Let’s talk about antitheses. An antithesis is an opposition to contrast or reverse a previous claim; it is used to strengthen an argument, to scrutinize a prevailing proposition or to increase awareness of the complexity of problems in a certain development. Aristotle made frequent use of antitheses in an effort to sharpen the points he was trying to make. So far, so boring – but stay with me.
Antitheses are found everywhere, even in skateboarding. On the one hand, we witness the emergence of skateboarding as a mass sport, as a commodity that is marketable to young and old, sold in shopping malls, on Amazon, and other outlets that focus on mass consumerism. In short, it’s become a machine for printing money. Skateboarding is fashionable, sexy, Ultra HD, glamorous, social.
On the other hand, there’s a bunch of small companies that won’t give in to the temptation of the quick dollar. Companies owned by skateboarders. Companies that go the extra mile to support their local communities, keeping skateboarding raw and untamed. Where the true essence of skateboarding continues to exist. More often than not, these brands were formed rather spontaneously and emerged from skate posses that went skating together anyways. These companies are driven by their love for skateboarding and not by profit. They’re the antithesis to modern skateboarding.
This is where Europe comes in from one of Germany’s most neglected regions: the Ruhrpott. The Ruhrpott once was a thriving industrial location. Coal mining was booming, jobs were in abundance. In other words, the Ruhrpott’s future looked bright. Once coal mining was abandoned in favor of renewable energies, however, the region has found itself in steady decline. Jobs were lost, pensions were cut. The Ruhrpott was fucked. When you drive around the region, you will see a lot of industrial sites, power plants, artificial lakes and poor communities. It’s kinda like the Baltimore metropolitan area , only in Germany.
It’s really no surprise that a region in decline gives birth to a brand that is all about raw street skating like Europe. Coming from Essen, Europe is a posse and a brand: it’s a bunch of friends going out there, skating German postwar architecture and pedestrian zones, smoking weed, drinking beers, filming with their trusty old VX. Not giving a shit about big money (there’s barely any in Essen, anyway). They’re locals and not particularly into socializing. Like pitmen, they stick to themselves. If you’re cool, you can hang with them. If you’re not – well, fuck off, then. We love the footy they put on YouTube, and we think that it’s important for today’s skateboarding to be confronted with a healthy dose of antithesis from time to time. So go watch it, then shut off your computer and go skateboarding.
