Concrete Wave Buyer's Guide

So, it's our annual Buyer's Guide, the biggest issue of the year - and an incredible opportunity to rant and rave. I was going to go on a tear this year! I wanted to scream about how some in the skate industry continue to behave as though things haven't changed. I was going to lash out at those who to continue to propagate their myopic vision. I was going to castigate those folks who for years dismissed any type of skateboarding (except street) and now find themselves marketing longboards. Don't even get me started on what it means to be "core" man, I am sick of hearing that word. Oddly enough, the word "core" comes out of a number of people's mouths who seem to have no issue selling a huge amount of their product into the world's largest mall-based skate retailer. I was even going to rant about safety gear. So, as you can tell, I was fired up! But then I received this e-mail, and I realized that it speaks in a much more powerful way than anything I could rant about. I realized that we've transcended what "they" think or do; it doesn't matter anymore. We have carved out our own territory and staked our own claim. Thank you for picking up the Buyer's Guide and being part of Concrete Wave. Skateboarding isn't changing - it has changed.

Hard to believe that this marks the eighth anniversary of our Buyer’s Guide. Many things have happened since the first issue of CW rolled off the presses back in 2002. It’s been fascinating to see the development of longboarding (and all its offshoots). It has taken quite a bit of time, but the fact is that longboarding is truly its own category now. You could say it has carved out its own seat at the action-sports table. It has a unique culture and vibe that welcomes variety in both thought and action. This year’s guide celebrates this in a way we’ve never done before. It truly feels like 2011 is the year things really start to explode.

It's nearly 100 pages of new products, product lines and fresh ad communication to you from skateboard manufacturers and vendors. Do you want to see the new Landyachtz trucks? How about the six-wheeled FatBoy? The full line of Abec 11? It's all there! [Wheels Helmets, Protection Gear, Slide Gloves, Bearings, Acessories, Company Profiles]

It's nearly 100 pages of new products, product lines and fresh ad communication to you from skateboard manufacturers and vendors. Do you want to see the new Landyachtz trucks? How about the six-wheeled FatBoy? The full line of Abec 11? It's all there! [Pool, Slalom, Street, Vert, Trucks, Wheels]

It's nearly 100 pages of new products, product lines and fresh ad communication to you from skateboard manufacturers and vendors. Do you want to see the new Landyachtz trucks? How about the six-wheeled FatBoy? The full line of Abec 11? It's all there! [Longboards, Downhill Speedboards]