Social Media Skateboarders

[@bongwizard5256]

4 dudes wearing hats indoors

[@justinbuice]

When I started skating in the early 2000’s, the thing that made professional skateboarders cool to me was the mystique. You’d get to see a video part once every few years and the only glimpse you got of their lifestyle was the occasional magazine interview. You could follow your favorite skateboarder’s career for years and not even know what their voice sounded like. Their skill spoke for itself.

[@sashathegrey]

Yep show don’t tell

[@perc9982]

this honestly applies to so many other things as well. we’re a lot more drawn to people when we create this great image of them in our head, and when we see reality, its just more disapointing/lamer

[@grandmasteraj855]

This is every Tom Penny video or clip I ever have seen. He’s like a mystical creature.

[@justinbuice]

@@grandmasteraj855 that was one who came to mind. Living legend and man of mystery lol

[@swarthybullxxx]

Yeah it's really weird how old vets like Cab responds to randos on IG.

[@vancouvercarpenter]

I know you say skaters don't like phony people but let's be honest, a lot of the phoniest people I've ever met have been skaters😂 Buuuuut..... on the other hand a lot of the best people I've ever met have been skaters so lets just say skateboarding tends to attract some intense personalities.

[@amberruby4896]

Man talking about corny skaters ,, have you ever checked out that Ben Degros guy? what a nerd... PS. Ben you'll always be our number 1 skate dad :) thankyou for all your videos

[@vancouvercarpenter]

@@amberruby4896 😂❤️

[@Chabon209]

What does this carpenter guy know about skateboarding

[@vinnnyy4335]

@@amberruby4896 lmao

[@vancouvercarpenter]

@@Chabon209 Little of this little of that

[@noahh1FTW]

George Polous skates likr his dad allows him to as long as he's back for dinner at 6pm

[@danielpaiva5362]

Toxic positivity is the perfect definition of what's wrong with that side of skating.

[@therealwewin]

Those same toxic positive people are the ones instigating and causing problems. *cough nine club *cough *cough

[@kevinwolff8539]

100%

[@vgrepairs]

@@therealwewin dude if only the nine club was real af like Prison Talk with Big Herc lol

[@jeff61177]

There's constructive criticism and there's being an A hole. Toxic positivity? What's wrong with skating just to have fun? That is the most toxic thing I've ever heard of. Its hilarious watching the guys in the corner spend their day talking shit about other people at the park. But I guess you do you.

[@vgrepairs]

@@jeff61177 if people only talk about the good parts you miss A LOT of valuable information.

[@DNGx3]

9:43 “Skateboarding requires you to earn your stripes. And the people who end up down the line are the people who really like it. So what you end up with is people who are really passionate about what they do.” I’m using this in a paper, bro. Thank you. Yes, you’ll be cited

[@Snudge]

🗣🗣

[@MashaRistova]

Plan B sucks bad bro

[@killpop2611]

Now he can actually make a video where he got roasted

[@JeffIsRad]

Thank you! I swear, as an older dude, I found myself going, “Wait… Do kids these days not know what it means to roast someone?” Ha!

[@localjoe]

Man Joa's brain operates on a level of clarity I'll never have... the way you explain every opinion to the smalles detail is impressive regardless if someone agrees or not

[@nathanclark9722]

yo I just watched one of your videos lol

[@localjoe]

@@nathanclark9722 haha how was it?

[@nathanclark9722]

@@localjoe great, love your vids. You’re getting really good and it’s pretty motivating honestly

[@Lionelmachtvideos]

Even tho im an aggressive rollerblader, ur videos motivate me to go train hard more consistently✊🏽

[@18JR78]

That Heelflip manual tho

[@nicofromtheweb4891]

Georges Poilos has that "disable dislike button" mentality

[@memorysometimers3067]

Yes exactly. I enjoy some of the skateboard channels but there is NOT 1 KZbin skater that is up to par with an actual am/pro skaters. To compare Dying To Live and Baker3 to any KZbin skating is absolutely disgusting. I do enjoy Gifted tho! 🤙👍

[@nicofromtheweb4891]

@@memorysometimers3067 Tated Gifter is cool *yes*

[@aaronleghissa]

Hahaha

[@vancouvercarpenter]

It's all you bro. You took their job!!!!! 🤣🙌

[@StandbyCymbalist]

naw, I still watch you also.

[@vancouvercarpenter]

@@StandbyCymbalist :)

[@Azthxny]

@@vancouvercarpenter u are the goat

[@vancouvercarpenter]

@@Azthxny You're too kind. But thank you🙏

[@louismcg7601]

@@vancouvercarpenter you are the best

[@victor.skater]

The only skateboard youtube content that matters: Ben Degros and the almight Rad Rat

[@theequasian3823]

Daddies right there

[@therealwewin]

Rad rat good historian.

[@vgrepairs]

you're forgetting the ultimate chad skate debunker "Rat Vision"

[@fernandoreyes680]

@@vgrepairs that mf will upload his next video when my son graduates college 😂

[@smallman9787]

Hell yeah

[@gatorglitchgear3146]

Yesss hes back on the free platform

[@debomb721]

GIFTED HATER FOR THE PROLETARIAT

[@Throawei]

If you want more he’s dumb data too. A little different but similar vibe.

[@Chabon209]

@@Throawei he is dumb data?

[@n-wordheelflips2648]

@@Throawei different guy entirely lol

[@420flip6]

wait does he has only fans?

[@hiddenvoice27]

Chopped up vlogger monologues set to lofi chill beats actually stress me out. It honestly approaches the uncanny valley at times. People like George are turning themselves into social media cyborgs. Seriously, it's so unnatural and almost dehumanizing. The fact that you do very little eliminating of gaps in speech is just another reason why I like your channel so much.

[@kevinfortsch]

Why do you think he ate magic mushrooms to "find himself" aka have a ego death? Because moving to NY to drink expensive coffee and skate skateparks and being a phoney dork for clicks destroyed his soul. George is a culture vulture and a total dork. His parents are probably rich and are definitely paying for his wanna b "NY skater lifestyle" while he tries to "find himself"..

[@tresfordays9644]

I think it comes down to these successful KZbin skaters not having anything real interesting to say, gifted haters video are good and we like to listen to him talk because he talks to and addresses very interesting topics and articulated his opinions well, and you either agree or disagree and it starts a conversation, but on the other hand some people like KZbin skateboarding to watch skateboarding, whether they are watching really good skaters, supporting skaters at the same or worse skill level, it’s kind of an interesting market when you really analyze, I’m personally on both ends of the spectrum, I like John hill because he’s really good and I mainly watch his skating and not the rest of his video, but I like watching the local joe because he’s genuine about his passion (even if he gets real click baity), and I like to watch him progress while I also progress, it’s a weird dynamic

[@zacho7012]

background is clearly a flex of that 7 figure Patreon salary

[@luibond9418]

😂

[@zacho7012]

@@luibond9418 that one light makes it all to obvious

[@Its_angel727]

😂😂😂

[@rubber6591]

George literally started exposing a bunch of spots in DC it’s cool if he Skates them but telling everyone on TikTok negatively affects skaters in the DMV and nothing happens to him cause he’s not from here. the dude is literally ignorant to the community he is part of

[@johnarchuleta]

he does it here in new york too

[@IaMPlaceMatt]

Is that why all I see is skate stoppers in the city now :/

[@ianturnbow7011]

I’m not saying beat his ass. This shit isn’t cool and leads to spots getting shut the fuck down.

[@walmorcarvalho2512]

@@ianturnbow7011 I agree. He doesn't deserve to have his ass kicked but he most definitely deserve to be kicked out of any spot by any skater at the first opportunity

[@crimnvL]

bro im from the dc and he has had no effect on any of the spots, what are u talking about

[@cartrlng]

Gifted hater has the best takes. Dude is basically teaching a master class in skateboard theory. Thank you for all your work.

[@joshshaner3114]

Gatekeeping is pog because it keeps tourists from coming in, changing everything about the culture, and then leaving everything fucked up when they get bored and move on to the next thing. When you are forced to prove you're really about it, it makes it actually have value and longevity. It turns a hobby that's "popular" into a part of who you are that has merit and value, not just a way to make a bag on that KZbinr "grindset". Gatekeeping is the purity test that turns a hobby into something that creates meaning in people's lives and community in a way no KZbinr fandom could.

[@Rayspeace]

Well said

[@nicholasfitzgerald395]

Ok, now apply the same logic to your community, your language group, your ethnocultural group with a shared history and culture etc. Oops, we lost you. You want all these things to be eradicated by endless migration. But you did sum up the argument perfectly

[@joshshaner3114]

@@nicholasfitzgerald395 Having gate keeping in a hobby doesn't mean I want it to exist in every other facet of life. Skating is a subculture, no one is suffering by not being allowed to come and and change a sub culture. Are you that entitled you think everyone has the right to everything? Or do you think every subculture should just be filled with people who don't care at all ruining the integrity of it for everyone else?

[@nicholasfitzgerald395]

@@joshshaner3114 I'm saying you are making a perfect argument against unrestricted immigration. If you believe it for skating then naturally you will believe it for more important things like community, ethno-cultural group, shared native land and history, etc. This is an intelligent opinion to have, and was basically standard for all peoples since the dawn of time. And still is across the world today. Beware tho because if you adopt such a common sense view all of your lefties friends will abandon you and hate you and want to ruin your life. Just for saying a group should be allowed to decide who comes into the group and who doesn't. Amazing time of dishonesty the current year

[@nicholasfitzgerald395]

@@ttt69420 I'm just saying it's right that groups can decide who comes into the group and who doesn't. To protect the thing that they love. The same should go for everyone. But to say this you will be cast out of the skate community (ironically) cos you have opinions that make logical sense.

[@criddyboy124]

The reason I fell in love with skateboarding was because I felt like kind of an outsider in school. Not like the “weird kid” but I just felt like I didn’t have anything in common with a lot of people and in highschool, most of it is “clique” based and I just felt left out. When I found skateboarding, it became something I could enjoy by myself and I was finally in the same position to disinclude people who weren’t on my level. Call me an asshole but I feel like a lot of people identify with this and this is how the whole attitude of skateboarding became a thing.

[@swordfishgameboy4644]

these are the car fax. when i was younger id get clowned for skating and now its "become" this really cool thing to do. best part is there are no free line skips with how good you are. its also fire to be able to make friends in any city solely because of it

[@BenSchillaci]

Yep! At my high school there were 4 other skaters, all older than me and I didn’t even fit in with them too well BUT we would skate the parking lot at lunch and get hassled for giving cars a hard time. Skating was about having fun in the face of banality and people just going with the motions, it still is! I love the feeling of spreading a good time across the city, hopping over sewers while everyone’s bummed out lol

[@newend2116]

so tru man

[@therealwewin]

When skateboarding was a outsider pursuit and it was almost illegal. Loved it

[@hateatchee7508]

Everyone loves to be “different”

[@SkateboardDad]

40min video on George Poulos. Gonna have to cancel date night. Edit: Big fan of George.

[@SRTluvr]

Thanks for the headsup dad

[@Shredxcam22]

Of course a non core youtuber supports another non core skater youtuber.

[@killthesowrd7988]

i know this isnt true because george fans dont talk to women

[@ianturnbow7011]

@@killthesowrd7988 you’re assuming it’s a cisgender man on a binary heterosexual date?! I’m PC, bro. I’ll fuckin’ throw down.

[@killthesowrd7988]

@@ianturnbow7011 corny af bro sound like an uncle

[@claytonmarshall1308]

A good case for what you're saying about making yt videos that aren't corny vlogs are the old MAJER crew videos. They made very popular videos, but I definitely thought they stayed within the "core" community for the most part. Yes, they probably dropped a few "like & subscribe"s but those dudes were gnarly skaters and it didnt feel like they were trying to play the yt game too hard

[@Xgen001]

And ultimately probably why it ended. They just got bored and stopped doing it instead of forcing it and running it into the ground.

[@alexscott6068]

I agree. Nka Nigel was another I can think of. Honestly Nyjah puts out raw core street vlogs. Any more you guys can think of?

[@shoegazer0186]

@@alexscott6068 nyjah is ur example of a core skater??? His nfts, his gaming ads, literally everything about him is far from core. what are u smoking ?

[@jeffreylawton328]

Im turning the corner from 48 to 49 soon....and this kid said EVERYTHING that needed to be said. When I started we were the equivalent of lepers. I've waited years to hear someone put it this way ever since skateboarding started gaining actual popularity. George would have never survived 5 minutes in the world of skateboarding in the 80s and 90s. Gifted Hater you are my favorite new obsession. PLEASE keep this channel going always and PLEASE keep preaching the really real realities.

[@donovanhays]

Who gives a shit if George wouldn't have existed in a time that is already passed? Do you feel validated or vindicated some how over that? I used to get called skater fag and shit at school but I don't need to use that as some sort of gatekeeping metric to measure those who like skating now and are some how "soft" or act like I want a fucking reward over it.

[@jeffreylawton328]

@Burner Account reading comprehension is clearly not your strong suit.

[@-NxFace-]

@John Johnson He’s right though

[@jimmyryder8850]

Facts

[@JavonSteez]

Turning the corner your in the highway bro all love tho 😂

[@joms654]

Using the term "onboarding" in the context of getting people into skateboarding is bone chilling. The perfect example of disingenuous HR/finance bro vocabulary; clunky double-entendre, vampiric recruitment firm mentality *chefs kiss* we got it all with this one

[@ianturnbow7011]

Nice use of vamp. Shoutout to all the Playboi Carti skate editors out there.

[@thestruggle2343]

haha I feel you on this one dude. My job title 'onboarding co-ordinator' is just double speak for 'email shuffler'

[@anhiirr]

i swear giving ppl a free set of used indys does more than anything or shoes nvm offering insights.

[@nicholasmcdonough100]

Gifted hater doesn’t even exist in this reality , he’s 200 years old , born in 3250 , and he’s tapping into the early stages of the metaverse

[@eddyxo2348]

whole ass documentary lets go

[@y2keefus]

Why is Steve Smith from American Dad's live action NFT critique channel talking about skateboarding all of a sudden? I'm so confused.

[@heinousviolence]

Hahahaha

[@jacksonmosserdh]

lmfao this got me

[@da1nonly345]

I’m all for gatekeepers in skateboarding but let’s distinguish between a gatekeeper and an asshole. A gatekeeper is someone who will call out a kid for snaking everyone in the bowl or tells a kid to not push mongo. An asshole makes fun of a kid for learning how to drop in or purposefully gets in front of someone when they’re trying a trick. Be a gatekeeper, not an asshole.

[@nikkibodcrane1]

That’s not a gatekeeper; that’s just a person at the skatepark lol the word has a solid definition. It boils down to prohibiting access, and teaching/informing is not prohibiting access. To me, gatekeeper and asshole are synonymous.

[@da1nonly345]

@@nikkibodcrane1 good point but gatekeepers don’t just say no to everyone. They would filter people through this said “gate”. Allowing some but not all. That’s where I draw the line between the two.

[@Freshomania]

@@nikkibodcrane1 then you dont understand what gatekeeping is

[@marissac870]

Jeff Grosso- " you may own a skateboard and you may "be good" at playing with it. But that alone doesn't make you a Skateboarder!" And if you can't understand that. . Than you just don't understand

[@itsnicetoseeyou]

Rip that great man

[@colin6603]

That doesn’t make sense and is gatekeeping. “You may be good at skating but tou have to be a certain way for me to consider you an actual skateboarder”

[@marissac870]

@@colin6603 @@colin6603 there needs to be some gatekeeping. Get over it. Do you ask the concrete to be nicer when you hit it? If you don't get the quote than you just don't get it. It isn't hard to understand. Skateboarding doesn't need to be tame for you or anyone. " it's good times with homies" " it's individual " " not a sport " " is a sport". It's also pain. it's a gift. It's a curse. As much happiness it brings , it brings strife. Misery and sometimes Laying in bed thinking about a trick every night that to someone else is sick but when you're not happy with it yourself it makes you want to focus your board but you don't cause you love it. Take the board and do whatever with it. It's a toy. I open my arms at the park and help the homies younger than me. And there are real dicks there. Unpleasant people who burn the session with bad vibes. I know that when I skate or go to park. . I'm there to skate. I don't turn my nose up at any one cause we're all on our own journey.

[@bobdobalina839]

Bro skateboarding hasn't been counter-culture since the early 90s

[@rrrooorrr]

There is another aspect of KZbin skaters that has always bugged me and it's how they've grabbed on to the entrepreneur hustle mindset. I remember watching old John Hill videos and he was like always at coffee shops and talking about hustling and doing side gigs to get his money up. George, Andy Schrock, a lot of others are the same way. It's just never felt super relatable or authentic to the skate community. Yeah skaters are all about DIY and making their own shit but it usually doesn't manifest itself in sleek coffee shop, Steve Jobs hard on, always optimistic hustle mindset BS. They feel like they're just making stuff to make stuff, not because there is any purpose to it.

[@memorysometimers3067]

Agreed! KZbin used to be a lot more “down to earth” and now it’s mostly $$ grabbers. Not all, but some. Gifted is kinda gifted with being a combo of core and social media along with a couple other channels.

[@walmorcarvalho2512]

i don't really mind the "entrepreneur hustle mindset" to an extent because i mean, it's every skater's dream to either live off skateboarding or find yourself in a position where you can dedicate more of yourself to skateboard without much compromise. Shit begins when said mindset is used to create something that's close enough to leech and profit but not close enough to take responsabilities.

[@AngelMartinez-nl4mc]

W take

[@xtralnd]

Well there’s two sides to the entrepreneur take. On one side, its fucking whack how they follow the same algorithm as successful youtubers to gain a following. But on the other, as a skater, I know that I’ve never been able to jive with having a mundane full time job. Skaters make the best entrepreneurs. Just don’t be fucking cringe about it.

[@bokloki6057]

I agree. having side hustles is fine, in fact I myself do a lot of other stuff besides skateboarding, but painting it as this perfect sigma male grindset is just fucking stupid and always seemed fake to me. recently unsubbed from a bunch of people such as GP and John Hill

[@garrickslings6113]

Comparing dudes with KZbin vlog Chanels to being the modern Andrew Reynolds is literally insane

[@HonkeyKong54]

George "kook" Poulus after that statement: "I could not agree more"

[@Wesley-oo6kn]

Working at a skate shop, I was able to influence and build up my local skate community in a way more meaningful and direct way than any vlog style skate KZbinr ever could. And I never had to get an electric scooter sponsorship to do it.

[@thepancakemann]

Atta be.

[@Imbwa6012]

lol

[@МихаилъСуворовъ]

and what did you do?

[@andrewfaller7994]

The cariuma "team" came to my local like 6 months back and the vibes felt so off. Tyler Peterson was actually pretty chill guy and so was leandre, but they pretty much took over the skatepark in a tasteless manner. It wasn't even a demo, they were doing they were just there to skate. It definitely confirmed my beliefs in cariuma being fucking stupid.

[@therealwewin]

Robots?

[@marissac870]

That doesn't surprise me. Kooky.

[@Lostforgottenstudios]

positivity is easy to capitalise on, people will forever need reassurance in any way possible and youtubers tend to fill that gap. most people don't like change and especially don't like changing them selfs; so getting validation from a "influencer" is going to make them feel content in their way of being. its easier to tell someone that they're doing good compared to telling someone you're doing bad.

[@liamstallingz6374]

I’m gay

[@bongwatur]

@@liamstallingz6374 you’re doing bad

[@Snowlys]

@@bongwatur lmaooooo

[@matthewkrellwitz8973]

69th like 👍

[@jdiguess8892]

Honestly just want someone to tell me I’m bad so I can get better 😂

[@gokartsRfun]

Bro you cannot leave pre-vlog skate KZbin out of this. Helmet man 9000 Josh Katz, Jeffwonsong, fuckin rich kid Woodward edits, KZbin skating pre-vlog was rich in culture.

[@ObesetoBeast]

This was a great video. I really enjoyed the points you made. I am just getting back into skating (about 9 months now) and I was obviously pretty ignorant to the community when I got back. It’s been helpful hearing your takes on things to help me form a more educated opinion

[@maxliu0092]

yall need to collab

[@bokloki6057]

same here, man Tater rly opens my eyes to an honest perspective and he's like the voice of the more experienced skaters around me, to me he's just saying what they're thinking

[@ryanbamford2425]

Right on, I went from obese to beast by getting back into skating. Lost 80 lbs and in the best shape of my life. However, 3 years into skating again, I'm 30 years old and finding I can't progress like I used to because the injuries just hit different. Still progressing though, won't stop

[@EvanDrinkwater]

@@ryanbamford2425 you’re not alone dude. I didn’t have the weight issue to contend with getting back into skating but the injuries do hit different. Sucks because it’s so much fun skating, plus I’ve been able to do more tricks now than probably 5+ years ago. I’m 36 this year as well, so as much I feel confident when you hit the deck it’s like ah shit that really hurt!

[@cv6531]

@@ryanbamford2425 I can relate to the injuries, not the weight though. Fell off a roof at my last job, changed careers, got health insurance and got a board. It's frustrating when your sessions can only be an hour or so a day before your knee gives out. It's not the destination it's the journey man.

[@jeffli480]

I also think its ridiculous to compare KZbinrs to Reynolds and Jamie Thomas - a big part of the reason these legends have these huge brands is also because they fuckin killed it on a board and their actual skateboarding accomplishments drew people in to want to support their brand. As much as I don't necessarily hate braille and revive, how they got to where they are is through a path that is pretty much the same as KZbinrs who get a lot of followers in any genre outside of skateboarding. They may be equally or more successful financially than the legends, but that in no way means the skateboarding community owes them the same kind of recognition and respect.

[@skatequeue]

no one is better at analyzing speech and conversation than you, the way you describe mikes mindset has me dead

[@Pwki7F]

"you sound like a cartoon character trying to sell me a fcking condo" i died 😂😂

[@skatequeue]

@@Pwki7F lmao so witty

[@hankedwards9777]

I think my entire generation’s trend has been loving Garrett, John, and Braille at 12 and now we’re 18 and watch you roast those dudes.

[@skatermanbuns]

This is me

[@adlermatson]

yeah

[@kyleflan3543]

This is me too, I hated Braille and revive tho cause i had core friends, but I definitely enjoyed Chris Chan and garret. I liked Chris when he first started KZbin cause he was doing something different, what made him popular was trick challenges which no one was really doing back then and I also like garret back then cause he reminded me of myself and was also a really good skater who would always seem to eat shit but wouldn’t stop trying the trick he wanted. He was also doing weird click bait stuff but it was more like skating off my roof on fire instead of like Braille’s gummy worm grip tape shit

[@iamkazaam]

The cycle continues…

[@Pwki7F]

hahahaha

[@reesek1083]

dude I just gotta point something out. I'm wrapping up my degree in Sustainability Studies this May and you quite literally understand and articulate the subject as it relates to something better than most people In the program.

[@therealwewin]

College doesn't mean a thing if you lack common sense.

[@aakkoin]

I'm sorry, but sustainability studies sounds like a useless garbage degree (no pun intended).

[@SoupSonYo]

50k in debt, to work at Whole Foods! Re-think your goals

[@zacheryconner3277]

Dude I just wanna say I get a genuine sense of excitement when you upload. 40 minute gifted hater vid after a 10 hour shift? lets gooooooo

[@rickyglaser]

Interesting vid, i think you make a lot of sense and George's video wasn't all that cohesive. But one important thing I think you i think you are forgetting is whether we like it or not what "keeps the wheels turning" in skating isn't really the core skaters... purely from a financial standpoint at least. The new skaters, randoms buying thrasher hoodies, moms buying Christmas completes and people buying anime colab decks are the things that actually bring enough money into skating to make anything possible for anyone. The culture will always come from the core but if it goes back to this small niche thing, very few will be making a living from skateboarding. It's also worth mentioning there will always be this 'space in the market' for Braille/Revive type of content to exist and you are not the target audience. I wouldn't watch Dora The Explorer and critic how terrible of show it is for me because it is doing a good job serving its target audience. It also makes me a bit sad to see Mikey get so much hate (maybe its justifiable with his new path and demeanor or maybe not) up until very recently he has been on the forefront of core skating or 20+ years.

[@18JR78]

Nah

[@joshyoerger5271]

I think Joa is aware of this. His point is that those companies are only able to make money selling skateboarding to kids (their parents) because skating is desirable and cool, but, crucially, skating is only desirable and cool because of the image and lifestyles of core skaters. That image has proven to be sustainable over many decades in a way that this new, shallow, timeshare-Ferrari, social media skate culture will never be. Now is that core skate culture with its emphasis on partying, substance abuse, and complete disregard for physical safety sustainable for its actual participants? That is a whole other can of worms I think. . .

[@legoyoda9782]

@@joshyoerger5271 The image, culture, and appeal of skateboarding has been sustainable for so long due to big mainstream companies appealing the image to such a wide audience and getting them initially interested. This has been going on for decades with the "cool" image of skating being at the forefront of popular culture, and you could make the argument that skateboarding started "selling out" many years ago. You can trace a huge boom in the popularity of skateboarding back to the Tony Hawk games alone over a decade ago. From a purely economic and free market standpoint, skateboarding would simply not continue to exist if it was limited to a niche and gatekept market, since like it or not, companies like Braille generate a lot of revenue and attention to the culture and keep it alive for the younger generation. "Core Skating" purism/elitism is not logically sustainable at all.

[@bfain123]

Nightmare blunt rotation

[@jyebaby]

it's interesting that george says he doesn't look at or care about what core skaters do at all and then is confused that there is a divide. like dude you just illustrated the divide yourself. you're in a different lane and that's fine but to say there shouldn't be an us vs them mentality when you don't take part in the community you're representing is wild. i think it's perfectly possible for skaters to be accepted on youtube. they just have to be authentic and have style. i don't know if i entirely agree with you about gatekeeping being a great thing though. like yeah skating is cool cause it's hard and has a tight-knit community but no one looks good being an asshole about it. live and let live and the best will still naturally rise to the top.

[@MidTierVillain]

I started skating during the Ray Barbee era, when I saw Ban This, it blew my mind.. as a black Hispanic kid back then, because I’m old as toob socks, I knew what I wanted to do soon as I saw his part. I would skate every day/night, watch that VHS tape over & over & over again. Watch anything skateboarding, even SkateTV.. yes, THAT show.. anything skateboarding I was there. I saw that era, experienced it, but when the 90s came!? I came.. into my own, that era was legendary. You had to earn your place, because skating wasn’t accepted like it is now.. many of fights, and many of nights being torn apart by sketchy spots, and even sketchier flashlight cops & actual cops. But, it was an extraordinary time for skating.. my point is, I’m so old that these social media skaters actually triggers me.. how tf can you be so sensitive, entitled, and lack everything skating represents? It’s more about influencing, and numbers, not about the actual culture at all. Man, I’m old af. On the positive side of things, Gifted Hater is a fresh breath of secondhand smoke, while he tells truths about these individuals that love huffing their own farts, while being so self absorbed their nose is protruding through their anal cavity- nostrils rimming their nutsack.

[@Glipglop886]

Thanks papa tater ! I can use these opinions as my own when I argue with 15yr olds at the skatepark lol. Excited for your part to drop

[@laughterenthusiast1454]

John Hill reminds me of a used car salesman

[@caseygrzecka515]

This aged like wine. Look where Braille is today.

[@okgo43]

Great point made around the 12:15 mark about the ideals of skateboarding. It's also so true about the 'earning your stripes' aspect being a part of things too. I'm really not the most skilled skater but I'm super in love with skating. I think it's good for the cool kids to exist too because they really do deserve it. They're into skating truly just like every other "real" (for lack of a better word) skater, only they're fucking sick/badass/highly skilled on top of it

[@juliuspreloznik7236]

Babe wake up Gifted Skater posted

[@isaiahmarquart]

I didn't realize before this video that Joa is the only dude that makes any skate-oriented videos on KZbin without any of the cliches or bullshit. he's created the counterculture on KZbin in my opinion because he's the most prevalent

[@byronyates19]

I've only just started watching Joa's content and he's a breath of fresh air. These fucked up white privilege sociopaths need a wake up call. He doesn't just call them out on their bullshit, he fucken chops them down right back to reality

[@eatassonthefirstdate]

I love the counterculture in new age sk8ing. And Joa really does represent it.

[@BrunoOfCanada]

¿What is the counterculture? ¿Who are we countering?

[@isaiahmarquart]

@@BrunoOfCanada The counterculture is the way that every other skate youtuber tries to make everything awesome or inclusive without any lense of realism or critical thinking. there’s no one to counter that’s why it’s counter culture cuz it’s the way of people we’re not against anyone the people who want skating to go forward are the ones who will look at what’s wrong and want improvement or even just to suggest improvement and look at what happen with FA not that Joa influenced it but he called Nakel and Dashawn leaving that’s just either really well timed, both them saw the video, or it was well thought out and either way it leaves people polarized by the great projections he puts out at times

[@plantlover69]

I hope george does a reactionary video to this video so you can do a reactionary video of a reactionary video of a reactionary video video

[@nranify]

George put up a response video, still trying to bring myself to sit through it lol

[@imDezrt]

I love this but ngl I'm gonna hate a few years from now when new skaters are trying to gatekeep and "keep it core" in their last resort / frog fit because they grew up watching Joa

[@imDezrt]

this channel is the destruction of the 'youtube' / 'core' dichotomy in real time because it's correcting all of the violations from the youtubers of yore and showing kids how to be 'an authentic skater'. brands will be at your doorstep in no time

[@TomCaptures]

We need to a time machine to prevent Mickey Taylor's first investment in that 2013 beer or coconut water company or whatever to prevent his brainrot

[@MrJfergs]

Maybe it's just because I'm not from the US but I don't think I've seen anyone drinking St archer, or the coconut water brand, it really surprised me When I heard he made crazy money off it.

[@daves5574]

I really felt your point when you said that the kid in the comments wouldn’t have quit skating if he actually liked it. I used to go to a super jocky/preppy uni, and whenever I’d be skating a pad or a ledge on campus, I’d always get heckled and have slurs thrown at me by the neanderthals there. That shit never deterred me from continuing to skate, and I stayed getting clips 😎

[@soydave1988]

Idk how or why someone would heckle someone for skateboarding...even years before I started skating I always thought skateboarding was cool as fuck

[@TheDealer1228]

My 2 cents: As someone who grew up skating, I don't really understand the big hoopla around social media/KZbin skaters. Do I watch them? No, but that's mostly because the content doesn't appeal to me, and I also have a very hippie vibe towards skating in that if what you're doing makes you happy and you feel like you're expressing yourself authentically, knock yourself out. But I'm also in a weird position where I stopped skating for four years while in college and when I stepped on a board again for the first time I completely lost my sense of self-worth because I lost everything. So for those first few months, I did watch Andy and John and Garrett because it felt more open and palatable for someone who felt genuinely anxious about practically starting from scratch (I wouldn't even skate the park if anyone else was there because I felt like a chode). I only say that to say this: the "gateway" nature of these channels is real or at least it was five years ago. Yes, the "toxic positivity" thing can be corny and jarring once you're on the other side of things, but when you're in a slump or upset with your progression, people that project that energy can really help keep you going. Like, because of those channels, I forced myself to stick through the discomfort. It's been five years since then and on top of getting everything back, I'm continuously learning new things I couldn't even do prior to my hiatus, and strangers at the local spots are constantly showing me love. I can't say how kids are getting introduced to skating, but I wouldn't be surprised if channels like Braille still play *some* role, and if so, cool. The ones who *really* fall in love with the culture will undoubtedly drop those channels in favor of something more "core," and the ones who realize they were disillusioned will drop the scene altogether and move on to something else. I'm a prime example of the former and shit like this didn't even exist when I was a kid. I don't know. This is definitely a really interesting topic because I feel like skating is one of, if not the only, sport in the world to have this weird diving line that exists within its participants.

[@texvirgo9847]

i also think that you can't totally discount skate youtubers (especially channels like braille) because they genuinely do so much for beginner skaters with their tutorial videos. i think that accessibility is what will help keep skateboarding alive. yeah a lot of the content is cheesy, but they're helping form a new generation of skaters, that's cool to me and always will be. tbh i really dislike any form of elitism, and i would hate to see anyone turn away from skateboarding because they feel the culture is too harsh. if we want to keep skating alive, we need to learn from each other and try to understand where different people are coming from. at the end of the day, we can agree to disagree and still enjoy skating. its not that deep.

[@HonkeyKong54]

​@@texvirgo9847 supporting braille is supporting scientology

[@SynchroFPS]

This video makes me enjoy the dh longboard community even more, none of these cringe ass problems exist in longboarding.

[@erichoskins8521]

I’m in metro Detroit and I wanna shout out modern, people, and south street. These shops keep the local scene alive and try to create a better community for all of the skaters in Michigan. Core skating isn’t about being able to do amazing tricks and being pro. It’s about going out and being passionate about skating. That’s what these shops do and that’s what skating is about. It’s not about KZbin sponsors and corporations. It’s about getting people passionate about a sport that is so creative and free. I’m not super great at skating, but I go at least twice a week because I’m passionate about it and I feel like I have a community of people that have my back and want to see me succeed and progress.

[@stilton946]

Literally everything about this comment

[@rbean3891]

u forgot plus

[@goobah1389]

Almost every MI shop is like that actually, it’s amazing. Love from a fellow native.

[@kryptichands968]

The crazy part I started in the mid 80s we had cops, soccer moms, football coaches trying to stop us and sometimes beating on us, calling us (non-pc) names ect. Seems we went from "us vs them" to "us vs us" sadly. Just skate and let skate, talk to the kid at the park in the non-skate uniform, get him stoked to skate not to conform to all the herd mentality, show that kid falling down bleeding over and over how to bend his knees on that grind. Stay punk do your own thing. A little hate creates drive, just don't let it affect you. Crusty old man out.

[@texvirgo9847]

i totally agree.

[@HonkeyKong54]

Lol

[@svnk.]

I remember watching MAJER Crew and all their videos were pretty entertaining in my opinion. There was actual skating and progression in pretty much every video

[@tylerriggs95]

Those Halloween edits were classic YT skate montages

[@tunasub6111]

As someone who has just recently got into skateboarding I’ve always felt that other skaters were pretty nice or just kept to themselves whenever I’m at a skatepark or interacting with skaters. Seeing people complain about skateboarding being restricted and gatekept while skateboarding was my first step into expressing myself more is dumb.

[@kevo3985]

Skaters are human and humans can really suck they van also be pretty cool main thing is to enjoy yourself and go with the flow I do t get to skate much anymore im 30 have 2 kids but when I get to skate I enjoy it so much just me and my board I do miss skating with friends sometimes but I enjoy it just ad much as when I started, be yourself and everything will work out I wish ya well man keep at it

[@tunasub6111]

@@kevo3985 thanks man I hope you get to keep enjoying skating too!

[@fifthgear93]

3:01 Yes, Felipe Mota is a core skateboarder and appears on Luis Mora's channel and now even rides for Erased. It's great content from an actual core skater. Luan Oliveira regularly makes apperances on the brazillian Sobreskate channel by Guilherme Abe. Awesome skate videos, from actual core skateboarders who do youtube in a non-cringey way.

[@assassisteve]

Yuto horigome even appeared sometime ago on some of his videos in japan

[@declanrussell2043]

Just watched George’s part, he violated some great spots with his terrible trick selection and he violated my eyes with them shorts 🙈

[@BetterSkateThanNever]

skating since 94 and you're the first skate youtuber original & interesting enough to listen to :) feels like having a convo with a smart young skater at a spot/park. i could see someone doing it big on youtube with a 'comedians in cars' type format, considering how productive some skaters are now; hang with a guest & get serious clips in one session

[@igomk]

Same here, started skating in 98, and Gifted Hater is a time traveller talking to people about real skating :D

[@krusher181]

I like Spencer Barton’s vids in terms of mainstream style KZbinrs, pretty fun

[@DrewIsSharing]

I don't really think using john hill & garrett ginner's channel views is a good indicator of skate vlogging dying. I personally used to watch both of their channels and I don't watch either anymore specifically because they don't make the same content they used to make. Someone like Dan Corrigan is a good example of a skateboarding vlog channel which is on the come up. And I think it's a good example of a skate vlog channel for core skaters. EDIT: Just got to the end and i totally agree with everything. Skaters don't like fake people. Tbh i feel like people like garrett ginner and john hill didn't start with that fake personailty youtuber style

[@jabbadavidson5552]

Dan corrigan…? rly? the guy is possibly more annoying than all generic skate yters put together

[@quentinh5566]

I gotta disagree around 9:00, this mentality also seems to be what keeps some groups of people from feeling comfortable skating, like women. Not saying it can’t be a thing at all but it should be limited imo

[@legoyoda9782]

Agreed, a lot of his views on gatekeeping seem very narrow minded and ignorant.

[@grimcity]

Yet another fantastic vid, Hater. Really love your work, homie. Having said, can someone help an X'er having a boomer moment? I'm only asking this out of curiosity as it applies to terminology... I'm a 47 year old skater that's been rolling since '85, though I'm about to step on board because of two years off due to vertebrae fusion surgery & getting rods implanted... years of skate-related back injuries pretty much. I only bring up the biographical info as being an old vet/fart, the core label (as I thought I knew it) just applied (I mean, I'm a vet skater still trying to progress,and as obsessed with skating as I was when I was a 10 year old). My question: How is "core" being defined here? I just don't get the distinction between "core" and "youtube skater." Now, I share Hater's dislike for the crispy-clean-overly happy and sanitized skate channels (I'm not hating on anyone who enjoys that stuff, but again, I'm an older skater and those dudes aren't making stuff directed to us geriatric bastidges). Also, if anyone has wasted their time on reading this (I'm thankful and sorry), am I a "youtube skater?" Legit question. I mean, I've been messing with YT literally since it started... I've never made a dime off the channel, but many many many years ago I had some skate reviews that were pretty popular. Now, I have a super small number of subscribers (which I actually like, because I can bullshit w/everyone), so there's the basis of my confusion. What exactly is the distinction? Better yet, what does "core" mean now and at what point is a person a "KZbin skater?" Again, I also avoid the kiddy/corny skate content out there, but the labels and their distinctions are a bit confusing to me. Thanks to anyone who can help a guy out, fam!

[@s1vvvvv420]

dude youre core. do not worry about it.

[@natesenft5376]

I would say that it’s a matter of being a youtuber who makes skate content vs a skater who posts their content on youtube. It’s the same with skate shops. A place like zumiez is a store that sells skate stuff while your local skate shop is probably more of a skate hangout place that happens to also sell boards and clothes. Idk if that makes sense but that’s how i see it.

[@beemelonhead1]

Core is you bro.. core is those of us who've skated and still skate simply for the fact that we love it.. not for money or fame or to build content. I'm 32 been at it since 98 when I was 10 yrs old. Core skaters are exactly what you would think and what you thought.. dudes like us.

[@grimcity]

@@natesenft5376 - yo that makes a ton of sense, and that actually clarified a ton for me! Appreciate you, fam!

[@demon_3x]

They’ll never understand that the core side of skateboarding is really the lifeline of what transitions it from a hobby to a lifestyle, as you said, the heart and soul of skateboarding. Skating would be weird without the core side. If cariuma approached as a skater owned brand and started being sold in skate shops, the take on them I’m sure would be different. It makes me think of the GX1000 crew. From crew to brand. From a group of friends in SF to one of the biggest things in skating as of recent years, creating their own pros, on their own boards, that started small and got big. THAT is what core skating is about. Not about some outsider big dick company stickin it in with some money to try and capitalize off a culture.

[@samtheking25]

you are a skateboard youtuber

[@jwadiz]

I’ve ran into George a few times at brooklyn skateparks. He seems to be very guarded and on high alert at all times. Unfortunately he must feel he can’t let the guard down or he will be attacked by someone or something. On the other hand I’ve ran into some of the best pros of all time. They seem to not need to have a wall up. George has to protect himself and his content at all costs or it crumbles. It’s not a great lesson or approach to teach the youth.

[@jwadiz]

@@dadboard it’s sad. I don’t like talking about decent people like this. He’s not a bad guy just confused and not helping himself by posting nonsense like that.

[@einnorw]

@@dadboard I met him at blue park, calling him a narc is a bit harsh. he's aware that core skaters think he's corny and has a chip on his shoulder about it. seems like a regular dude outside of that though.

[@HonkeyKong54]

Cuz he's a kook

[@premonemo]

8:50 That paused frame is a violation, got mans looking like a stoned Koala bear.

[@jonathansmith4354]

💀💀💀💀💀

[@Carlo.WTF416]

“A room of dudes agreeing with each other” THANK YOU, had to stop watching Nine Club real early ‘cause of that, it’s hard to watch

[@armin38822]

Listen to The Bunt podcast.

[@janecummag]

Couldn’t agree more.

[@dreamjackson5483]

I like the way you go about your hating. There's balance, and you try to do it responsibly. I think that's good, the balance 🙏

[@FORANWFS]

Thank god your teaching us all some critical culture and sense making, because the way things are going the vast majority of people are not thinking critically about anything much these days just going along to get along

[@unclebruncle]

hater is the voice skating needs

[@FORANWFS]

@@unclebruncle sent from god born into this he is the chosen one

[@swatchcovers5401]

One thing I can’t stand is generic Lo Fi in skate videos, it would be awesome to hear better music in skate videos in general. I always hear great songs that would be perfect in skate videos but it’s always this royalty free shit lol.

[@rethorics]

Even if i disagree with some points Joa makes, he does seem to have a broad unbiased perspective on the skate scene, and i respect that, i think that's also one of the reasons why Hater's channel is raking in views, it touchees on controversial topics that passionate skaters need to discuss, we can't just be accepting to all the bullshit that enters skateboarding.

[@Lincolnlogsoff]

39:04 it's not one side of skating versus another, it's skaters vs youtubers. He's a KZbinr first, and it's obvious. He'd drop skating forever for a big check

[@Endless_somers]

Mikey Taylor’s obsession with money and determining somebody’s success based solely on monetary value is so whack.

[@karim8030]

If George Poulos sees this comment. Please try to seperate critiscim of your content from criticism of yourself. This can be extremely difficult to do, but if you take this amount of critiscm as a personal attack on your character it's almost garanteed to damage mental health. The only way to deal with it is to seperate yourself from the content being criticised. Hope you do ok with this.

[@karim8030]

@@ishwav well that’s a criticism of his skating, and one thing he said. There was criticism of his character in haters video, of course and some of it was valid imo, but I also think the majority of the video was just about the content. I’m just saying if someone posted a 40 minute video criticising me, along with my business practice/ creations, I’d find it hard to distinguish the 2. And they are, in fact, different.

[@JefftheSk8ter134]

It all boils down to “Skaters don’t like phony’s” lmao the most beloved personalities in skateboarding are the most authentic ones. That’s prob what made the crail couch so popular cuz it was just skaters sitting down and talking

[@waketp420]

"The more people the quit the less money that can go to scientology."

[@brother-calm]

social media popularity gives you main character brain

[@sanguisugaboggie]

Toxic positivity is ruining the world

[@heroicsquirrel3195]

Seeing someone doing push-ups and back flipping whilst trying a generic spread eagle tre to flat is fricking hilarious, that would make my day at the park better I can’t lie😂

[@soydave1988]

Doing bullshit like that is so cringey that I almost get second hand embarrassment just by seeing it 😂

[@heroicsquirrel3195]

@@soydave1988 it’s amazing 😂

[@m3thias879]

I love how absolutely unsubstantial and luke warm the vlog homie’s takes are

[@ariekanibalie]

On a side note: thank you for continually critiquing this culture of 'toxic positivity' - my guess is this term has come into fashion now young people are wondering why the climate implosion we're looking at wasn't really addressed by previous generations, despite all the data being there in the 70's. Well, it turns out it's much easier to stick your head in the sand and 'be positive' than to let reality sink in and take appropriate action.

[@djray7489]

GH is the fucking goat no cap

[@non_brewed_condiment]

"you don't have to be a corny KZbinr to be a KZbinr" George: nods in agreement

[@fakiewilly]

Make Dan Core Again.

[@18JR78]

40 minutes!?! Someone pinch 🤏🏽 me.

[@tango31313]

Tater spoils us

[@girlish9989]

As probably one of the rare people who transitioned from watching KZbin skaters to watching actual core skateboarding content (to then getting my first board), the reason why I've gravitated towards actual skating is because of the authenticity that kind of cultivates in lots of skaters. The biggest reason as to why I grew out of mostly all big skate 'vlog' content is because of the lack of any not manufactured personality. I think the biggest problem with 'social media' skaters is that they become the KZbinr over the skater, instead of the skater over the KZbinr; lots of them not understanding their place like you alluded to. Being on the internet has led me to feel more involved in this community because of faces like yours, with you kind of existing in this limbo state of talking about situations in skateboarding, but not having the years of alienation as a social media star for your opinions (as a skater being a skater) to be uninformed

[@2close4missiles88]

Honestly I feel like it’s not that uncommon for kids these days to start out watching skater vloggers and then transition to more core stuff. As cringey as KZbin skaters can be, I do think they help grow the community which I’m always a fan of.

[@garrickslings6113]

Definitely not rare man I started off watching YT vlogs and stuff too. I just didn’t know any better and it’s what YT recommended me but the content was always so lame it kinda allowed me to transition into cooler stuff like street parts. Highly doubt it’s rare with kids these days

[@prestonbushman4790]

Mark Gonzales’ KZbin is amazing

[@odshane]

Joa crafted by the hands of god

[@Starwars6012]

A 40 minute in depth video, praise Joa

[@drinkingpoolwater]

lol mikey taylor is like the wolf of wall street now. "business, business, business!!!"

[@Titanius_Anglesmith]

Ay bro, I was trying to flip this signed Mikey Taylor Workshop deck and you’re out here devaluing my asset

[@Titanius_Anglesmith]

Out here trying to cancel my profits

[@18JR78]

Core skaters risk their lives in skate videos. KZbin skaters try basic tricks in videos.

[@joe_sabella]

Super interesting take as usual, Joa. I think the middle ground of KZbinrs in skating is starting to fill up a bit more. People like NKA, Dale Decker, Dan Corrigan, Christopher Hiett, and Zach Doelling. Generally they all skate together with Powell-Peralta and post videos mainly of their skate sessions, which I tend to enjoy. Some stuff can be a little click-baity/ corny, and they will still skate with the Braille guys every so often, but I think they are leaning more towards the acceptable side of good skateboarding KZbinrs. Would be interested to see anyone else's thoughts on this:

[@CF565]

Core skateboarding centers the skating, while these dudes are social media personalities that happen to skateboard, and that's fucking wack.

[@RickySpanish168]

that george guy looks like if you flicked his arm he'd start crying

[@bruc850]

if you throw a light jab at his helmet he will knock out like a startled goat

[@ottoahmadp.5738]

These KZbin skaters are stepping on core skaters toes by impersonating professional athletes as a way to get t kids to like them and their ideals