Skateboarding as a culture has had many developments since the 1990s. Some people had to travel far for a place to skate; others had to get creative and find unique places. Now skate parks are everywhere: down the street, next to your house; it’s no longer a 30-minute walk. Some people have been here since that time, but what do they think of the newer scene? What has changed?
The culture of skateboarding is more than just riding a board and doing tricks off a huge ramp; you need to dress and buy the right tools and parts for your style of riding. However, being a part of the sport means spending money. Depending on what you buy, three simple items can cost over $100. Has it always been like that? How have the prices changed from the boards themselves? What about the quality and the technology?
43-year-old Long Beach and East Coast skateboarder Ki Realer has strong feelings about the increased costs for the sport.
“The boards are now 75 bucks, as opposed to 55 which is insane,” Realer said.
Santa Ana skateboarder Mauro Gonzalez shares similar opinions with the price changes.
“It used to be 45 and it would come with the griptape,” Gonzalez said. “The grip tape is like a whole new thing.”
Skaters need to buy all these things to keep them moving, and skating can make the rider feel like the king of the world. However, challenges still appear, and sometimes it can be too much for the skater, leading to taking a break, or quitting all together. Realer, who has experience, shares his feelings on this topic.
“A lot of times, like today, I was so sore,” Realer said. “But when you roll away from a trick you really wanted to do, like a million bucks man.”
Despite becoming a father, feeling weary and having a job outside of skating, Realer continues to skate to this day. He does mention having to take a break, but never giving up.
“Of course, you don’t want to do it. But what keeps me going usually is, I know I can do it,” Realer said.
When it comes to the skaters, you can’t forget that clothing is very important to skateboarders; you can’t skate in just anything. Some stores and companies, such as Zumiez, JNCO and Programme Skate and Sound, specialize in clothes tailored specifically for skateboarders. More than that, have there been any changes in the style? Realer compares his younger self’s style to the newer skater’s style.
“The new skaters look absolutely ridiculous,” Realer said. “But here’s the thing, I looked ridiculous.”
Realer went on to explain that despite the new skaters looking crazy now, it’s how people saw them when Realer was their age, and he’s able to see it more clearly now.
“It’s the same thing I was doing, just different,” Realer said.
It all boils down to the people themselves in the end, how they interact with each other, how they talk, walk, the attitude, a motivated skater can do anything they want. Do new skaters share the mindset, or has that changed, and how do older skaters like Gonzalez feel?
“They’re more hungry, they want it more,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez goes on to explain how the opposite has happened; skaters in 2024 have more motivation, even more than older skaters had. There’s also the attitude, and how new skaters are around others, their inclusion and the different people. Gonzalez also shares his feelings and thoughts on this topic.
“I think it’s gotten stronger,” Gonzalez said. “But in the end, it’s the community thing.”
However, every community has its bad apples, the know-it-alls, and for skateboarding that’s the people who will judge every movement you do. They try to make anything and everything they do their own. How often do those kind of people show up? Skaters like Gonzalez have their own opinions on this topic.
“There’s always people that like, regulate those people,” Gonzalez said. “This isn’t something to be messed with in a negative way.”
From the accessibility of a park to the costs of gear and the people themselves, the culture has had a clear change. People like Realer and Gonzalez miss the affordability of their equipment, but realize how despite that, the new skaters haven’t lost their motivation. The excitement and power of newer skates and seeing how despite everything, proves that skaters will overcome any obstacle, on and off the board.
