Yumna Bahgat’s Post

Heritage NL’s digital collections on the Digital Archives Initiative for #ThrowbackThursday! The DAI is your gateway to the digitized cultural resources held by Memorial University and partnering organizations. Heritage NL has an excellent partnership with Memorial University’s DAI. This is where we place all our collected materials. To celebrate Heritage NL’s 40th anniversary each week, for forty weeks, we will be sharing one of our DAI collections. This week we are sharing the Skateboarding Collection: https://lnkd.in/eHywbv8g Twenty years ago skateboarding in St. John's was a much different scene than it is today. From the 1990s to the early 2000s street skateboarding was at the peak of popularity. Although there are city by-laws which made it an offence for a person to operate a skateboard in many public spaces, skaters vehemently resisted this. During that time, downtown St. John's was not recognizable without pockets of skateboarders. The clack of wheels along asphalt or the scrape of a board down a metal railing were common background noises in popular skate spots like the War Memorial, Atlantic Place and the Colonial Building. Skateboarders were looked upon as a nuisance in the city and many measures were taken to stop them. For example, fines were issued and the War Memorial was "capped" with stone while the large stair set in front of Atlantic Place was reduced to just a few steps. Many of the measures to deter skateboarding in the city were ineffective and real change did not come until the first skate park was constructed behind the old Memorial Stadium in 1998. Today that street skateboarding scene no longer exists in Newfoundland and as a means of preserving the memory of this subculture the Intangible Cultural Heritage Office has created the ICH skateboarding collection. Photo: Messala Ciulla, Pexels.

Most of our PR Clients are long-term partnerships, with long-term goals. For brands, this is often the most effective way to use PR. We even have an unofficial edict that we "don't take on projects" but occasionally, the perfect short-term project pops up, and we say yes. What makes a great PR project? 1. Clear goals and a compelling story. In this case, the client's goal was a mention or shout-out in Willamette Week, the local paper known for guiding Portlanders to what is new and cool. 2. It aligns with our values (in this case - community, supporting independent businesses & a love of skateboarding). This story is the best-case outcome. We're counting it as a win. Many thanks to Colin Sharp for trusting us with his story and to Nemo Design Creative Director and former COMMONWEALTH SKATEBOARDING, LLC owner Jennifer Sherowski for the referral. Life is better when you work with good people on cool projects. #skateboarding #PRagency #PortlandOregon #smallbusinessoregon #publicrelations https://lnkd.in/edmTm6Sp

Whether you're stoked, over it, or just don't care, it's Go Skateboarding Day again. Where'd you shred this year? Fifteen years ago, Vans first backed Go Skateboarding Day in China, with just two cities: Beijing (Wangfujing Church) and Shanghai (SMP Skatepark). Back then, not many brands were supporting skate culture in China, so local shops and skaters were starving for it. Vans stepped up, and everyone answered the call. It just snowballed from there. As China's economy boomed, so did Go Skateboarding Day. It went from a few cities to dozens, breaking records every year. Even though China's skate scene and market aren't as big as the US, our Go Skateboarding Day events are the biggest in the world, no doubt. In 2021, Vision Street Wear took the torch from Vans and started supporting Go Skateboarding Day nationwide. Same formula, same format, and this year they went all out with 48 cities, 60+ skate shops, and even a whole cruise ship in Chongqing! But with the economy taking a nosedive lately, brands and shops aren't growing like they used to. It's tough out there, and marketing budgets are getting slashed. For skaters, it's the same old song and dance every year: best trick contests, group photos, more style than substance. Most skaters just show up for the free stuff and food. What's the point of Go Skateboarding Day anymore? It's time for a change in China. Let's get back to the roots of Go Skateboarding Day, where skaters are the stars. It's a day to celebrate our culture, not to be actors in a brand's commercial. How are you gonna spend Go Skateboarding Day next year? https://lnkd.in/g8W8eDnp

On the heels of Yuto Horigome winning back-to-back Olympic Gold Medals, here is why Skateboarding should be in your marketing plan following the Summer Games: Skateboarding is about to hit the mainstream: - In the same way that snowboarding participation grew significantly after the 1998 Olympics, skateboarding will receive the same adoption with one major difference: A far lower barrier to entry, resulting in even greater adoption. - All kids need is a skateboard and a sidewalk to participate in this pastime. Even better, the infrastructure is already developed with concrete skateparks in nearly every town across the U.S. and many throughout the rest of the world. Skateboarders are natural content creators: - Content is king for marketers, and it is at the center of the skateboarding ecosystem. - Skateboarding is incredibly visual and revolves around documentation; both short and long-form content. With global tours, filming trips, contests, trick tips or behind-the-scenes content, options to integrate your brand are nearly limitless. Skateboarders exert influence: - Typical criticism of marketing to the skateboarding industry is that it is a smaller community than some others that marketers prefer. However, pay attention to the influence that skateboarding has, not just the number of available eyeballs. - Skaters have long influenced fashion, art, film and culture. Tap these influencers to gain adoption with this authentic audience and far beyond. Lastly, and most importantly, it is crucial that your approach to this counter culture is one that adds value to the experiences of the community. If you would like help with this approach, shoot me a note. I would love to help you succeed in supporting this wonderful, global community of skateboarders. #DLCdrop #Marketing #Skateboarding #Olympics Davidson Learning Company

Many thanks to the UK's Huck Magazine for a chance to write about skateboarding and the Olympics, anti-trans idiocy, and the rare type of secret whose power doesn't rely on its keeping. I believe there's a clear path around the same tired arguments about about art vs. sport, one that needn't take us back to that old familiar watering hole of authenticity. For years, brands and marketers have relied on skateboarding's coultercultural history to shape campaigns that insist upon heritage as the culture's only real currency. Stop thinking about about skateboarding as a counterculture, or even former counterculture. Start thinking about it as a medium. https://lnkd.in/gBdBMS_E

I've been actively throwing my body onto concrete for close to 30 years now. Skateboarding my entire life has taught me more than any other thing. It's how I got sober. It's the reason I know that nothing good in life comes easy, and you have to fight through blood, sweat, and tears if you want to grow. To me, street skateboarding is the ultimate form of creativity. Once you get the thrill, you'll never see the world around you the same. Every handrail, every stair set, every ledge becomes an obstacle of opportunity. A challenge. Your entire environment becomes a playground for your imagination - a trophy of self expression. In street skateboarding, you have a crazy vision and you do whatever it takes to make it a reality. That often means hundreds of tries and slams. Cops constantly harassing you and writing you tickets (unless you manage to outrun them). Broken boards. Broken bones. Multiple trips back to try again when you push your body to its limit, and have to come back another day. And when you finally land the trick, you're left with a 3 second clip to add to your video part. Those 3 second moments are the most powerful moments I've experienced in life (besides my son being born). Proof that even what is thought to be impossible (sometimes even by yourself), if you full commit to something and push yourself far beyond your comfort zone, the reward can be profound. A video part consists of dozens of those little 3 second battles you came out from victorious. Thousands of slams over 2+ years to produce a 3 minute video part. Some of my most proud moments, although the majority of people would call it utter insanity. I apply 3 decades of street skateboarding to everything I do in life. If I'm going to do something, I go all in. Failure is inevitable, but you pick your bloody self up off the concrete and you try again. And again. And again. Being an entrepreneur is just like skateboarding. The ones that survive are the ones that can repeatedly get beat down and never give up. With all the issues in the world, I wish society could see the life-changing impacts of skateboarding. It's the best thing that ever happened to me. It saved my life from the pits of addiction. - Frontside Wallride in 2017 Photo: Dean Barnes - #branddesign #brandidentity #skateboarding #entrepreneurship #nevergiveup #branding

Have you ever wondered how awesome Skateboard logos are created? Discover the inspiring factors and elements that make these skate logos memorable. Read the blog: https://lnkd.in/ddQ4HNJF #logodesign #skateboard #sportslogo #mascotlogos #branding #skatinglogos #skating #logodesigninspiration #logopoppin

Do you know how much skateboarding has affected the culture around us? From music and art to writing, skateboarding has left an indelible mark on our collective creativity and expression. Growing up skateboarding, I've felt its influence firsthand. Yesterday in Austin, the godfather of skateboarding, Rodney Mullen, delivered a speech that resonated deeply with me and I believe it will with you too. Tony Hawk might have been there also 😅 Mullen delved into the essence of passion, the importance of doing what we love for the sheer joy of it, and how nurturing this passion is one of life's greatest challenges. He spoke candidly about the inevitable struggles and setbacks, highlighting that the journey is as filled with lows as it is highs, but it's the love for what we do that keeps us going. He questioned the value of external validation and success, proposing that true fulfillment comes from an internal commitment to our craft. Mullen also touched on the power of belief over talent, how breaking through the "impossible" is a matter of faith in oneself, and the role of innovation in pushing boundaries. His reflections on legacy and influence, the living trophies of the tricks he pioneered that have become a language for skaters, offer a profound message on the impact we can have through our passions. Mullen's journey from fear of failure to embracing the joy in the process itself is a testament to growth and the pursuit of what truly matters. This talk was a powerful reminder of the transformative power of pursuing our passions, irrespective of the field. Whether you're a skater, artist, musician, or writer, there's something in Mullen's message for everyone. Let's celebrate the culture skateboarding has inspired and continue pushing the limits of our creativity. #Skateboarding #RodneyMullen #Creativity #Passion #Innovation #Culture

Flashback to this #newspaperproject, a prime example of city marketing done right! 👏 After the municipal council enforced a skateboarding ban in the city, the skaters of Antwerp decided it was high time to bring the urban skateboarding debate to the fore. Following the example of several of the biggest cities across Europe, KNS Skateboarding and Endeavour set out to counter external perception and advocate the artistic, cultural and commercial value skateboarding brings to the city. This way, they hope to influence policymakers and become a driving force for a skateboarding-friendly environment that becomes part and parcel of the urban mainstream. 📣 “We made a conscious decision to use both offline and online media channels for our campaign. Where social media helps us reach a younger audience and other skaters, a printed newspaper speaks to a different audience including local residents, parents and policymakers.” #newspaperprojects #citymarketing #onlinevsoffline #offlinemarketing

There have been almost as many pronouncements about the death of skateboarding as there have about advertising or TV. And yet here we are. It's fascinating to delve into a genuinely nuanced debate about skateboarding's fluctuation in popularity and whether it's ultimately a good thing when it's on the rise. Skate's continued commercialization (there was an awful low point when it seemed to feature in every other runway show), and acceptance via corporate global events like The Olympic Games, has definitely made it feel utterly mainstream and sanded off some of the edges of a subculture built on a mix of ingenuity, rebellion and outsider status. Yet in truth, that hardcore punk element in skate started dissipating long ago now. Far from being insular, kids today skate one day and play football the next, maybe even do theater after that. They even wear football shirts to skate in. If a rise in skateboarding's popularity means less gatekeeping and a more inclusive culture that's inviting to more communities I'm all for its continued popularization. The only thing I think all skaters can agree on is making sure the funding trickles down to the grassroots level and endemic scene. Now who is excited to watch the women skate the Olympic Park and Street courses this week? https://lnkd.in/e5Y2_p8F