Old Guys Rule
There is a heartwarming story unfolding right now over on the website of our friends at Jenkem skate mag. Founder and editor in chief, Ian Michna is a gonzo-esque journalist and man of my heart trying to make skateboarding stories out of whatever materials he has laying around. He’s been doing it authentically and at a high level for a long time now. We can relate.
For the past decade or more he’s been after an interview with skate industry architect and World Industries founder Steve Rocco (if you need a surf equivalent to keep reading, think Michael Tomson). Steve though, unlike Michael (in his time, RIP), is notoriously hard to find and hasn't done interviews since selling World Industries. Rumors abound, but it was relatively well-known that he surfed Malibu. Which is how I got pulled into this manhunt a few years back.
Ian asked if I knew anyone who surfed Malibu enough to know where Steve surfed. He thought maybe he could “bump into him” during a trip out to LA. I did my best to connect a few dots but I’m certain my leads fizzled, like most with Rocco. But I became invested in Ian’s search. And yesterday, I was stoked to see that he got his man. Jenkem released a short film of his 2-part interview with Rocco. Watch it all below; it’s a triumph. But it also got me thinking about our industry (of course).
Older guys like Michael Tomson and Steve Rocco were lucky, yes, but they were also gutsy as hell. They made great products and used controversial and edgy advertising to market them, establishing the “fuck it” DNA for our industries. Mostly because they didn’t know any better. Great for the time, but as people and industries grow older, “fuck it” attitudes don’t age well. They need to evolve into something smarter than bad words and debauchery. What’s the line from Camus…”become so free your very existence is an act of rebellion.” Try something like that.
I spent a lot of time talking to Grady Strange this week and he’s a living example of this spirit. Grady is the proprietor of East LA surf/vintage shop Oblivion. He literally runs a surf shop an hour from the beach. He’s the anti-hero of our industry. He’s a musician who loves to surf and skate, running a boutique of vintage surf relics…far from the beach. And it works.
He inspired us profoundly. Dig through the interview and the entire orbit he created and you’ll find a treasure chest of inspiration. Because he’s following the mantra that Rocco wraps his interview with, a one-size-fits-all answer to fix our industries: “Make shit you like, that you believe in, and sell the rest of it and see if kids like it. That’s all you gotta do.” That's all Grady’s doin…between surfin’ on Tuesdays when the shop’s closed.
As the dust settles, our culture is entering a critical era. So like a good journalist, I’ve had the opportunity to walk the halls of most of the brands in our industry. You’ll be happy to hear I didn’t find any suits walking around. I found guys and girls who love surfing like us and are in a tough position — attempting to please outside forces and all of us at the same time. Tough.
The good news is I can confirm they’re all passionate about our culture. I fully expect them to look closely at the spreadsheets, get all the info they can out of those before tossing the computer out the window and making a few calls using intuition and bravery because our culture and lifestyle depend on it.
We need some excitement, dammit. Don’t bore us. It’s better to burn out than fade away, etc. What would Rocco and Tomson do? If you need a hand, you know where to find us. We’re in your inbox. Your voicemail. You probably have 30 pitches from us right now. Let’s make em. Everyone loves a comeback story. Shall we begin?—Travis Ferré
[Above advertisement : Gotcha Sportswear, 1988]
