Despite skateboarding's reputation as a year-round activity, the brusies, scraps, and injuries caused by shoddy skate roads really hammers home its summer sport status, now the new Nike SB House seeks to take that status to another level.
The new Nike SB House opened in Anglet, France, a small-town in Southwestern France. The Nike SB team was there in full force, with skaters Omar Salazar, Ishod Wair, Youness Amrani, Maxime Géronzi and Mihiel Guerhane taking pictures, flipping tricks, and chatting with the fans and media in attendance.
The Nike SB House in Anglet looks like the kind of backyard oasis that a kid would kill for. It is equipped with rails perfect for grinding, stairs ideal for ollies, and ledges that instantly enhance a skater's creativity. The cool part about this mini-skatepark is the fact that there's a pool a mere few feet away from where all the action is. A little dangerous, yes, but it is the coolest mix of skate and summer swag I've ever seen.
Implications - A few years ago, skateboarding was viewed as a faddish subculture that would not last in the American mainstream. While it may not be a pervasive cultural powerhouse, the sport of skateboarding has become a viable youth-charged industry with buying power. A company can capitalize on this by teaming with a skater to create a co-branded product or design. The company stands to benefit from the passionate support skater's have from young and impressionable skate fans, eager to follow in their hero's footsteps.
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Skateboarding Culture
- Opportunity to tap into the skateboarding culture and market by collaborating with professional skaters in creating co-branded products.
- Summer Skateboarding
- Opportunity to create skate parks and equipment that combine the essence of skateboarding with summer aesthetics, attracting skateboarders looking for unique experiences.
- Youth-driven Industries
- Opportunity for companies to target the youth market through skateboarding-related products and services, leveraging the passionate and influential support skateboarding has among young people.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Apparel
- Apparel companies can collaborate with professional skateboarders to create co-branded clothing lines that resonate with skateboarding culture.
- Sports Equipment
- Opportunity to develop innovative skateboarding equipment that caters to the needs of skateboarders seeking summer-inspired experiences.
- Media and Entertainment
- Media and entertainment companies can create targeted content and events around skateboarding, leveraging its popularity among young audiences.
