Skate Soup

A Challenge for Yinz - Free Ad Space on Skate Soup

  I've been working on this for a little while now and I think this is the time to launch it. 

Alright, here is the deal.  As the SkateSoup.com traffic continues to grow, we are going to begin placing skateboard only ads on this site.  We would prefer to support skater owned companies.  These ads will only take you to skateboard companies or shops.  No monster truck ads or pro skaters with milk mustaches.  The ads will be relevant to this site.  I will accept no less.

So how do you get a free ad?  One thing I have always tried to do was bring the skaters of this city and suburbs together and unite it.  Whether is through shops who co-sponsor events or local skate companies who put on their own events. 

Pittsburgh has shops.  But, how many skate companies do we have?  There are no local board or wheel companies.  We barely have a hardware company.  There is Direction East, and that is rad.  But do you see where I am going with this?

At this point of time in Pittsburgh, there are no local companies supporting local skateboarding.  So my challenge to you is this, START A COMPANY and Skate Soup will help you promote it.  I am not promising your company will take off, but we'll be here to give you ad space, press releases, team rider interviews and other product news.

Here is how it will work.  Start a company between now and June 2009.  You don't have to do it tonight-ok?  Take your time, put something together that you can be proud of.  There is no rush on this offer from Skate Soup. 

As always, your press releases, team rider interviews, company news or products news will be freely promoted as content on SkateSoup.com.  Then, when you are ready, for a period of 30 Days we will run your companies ads on our site.  There will be 3 different ad locations for you to choose from and we will disclose those details as we get closer to unveiling our ad program in March.

If you are interested, click on Add to the Soup and send us an email about your plan.  We can even give you some advice and direction on how to set up your company and how to start producing your own line of products.

A.S.R. -- KILIING IT!

Sike.  They are being killed.  For those of you not familiar with A.S.R. (Action Sports Retailers) it is a trade show put on by big money.  They use Skateboarding as a means to draw a crowd, but generally cater to big brands writing millions in orders.  Its all hand shakes and smiles with 90% of the people there not skating.  Nobody in the North East likes ASR.  You have to either go to San Diego or Orlando to be in the show.

The tradeshow concept for the skateboard industry is fairly out of date.  It will cost your shop $2000-$3000 to get out there for a few days to save 5-7% on your orders 6 months from now.  Most of the skate shops in this area don't have that kind of money to shell out.  Pittsburgh is notorious for core shops that don't make any money.  But they don't do it for the money either.

Besides, all of the companies you deal with either have full color catalogs or a local sales rep that will come visit you.  So why shell out $2000 to save $300?

A.S.R. merges all "action sports" under one roof.  You have surf, skate, swim, snow, moto, wake, lifestyle and streetwear brands.  JOCK OVERLOAD.

Skaters historically hate ASR.  Now What? 

Well Jamie Thomas of Black Box Distribution and the Good Guys over at 3rd Lair are putting on Skater Owned Trade Shows, Contests and Demo Weekends.  These shows are skater run and operated.

So if your choice is to go to a Jock Fest or to a skater run trade show, I hope you choose Crossroads January 21st, 2009.  Or just screw it and make them come to your shop.

Also, check out 3rd Lairs Trade Show during their Annual Top Shop Contest.  May 1st - May 3rd.  It is a total blast and worth the trip.  If you are a shop, you can think of it this way: 

• You can spend money on a trip to buy stuff at a trade show or
• You can spend money on trip, enter your team riders in a contest, party for 3 days, have a good time and promote the crap out of your shop for the next month.  You also can focus on 3 days of filming and get lots of footage and photos.  Tons of publicity and locals checking up dates on your site.

I can personally tell you that you will get no greater publicity of your shop and brand that going to TOP Shop at 3rd Lair.

If you are a shop from Pittsburgh, send me an email and I'll give you the in's and out's of the trip.  What to expect, where to stay.  I will even reveal our secret hotel location where we stayed at.

Flip Moves to NHS Distribution

Flip Skateboards has joined up with NHS for their distribution.  They were formerly distributed by Blitz. 

Bob Denike, President and CEO of NHS had this to say,
"The addition of Flip strengthens our position to be the #1 skateboard supplier in the industry. The NHS strategy is simple; strong brands across all categories, innovative product development and working with the best pro skaters; past, present and future. The Flip brand together with the global Flip team are a powerful and welcome addition to the NHS group. And frankly, it's about f*#king time!"

NHS also distributes Independent Trucks, Krux Trucks, Ricta Wheels, Creature, MOB Grip, Crime and those good good Strange Notes Videos.