A Snowboarder Looks at Skateboarding How much similarity is there between snowboarding and skateboarding? We considered that question while looking through a copy of Skateboarder magazine. Here are a few observations: No Helmets There were photographs of skaters wearing helmets. Is the risk of head injury lower? The thought of falling onto concrete unprotected doesn’t sound that appealing. Advertising: Same and Different The advertising is different—the ads are more straightforward, and it’s more obvious what they are for. But there are similarities to snowboarding, too. Similar fonts, use of … don’t know what to call it … fake rage graphics? (No wonder, Skateboarder and Snowboarder magazines are both published by the Primedia group.) Money Matters You have to look hard to find a person of color in a snow sports magazine. Not so in a skateboarding magazine. Doubtless there are several reasons, but one of them is probably the cost of the two sports. Sure, some skateboards can cost as much as some snowboards. But almost everything else costs less: no technical clothing, no goggles, no helmet, and most importantly, no need to travel somewhere (just walk to where you are going). Oh yes, no lift ticket, either. So do injuries In some snowboard circles, talking about injuries is cool and part of the scene. In Skateboarder magazine, "Skate Anatomy" features a pro skateboarder explaining nine different injuries he has suffered. Dude. Are we legitimate yet? If you look, you can still see “No skateboarding” signs in retail parking lots, as well as “skateboarding is not a crime” stickers now and again. Even so, skateboarding is becoming more acceptable—and that worries some skateboarders. Same like snowboarding. “Today skateboarding is being used to sell everything from deodorant to Big Macs to cars,” says the lead editorial. Apparently this acceptance is a bad thing: “It certainly has changed. But after more than a decade of mainstream attention, are we really that better off?” Can’t be worthwhile if you’re not a rebel. Beginning Puffery As with snowboarding, you find the argument that this activity has some lasting, transcending importance. “In New York, skating’s more of a lifestyle than a sport.” Advanced Puffery Just as teenagers are prone to say “you just don’t understand” about their personal lives, skateboarding enthusiasts claim a Gnostic position on skateboarding. “No matter how you slice it, the raw public will never really truly understand skateboarding. And that’s kind of a beautiful thing at the end of the day. It keeps it sacred and in its own little bubble somewhere in the corner of its own universe.” The issue also contains a tribute to a skateboarding businessman and publisher. Fausto Vietllo, we are told, “championed the idea that skateboarding is an attitude, not just a pastime.” Again? What a country! Some people can get paid for playing games? Yes, and it’s not limited to football, baseball, or basketball. It’s true in snowboarding. And skateboarding. Says one rider quoted in Skateboarder, “Damn, this is really all I have to do? This pays my rent? Then this check shows up and I’m like, ‘Oh, I guess this really is my job." Pay for play? What a country. Discussion Join our the Grays on Traysdiscussion board. Return to the home page.