skateboard."

Maybe one day the gods of scootering will convene to officially name this trick, but until then, the debate will live on.  What do you think it should be?  Drop a comment, vote in the poll, let us know what you think.

The Crew Video Comeback

When it was just Razor and Micro in the scooter industry, the only videos that existed apart from solo minivideos were crew videos.  It was practically a miracle when a group of riders would live close enough together to progress and make something worthwhile.  But as luck would have it, several areas across the US would develop scenes large enough to result in legitimate crews- The Philly Crew, Scooter Insanity, The Baboons, DXG, NBS, RAD, and so on.

Right as the industry slowly began to take off, lots of crews were popping up and making full length videos.  You had the 951 team, Nukk Scooters, and the OG TPC guys were at their height. But as time went on and the industry began to expand, the crews who were making videos got sponsored.  Nukk became Lucky, 951 turned into ScooterZone, and many others ended up like TPC- half the guys did become sponsored, and others simply faded away.   

The sport did a complete switch- the majority of videos coming out were to promote a scooter company, rather than just because people were doing it for the love of it.  Seeing “Welcome to [insert company] made the whole thing just feel like a cookie cutter “This is what I’m supposed to do” move.  Not only that, but you wouldn’t really see many full-lengths in general because members of that crew were filming for other purposes- their sponsors.  So they simply wouldn’t have footage to use in a crew video.  

So now, at nearly 3 AM, having just rewatched Sam Thomas’s inspired, gem of a part in the Fat Cat Crew’s DC Diaries, I psyched.  To me, full-length videos are the highest level of scooter related achievement.  Not only are they the most rewarding projects a rider can work on, it’s the best way to watch scootering (anyone who has attended a Tilt premiere will agree).  DC Diaries was preceded by What’s Hilary Duff Doing? a video by a bunch of riders from Imnotsurewhere, Pennsylvania (spoiler:  you don’t find out what Hilary’s up to).  This video features a bunch of riders who do seriously have amazing talent- but sadly their production value is severely lacking. But what they’re missing in production value is made up in heart and soul.  These are dudes who aren’t doing it for a sponsor.  They’re not getting money for the footage, there’s no coupon codes to push or clip quotas.  They fall, they bleed, they rip their clothes, they spend exorbitant amounts of money on gas and fast food.  All to experience the feeling of traveling somewhere new with their friends, challenging themselves in both a mental and physical capacity, risking the possibility of injury, and the ever-fleeting, insatiable high of landing scooter tricks- and of course, documenting it in audiovisual form.  Their fisheye is scratched and has shit all over it, steadyshot is on, but who cares, they’re filming scootering because it’s damn fun.  

The FatCat Crew and the WHDD? guys aren’t the only crews working on videos.  The Bay Area Concrete crew is currently filming a video in full HD- contrasting the raw, SD style of the East Coast with some of the best filming in scootering.  Peachy is also working on a follow-up to Honey and Jenkem called Flaccid Flop.  And let’s not forget probably the most anticipated crew video ever, Friendly’s LUX, dropped earlier this year.  It really is an exciting time in scootering- scooter riders are growing up, becoming more dedicated and serious with how they present scootering.  The riders in these crews will be the stars of teams for companies that don’t even exist yet.  They will be the trendsetters of the future, and in some cases they already are.  They are the crews of scootering today, and they are the heart of our culture.

___________________________________

Check out Sam Thomas' DC Diaries part below:

A Weekend with Madd

Madd Gear is a household name in the sport of Scootering. Whether you are an OG or brand new in the sport, you most likely know about Madd. They have had some of the best riders in the world ride for them, and currently still have some of the top guys and girls in the sport representing them. They’re sold all over the world, go on numerous tours across the globe, and set the standard when it came to complete scooters out of the box. However, even after all of that, they find themselves lacking the respect they should be getting. For what reasons, I don’t know. Is it because they have money? Because they can do what your company can’t? Because their riders ride park? Maybe all of the above. Recently Madd Gear invited me out to Las Vegas for their 2014 Product Launch. Below is my experience during this past weekend.

 

When I first got the invite from Madd Gear, I was thinking, regardless of how the product launch is, at least my family and I will have a good time. We made the drive out to Vegas, and I settled into the hotel room that MGP got for us, a damn nice room I must say. I woke up Saturday morning to head down to the meeting room where the product launch/meeting would be taking place. I have to admit I expected to sit there and quietly mock the people behind MGP as they stood in front of the other shop owners and invited guests and babbled on about their new scooters which they probably in fact knew nothing about, except for what was on their flash cards that they had rehearsed before. Some of the MGP Team was there, and Twan was there snapping shots the entire time. Along with a gang of other shop owners, including the owners from Inward Scooters, Barking Spyder, The Vault, and Scooter Zone, and plenty of other people as well. It was a full house. After meeting some of the guys I have worked with from MGP, I settled in towards the back as the meeting was about to begin. I had no idea that by the end of the day my opinion on a company I thought I had all figured out would be significantly different.

 

Now I’ll be honest, my problem with Madd Gear was probably the same as a lot of you. Only I’ll actually admit it. I was in a way, envious. They seemed to have endless resources, and flew their riders all over the world. Who wouldn’t want that? I’ll also admit I never touched their scooters. I just wasn’t down for the look of them. Graphics all over the place, the deck design, etc. It all turned me off, and I know it kept a lot of other older riders from ever riding them. My problem was never about the whole “They’re too corporate” or not rider owned or whatever. I guess some people still have a problem accepting the fact that the sport is bigger than them and their street crew, and is in fact fueled by kids, not by themselves.

 

I learned a lot about the company, it’s roots, and the owner and founder Mike Horne was present and it was great to hear from him as well. I started realizing more and more as these people spoke that they weren’t these corporate robots focused on one thing and one thing only, Money, but in fact had a passion for what they did for the company, and that was pretty eye opening. They truly wanted to help each and every business owner in there, and do whatever they could to make things easier for them and their businesses. Not to mention always being focused on helping kids get into the sport through demos and shows. R Willy, and James Foster stopped by the meeting for a bit as well, and we got to check out Ryan’s signature Gold MFX deck, which unfortunately won’t be available to the public. Madd actually auctioned one of the decks off at the meeting, and the proceeds went to a charity of the buyers choice. Ryan also signed the deck. The winner was someone from NY, owner of  a shop I never heard of. But I thought that was pretty cool. Eventually it was time to actually hear about the new VX4 Line. The new scooters are the VX4 Pro, VX4 Team, VX4 Nitro, VX4 Extreme, and the MFX 4.8 Deck. One thing to note about all of these, is that they ALL have flat sides and flat bottoms. I was under the impression at first that only the MFX deck would have flat sides and flat bottom. But it looks like they are doing it with all of their new scooters, a smart choice on their part.

Starting us off was the VX4 Pro. The VX4 Pro is their complete scooter aimed at the younger market. One of the things I liked about this is that all of those graphics you see all over the deck and bars are completely optional. (See below) As they come in a sticker pack, and you are free to design your scooter as you see fit. Kids will definitely dig that. Another thing to note about the VX4 Pro, and all of the other scooters I mention, is that all the forks are now threadless, and use HIC compression with an FSA threadless headset.

Next up was the VX4 Team. Again, with the flat sided and integrated deck. Along with some other cool features as well. Wasn’t sure if it needed the graphics all over the bars, but it’s all good. They also have their new TPR grips on here, which were pretty comfortable and feel very similar to ODI’s. The other thing that had my attention was their new Blitz Brake. The Brake is composed of what looks like a black plastic material, and has an internal steel backbone that prevents the material from deteriorating or melting. R Willy has been running this same brake for over 6 months with no issues, I was sold at that. A solid complete scooter, for what will be a killer price.

Moving on to the VX4 Nitro, which might possibly be my favorite of the group. The first thing you’ll notice is probably the two toning they did with the colors of each scooter. I know it’s not for everyone, but some of the color combos look really good together. I was especially feeling the Black/White, Black/Red, and Gray/Black. Deck will be coming in at 4.5 wide, full integrated, TPR grips, new Filth wheels, and the Blitz Brake. There are a lot of colors to choose from, maybe even too many as I have a feeling some of these colors might not sell too well.

The VX4 Extreme is their new top of the line complete, and it’s exactly that. One of the things you’ll notice on the Nitro and Extreme, is that there is no skulls logo that we are so used to seeing on an MGP scooter. Instead you will see their new sleeker, cleaner logo. Madd wants to differentiate the VX4 Pro and VX4 Team, from the VX4 Nitro, and Extreme. The Nitro and Extreme shed themselves of all of the flashy graphics, and instead sport the new logo on the front of the headtube. I was really feeling this decision. The Extreme screams high quality. The chromo bars were an excellent touch, and the new Vicious wheels looked sick. If you need a solid, reliable, complete scooter, this should be it.

Finally, what I had been waiting for… The MFX 4.8 Deck. That’s right, it is 4.8 wide, and it is a beauty. Coming in at 21 long it is going to be a serious contender in the deck game. I mean the main thing to note is that Madd is actually releasing just a DECK for sale. You no longer need to buy a full on complete scooter just to get an MGP deck. Another thing I was stoked on was the 84 degree headtube, I was always hoping to see more companies use 84 degree headtubes, so this was a plus. The colors look great, and the deck is going to come in at 3.28lbs. I can already say right now, I will be getting one of these decks, and seeing exactly how it rides. But then again, when you’re sending it off the Megaramp night after night for Nitro Circus, and it’s still holding up fine? I’m guessing it will be good, haha.

 

After the meeting, I continued to speak more in depth with some of the people behind Madd Gear. I even admitted to them that I had serious doubts about the whole meeting, and the company as a whole. But I also told them that that had changed. We ended the night in the VIP section at Nitro Circus watching R Willy, James Foster, and the rest of the Nitro Circus athletes throw down. It was a good weekend for sure, and I look forward to the official release of the VX4 line. I know that some people are always gonna hate on other companies, the funny thing is it is usually the same riders who say, “Just ride your scooter, who cares what other companies or what other riders say”. I think some people need to take their own advice. Just ride. Don’t support a company? Then don’t. Want to support a company? Then do it, and don’t let other people’s opinion sway you in any direction. MGP deserves respect, and so do the riders that ride for them, and from here on out, they definitely have mine.

2013 Scooter Trends

Another year has come and gone.  Scooters have continued to progress in multiple ways, from Ryan Williams pushing the limits on the Nitro Circus, to new, innovative products being designed, to more and more riders taking filming seriously.  As in any other year, certain trends have emerged from the wildly diverse scooter world.  Some may pass into 2014, others may not.  This is a short list of a few of the trends I thought were the biggest.  Keep in mind that this isn’t a “best” list, nor a “worst,” just what I found to be popular in scootering over the past year.

-Starting a “Crew”

There have always been different crews of riders in scootering, but most of them were of OG riders who all eventually parted ways, to go on with life or a pro career.  I think the first crew to really set off the new generation was Friendly.  These guys were affiliated only by friendship, rather than because they were sponsored by the same company.   The pictures and videos they’ve dropped show how fun scootering can be.  2013 saw full lengths and other montages by more crews than I could name.  Do I think it’s necessary for a group of friends to call themselves some fruity name?  No.  But do I back the time and effort they put into making videos?  You bet.  Peachy, Concrete, Trend, Basic, Venture, Kooky, Funky…the list goes on.  So while the number of scooter crews got bigger, so did something else…

-Big Scooters.

There was a time when having tall bars made you wack.  In 2013, if your bars were less than sack height, you might be considered the odd man out.  The bar height trend is directly related to deck size too.  Demand for bigger, more comfortable decks increased, and to compensate, bar height was raised.  There are still plenty of shorter decks for the younger, smaller guys out there, but with the advent of decks like the 22 inch Threshold, more and more riders are opting to upgrade their size.  And why wouldn’t you?  Girls love a big deck. 

-Handrail Hucking.

Over the years, there’s only been a handful of riders willing to toss themselves down gnarly rails.  But over the past year, we’ve seen tons of younger riders on the come up, looking to prove themselves.  The result?  Thrashing unlike what we’ve ever seen before.  It was just a matter of time before we started to ride handrails on a more regular basis, but the progression we’ve seen over the past year is remarkable.  Who would have thought that Zack Martin, a relative unknown until 8 months ago, would be backlipping Rincon?  We all know Jessee Ikedah is on another level, but his peg abilities down rails are unrivaled.  And let’s not forget Mr. Backlip himself, Tyler Bradley.  Anyone can wildly huck themselves, but when you watch T-Brad ride, he makes it look so easy and natural.  I could keep going.

-S4S

This is one of the more annoying trends I’ve seen.  Instagram is my favorite social network.  It’s extremely popular among scooter kids, and mostly everyone under the age of 30.  It allows you to share your pictures, short video clips, and connect with those of similar interests.  Many riders instead choose to use it as a popularity contest.  Giving shoutouts in return for shoutouts to gain followers…it wouldn’t be so bad if it was only once or twice, but there are riders perpetually doing this.  This type of thing has been going on for years (remember the sub4sub comments on Youtube?), but that doesn’t make it any less wack.  Ya’ll be thirsty.

-“Trippy” Editing

You all remember the film burn.  Popularized by the likes of Nickeh, it was imitated by a legion of aspiring filmers and editors across the world.  This year the cool thing to do was adding in trippy visuals with a psychedelic song.  Nobody did it quite like clothing company Satori did.  Of course, you can say they just copied skateboarding’s Pyramid Country/Palace, but they were the first to really do it successfully in scooters.  There was also another kind of “trippy” that swept across the scooter world.  Juicy J’s army of codeine fueled riders produced more videos than I could count.  This wasn’t the only trend in video editing either…

-Old Movie B-Roll

To add onto this, we also saw a lot of videos with footage from old movies as b-roll.  This originally seemed like a cool idea- Tyler Wheeland’s Nimbus fork edit featured pictures from WWII because Tyler has always been interested in wars.  And McKeen’s Addict So What part had a lot of footage from old b-list horror movies, and it felt like it fit the vibe of the part.  I’m not sure if the same could be said for a lot of the videos of 2013.  It’s different when you’re bombarded with images that you have no idea what their relevance is to the rider.  But kudos for trying. 

-Fashion

I wasn’t going to include this one after discussing the topic so thoroughly in my last article, but there were some aspects I didn’t include.  A lot of guys, myself included, have been into dressing nicely over the past year.  I do it because I think it’s good to look good, others because they are so “into fashion”.  White button ups, dress pants, parted hair, it’s all a part of the look.  Some have even gone so far as to start tucking in their shirt. The fashion trend seems to have kept mostly in the circle of OG “street elitists” but I wouldn’t be surprised to see it more widespread over the next year.  Insert Dylan Rieder comment here.

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So there you have it, a list of what stuck out to me as the biggest scooter trends of 2013.  Honorable mentions include:  The myth of the Tilt wheels, crewnecks, standard definition, Miley Cyrus, hurricane fullcabs, drinking, motorcycles, and kickless rewinds.   Agree?  Drop a comment and let me know.  Disagree?  Drop a comment so I can delete it.   

The Five Scooter Riders You'll See at the Park

At every park fortunate (unfortunate?) enough to have a population of scooter riders, there are some standard style riders that can be found at any one time.  Chances are you fall under one of the below categories, and if you don’t, you’re lying to yourself.  Most riders will go through each “stage” at some point in their life, so if you have a large population of the groms, don’t be too bummed; with a little guidance from you, they’ll learn what’s up.  Note that these classifications are not all-encompassing and that this article is for entertainment purposes only.  Kthx.

1.  The Scooter Kid.  This small, two to ten year old child is the reason why scooters are hated on, plain and simple.  They ride stock Razor A model scooters, or perhaps a Barbie or Spiderman model.  Their parents don’t seem to understand that the skatepark is NOT a daycare.  They let their little tyke run around on the ramps, go back and forth, getting in your way every single time you’re about to drop in.  They are the reason that people think scooters are for kids, not for shreddin.  Hot mom optional.

2.  The Park Rat.  This is the first real stage in the path to becoming a mature scooter rider.  Thanks to Dad’s credit card, this rider has a complete, color coordinated MGP, District, or Envy setup.  They know some things about park etiquette and the sport in general, but will still chill with their frontwheel over the coping, doing barspins.  They’ll ask you a million questions (“Can you backflip?  Are you sponsored?  What kind of scooter is that?”) and generally be annoying.  The thing is, the parents of these kids are the ones that make up most of the industry’s paying customers- so if you want your favorite company to keep running, or your favorite rider to keep traveling and coming out with videos, you gotta play nice and teach these guys what’s up.  They are the future.

3.  The Park Shark.  This is an advanced form of the Park Rat, borne from the stinky recesses of the foam pit.  Front bris and kicklesses at the ready, the Park Shark also comes equipped with a helmet/kneepads/elbowpads.  He spends all day getting his tricks perfected on the flyout, one-upping his fellow riders, and may consider the Tilt team to be pretty much a flat team.  He probably cannot doublewhip flat, but he can buttercup air.  Sometimes riders can get stuck in this cocky stage until well into their pro careers (What rhymes with soda, for 100 please). 

4.  The Street Elitist.  Every Street Elitist is issued a standard uniform, given when their first hurricane full cab is landed:  Janoskis, Huf weed socks, cuffed pants (usually chinos), a collared, button-up shirt with some kind of floral design, and a five panel hat (extra street cred for Supreme).   These guys will usually be riding the flat box or rail, scoffing at the younger kids and their briflips (and secretly trying them when no one’s looking).  It is also required that they use Tame Impala in their videos.  For them, rider-owned companies > all, and nothing is worse than the blood-sucking corporate entities taking advantage of the growing scooter industry.

Another form of this rider is something I like to call the Parachutist.  These riders wear XXXL sized shirts/sweatshirts, ride a lot of street type obstacles, but you hardly ever see them riding actual street.  Their riding can be compared to tap-dancing, in more ways than one.  Juicy J is the soundtrack to their life.

See also: SwagFag.

5.  The OG.  This dude has it all figured out.  It doesn’t matter what clothes he wears, he isn’t trying to impress anyone.  He might like riding transition, or ledges, or everything.  He doesn’t identify himself as a street or park rider, but simply as a scooter rider.  He likes to support certain brands but doesn’t mind the kids repping other brands, because they’re all a piece of the puzzle.  Indeed, it’s hard to make a joke about this guy.  Maybe he should quit riding, go to college, get a real job, and start skating, because scootering is for kids.

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