...Running Head: CULTURAL AWARENESS: SKATEBOARDING Cultural Awareness: Skateboarding in Ada County In APA Style Aaron Ortega Boise State University I have selected to write the essay on the ever-changing culture of skateboarding. I have chosen this culture because I have seen the way that skateboarding and skateboarders has been viewed and perceived by our society change time after time with the changing generations. I have not only witnessed it myself, but in both research of the past and present history of the sport and culture there has been a 180 degree spin on the way that the culture is viewed. Skateboarding dates all the way back to the 1950’s. Its origin comes from Californian surfers that wanted to turn the streets into waves. The first boards were simply wooden boards with roller skate wheels mounted on the bottom of them. In 1963, there were some of the first competitions for skateboarding, hosted by some of the big name brands that are still around today, like Hobie. One of the most known stories of skateboarding will forever hold one of the most influential times of the whole realm of skateboarding, was the story of Dogtown and the Z Boys. (Cave, 2008) That is a very brief explanation of the origin of skateboarding, but back in those days it was an extremely rebellious sport for kids to be involved in. Skateboarders had the stereotype of being trouble makers and losers. It was a stereotype that...
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...The article “Authenticity in the Skateboarding World” highlights the norms and values of skateboarders which deviate from the traditional sports in many ways. Skateboarders value individualism and believe each skateboarder has his/her own style which is not bounded by rules and formats. The fact that there is an absence of authority gives participants more freedom to express their individual styles. They believe that unlike mainstream sports, skateboarding provides more opportunity for creativity without a set of rules to follow and a goal to reach. In other words, skateboarding is not an organized sport and more free style than traditional sports and skateboarders value this freedom of expression and action of their subculture. Additionally,...
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...snowboarding boots and skateboarding sneakers are specifically designed for today's extreme sports culture, and are the footwear of choice among elite athletes worldwide. Through event sponsorships and a chain of skateboarding parks, Vans has made a unique booming in the youth sportswear market. The company's unflagging commitment to tracking the latest trends has put it in an excellent position to grab an even larger market share as it heads into the 21st century. On March 16, 1966 Vans Shoe store was established by Paul Van Doren. There is a wide variety of Vans that play a role in many action sports. Style really started to come in the 1960’s when skateboarding started to become big. Skaters needed a type of shoe that was durable and affordable. Vans wanted to make shoes that were manufactured directly to the public. Skateboarding was the main reason vans were invented. Skateboarding means a lot of different things too many people. To some people it was just a sport or game. To others skateboarding was there way of life. It was a quick and almost free get away from stress and everyone’s problems. There were different styles of skateboarding and each style used a different type of shoe. There was vert skateboarding which included a huge 12 foot half pipe were pro riders would do all kinds of new tricks that would continue to change the sport and evolve forever. This type of skateboarding usually needed some type of ankle support. Another type of skateboarding was called “park”...
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...Have you ever thought skate boards were just like small surfboards with wheels? Well it's speculated thats how they started, they were a substitute for surders when the waves were flat. Around the mid to late 1940s was when skateboarding seemed to just pop up, they started as blocks of wood on rollerskate wheeles, and slowly evolved into the planks with the curved lips we use today. It would appear though that the sport has only been popularized recently, as John Stevens states "Today's skateboarders are founders in this sport—they're pioneers—they are the first. There is no history in Skateboarding—its being made now—by you. The sport is being molded and we believe that doing the right thing now will lead to a bright future for the sport....
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...sell classic skateboarding shoes when the huge skateboarding era (1970s) hit the States • It is considered as the largest extreme sports clothing company in the world [pic] [pic] Vans SWOT analysis Strength • A well-known brand with strong reputation (Vans has been in business for over 40 years) • Not too expensive for the consumer, great product pricing comparing with other brands • High product quality / High perceived value (cushioning, durability, reinforcement for skateboarding) • Strong distribution chain (Online shopping, About 76 places for selling included official stores and authorized dealers) • Customer satisfaction • Good return policy [pic] [pic] Weaknesses • Depends strongly on its footwear • Depends on mostly skateboarding style of clothing (Shoes, clothes, socks) • A Lack of innovation, hasn't been able to penetrate emerging markets compared to competitors (New balance, Nike) (Most shoes are still classic style) Opportunities • To create awareness of different sports in emerging markets and become a first mover in exclusive sports shoes brand made professionally (Skateboarding) • Sponsorship on sports events, teams etc (Geoff Rowley) • Sponsorship for Vans Warped Tour (a music and extreme sports festival) • Growing Fan base and fast pace acquisition of new fans (Extreme sports trend) • Increase in demand due to the rise of extreme sports in Asia in these...
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...Skateboarding History and Culture Skateboarding is one of the newest sports and one of the only extreme sports. Skateboarding has had a short history but it’s been full of eventful moments. While most people think all skaters are alike, it’s quite the opposite, skaters have many different riding styles, ways to ride the board, and where they decide to ride at, all determine what kind of skater they are. Skateboards first appeared in 1958 when there were no surfable waves, so they (surfers) took to the sidewalks. Sidewalk surfing comes along in 1958 and in 1959 “Roller Derby” is the first to mass produce skateboards with metal wheels (Britannica School.) Though skateboarding is big business today, it started from simple means with a 2x4...
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...Skateboarding has always been a part of my life, when I say always I mean since I was 4 years old. I picked up more aggressively at the age of 6 and really took off at the age of 13. Skateboarding among stress relief has taught me critical life lessons, and handling situations in everyday life. It has also taught me determination dedication and hard work. Ironically it has taught me to eat healthy and stay active. Although it is fun it’s one of the last things I learned from it, it also taught me about being cautious whether it was a real life situation or just a skateboarding situation. It helped my self-confidence as well as being a life coach to teach others the things I already know. The sport has taken me places I could only dream of being a kid, whether it was city to city or in competitions with a diverse set of individuals. My experience is a classic one as it started basic and blossomed into a hobby and then into a job. I got paid in skateboarding merchandise and skateboards, as well as stickers. The people I met also played an important role in my life, meeting business owners who saw the potential in marketing skateboarding provided, as well as upcoming brands who are now well know skateboarding brands. It taught me to be a part of a community where everyone knew of each other in one way or another and all shared the same goals and interests. Street skating and filming is another dimension in its own. It forces you to be creative making a video including a direction...
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...Tony Hawk, a professional skateboarder and an amateur, once said “I consider skateboarding an art form, a lifestyle and a sport. ‘Action sport’ would be the least offensive categorization.” About 85% of teens hangout in malls during weekends, assuming they are too old to go to sports clubs, dance clubs, or even art lessons. The UAE Donner should build an indoor skatepark with free consoling sessions, internet access, with music, and dancing workshops. So why invest in a skatepark? As Tony Hawk said, skateboarding is an art form and a lifestyle. In other words, skateboarding is fun and also trendy. Skateparks are safer, they help in gaining a healthy lifestyle, and it builds friendship and sportsmanship between the kids and teenagers inside...
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...Skateboarding is a beautiful form of art. It's not about board flips or running from the cops. A participant in midair resembles spontaneous art; located on the canvas. The skaters paint a vivid picture on the sidewalk with their boards. It's about more than skating. The sport is a celebration of life. People from all over the plant partake. Some of them from common backgrounds. Others have nothing in common. Yet one thing brings them all together. A passion for something incredibly unique and simplistic. It can be summarized in one simple word. Skateboarding. Lil Wayne began skateboarding in **. His decision was based on the passion he witnessed a young skater display. Wayne went from musical artist; to a musician and a painter. The multi talented artist even launched his own skateboard line. His...
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...Recommend Marketing Strategies 11 9.0 Conclusion 12 Bibliography 13 Tables Figure 1 Vans Logo 3 Figure 2 Vans Category Model 4 Figure 3 Vans Shoes 7 Figure 4 Vans MTE 10 1.0 Executive Summary Vans is an original extreme sports tide brand, that was born in 1966 in the United States South California. At that time, the founder of the brand Vans—Paul Van Doren, with his three brothers: Jim Van Doren, Serge D'Elia and Gordy Lee due to unwilling their product was resold to retailers to reap huge profits, then they are in the California Abaheim to opened the first store to sell their shoes. In extreme sports started, including skateboarding, surfing, BMX and skiing etc., and as the skateboarding is the root, from the lifestyle, art, music and street fashion culture injected into the Vans aesthetics. This formation of a unique personality of youth culture symbol, and become a young extreme sports enthusiasts and the trend of people recognized worldwide brand. Vans is a company with the popular of skateboarding, and through word of mouth in Southern California gradually prevalent professional skateboarding shoes brand. Vans often cooperate with many famous skateboarders designed and developed a variety of professional skateboarding shoes. This not only makes these skateboarders became Vans product developers, at the same time is the loyal customers, but also became the Vans ‘spokesperson’. However,...
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...on what the customer ordered. The company thrived off innovation and the original rubber-soled shoe was designed to be “the most durable and affordable casual deck shoe in the market”. During this period, customers had plenty of external fabric and color optionality, to go along with the rubber sole, which was instrumental in helping promote this niche product in the 1960s – thanks to the help of Van Doren’s children who were able to spread the word about the shoes at school. In the 1970s Southern California was said to give birth to skateboarding and ultimately a skateboarding group known as the “Z-Boys”. Compared to other mainstream sports such as Football or Basketball, Skateboarding was considered to be a disorganized sport during 60s to 70s. In a school environment, skateboarding received little to no recognition compared to mainstream sports. As a result, the mainstream brands were not interested in this niche skateboarding market which, during this time, allowed Vans to become the front runner in this niche market. Analysis of the Environment A period known as Topsy-Turvy In order to understand Van’s competitive advantage during its early days, we have to first look at and understand Van’s business model and supply chain processes during the 60s. A combination of inhouse manufacturing, durable quality, competitive price structures, and a low competitive environment allowed Vans to succeed....
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...manufactured shoes and sold directly to the public for $2.49 to $4.99 a pair. Vans primary target market were individuals active in the surfing and skateboarding. Vans developed a marketing edge by providing shoes that would withstand the rigorous wear and tear of the skateboarding sport and it was the only company providing a customizable shoe product. During the 80’s Vans saw some success from marketing in the movie industry, but soon found themselves in bankruptcy after investments in the athletic show market. In 1995, Gary Schoenfeld was named CEO. He shifted manufacturing to Asia due the high manufacturing costs in the U.S. and to introduce a greater range of styles. By lowering costs, Vans would be able to increase margins and be exposed to new distribution channels. Vans man’s product line brought in $182 MM, but women and children’s, combined, offered greater than $100 MM revenue. By maintaining their grass roots beginning, Vans can increase their presence in the men’s, women’s and kids product lines. Humble Beginnings Vans is an American manufacturer of shoes founded in 1966 by Paul Van Doren with his brother James and two other partners. They broke the mold with their brick and mortar stores that only sold sneakers. Their customers included the Southern California surf set of the 1960’s and the skateboarding rebels of the 1970’s. Both of these groups included a younger segment of consumers from twelve years old through early twenties, including high-school...
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...Executive Summary NIKE is the world's leading sports clothing and footwear designer, marketer and distributor. The company is established 45 years ago and it produces and sells high quality sports clothing, footwear, equipment and accessories for a range of sports, fitness activities and leisure mainly. NIKE is a multinational company, which runs and develops its business activities globally and sells its products in more than 160 countries according to NIKE Corporate Website. NIKE owes its success and best performance on the global market to the high quality and innovative products that it produces and to its strong USP, brand positioning and direct to consumer channels. Related to the impressive performance and identified strong growth opportunities for the NIKE Brand portfolio the company objective is to achieve a revenue of $ 24 -25 billion for fiscal 2015 stated in report for 2011, which is more than the target of 23 $ billion announced in 2010. (www.nikeinc.com, 2011 ) Nike faces strong competition from the German sportswear maker Adidas and Puma globally. (Datamonitor Plc., 2011 ) Identifying market opportunities and key marketing strategies helps the company to achieve its marketing objectives – profit. Analyses on the Bulgarian market reveals a demand for sportswear and footwear among professional sports players and all the amateurs involved in range of sports and fitness activities and people who wear sports clothing and snickers for leisure , can be identified...
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...for extreme sports, especially skateboarding. I quickly became fascinated with the skating scene and started experiencing the sport and its sub-culture. Even before learning anything about anthropology, I instinctively observed a lot of skateboarders and their unique styles. Having that in mind, I felt that the perfect place to conduct my fieldwork would be at a skate park, a location where I feel at home. As I approached the park, I instantly began to notice certain things, which I had never noticed before. I could here the sound of ceramic ball bearings vibrating though the air as the skateboarders’ wheels rotated along the hard cement. The cement was not any ordinary cement, but rather smooth, dense, and abstract to the eye. It went from flat and level, to an ascending curvature ultimately forming the walls, which the skateboarders rode effortlessly. Each skateboarder had a skateboard, which consisted of a black grip material stuck atop a concave plank of wood with each end of the wood curved upward. Underneath this plank, miniature axles were locked into place by bolts and screws, which allowed for four rubber wheels to be attached. The wheels were able to spin freely because of the ceramic ball bearings inside the wheels. All this technology put into a small plank of wood, ultimately transformed it into a tool in which humans are able utilize and manipulate. As I continuously observed the skaters, I began to develop a new appreciation for the sport. Not only...
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...Adidas also uses kangaroo leather to make their more expensive shoes. Association football One of the main focuses of Adidas is football kit and associated equipment. Adidas also provides apparel and equipment for all teams in Major League Soccer. Adidas remain a major company in the supply of team kits for international football teams. Current examples include Spain, Russia, France, Germany, Greece, Romania, Argentina, Mexico, South Africa, Japan and Nigeria. Adidas also makes referee kits that are used in international competition and by many countries and leagues in the world. In the United States, referees wear the Adidas kits in MLS matches even though the primary referee supplier is Official Sports. The company has been an innovator in the area of footwear for the sport with notable examples including development of the Copa Mondial moulded boot used for matches on firm dry pitches for almost forty years. The studded equivalent was named World Cup follow in celebration of the 1978 tournament won by Argentina, one of the nations it supplied at the time. Some of the famous football teams currently sponsored by Adidas include Real Madrid, Milan, Middlesbrough, Palmeiras, Chelsea, River Plate, Liverpool, Marseille, Universidad de Chile, Bayern Munich, Schalke 04, Benfica, Wolfsburg, Galatasaray, Panathinaikos, Derby County, Ajax and Lokomotiv Moscow among others. Adidas became renowned for advancing the Predator boot design developed by ex-Liverpool and Australian...
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