Okay, so what I want to do here is all explained, while just trying to pare wrote it actually, while reading C, while reading my own rant filled journals from 2004 to 2009 ish. This morning, I had an idea. Instead of attempting to invigorate my thoughts about snowboarding via my old writings, I decided to read them verbatim and go from there. I shared this stuff at the time with friends, Bob Klein, to Morgan, but was hesitant to share with others. So off come the doors, we're going deep. And keep in mind at the very least, what I'm reading from is 10 to 15 years old or ago, whatever. Okay, first entry as it were, I think it's from about 2008 ish. And here we go. I don't know what I was writing it for, if I was writing it for just kind of what I'm doing now on journals to look back on or someone else but no one, no one read this or replied they did. Okay, it starts. My name is Mike Ranquet. I've been involved with this junk show since the Reagan administration. Last winter, my concern for the welfare of snowboarding reemerged at the time I was about as far away as you can possibly be from the snowboard industry. It's a place called the mountains. And I stayed there for the winter at sea whatever said a bunch of kinda okay. It's a place called the mountains and stayed there for the winter. This past winter was different than others. That would have been 2008 I think, in that it was the first one ever in my life that I wrote every day. Every day I wanted to anyways, with absolutely no guilt. No one No high backs, no cameras, no obligations. Important. More importantly, no one sitting shotgun telling me to slow down when I drive at five in the snow. It was for me. I wasn't really sponsored. I'm not really sponsored anymore. I'm not filming. And it just felt good to read. See Hold on a second. Before this past winter, I'd given up hope for the snowboard industry. Just few years back it seemed what few riders were left with a degree of style had disappeared. That is not the case. They're all up in the previous previously mentioned mountains, and they're doing well. They did save send money though. After digesting the emotions life has served me in the last couple years, I can easily still say that my love for the sport is deeper tour. truer, more unwavering and steadfast than ever before. It's different in that my reason for writing is a genuine it. Let's see I'm messing this up. It's different in that. My reason for right writing, not writing is a genuine concern that has been prophesized by many. Both the Mayan calendar as well as quatrains of Nostradamus makes reference to the impending doom, find your roots, or you'll be forced to endure at style ski marketing forever. Profits are pretty fucking rad. And the other reason writing all this more than anything really is I get shit else to do right now. Okay, so we're just these are just kind of, I can't tell I haven't gone through them all. I'm just reading him throughout the years, some things never change. It may take a while is everything around it does. But ultimately, something's changed by not changing at all. At this point, I wouldn't say it's something I'm interested in. It's at this point, I wouldn't say I think to snowboarding is something I'm interested in. It's different. It's deeper, truer, more unwavering and steadfast. There's that whole line again, with purpose, with purpose, in my opinion, is she i just kind of mess up. I'm just going on. Okay, so kind of pick up wherever. And again, this is probably 1213 years ago. At this point. I wouldn't say something I'm interested in. It's different. It's deeper tour. More unwavering and steadfast. I don't know what I'm referring to right there. So these are just permanent sentences. Sorry. Okay. So boom, next paragraph, right? Most involve now haven't the slightest idea or appreciation how easily the sport of snowboarding could have went the way of racing. Until recently, the idea of giving shit about the welfare of this industry had eluded most. And time all the no accounts in all the no accounts that were showered with praise and money just for showing up that mark. The end of the professional snowboarder is a talent bar was lowered the influx of endless names that the endless influx of names of 15 to 18 year olds with two to four year careers is in hindsight easier to forget that a bartender same progression isn't stifled by longevity. If the current mo isn't driving sales, then pro riders are dispensable. From my perspective, riders come into the best years in their late 20s early 30s. The industry's collapse collective lack of respect by way of suffocating pro riders isn't conducive to long term marketing strategy. Swapping prose every time a 16 year old throws himself down some stairs is equating to sales of anything. The magazine and brands benefit from name association that is built up over time and dedication to the sport is what makes a good writer great if you cut God to make room for the new baby Jesus every year, don't be surprised when your congregation stop coming to the church. The this belief that believing that a 25 year old snowboarder can be marketable is loosely based around an anomalous enigma of lies. an anomalous enigma of lies trumped up to make snowboarders think they should expect more than the 36 month career allotment doled out by essay Okay, carry on some point somehow some dudes somewhere. Change snowboarding, writing actual mountain scene pas passez had little or no significance on what these guys were doing. Plus the media had found their new buzz. Instead of combining urban with, with the progression of freewriting. Factions form as with the their predecessors did had little or no significance to them. Most of the pros then and now and industry insiders have no connection with the sports history. Other than knowing that the modern gym movement was started in Utah, sports history is looked at as a novelty proving how easily forgotten things are if no attention was paid to begin with. Thus, the bridge between snowboarding's pass in its mainstream present state was replaced with a bridge to Utah. When faced with a stagnant market, the industry insiders believe we need a new buzz and snowboarding. Therein lies the problem. Replacing the buzz too often will lend itself to tonal differences of the predecessor, predecessor and Buzz being bland or an array recognizable, hence snowboarding. Snowboard marketing is calibrated to such a young target market that it's easy to understand the brand's catch and release tact when it comes to sponsorship. With pro riders shelf lives equal to that of seasonal fruit brands literally don't know when where or how to invest marketing dollars. Current IT pro riders two years down the line would be hard pressed to get arrested at a trade show or live on tick tock he says. Industry insiders remain historically void without concern. Don't even find a vein when feeling around for the pulse of the sport. If marketing directors don't see the brand's exposure, they expect they overstep team managers and start cutting riders. Rather than rearranging chairs on the ship back marking directors throw the chairs over Gordon starting to hence the never ending cycle of baby Jesus hit reset. To the contrary, the diverse marketing strategies applied to surfing and skateboarding by the same brands is par for the course as a brand to recognize their consumer. Therefore, applying strategies to appeal to diverse target is second nature when the marketing is aimed at teens and no one else It's not hard to see why retail is plummeting, plummeting. What's the point of a managed 40s going into a resale retail store that caters to people half his age, technique and perfection seem to replace progression and spontaneity. Thus, the media output of unfathomable tricks has alienated people to the degree of no interest. Is it really progression or an uneven game of catch up to another sport entirely. The lack of emphasis on turning a snowboard is easy to understand. It's hard to judge a powder turn if the person picking photos is only in the last decade figured out what a proper powder turn is. The power and speed while surfing or skating a bowl is unreal and all Surf Skate magazines feature this aspect of their sport in their pages. And not as a novelty either. The term PAL has been morphed from my friend Sean farmer saying ridiculously silly ways to say how good the snow was his parentheses cherry cherry Powell Powell, for example, to being the caricature of itself. To me writing powder is what motivates me and gives me pleasure beyond an explanation. Skaters say the simplicity of grinding surfers would say bottom turn. The skaters would never say I got some fun grind ease today. Nor would a non Australian surfer say today suck except for a few bodies. Now they'd use the proper terminology. Why would they use a balloon? Why would they use a belittling or cute version of the intended word that almost defines why they serve or skate to begin with? Okay, next object right? This pattern of looking for the next baby Jesus completely overlooks the talent they have spawned. Because of this over or no exposure, the companies are having a tougher time putting their money behind anybody because the shelf life is cut into a fraction of what it could be due to all this. The average snowboard consumer isn't interested in 200 This is why algo so magazines isn't interested in 200 pages of the hardest strict on the biggest jump by the hardest to pronounce names. Interviews by fans disguised as journalists are non provocative and bland offering no insight thoughts or opinions of the interviewee. Magazines producing content conducive with all participants would encourage brands to see team writers as indispensable tools. With Potential Seven to 15 year career spans. It sucks to watch everyone hoist pro riders onto pedestals only to knock them out from underneath them. In most cases before the talent comes to fruition. So many riders are rushed through careers that consist of at best one up, one up and one down. And I don't know what I mean by that. And the getting media can't wait for the next insignificant name to dazzle them. Time will tell even if a snowboard media won't use after a building has been occupied when it's fair to judge the architectural integrity. If questions or concerns about the structure need answers, would you contact the tenants or the architects think I'm Hi. I probably am. But see, that's it for that. That's pretty much all I can kind of like, share it now because there are a bunch of like weird paragraphs that aren't making sense. And I'm trying to read them live as I am talking into the mic and I got to make sense of it before I can read it. So anywho thanks for tuning in. I hope that I don't know. offer some insight again. Everything I was saying was 2005 ish. 2009 ish. Yeah. So it was the all these sentiments were long, long time ago.